Principal's Message

I would like to extend my personal congratulations to Leura House Captains Leilah Bateman and Lewis Regan for leading their fine Leura compatriots to victory in the Junior Campus weekly house shield last week. The momentous occasion of Leura taking out the house shield twice in November (after what can only be described as an extended dry spell) was celebrated enthusiastically at our Friday assembly, with terrific sportsmanship shown by Bullen Merri and Manifold students who also appeared to be weeping with vicarious joy! Thank you to those quick thinking staff and parents who captured the moment on film. The yellow shorts have not had much of an airing this year and the shorts and I were both very pleased to be proud Leura ambassadors.

It has also been pleasing to share the following news with our school community this week. We congratulate Mrs Jacinta Tolland who has been appointed to the acting Junior Campus Assistant Principal position for Term 1, and Taylah Best and Charlie Tickner who have been selected as our 2020 Senior School Captains. We also congratulate Stacey James, Olivia Maskell and Zoe Wilkinson on their appointments to the Senior Leadership team, as Performing Arts, Sports and Student Voice Captains respectively. The full contingent of House Captains will be announced in the next newsletter, and the process to appoint Junior Campus student leaders will begin next week with interviews involving our seven eager candidates. In keeping with tradition, our current Junior School Captains Stella Horspole and Finn Tolland will join Mr Bennett and myself on the panel.

Step Up Day on Tuesday 10^th December will see many new faces at each campus – amongst students and staff. Our primary teaching team will expand with the addition of new staff members Ashlee Carrigan-Walsh, Madison Helmore, Lewis Oborne, Kim Robertson and Polly Smith; while secondary teachers Sarah Oakley, Jenna Richardson and Sarah Magnusson will join our Senior Campus team to contribute to our maths, PE and humanities programs. We expect to finalise a small number of remaining vacancies by the end of next week. Step Up Day will give all of our primary students an opportunity to spend time with their 2020 teacher and new classmates, as well as giving our new Prep and Year 7 students an extended transition experience.