Associate Principal, Operations Report

Year 12 Farewells

Last week saw us farewell the Year 12 students and wish them well for their examinations (which commenced this week) and for their futures.  The highlight of such a week is always Speech Day and this year’s was particularly memorable for the powerful and personal Valedictory Addresses delivered by Lukas and Elly.  Was there a dry eye left in the Auditorium?  The standing ovation they received was a wonderful and richly deserved response.

Of course, there was also superb music.   Poised and talented young men and women sang, played and danced.  Ensembles, the trio, choirs and the orchestra enriched the proceedings and weren’t Valentina and Harrison excellent in their individual performances?

We commissioned our new Prefects.  They, and their year group, have a high standard to follow and I am sure they will be more than up to the task.  Claudia and Sami, Alex and Amy will have strong support from the Boarding and House Captains and all the Prefects … and, indeed, from their whole cohort.

David Wilson, Tim Arnold and Tim Budenberg were thanked for their huge contributions to the welfare of students during their years here.  Each will be missed by colleagues and by students, for each has taught with passion and also been involved in the broader life of the school.

The week also saw several other moments of note.

The Boarders’ Dinner on Wednesday celebrated the contributions of more than half our total Year 12 group as boarders.  The stories recounted, tributes given, laughter shared and tears spilt spoke volumes of the quality of the group being farewelled and thanked.  The awarding of the Anita Macdonald Trophy for contributions to boarding life to Andrew Crafter was a popular decision and his response demonstrated how much the boarding houses meant to him and therefore how appropriate the award was.

Earlier that afternoon, those Year 12s who had attended primary school at Myrniong, revisited and were welcomed back with a guard of honour.  I’d recommend you look at the video presentation about this occasion on the School’s facebook page.  It was obviously a very special time for all concerned.

On Thursday, the Year 12 group presented a School Assembly with a difference – and we all enjoyed some laughs during what was a very enjoyable time.

The Year 12 Service and Dinner on Thursday night allowed each Head of House to recognise all Year 12 students and House Captains recounted the story of their House’s year.  The respect and affection of staff and students was evident and, again, there was plenty of laughter and some emotion during the evening.

School Vice Captain Sam Rowe had spoken of a former classmate at the Year 12 Service the evening before Speech Day and, on Friday, after the official proceedings had finished, students who had been in Year 6 here spent a few minutes at Angus’s tree remembering him.

Friday had commenced with a Barbeque for Year 12 students, their families and staff.  The costumes were many and varied and the mood was positive and unified.  The 12s have been a very close group.  It was great to see Christine Woods arrive for her last day dressed as a policewoman and I know very many of us wish her well in her plans to move to that career. Equally, it was lovely to sing “Happy Birthday” to Sara Kosch, also on her final day here, later in the afternoon.

Late on Friday afternoon, after the Year 12s had gathered for one final time as a complete group in their common room to watch the countdown clock tick over to zero, there were hugs, tears and laughter.  I liked Skye McIntosh’s description of it all as “happy sad.” 

The Year 12s of 2017 have led the school in first-class fashion.  What fine role models they are.  They have set an excellent tone for the rest of the school to follow. 

How fortunate have all of us been to be able to experience it?

And the Weekend

Last Saturday, Nicholas Northeast and Katie Hayward were soloists at the performance of the Cantata under the direction of Mr Angus Christie.  Mr Ben Singh was also a soloist and Natasha Jiang was a member of the combined Hamilton and Warrnambool Symphony Orchestras for this event which marked the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Earlier on Saturday, Katie and Natasha had joined with Katie’s sister Abbie and Timothy Gilling to play at a wedding.  For Natasha, it was her first experience of a western wedding ceremony and she told me she was particularly taken by the “you may now kiss the bride” part!

The College Oval was the scene of a C Grade cricket match on Saturday, the second time this season the Cs have played on turf – a real treat for this Grade.  I understand that the efforts of College Cricket Club members who prepare the pitch have been rewarded by the College Oval being the only turf wicket in the Association area used for each of the first four rounds of the season.  Several students have been active in Junior, Senior and Women’s cricket already and they always welcome support from the bank of the oval.

Rowers took to the water for a South West Games Regatta on Lake Hamilton.  Watching the way our crews work together on and off the water is a treat and I know there is another regatta coming up this weekend at the lake.  Rowers too enjoy support so look out for the dates in the newsletter!

There’s basketball and netball too!

So many chances to be active! 

…and, of course, this week, the VCE examinations have begun and our Years 10&11 exams follow later in the month.  The Years 7-9 examinations are in early December when the 10s and 11s have “stepped up” to commence preparations for their senior years in 2018.  A group heads off On the World Challenge Expedition to Cambodia late this month and a small group of students of Chinese is heading to Taiwan after Christmas.  There will be an Orientation Day for younger students joining us in 2018, before the Christmas Service and the Old Fashioned Sports bring down the curtain on another year.

So many opportunities to shine!

New Prefects

At Speech Day we commissioned the 2018 Prefects and wished them well as they take up office and for the year ahead. 

School Captains - Claudia Roberts  and Sami Zehir

School Vice Captains (SRC) - Amy Waters and Alec Jagger

Boarding - Georgia Hodgetts and Toby Hawthorne

Berry - Niamh Jones and Jarrod Hurst

Learmonth - Nyah Bester and Jarman Oakley

Laidlaw - Hannah Nichols / Madeleine Rowe  and Jack Green

Young - Claire Dempsey and Kyle Herbertson

Sport - Sophie Hines and Seth Fiegert

Middle Years - Lily McCure and Joshua Read 

Social Service/ Welfare - Kelly Ferguson and Charlotte Boyd Walsh

Year 12 Matters - Taylor Kelsey-Shueard and Kirrily Jackson

Publicity/Events/Collandrian - Philippa Gan and Phoebe Sweeney

International Programmes - Marcus Chu

In addition, this week in assembly, badges were issued to Captains of Sports and other positions.  These Captains are:

Athletics - Amy Waters and Sami Zehir            

Basketball - Jarrod Hurst and Pip Steer (2017/18)

Cricket - Lachlan Holcombe and Hannah Nichols

Hockey - Hannah Nichols and Josh Read

Clay Target Shooting - Charlotte Boyd Walsh and Lachlan Holcombe

Cross Country - Lachlan Holcombe and Phoebe Sweeney      

Debating/Public Speaking - Kelly Ferguson

Drama - Tim Gilling and Alannah Sander                    

Football -  Seth Fiegert         

Horsemanship - Georgia Hodgetts

Information Services - Kelly Ferguson and Jarrod Hurst

Information Systems - Kyle Todd

Music - Timothy Gilling and Maddy Rowe

Instrumental Music - Kyle Herbertson                   

Netball - Sophie Hines

Racquet Sports - Kirrily Jackson and Lily McCure

Rowing - Amy Boland and Maddy Rowe                       

Soccer - Kyle Herbertson

Swimming - Claire Dempsey and Toby Hawthorne           

Technical Productions - Jarman Oakley

These appointments are made following what we believe is a very full and fair process.  In early August, Year 11 students were invited to apply for Prefect (and other captaincies) positions.  To do so, they were asked to write formal letters of application and compile a CV to accompany the letter.  Letters were written to those in charge of the position(s) for which they were applying: all Prefect applications were directed in the first instance to the Head of House.

Heads of House made recommendations to the Principal for those who should be considered for School Captain and Vice-Captain positions – that is, as in any job interview, a short-list was compiled.  Heads of House or other Senior Staff  interviewed all applicants for Prefect positions and the Principal and, in my absence last term this year, the Deputy Principal Senior Years interviewed Captain and Vice-Captain candidates.

Students were invited to indicate their preferences for the most suitable students for School and House Captains.  Staff too were able to register their views.  These indications were provided through an online “voting” system but it was stressed that this is not just a popularity contest – those responding were asked to consider who was most suited to the leadership positions available.

All Year 11 students were issued with details of this process in early August and the process was following through to a meeting of Heads of House and Senior Staff late last term which made recommendations of those to be appointed.  A further meeting to confirm the recommendations was held early this term before the outcome was announced to the School.

We believe this process provides students with a useful experience of the sort of stages they will need to go through with job applications in future.  Of course, we also recognise that there are inevitably disappointments which arise when decisions are announced and Heads of House or Senior Staff are available to discuss outcomes in such situations and we do remain open to rewarding high standards of student leadership with further appointments as the year continues.

Mr Neil MacLean