Some Lock Down Relief

On Wednesday the Premier announced that some of the lock-down restrictions would be easing for regional Victoria.  For us, as a Secondary College, it means that all Year 12 classes will be running on site – and therefore not offered via WebEx.  All of our other current arrangements will remain in place, until further notice.  It is clear that the government is intent on having Year 12 exams and assessment completed in the current timeline, and they are doing everything to ensure that this can happen.  This means that the Year 12 GAT will be conducted on Tuesday October 5, in the first week of next term.  This does mean that our students studying Year 12 French will have their oral exams moved, but we have not been notified as to when this will be.

Student Immunisations

The Government remains clear that they would like to have every Year 12 student with at least their first shot of vaccine prior to the end of this term. I would encourage you to make an appointment as soon as possible. There are already a number of students who have begun their vaccination path – as have the vast majority of staff.  As more information comes to light, we will pass it along to parents as soon as is practically possible.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Thank you to everyone for our first Parent Teacher Interviews via WebEx.  From all reports, the parents who made bookings and attended had a positive experience and many commented that it made it much simpler and quicker, as they did not have to ‘walk between rooms.’  Staff were also happy with the functioning of the day even though some may have been a little concerned with how the technology would cope at the beginning of the day.  If you have any feedback, please pass it on to us at the College or through your family mentor.

If you were unable to attend the interviews and would like to talk to staff, please contact the College.

School Captain Presentations

Next Wednesday, 5 students will present speeches to all Year 7 to 11 students as they nominate for College Captains in 2022.  The students have already completed a written application with references and have presented for an interview with a panel consisting of the current Captains, Mrs. Reynolds, Dr. Taylor and myself.  If the presentations are anything like the interviews, we will be in for some very tough decisions as all students came very well prepared and answered all questions thoroughly and thoughtfully.  The speeches will be delivered to the Year 7 to 11 student body over WebEx from 11:00 and we really encourage all students to attend.  Invites will be sent out prior to Wednesday.  Voting will also be done online following the speeches and will be open for about 15 minutes after the speeches.  Students who do not turn up to watch speeches will not be able to vote.

Arrangements for Term 4

Some of you may be aware that I am having a Hip Replacement at the beginning of term 4 which requires approximately 7 weeks of sick leave, and I will be taking leave for the rest of the term to recuperate fully to be ready for 2022.  Much of the planning for 2022 has already been done and will continue during the term. During my absence Dr. Calvin Taylor and Mr. Russell Marland will be the joint Acting Principals.  We will be spending the next few weeks looking at how this arrangement will work but sharing the load with the clear aim of minimising the impact on any classes is an absolute priority for the rest of the year.  I am sure that you will all support Dr. Taylor and Mr. Marland throughout Term 4.

Student Movement 2022

As is usual at this time of year, we ask that if you are aware of any student movement for 2022 that you notify the College as soon as possible. This means that if you know of families who are coming, or students who may be leaving, we would greatly appreciate a heads up as our planning (and funding) relies directly on student numbers.  Thanks in advance for your assistance with this.

Tony Hand

Principal

This week in Food Technology the students at home made a stir-fry, they had the choice between recipes that I provided or one of their own. In the theory classes during Remote and Flexible Learning we have just completed the properties of ingredients and how they alter the texture, taste and colour of our food, next we will be looking at food for good health.