College Principal’s Report
Dear students and families,
I would like to begin by acknowledging the students and families of our current Year 9 and Year 10 students who attended last week’s Senior Campus Information evening. It was great to see a high level of engagement with the wide range of options which these students have open to them during 2024. The step from the Middle Years Campus to the Senior Campus is a significant one and it is important that all students are actively planning for their pathways as they progress through the year levels. There is a large amount of work being undertaken by our Careers team, Year Level Coordinators and subject teachers to assist them to make informed choices, and I would like to add my own piece of advice to students as they consider their course: It is important to consider any pre-requisite requirements for any courses you are intending to undertake after completing school. If you are unsure of your pathway, choose subjects that you enjoy and where you have strengths, but also make sure that you challenge yourself – this will ensure that your options are open in later years.
Our Year 7 and Year 9 families will receive NAPLAN results this week via the post. This year’s results have been displayed in a different format and we hope that this is easier for students and families to interpret. We have been very impressed by the way that our students undertook the testing, and we will be reviewing the data at a school level to identify students who may benefit from additional support and extension. All of our students have a range of strengths and areas for development, so I encourage you to look at the NAPLAN report like any other assessment results: As an indication of where you are at a specific point in time – not a fixed statement about abilities in Literacy and Numeracy that will never change. By taking a growth mindset, students will be able to focus on their next steps and we can work on supporting them to make progress, whatever level they are at.
Reflecting on learning is important and all families will shortly receive an invitation through Compass to book interviews at our Student Agency Conferences on Monday 7 August. I encourage all of our families to make bookings with teachers. By providing students with an opportunity to actively reflect on their progress, to set goal and actions for focus in the second half of the year we will ensure that we maximise their learning. I believe that this is important for students at all year levels: The conversations will be different, but it is only by working in partnership that we can give our young people the best possible chance of success.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the amazing talents of our students involved in Production, and the dedication of our staff who have helped make the show a reality. As I write I am yet to see Rock Of Ages, however I am very excited to be in the audience for the final show this Friday evening. I know that there will be more to say about this event at a later date, but well done to everyone involved and best of luck for the performances.
