Principal's Log

It has been exciting to be part of a community that has celebrated the success of a member of our community with great enthusiasm. The roar and cheering in the gym and the excitement around the College as the week progressed from the semi-final, to the final and to the media event on the next morning has been energising.  We appreciate the great response from our Year 2, 5, 11 and 12 students, Year 9 leaders, and Kaylee’s PCG and their families, who came and celebrated Kaylee’s success with the Today show on Wednesday morning, with very short notice. A big thank you to our Hospitality department who responded enthusiastically to the late afternoon challenge of providing breakfast for such a large gathering the following morning. Students, parents and staff have commented on how inspirational Kaylee’s achievement has been for them.

Mrs Anne-Marie Gerlach and the Heads of Department have been busy this last fortnight providing the opportunity for parents and Year 9 and 10 students to learn more about the subjects on offer in Years 10 and 11 in 2022. Due to COVID restrictions the single night face-to-face events have been conducted online over six nights. We thank Mrs Gerlach and the Heads of Department for giving up their time and also our parents and students for the time they are spending in ensuring they are well informed about their future choices.

Pacific has always had a strong culture of Outdoor Education and it is a delight to see our Year 8 students benefit so much from a newly planned week-long experience in the surrounds of Woodford last week. We thank Ms Kim Wood for her leadership and organisation and preparedness to continually revise and adapt programs to ensure they provide the best possible opportunities for students of different interests and capability to grow through the experience. Thank you to Mr Brendan Delaney, Mrs Sharon Middleton, Mr Paul Brace, Mr Josh Cummins and Mrs Rachel Curtis for their attendance and to Mr Brett Kersnovske, Pastor Tim Jarick and Mr Ben Ryan for visiting the group.

Part of our ongoing improvement in Outdoor Education is to extend experiences into Prep to Year 2. We wish our Year 1s all the best as they embark on their inaugural outdoor learning day at Chambers Island next week.

As part of our ongoing improvement process, all parents, staff, and Year 5 to 12 will be invited to provide extensive feedback to inform planning. The research is being conducted by MMG, an educational consultancy firm that specialises in strategic reviews and stakeholder satisfaction. Parents and staff will receive an email from MMG tomorrow Friday 30th July and all Year 5 to 12 students will complete their survey in Personal Development classes next week.  We encourage all members of our community to contribute to this important future shaping process. It will take approximately 30 minutes and can be broken into smaller time intervals by re-entry at different times.

An historic week for the College. May God inspire and equip us with the courage and belief to make the most of our gifts and talents for the good of others.

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal