Principal's Report
CIS Accreditation
We received confirmation this week that our application for re-accreditation with the Council of International Schools (CIS) has been successful. This is an excellent achievement and comes as a result of the dedicated commitment of the staff, College Advisory Council, many students and parents
who contributed in various ways to both the report and the Team Evaluation visit in March. CIS Accreditation is rigorous and benchmarked against international standards of school excellence. It demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and the recommendations from the review team of international educators will help shape our next 5 year School Improvement Plan. Special thanks to Mrs Janet Blackwell who coordinated our application for accreditation.
NAPLAN
Students in both Year 7 and Year 9 have commenced NAPLAN tests this week. We see NAPLAN providing another avenue of feedback to supplement the various sources of assessment undertaken at the College by the classroom teacher which, combined, help to build a picture to measure progress for each student. These tests also play a role at the systems level of education as there are benchmarks set for performance in various aspects of Literacy and Numeracy and governments value these measures to assess the effectiveness of our education systems. There is, of course, continued public debate and diversity of opinion in the educational community about the value of NAPLAN. Some see these tests as an unnecessary additional stress on young people and, while some performance anxiety is actually healthy, we endeavour to reassure those who seem worried that there is little to fear. Thanks to Mrs Rachel Crawley, Head Middle Years, and the middle years鈥 teachers for ensuring that the NAPLAN tests have been administered as smoothly as possible. I also congratulate the students for participating conscientiously and giving their best effort.
All State Jazz Championships
Generations in Jazz in Mt Gambier was cancelled for the second year straight amid CovidSafe guidelines and it was a real pleasure to see an event for Victorian schools offered instead at St Leonard鈥檚 College over recent weekends. Aquinas students from Senior Harmony, Harmony Tribes, Senior Stage Band, and the Intermediate Stage Band represented the College with pride and performed very well. Some great results were achieved as you will see in this edition of The Lighthouse. A special mention needs to go to Mrs Lisa Sully who led both choirs and was awarded the inaugural 鈥淎ll State Jazz Vocal Director Award鈥. Our Harmony Tribes choir was invited to perform in a showcase of talent on Saturday night amidst the outstanding musicians from the competing schools and a cast of professional performers.
EISM Athletics Champions Carnival
On Monday afternoon a group of athletes represented 麻豆视频AV at Lakeside Stadium as part of the EISM Champions Carnival. This carnival provides an opportunity for individuals to test themselves against the top performers in our association and I congratulate all of the competitors for taking on this challenge. Thanks to Mr Bernie Brummel and Ms Jess Lane for supporting the participants on this occasion.
Restaurant Night
Last week I had the great pleasure of attending a Restaurant Night in the Wurundjeri Trade Training Centre and must commend the students on the high standards of food preparation and service. It is clear that there are high expectations from their teachers and the students strive to meet or exceed these professional standards. I highly recommend that you book in via the College website to partake in this excellent opportunity.
Re-accreditation as a Registered Training Organisation
On the topic of our Wurundjeri Trade Training Centre, I am pleased to announce that we have been formally re-accredited as an RTO for the next five years by the Victorian Registrations and Qualifications Authority (VRQA). Thank you to Mrs Judy Zuccon, Mr Owen Stott and Mrs Heather Neil who put together the information in response to our audit to demonstrate that we meet or exceed all of the required standards.
Year 8 Camps
Year 8 Camps have now finished and the feedback has been very positive. The students appear to have risen to the challenges that were presented with great enthusiasm and an appreciation of the opportunity to test themselves. I want to acknowledge the dedicated staff who make this experience possible by generously giving of their time and expertise. Reports from the camp leaders have been glowing in their praise for the students. Camps often bring special challenges and we are blessed at Aquinas to have outstanding professionals who are able to make sure that the students have a rewarding and safe experience.
School Closure Day - Advance Notice
Wednesday, June 9 is a whole school closure day and there will not be any scheduled classes conducted. All students undertaking a VCE Unit 3/4 subject will be required to undertake the General Achievement Test (GAT) on this date and this is a major logistical exercise at the College. Teachers will have an opportunity on this day to work in an area of their choosing around planning, assessment, reporting, or other professional development. Thank you for your continued support.
Darren Atkinson
Principal