Principal's Report

End of Year: Principal Report

As we conclude yet another school year, it is with a sense of deep satisfaction to be able to reflect that 2022 was a very successful and rewarding year at South Oakleigh College

What an exciting year it has been after the diversity and challenging experiences over the last few years. In 2020 Our College Captain and Valedictorian of the Class of 2020 - Andrew Leap referred to these defining moments as accomplishments we never thought we would achieve, whether it be academically, socially or otherwise. How true that statement rings today as we stand before you now in the coveted 30’s club -following our recent VCE results. I am so proud that our students have displayed a positive mindset and a resilient approach.

I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to members of the South Oakleigh College community who have supported us.

To our parents/carers and families, thank you for partnering with us. The number one factor influencing student learning outcomes is the family. Your child is here with us this afternoon and has not come about by chance. The way that your children value education, the way that they care for and respect themselves and others: and their preparedness to make the most of their opportunities both in and beyond the classroom, comes from you – their family. I know that the relationship with children can change during adolescence however, you, our parents and carers have been and continue to be incredibly important.

I also commend our teachers and support staff who have been committed to ensuring the learning and wellbeing needs of our students have been met. We have learnt so much over the past three years about our individual and collective capacity to manage unprecedented circumstances and this learning will allow us to approach 2023 with a great degree of confidence.

As we approach the end of the school year, I take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the students and all staff members. On a personal note, I feel privileged to be the Principal of South Oakleigh College and continue to work with these outstanding students: partner with our families and serve our community. I would particularly like to thank and express my deepest appreciation to the outstanding leadership provided by our Assistant Principals, Anthony Katsianos and Mark Picone, to our School Council led by Mitzi Sneesby, who all provide enormous support and guidance for our College.

This year there are several staff who will be leaving us to continue their journey in other schools, other career paths and experiences. I would particularly like to acknowledge:

Hatsu Watanabe for his 21 years of service to our school both in the Japanese and Technology faculties – he will be missed but we know that the next phase of his educational journey will provide him with rewarding experiences and opportunities.
Michael Alexis - who will retire at the end of the year our Director of Students Wellbeing who joined us on the leadership Team - with a focus on improving student wellbeing and providing us with insights to support all students with their growth and development as resilient and respectful young people. He will be missed as a mentor to many as a true professional.
Chris Teazis who will also retire at the end of the year – we will remember him for the support he gave to our students in PE, Health, Sport and Humanities and his humour, we know that he will stay in touch with his second family.
We also acknowledge Della Butler, Mr Kelvin Cheuk, Bridgette Halloran, Ruby McMillan, Leah Liu, Ms Stav Kantzas, Steve McRae and Nicole Shen who will also be leaving us.

We are extremely grateful for the work and commitment they have had during their time at South Oakleigh as paraprofessionals and teaching staff and on behalf of our school community, I wish to thank them for their contributions, professionalism, innovative teaching programs and care for our students.

Finally, to our students, to the Class of 2022 I acknowledge your efforts, your leadership, your dedication and commitment and encourage you to keep trying to be the best you can be in all facets of your school life here at SOC. The effort may be challenging, but the rewards will be well worth it!

VCE Results 2022

VCAA (The Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority) released the 2022 VCE results on Monday morning. I am very proud to say that our students again performed incredibly well.

Our median VCE study score was 30
Highest ATAR of 96.95.
13 % of our students achieved an ATAR of 90 or higher.
30% of our students received an ATAR over 80
Our average ATAR was 72.21– the state average was 70.33.

These results, I believe, strongly reinforce the direction we are taking to seek continual improvement in student learning outcomes at our College and is a credit to students and teachers alike – made all the more remarkable against the backdrop of three COVID-impacted years. In fact, for this resilient cohort, all of their senior school experiences were framed within the backdrop of this global pandemic – a remarkable achievement!

DUX of the COLLEGE

It is my pleasure to announce that the 2022 Dux of the College is Jenny Lee, who achieved an outstanding ATAR – a truly outstanding achievement!

Jenny had performed exceptionally well as Year 11 student. She has worked extremely hard and with great diligence and application as a VCE student and it is great to see that her effort towards his studies was so richly rewarded. We warmly congratulate Jenny

As stated previously, we wish our entire Year 12 cohort all the very best and are very proud of their effort, persistence and resilience.

Helen Koziaris

College Principal