Principal's Log

Congratulations to our Year 12 Future Problem-Solving team of Ethan Hall, Olivia Papallo, Karlee Connors and Sarah Gale who came 5^th in the National titles in Melbourne over the weekend and to Noah Beasley who came 6^th as an individual in his competition.  This was a great achievement.  Participation in the Future Problem-Solving Competition has been a unique learning experience for students across all year levels and particularly for the students who had the opportunity to compete against the best in Australia at the National titles.  Over the year many skills including those of critical thinking, innovation, communication and team work have been developed as students worked together to solve real world problems and effectively communicate their solutions.  We thank Mrs Jo Belchamber and her team for the leadership of this experience over the year.

Year 9 and 10 STEM students showcased their learning to parents and students yesterday afternoon.  They excitedly shared their projects which involved them designing and constructing solutions involving humanoid robots, underwater drones, model roller coasters, bionic hands, electronics and optics.  Mr David Baird, CEO of Praesidium Global, officially opened the evening sharing his story of getting involved with STEM and designing innovative autonomous ground vehicles which are to be used by defence forces to reduce exposure of personnel.  Mr Baird was inspirational as he shared his view of the importance of young people engaging with STEM and being innovative into the future in a wide range of industries.  We thank Mrs Marnie Whittaker, Mrs Claire Richards and Mr Wes Warner for their leadership of this innovative approach to learning.

Congratulations to our Sprint Kayaking team who won the State Sprint Championship for the 14^th year in a row.  This is an amazing achievement and we congratulate Mr Gary Graves and his team on their success.

Senior students enjoyed being immersed in a range of cultural experiences as part of the Melbourne Arts Tour over the weekend.  The experience included a variety of plays, musical performances, visits to art galleries and installations and aspects of city life in Melbourne.  We thank Mrs Janine Delaney and Mrs Aleisha Tuaine and their team for the leadership of this event.

The Year 6 students enjoyed their 6 day experience in Canberra where they had the opportunity to learn more about Australian electoral and government processes including the role of the Governor General, scientific inquiry, world history and our natural world.  As they explored some of the unique and important places that are part of our nation’s capital they represented themselves and the College well.  We thank Mr Nicholas Tait and Mrs Natalie Campbell and their team for their leadership of this unique experience.

We look forward to sharing Grandparents day with the community and remind families to read the email Mr David Druery sent earlier this week in regard to parking arrangements.  We also wish our basketballers all the best for their Grand Finals this Friday afternoon and look forward to enjoying the creativity of our P-12 students at the Art Exhibition on Friday evening at the College.

We thank God for the many gifts our grandparents give our families and community.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal