As Semester 1 draws to an end, I would like to take the time to update you on some of the fantastic things that have happened this term and also inform you of some of the upcoming changes.

As a college we were really pleased that our rescheduled school tours were able to go ahead. With over 130 prospective parents attending, we were able to showcase a range of different aspects of the college and allow parents a live view of our day to day business. Both on the day and over the weeks that have followed, we have received some really positive feedback regarding our practice both academically and in the pastoral care space. This has been a great boost for our school community knowing the hard work we put in everyday is being noticed.

This term also sees the start of our subject selection process. Last year for the first time, we moved to subject selection for our prospective year 9 students. This has been further expanded this year, with a range of new courses developed across the optional areas. New year 10 courses for 2022 have also been developed to follow on from the 2021 year 9 update. A key focus of these courses is the inclusion of STEM capabilities, ensuring our students are prepared and ready for the careers of the future. Our year 11 2022 subject selection process also start this term. This is a very important decision for many of our students, some of whom may need a little guidance. Unfortunately, acting on health advice, we made the decision to cancel the parent information session regarding this. However, the college will make available the PowerPoint presentation and FAQ sheet to all Year 11 parents. This along with access to subject selection counselling if required, should ensure our students can make an informed decision.

On the 4th of June the college was host to our annual Joondalup Learning Community (JLC) Conference event. This is the one time of the year when all of our network schools are able to come together and share professional learning. An event like this takes an extraordinary amount of organisation to come to fruition, I would like to thank Chloe Ironmonger for her leadership in this space along with JLC representatives from our network schools. The day was a fantastic event focused around engaging and extending high achieving students. We were blessed with keynote speakers Dr Eileen Slater from ECU and the amazing Glenn Capelli – The Many Lands of Smart. Both were an inspiration and provided a wealth of information for teachers to enhance their teaching and learning.

There are also a number of staffing updates that I would like to make you aware of. In Semester 2 our long standing HOLA of Arts Anna Dyer will be temporarily stepping back from the position. Jodie Grieve will move into this role for the remainder of the year. Our new Year 7 2022 Year Coordinator has been selected, congratulations to Rebecca Edmonds.  Brent Jarvis-Spinks will also move into the role as Year 11 Coordinator for the remainder of 2021 and on into 2022 replacing Kerry Clarke. We welcome Dean Cox and Matthew Kovacs to our D&T team, as Ross Stumpers moves on to a new role. We welcome Patrick Moore to HASS, covering for Chloe Ironmonger whilst on leave and Gavin Whyman in Science covering Heather Ferreri’s secondment to state-wide services. We welcome Emma Powell El-Gammal to the college as our new Dance teacher and congratulate Kasun Tennakoon (Term 3) and Joanne Baker (Term 4) our current HOLAs of Maths and English who will be stepping into Rob Strickland’s Deputy Principal position whilst he is on leave during Semester 2. Stuart Rutter will take on the role as Maths HOLA in Kasun's absence. I wish all colleagues moving on, all the best in their new endeavours and thank them for their contributions to the college.

A reminder that reports have now been distributed via email, they are also available on Connect (online or download Connect Now App). If you have not received your child’s report, please contact the College.

Parent board elections are also now open; it has come to our attention that some people are having difficulty voting. Please bear with us and we will ensure this is rectified.

I hope you all have a restful school break and get to enjoy your time with friends and family. Look forward to seeing you back for an action packed Term 3.

Thank you for your support.

Sharon Lyon
Principal