Principal's Report
News from the Principal
Dear Westall Secondary College Community,
Building Update – Stage 1 of the rebuild has commenced. Most of the work is in the Primary School for Stage 1, but, we will have new hard courts near the Balook building by the end of November. I attend a fortnightly site meeting to keep in the loop regarding progress and issues and will keep you posted as things evolve. We are also undertaking our own building project that Assistant Principal, Mark Henderson, is leading with Paul Shanley (Project Manager), DET (Department Education and Training) and VSBA (Victorian School Building Authority). This will be a new Wellbeing Centre and International House and is due to commence operation day 1 of Term 2, 2019.
2018 DATA REPORT
We received some excellent news in the last week of Term 3. Our 2018 Data Report shows us performing in the top category of schools. There are 5 categories of schools identified by DET and we are now in the top performing category. This result is a fantastic reward and recognition for our hard working staff, students and community. The report includes a range of measures, including NAPLAN results, VCE outcomes, attendance figures and staff, student and parent opinion surveys. Congratulations! We should all be very proud.
SCHOOL REVIEW
This report was great timing when we are under review and planning the next 4 years. It certainly affirms our actions and direction. This whole school review occurs once every 4 years and the process is quite intensive over a 4-week period, which finishes on the 30th October. It is on this day that the key findings and recommendations for the next 4 years will be tabled. Thank you to all staff, students and parents who have attended sessions or provided feedback and reflections to inform this evaluation.
CHINA TRIP
Assistant Principal, Sue Simadri, has just returned from 2 weeks in China travelling with DET and other School Principals. Sue has met with current and prospective families and promoted our school with recruitment agents across China. Thank you for your efforts Sue, and the time you have given to Westall.
YEAR 12
Year 12s have now finished formal classes and are in the process of attending extra workshops and study sessions leading into the exam period. The Year 12 students have continued to work hard throughout the year with one last big effort required. The exam period runs late October through to mid-November. We will then formally celebrate and recognise their efforts on Thursday 29th November at the Clayton Church of Christ. Please mark this night in your calendars. I have included below the speech given at the Year 12 final assembly that all students across the school listened to. I asked students across Years 7-11 to start paying a price now to reap maximum reward at the end of Year 12.
Dear Year 12 Graduates of 2018,
It has been a privilege and honour to serve as your Principal and watch you grow and develop over your time at Westall Secondary College. I know that you have all worked hard throughout the year. You have made sacrifices. You have had challenges. You have had to manage the pressures of part time jobs and family commitments. You have had personal obstacles to overcome. You have had to manage all these things which are part of life but in 2018 you have had to combine all of that with the pressure, expectation and stress of completing Year 12. Congratulations and you should all be so proud of getting to this point. As we enter the final stage of 13 years of school for you all, we require one last effort.
That last effort is about your willingness to “pay the price”. In life everything has a price of some form.
If you want the best car you can pay over $100,000. If you simply want a car, you can pay a $1000. If you want the best garden, you can spend 20 hours a week on the garden. If you simply want the grass cut, you can get away with just 20 hours a year on that. If you want to be super fit you need to exercise with intensity daily. If you simply want general health, a daily walk or light exercise 3 times a week is enough. My point is this. Everything has a price and the greater the price you pay the greater the reward.
When it comes to money, life is a bit unfair in some ways as growing up you will have more or less money than the next person. But what we all have the same access to is time. We all get 24 hours a day. We all get 168 hours a week. I ask you to pay the price in time over the next month up until your last exam. Make sacrifices and give as much time as you possibly can in order that you get the greatest return. I know you won’t regret it and the short term pain and sacrifice will all be worth it knowing you have given it your absolute best shot.
What price are you prepared to pay???????????
Mr. Tristan Lanarus