Principals Report

One of the aspects of Warrnambool College that I love the most is almost impossible to describe.  It can’t be measured, it’s not explicitly visible and it goes beyond simply experiencing via our five senses.  But I can assure you, I have felt this part our school community on display every hour of every school day since we returned from holidays.  I’m referring to our positive school culture; the intangible vibe that is the addition of so many small acts of kindness, welcomes, smiles and joy.  I hope you’ve felt this culture yourself at Warrnambool College if you’ve visited the campus already in 2019.

With a lot of building works happening at the school last year, it was fantastic to open new facilities for our students to use from the first day of school this year.  New student toilets, a new library, new school foyer, new administration area and a new entrance to the year 12 common room are now complete and it’s been great to see students take care and pride in these new spaces.  A huge thanks goes out to all the school staff and external contractors that worked so hard to bring these projects to life over a number of months.

During 2019 there will be a lot of additional building works happening as part of our department renewal project.  The B wing classrooms that have been under construction since November should be completed in the next month.  I had a walk through earlier this week and am delighted with the enhanced look and feel of the space – it’s amazing what natural light and glazing can do to really lift a space and make it more conducive to learning.  Work will commence on new staff toilets in the coming fortnight and then refurbishment of additional classrooms will start during March.  This will mean that various parts of the school are not accessible to staff and students for extended periods of time throughout this year.  We have been able to arrange our timetable so that all classes will have access to specialised learning resources throughout the year.  We can’t wait to learn and teach in these new spaces as they are handed back to the school.

Yesterday our year 11s had ‘study hall’ for the first time this year during period 4.  I had been at a meeting away from my office and as I wandered through the library on my way back to my desk, I was delighted to see so many students making fantastic use of this time.  The work ethic on display was an inspiration to all others.  As I worked my way down the stairs to our administration area, I discovered more students working in the meeting rooms near my office.  Wow I thought, it’s so great to have so many students involved that we need to offer more spaces for their learning.  Then I got to my office and found three studious year 11s working diligently at my meeting table.  They offered to leave but I insisted they stay and continue with their studies.  We briefly joked about the merits (or otherwise) of being ‘in the Principal’s office’ and then worked and learned alongside each other for the next 40 minutes in relative silence.  What a privilege for me to share in their commitment to learning at this stage of the year.   I hope it continues throughout 2019.

In amongst the busyness of the start of the school year, please take a moment to ask your child how their learning is going.  Many will have learning tasks up on Compass by now, so I invite you to look at these and share in the learning involved with your child.  Education is a partnership between school, home and the wider community.  I look forward to sharing this significant responsibility with you all during 2019.

Kind Regards,

Dave Clift

Principal