Principal's Message

Dear students, parents and community members.

Welcome back to all our parents, students and staff. I hope you all had a lovely break, and for those of you who celebrate Easter, I hope that it was a spiritual one for you.

As you are all aware, our college Principal Mr Keith Perry, was successful in gaining an Acting SEIL role at the South Eastern Regional Office for all of Term 2. I would like to take this opportunity to personally congratulate Keith on his appointment, as I am sure he will do a fantastic job and be a great addition to their team for Term 2.

It is with great excitement that I write to you all as the Acting Principal of Kambrya for Term 2. Many of you are most likely familiar with me already. For those not aware, I have worked at Kambrya College for 10 years beginning in 2013 and held the position of Assistant Principal since 2017.

I am ecstatic to be able to lead and work with our outstanding students and staff at Kambrya College, and I am looking forward to continuing the great work that we do here to support one another’s growth and learning. As a leader, I value integrity and respect, and I have high expectations that students, staff and parents demonstrate these values at all times. I expect that all students respect the learning environment, and that they foster a culture of mutual respect and harmony which is inclusive of all. As a principal, I will ensure that our College always prioritises student and staff safety and wellbeing, and that it maintains a laser sharp focus on teaching and learning.

What a fantastic start to term it’s been! We started the term with a whole school assembly and special ANZAC ceremony. It is always a special time when we are able to bring the entire school together, and to join this with commemorating ANZAC Day makes it particularly special. All 1900 students and all staff came together to pay our respects. Special thanks and acknowledgement to our school captains for hosting the event so well, and to our amazing performers; Nikhita Anand for singing the Australian Anthem and Jodicee Tenisio for singing the New Zealand National Anthem. On ANZAC Day itself, we were lucky enough to have four of our students invited to attend the Berwick ANZAC day parade and service. It was a most humbling experience, and I can’t thank our students enough for the respect that they showed, and for representing our College with pride. It was a privilege and humbling experience to accompany them. I would also like to thank Learning Specialist Charlotte Davison for joining us in the march. 

Term 2 also means that start of our Year 7 transition and our 2024 enrolments. Over three evenings we have had 500 families come on a school tour and attend our information sessions. As per previous years, we were entertained by some of Kambrya’s fantastic Performing Arts students:

Performers: Gauri Singh, Hannah Smith, Noah Cerros, Nikita Anand, Liliana Sprague

Stage Band Members: Saskia Kirby, Eve Yeung, Nate Haghan, Hannah Smith, Hao Wong, Chris Buttigieg, An Nguyen

Regarding our 2024 Year 7 enrolments, we once again face increasing student enrolments. This again will mean that it will be more than likely that we will continue to not except students outside of the Kambrya College school zone unless students already have a sibling here. This will include students who are applying for any of our special programs, eg: SEAL. 

On Wednesday 16th May, our student leaders organised and facilitated an IDAHOBIT “wear a splash of rainbow” day. This was to recognise the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia. It was fantastic to see so many students and staff expressing their support for their peers and signalling that they have such respect. Let it be clear, in no uncertain terms, that Kambrya College supports and respects students, staff and parents of any orientation, and we expect that all members of our community demonstrate this mutual respect at all times. We should expect nothing less than this of one another. All children, staff and parents deserve to feel safe and respected. I encourage all parents to discuss this with your child(ren).

Next week, all of our Year 8 to 12 students will be participating in their mid-year exams. They’ve been busy with revision this week, so please touch base with your child(ren) to ensure that they are ready to go. We wish all students the best of luck. A reminder that next Friday, 26th May is a student free day. Staff will be flat out with a range of tasks, including marking exams as quickly as possible for students and writing semester reports. After exams end, our Semester Two timetable will be commencing on Monday, 29th May. All students should ensure that they have fresh exercise books etc. ready for their new classes.

Regards,

Martin McDonald

Acting Principal