Acting Principal's Report

Mr Chris Grimmer

Education State Leadership Conference Report

Last Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th June Mrs Luitjes, Mr Morgan and I were in Melbourne to attend two days of the Education State Leadership Conference. The speakers at the conference were of high quality and we were able to gain some new ideas and reflect on our current practice to determine if there were areas we could change or adjust to improve outcomes for our students.

We attended the ‘Engaging students in mathematics’ session which explored strategies, approaches and actions that could be applied within our schools to engage students with mathematics, and what this engagement looks like in the classroom. We also attended Dr Barbara Blackburn’s session on ‘Rigour, motivation and engagement for teachers and leaders’.  In this session we explored what ‘rigour’ is, what it looks like in the classroom and some of the myths that surround it. We examined the leadership activities that shape culture in a school and were provided with a follow up package of resources that can be used to engage teachers and leaders in a culture of rigour. Dr Peter Dewitt led a session on collaborative professionalism which examined the six influences of instructional leadership, collective efficacy, professional learning, feedback, assessment-capable learners and family engagement. Our final session was run by Dr Russell Quaglia and focussed on ‘Student voice and aspiration’.  We focussed on how we could create learning experiences that meet individual needs and aspirations through genuine voice, agency and leadership.

Important Reminder-Kiss & Go Zone

With our growing student numbers comes an increase in traffic during pick up and drop off times, so it is even more important that families observe the signs at our Kiss and Go zone at the front of the school. Please ensure you don’t leave your vehicle in these areas as the traffic becomes congested and it is extremely frustrating for others if they are unable to pause in these areas to drop their children off. Thanks for your co-operation with this issue.

Principal Leave

Mr Cupper has advised the region and staff that he will be taking further personal leave until the end of term 3. As a result I have been given the opportunity to continue in the role as Acting Principal throughout this time, which I am really looking forward to. Throughout this term I have had the opportunity to meet many of the students and work with staff from Prep-10 as we continue to strive for excellence across all aspects of the College.  Next term we will be working hard as a team to complete the self-evaluation relating to the ‘Framework for Improving School Outcomes’ in readiness for our school review in Term 4, 2019.  All government schools complete a review every four years so this will be an exciting time for the College as we reflect on the growth we have made over the past four years and then set new goals for the future.