Principal's Report

Welcome back!

Whilst the start of the term has been interrupted with a couple of public holidays, last Tuesday was the beginning of what will be a very busy term. There are a number of significant events happening this term such as NAPLAN and the Presentation Balls, with almost every week containing an important event for our students. The weather starts to turn colder and wetter and it is great to see a significant number of students wearing the new rugby jumper, a uniform item introduced in response to feedback from students and a uniform item designed by students. I encourage all students to hit the ground running in term 2, to work harder and smarter to achieve more and to get involved in as many school activities or events as they can.

Federal Election

With the upcoming federal election on May 18 getting closer, I have made efforts to meet with representatives of the major parties and their candidates to discuss policies for education, and their impact on our school. Recently we were involved in a Principals meeting with Alan Tudge MP, from the Liberal Party and last week hosted Dr Kadira Pethiyagoda from the Labour Party. I will always proactively advocate for public education and Wantirna College in these meetings.

Sister School Visit

In the final weeks of term 1, 15 Year 8 students and 3 staff visited our sister school in China, International Bilingual Academy of Huizhou Middle School No.1. The students and staff spent time experiencing school life in China, forming strong positive relationships with teachers and students and touring the sights of Huizhou and Beijing. Our touring party were shown outstanding hospitality and treated like celebrities during their stay. Life as a student in China is very different and demanding, and our students experienced this first hand, with early starts, long days and compulsory exercise (running laps in military like formation). This sister school relationship will continue to expose our students to cultural experiences both inside and outside the classroom, embedding deeper cultural understanding in the curriculum and further expanding the breadth of extra-curricular experiences that we offer.

NAPLAN

This term from Tuesday the 14th to Thursday the 16th of May, Year 7 and 9 students will be completing the National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). It is important that students are at school to complete the tests on those days. These tests will provide us with important data that will better help us identify the strengths of our students as well as determine our progress in key annual goal areas. There will be more information to come in the following weeks.

Construction update

We currently have two significant construction projects underway that will be completed this term. The D Block toilet project is progressing well despite some minor delays due to issues discovered during demolition. The ceiling and floor have been completely replaced, the plumbing has been roughed in and the new dividing wall will be built this week. It is hoped that the project will be completed within the next 6-8 weeks.

The new COLA project (Covered Outdoor Learning Area), over our tennis courts is anticipated to begin next week. Architectural and engineering drawings have been finalised and we are ready to go. We are hoping that this project will be completed before the end of the term so that we can maximise its use during the colder, wetter months. From next week temporary fencing should be erected, restricting access to our lower gravel carpark.

Kevin Murphy

Principal