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PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

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Welcome Back

It is difficult to believe we have already been back at school for 5 weeks.  In these five weeks so much has occurred.

Following are some of the activities and experiences which our students have been part of:

  • Year 7 students have begun studying in new curriculum areas, been on Camp and undertaken library induction
  • Year 8 students have experienced a whole new range of elective subjects in 2021 including Visual Communication, Music, Product Design Textiles and Information Technology.
  • Year 9 students who are studying Advance Sports Leadership have started volunteering at local primary schools in their sports programs and will soon commence their AFL Umpiring Certificate.
  • Year 9 and 10 students have had the opportunity to take part in Interschool Sport.  Congratulations to the Intermediate boys and girls volley ball teams which achieved great success on Wednesday.
  • Year 10 students have begun preparing for work experience which occurs in June each year. In addition, many of our Year 10 students are undertaking study in either a VCE unit or VET study which aims to extend and challenge them this year.
  • Year 11 students have begun their Senior School Certificates in either the Victorian Certificate of Education or the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning.
  • Year 12 students have been working with Elevate Education as part of our program to support their study skills to help them get the most out of this year. We also have 30 couples who are completing their Debutante Ball in late March.

 

Vale – George Dimitra Lyons

In January, a recent staff member of Mooroolbark College, George Dimitra Lyons passed away as a result of an ongoing illness.  George was a long standing and valued member of our school community and will be missed by us all.  His contributions to both the English and Humanities KLA will have a lasting positive impact on student learning at Mooroolbark College.  George was a brilliant scholar who could always be relied on for advice and information.  His depth of knowledge continually amazed me.  He will be deeply missed by the Mooroolbark College community.

 

Year 7

A warm welcome to our Year 7 students who began this year.  They have settled in very quickly and are enjoying their new high school experiences.  I want to particularly thank our 2020 Year 12 Students who returned as Transition Leaders, spending the first week in all Year 7 classes.  Thanks to Alex Van Empel, Acacia Pearce, Alexandra Linnie, Bianca De Martino Rosaroll, Georgia Gray, Isabellah Smirnow, Kaeli Farrelly, Matthew Bethell, Shae Libbis, Taylah Mcquillen and Mykayla Peterson who gave up their time and have had such a positive impact on the transition of our Year 7s into secondary school.

On Wednesday our Year 7s returned from their Transition Camp.  From all accounts, it was tremendous fun for all.  This camp provides an opportunity for new friendships to be formed, for our Year 7s to challenge themselves and also for our staff to get to know our Year 7 students outside the classroom.

Staffing

I would like to welcome to the College the following staff who are either returning to the College or starting in 2021.

 

Teaching Staff

Jordan Roth – Science/Mathematics

Aaron Cross – Mathematics

Jasmine Evans – Physical Education and Health

Kym Bellamy – The Arts 

Alana Frampton – The Arts 

Stephanie Bell – English and Humanities

Amy Broekmann – English

 

Tutors

Tracey Mattingley – Numeracy

Judy Pattern – Numeracy

Caroline Blomley – Numeracy

Jennifer Young – Numeracy

 

Hannah Trevaskis – Literacy

Felicity Williams – Literacy

Jenny Roberts – Literacy

Educational Support Staff

Tina Forte 

Toby Law  

Rachael Bishop 

Amie Edwards – Tesselaar 

 

Mental Health Practitioners

Siobhan O’Halloran

Amy Donaldson

 

Mooroolbark College Parent’s Association

On behalf of the Mooroolbark College Parent’s Association (MCPA) I would like to extend an invitation to all parents to join the MCPA.  The MCPA is an important group within the College who support the teaching and learning program, our sporting program, The Arts and also student wellbeing on an annual basis.  The focus of the MCPA is not fundraising, but instead focusses on practical support of school events such as the Debutante Ball, music concerts and excursions.  I encourage interested parents to attend the Annual General Meeting at the College on Monday 1st March at 7.00 pm. 

Building Program

We began 2021 by settling into our new buildings which are part of the building program currently being undertaken at Mooroolbark College.  The Discovery Centre is a specialist area which contains six classrooms that encourage active and collaborative learning.  In April, the College will be starting the next stage of the building program which includes the remodelling of the library and B Block into the Student Wellbeing Centre. 

Recent Remote Learning

I wish to thank the College community for their support during the recent Covid related lock down.  It was encouraging to see how well our staff and students adapted to remote learning and how effectively we were able to work together to ensure minimal time was lost during this period.

In this space, things can move very quickly and I would like to remind all students that it is wise to ensure at the end of each day critical items are taken home including students’ pencil case, laptop, diary and paper, to ensure they have the necessary items to continue learning at home if we find ourselves in this situation again.

Key School Personnel

I am aware that schools can be highly complex places, especially with the number of staff involved in supporting both student learning and student wellbeing.  Please keep this list as a quick way of identifying who in the College is able to best support you and your child when the need arises.

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS

  • Samantha McIntosh – Professional Learning and School Operations
  • Adam Lorkin – Student Wellbeing and Engagement
  • Rachael Williams – Curriculum, Information Technology and Facilities

 

HOUSE POSITIONS

GREEN HOUSE LEADER – Michelle Colette

  • Green House Cluster Coordinator (1 -3) – Michelle Colette
  • Green House Cluster Coordinator (4 – 6) – Jenny Roberts
  • Green House Cluster Coordinator (7 – 9) – Alex Scott

YELLOW HOUSE LEADER – Matthew Bell

  • Yellow House Cluster Coordinator (1 – 3) – Tracey Lackman
  • Yellow House Cluster Coordinator (4 – 6) – Rhonda Harker
  • Yellow House Cluster Coordinator (7 – 9) – Matthew Bell

RED HOUSE LEADER – Allie Grey-Smith

  • Red House Cluster Coordinator (1 -3) – Allie Grey-Smith
  • Red House Cluster Coordinator (4 – 6) – Belinda Cannington
  • Red House Cluster Coordinator (7 – 9) – Lucas Unland

BLUE HOUSE LEADER – Andrew U’ren

  • Blue House Cluster Coordinator (1 – 3) – Abbey Hansen
  • Blue House Cluster Coordinator (4 – 6) – Christopher Stephen
  • Blue House Cluster Coordinator (7 – 9) – Andrew U’ren 

SENIOR SCHOOL AND PATHWAYS

  • Senior School and Pathways Leader – Jennifer Roache
  • VCE Coordinator – Dane Keogh
  • VCAL Coordinator – Natalie Bisi
  • Work Related Skills Coordinator (including work experience) – Tracey Lackman

PATHWAYS COUNSELLORS

  • Dannielle Keogh– Red House & Year 11 & 12
  • Eva Woodward – Yellow House & Year 9
  • Maria Pisano – Blue House & Year 11 & 12
  • Sarah Coghlan – Green House & Year 10

 

STUDENT WELLBEING

  • Student Wellbeing Coordinator – John Nichol
  • College Chaplain – Gill Van Der Ende
  • Mental Health Practitioners – Amy Donaldson and Siobhan O’Halloran

ADDITIONAL AREAS OF SUPPORT

  • Curriculum Support Leader (PSD) – Kelly Ayton
  • Aspire Coordinator – Kara Salmon
  • High Achievement Coordinator – Kara Salmon
  • Library Coordinator – Prue Bon
  • EAL Coordinator – Charlie Chaturapornkul
  • Koori Mentor – Samantha Jacobs
  • QuickSmart Coordinator – Jamila Lopez
  • Instrumental Music Coordinator – Jordan Van Keulen

Professional Learning Day – Monday 1st March

Monday 1st March is a student free, Professional Learning Day across the Lilydale District of schools.  All Government Schools in Lilydale and Mooroolbark (Primary Schools and Secondary Schools) will be working be focussing on literacy across all curriculum areas.  The network has engaged Misty Adoniou, from the University of Canberra.  Misty is a world renowned expert in all aspects of literacy with a special interest and passion for everything to do with words.  I am certain the work we do on Monday will have a direct impact in the classroom.

 

Mooroolbark College Swimming Sports – Tuesday 2nd March

 

We are all looking forward to the annual swimming sports on Tuesday.  It is a great day where our students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities including traditional swimming, carnival races and fun activities like the water dance party or water volley ball.  This day is an important part of school life and I encourage all students to dress in their House colours and actively participate.

Regards,

Ann Stratford
PRINCIPAL