PRINCIPAL REPORT

Have a wonderful break

Whilst we can look back at 2022 and think of it as a post lockdown year, it has by no means been a post COVID one. From many perspectives, one could argue that 2022 was a more challenging year, because of the effects of COVID, than those preceding it. 

Although the previous two years saw students physically separated from school, they had continuous access to their teachers, albeit virtually at times. The end of lockdowns in 2022 saw a much higher prevalence of COVID in the community, and this caused a very high rate of rolling absences of both staff and students. This resulted in significant impacts on learning continuity as staff and students were frequently absent for week-long blocks because of the isolation requirements on infected persons, or from being a close contact of a known COVID case. 

The COVID situation was overlaid on to what is already one of the most complex and challenging environments, that is, schools. 

As Dr Briony Scott pointed out in her recent keynote address to the National Excellence in School Leadership Institute, schools are composed of individuals (teachers and ES staff) meeting the needs of another large group of individuals (students) who are intimately connected with a third large group of individuals (parents, step parents and carers). Each of these individuals sit in their own place somewhere on a continua for each of a wide variety of attributes which make all of them think, behave, and interact with others in a unique way. 

These continua might describe the extent to which a person is shy or outgoing, confident or nervous, thoughtful or instinctive, risk taking or risk averse, introverted or extroverted, interested or indifferent, sick or well, able or have additional needs, literate, or numerate. Now, ask one group of individuals (teachers) to take the other group of individuals (students) through a standardized curriculum at roughly the same pace, whilst the messy, unpredictable vicissitudes of life play out around them all. 

The work the people in schools do is astonishing in its complexity and challenge, and I think it is high time this is acknowledged and appreciated. 

As it is every year, one of my main purposes in writing to the community is to thank them for their unstinting efforts in making the school the great place it is.

My thanks to our hardworking principal team, our wonderful teaching team, our education support staff and our parents and guardians. We recognize in working together we're able to achieve the best possible outcomes for students. 

To the students, I wish you a well earned break.

Finally, to our graduating year 12 students, I wish you all the very best for your journey after school. I hope you continue to take every opportunity that comes your way and hope that you, over the future years of your life, occasionally think of your time here with fondness and gratitude

Yours sincerely,

Richard Minack

Principal