Principals Report

Dear families

Our academic year is drawing to a close after the most unprecedented year of education this century. I commend our students, staff and you all for the way in which you have worked in partnership with us, thus ensuring your child’s educational journey continued remotely.  It has certainly been a dramatic turn around this term having our students back on site. The school feels alive again with the joy of children’s and young adult’s voices, and we have certainly treasured many moments as we have reconnected our community.

At the College our work is continuing and I am certainly grateful for the work of my leadership team who are relentlessly pursuing their schedules to ensure we are ready for 2021. I truly appreciate the committed efforts of my two Assistant Principals: Mathew Kelly and Nathan Guthridge who have worked tirelessly throughout 2020 to ensure our staff and students were supported. They have had invaluable support from the leadership team:  Hamish McGee, Julie Giles and Amanda Elmer and I can’t thank them enough!  Our Executive Business Manager Debra Dorgan has worked closely with my principal class team and her work has been exceptional in managing the financial, human and physical resources in this challenging year. The admin team: Simone Mathews, Deb Cassar and Racheal Puopolo have provided invaluable support to both staff and students throughout both remote learning and when onsite.  Our teaching and support staff have shown great resilience as they went from face to face to remote learning, back to face to face before again returning to remote learning, likewise our very adaptable students. They are all to be commended for their flexibility. 

We are all looking forward to a well-earned Christmas break and I hope and dream of a COVID normal 2021 as we reach our well planned milestone of our first year as a Prep to Year 12 community.  There are certainly exciting times ahead.

I am looking forward to greeting all our students especially our new preps, 7s and Year 12 students at 9:00am on Friday, January 29th to begin a new year of learning.

On behalf of our school team I wish you all a safe, happy and relaxing holiday period and for those who celebrate the Christmas season may you enjoy the company of family and friends at this special time of the year. I know we have many excited young children eagerly awaiting a visit from Santa.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Altona College and our very best wishes for a wonderful 2021!

Julie Krause 

END OF TERM: Final PRIMARY Assembly

Our final primary awards assembly will be held on Monday, 14th December at 2:15pm. Families are welcome onsite for the assembly.  We look forward to reconnecting with you all.

CURRICULUM DAY DECEMBER 17TH

The curriculum day planned for October was rescheduled due to the return of onsite learning. This is being held next Thursday 17th December. Students do not attend school on this date.  

LAST DAY OF TERM 4

Our final day of school for 2020 is this coming Friday, 18th December. The school day will end at 1:15pm.  Out of school hours care is available if required. The link to EXTEND is on the website. 

CAPITAL WORKS PROJECT $4.7M

The contract has been awarded for our new capital works program and we conducted a start-up meeting today.  2020 has certainly provided some challenges and the delay of the building program was one of many.  At the end of 2021 I am anticipating the completion of the VCE centre and our state of the art science facilities for chemistry, physics and biology. The building company will begin to move onsite from 11th January 2021,

CAPITAL WORKS STAGE 2 PROJECT $3.556M

The stage 2 capital works project will begin in January with a site tour by interested parties and the tender process to  select an architect.  Once the architect is in place the scope of the project will be finalised.

Class Structure 2021

Our 2021 class structure is a follows:

PRIMARY CLASSES:          2 x Prep, 2 X Year 1, 1 x Year 2, 2 x Year 3/4 classes, 2 x Year 5/6 classes

                                                Literacy Learning Intervention.

SECONDARY CLASSES:    4 X Year 7, 4 X Year 8, 2 x Year 9, 2 x Year 10, 2 x Year 11, 1 x Year 12 (includes 2 VCAL classes)

Year 7 Orientation Day 

We welcomed our 2021 Year 7 students’ onsite for their orientation day on Tuesday 8th December following a further easing of restrictions due to COVID 19.  Our current year 6 students were delighted to meet all our incoming year 7 students and are looking forward with anticipation to 2021.

Primary Step up Session

Our primary students will participate in a step up session in the last week of term. At that time they will meet their 2021 teacher and class.

Curriculum Days 2021

January 27th, January 28th, Monday 1st November and a date in Term 3 TBC.