As the festive season approaches, I would like to take a moment to reflect on a fantastic term at Belridge Secondary College.

Our Year 6 Transition Program has been a tremendous success, with many happy faces seen around the school as they prepare for their big move to the College in 2025. A big thank you to Rebecca Edmonds, Chadd Richardson, Ben Dawkins and Andrew Wright for organizing the transition events throughout the year. Their efforts have greatly supported our students and families, ensuring a smooth transition into high school life.

Earlier this term, the College hosted the JLC Year 5 Student Leadership Day. It was inspiring to see a room full of future leaders, all eager to voice their ideas and make positive changes. I look forward to welcoming them to Belridge Secondary College in the near future.

On Monday night we celebrated our Cricket and Netball presentation night at the WACA. It was a wonderful evening, and I want to thank Scott Ogilvie, Janneke Markovic, and Tarryn Hunt for organising the event and leading the programs. Special thanks also to Paul Bennet, Josh Hollows, and Conor Moldrich for their ongoing work with the specialist programs. A big thank you to our Board Chair and MC for the evening, Steve Hall.

Our Student Services team has had a remarkable year advancing our Positive Incentive Program (PIP). The end-of-term reward day, The Belridge Carnival, which was a huge success last year is planned for Week 10. The excitement is real, with  a high take up from our students to attend.  Thank you to Mr Richardson, Ms Currie, and Mr Dawkins for their leadership and commitment to supporting our students.

Our new $1.5M STEM building will be ready for the start of the 2025 school year.  This state-of-the-art facility will feature a Mechatronics lab and a dual-screen digital technology space. We eagerly anticipate seeing these new additions in action.

As you may have seen in my earlier communications via Connect, the College has made some changes to our College Reporting processes. Semester Two reports will no longer include Learning Area specific comments. Reports will still include Learning Area grades and student attributes, along with attendance and OLNA status (Year 10 only).  A general comment will be provided per year group outlining the scope of the study across Mathematics, English, Science and HASS.  As a College, we are committed to ongoing assessment and feedback throughout the school year. After each assessment, student marks will be uploaded onto Connect for parents/caregivers to view. Task mark reports will be provided to allow a more detailed understanding and comparison of marks. Our online Compass Pastoral Care System will keep you up to date with attendance, behaviour and positive comments as they arise. Along with our two parent-teacher nights per year, parents are encouraged to contact classroom teachers with any concerns. This can be done via Compass or email. Individual meetings are also available at your request.

As the year comes to a close, we bid farewell to several staff members who are retiring, moving to promotional positions, or exploring new opportunities. Farewell to Andrew Wright, Shannon McNamara, Rebecca Edmonds, Coralie Heberley and Rebecca Huntley. I wish them all the best in their future endeavours and thank them for their contributions to Belridge Secondary College over the years. We also have some staff taking some well-deserved leave; Tom Palmer, Noelene Hales, Rebecca Millett and Rob Robartson. Enjoy your time away.  

Finally, I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated to our Belridge Christmas Hamper Appeal. This year, we supported over 20 families with hampers and gifts, making a significant difference to those in need. Thank you for helping to make Christmas a little brighter for our community.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Take care over the festive season and see you in 2025!

Mrs Sharon Lyon
Principal