by Rosina Fotia, Principal

Welcome back!!!

The sound of students in classrooms and hallways coupled with laughter in the yard has been music to our ears. It has been wonderful to watch the staged transition back to onsite learning. I am proud of the professionalism displayed by staff and resilience shown by all members of the College community as we move towards our new normal. The highlight for everyone at the College has been watching the students re-engage with learning and each other.

Learning Focus

The focus has truly remained on the preparation, delivery and completion of Remote Learning Tasks in the remote environment. Staff have supported each other to develop their skills in engaging and motivating students in the online environment while exploring ways to provide formative as well as summative feedback.

Parent Teacher Student Conferences were held late last term and attendance was high. Our first attempt in the online forum was successful and may have provided further opportunities to engage with families as we begin to transition into our more “normal” setting. Thank you to all those who participated in the conferences, your patience has been much appreciated.

Term 4 Priorities

The priorities outlined below will remain the central focus of all government schools across the state for the duration of the 2020 school year. The College is committed to ensuring that the needs of all students are accommodated wherever possible.

1. Mental Health and Wellbeing

Our highest priority will be the wellbeing, particularly the mental health, of every student and member of staff. This means effectively mobilising all available resources to support our most vulnerable students and enabling staff to access the relevant support services.

2. Learning and Excellence

Some of our students have thrived in the remote and flexible learning environment, others have maintained their learning progress and some have fallen behind, despite their best efforts and those of their families and teachers. Our priority will be supporting both those who need it to catch up and those who have progressed to continue to extend their learning.

3. Transitions

We will make every effort to ensure successful transitions for children in Grade 6 moving into Year 7, and the Year 12’s moving into employment or further education and training.

Year 12 Celebration Day

October 29st signalled the final day of official school for the current Year 12 cohort. After arriving early and engaging in some silly antics, the cohort was honoured with an online whole school assembly. Here they were acknowledged and thanked for their contributions to the College over time in front of student, staff, family and friends. This was followed by a colourful costume parade through the school. We wish them every luck for their upcoming final assessment period.

Parent Opinion Survey

Each year the school conducts an opinion survey amongst a sample of the school community. This year, all parents are invited to participate. Results are used to inform and direct our future school planning and improvement. Parents/guardians are invited to complete the survey, as your opinions are important to us and will contribute to the future management and organisation of our school. Link to the survey can be found in a newsfeed dated October 13, 2020.

JAS Foundation

James Andrew Scholarship

Congratulations to Sophia Clune who has been awarded the JAS scholarship. This scholarship will provide Sophia with all the financial support she will need to complete her university studies after completing Year 12 this year. Well done Sophia and thank you very much to the JAS Foundation for their support and encouragement of young people in our community.