From the Principal – October 2023
Term Four is always a fast and exciting term. There are special events in every section of the College. There will be a few farewells and there will be the excitement of rewards for many as we wind up achievements of the year. This is particularly true for our Year 12 students as their school days are slowly running out, with just 20 days to go. They still have external exams and many rites of passage about which we are confident that they will continue to bring pride to what has been an outstanding year group.
I would like to highlight the success of many events in recent times. My reason for doing this is because we have been very keen to develop the atmosphere of the College so that all feel welcome. Indeed, a couple of years ago we deliberately set out to ensure that the school would exude warmth along with a sincere and comfortable feel. All should feel able to connect and be part of our community. Long-term connections should be honoured and those who just meet us should feel that this a community in which friendship can blossom. I had long observed that in terms of a school atmosphere, the day-to-day environment was, “pure gold”.
For the past two Friday nights, we had the feel of a large community sharing the joy of young children and staff in the Arts. There is amazement in both events that makes it great to be here. Jazz Night and College Creations could be likened to a fine and delicately woven tapestry, revealing a rich narrative of our lives, interwoven threads, which gives our tapestry its sense of depth and warmth, colour, vibrancy, and imaginative appeal. We celebrated the finer threads of our Arts program by showcasing the rich quality of work our students create over the course of the year.
The ‘warp and weft’ of our Arts program is woven by the dedicated teaching staff of the Arts Faculty. This faculty comprises the departments of Music, Visual Art, and Drama, led by an exceptional group of educators and support teams: Mr Russell Morgan, Mrs Victoria Bradbury, Mrs Leona Collier, Mr Jacob Ballard, Mr Joshua Moloney, Ms Rebecca Djapovic, Ms Jennifer Tsai, Ms Sala Fletcher, Ms Katherine Keane, Mrs Anna-lise Walker, Ms Brooke McLauchlan, Mrs Sze-Mun Golding, Junior School staff, Mr Daniel Hayward, Tecrew, FOTA, and the Development Team.
Our College needs to be a place where we feel safe and valued but also a place where we are encouraged to branch out into different areas of interest and be creative in our ideas. As you know, students and staff will often hear me say that everyone matters and ideas matter. Our staff and students will only find the courage to explore new possibilities if they are insatiably curious in our quest for new experiences and enlightenment.
The provision of a safe learning environment to take risks and have a go, the kind of environment that celebrates diversity and freedom of expression, remains a fundamental responsibility of any school in Australia, but our College shoulders this responsibility and determination to provide the opportunities for constructive, healthy learning and growth.
This will rely to some extent upon the provision of a range of carefully planned physical resources, but also upon the fashioning of a culture where learning is honoured, and upon a collective mindset that places learning at the heart of everything we do as a College. Where such a culture exists, one finds teachers who walk in the footsteps of the great explorers, constantly searching beyond the horizon for new and exciting ways to bring the learning process alive for their students.
We can all be custodians of our culture.
Mrs Maria McIvor
Principal
