Well done to all students and staff on what has been a great Term 1. There has been so many great activities and opportunities for students to demonstrate their amazing talents.

This term we have had Athletics and Swimming sports, which were both great days with excellent participation. Thanks to Ms Sonia Kinsey and all of the PE team for organising some amazing events.

A couple of weeks ago, we had our Year 6 to 7 Information Night. This was a great night with over 900 people attending to have a look at our amazing school. The night was successful due to all the staff and students who were able to talk about some of the fantastic learning opportunities that exists at Geelong High. A special thanks to the School Captains in their work on the night as MC’s and all of the students present. Thanks to Mr Steve Brown and Mr Lachlan Envall for organising the night.

Over the term we have had many other great activities such as the visits from 19 Japanese students who were part of lessons and did many activities around the school. The Year 12 Camp was a great success with the students being stretched in so many ways. Thanks to Ms Abby Graham, Ms Cat Yee and Mr Nick Ayerbe and all the staff who attended for making this a great experience. The Outdoor Education students in both Year 11 and 12 have been on a number of activities.

The school production rehearsals are well under way, and we are all looking forward to Alice by Heart and the amazing student performances.

Parent Teacher Interviews are in the last week of Term, and we expect all parents to attend these interviews. The best way to find out how your son/daughter is progressing at school is coming in to talk to their teachers and receive feedback on their strengths and areas of improvements.

Thank you to all parents who have provided some feedback for our school review, that will occur in Term 3. When more information is available, I will provide an update regarding the formal parent sessions. I just want to mention to all parents and carers, that the Wellbeing Team has organised a Breakfast Club every Monday and has been a great success so far this year. Cereal and Fruit are available for all students.

Over the holidays we will be doing some more facilities work with new fencing around the back of the school, painting of 4 classrooms and blinds in the science rooms. I have mentioned this before, and we continue to work to improve the toilets in the Winstanley building. We have applied for some grants to fix these toilets, which is over $500,000. It is a priority for the school.

There are a couple of staffing matters I wish to update the school community on. We thank Ms Abby Callaghan for her work in the Science area while Mr Gemmill has been on leave. We will still see Ms Callaghan around for a little longer before she travels overseas. Ms Rebecca Evans in Food is leaving us at the end of the term, and we are working on a replacement. We welcome Ms Jessica McCaskill’s in First Aid. We wish Mr Josh Grabowski the best as he takes up the role as Assistant Principal at Newcomb. Josh has made a huge difference to so many students and while a loss for us, it is great for Geelong High to develop the leaders of the future. Ms Katie Walsh will be taking up the role in charge of Student Voice and Agency and we all know what an amazing leader she is. We also say a sad goodbye to Ms Lauren Chapman who is leaving us after 8 years to take up a position at Geelong College. Lauren has led the Maths team for a number of years and has done an outstanding job.

Congratulations to Alex Aidt, who has been selected to perform their Theatre Studies Solo R.U.R. – Alquist at Top Class Drama and Theatre Studies 2024 at Melbourne Recital Centre.

Top Class is an annual concert series coordinated by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) showcasing outstanding performances by VCE and VCE VET students from schools across the state.

This year, 95 top performing students were invited to audition for Top Class Theatre Studies, and only 25 students were selected to perform. Selected performers exemplify the skill and creativity that can be achieved within the VCE curriculum.

Annual privacy reminder for our school community

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions, or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy Policies- Geelong High describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn. We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Google Workspace for Education, please contact the school. For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents.

Policies- Geelong High

School Councillors 2024

School Council is a vital way that parents are able to provide feedback or have issues raised for discussion. I thank all parents for their involvement on School Council.

Our Current School Councillors (Parent Representatives)

Ms Fiona Chipperfield - President

Mr Paul Davis

Mr Paul Henshaw

Ms Rachel Olsen

Ms Joanne Dahlstrom

Ms Reagan Cavagnino

Ms Rachel Smith

Ms Kelly Massey

I thank all of these members of our community for giving up their time and encourage any parents to raise any issue with them so it can be addressed appropriately.

NAPLAN

Over the last two weeks, we have held Year 7 and 9 Naplan. As we are all aware this is just one measure of performance. The results for Naplan generally aren’t available until Term 3 and we will provide these when they are sent to the school.

I wish all families a Happy Easter and a safe and enjoyable break.

Geelong High is a child safe organisation committed to protecting students from all forms of abuse.

Our school has stringent protocols in place and endeavours at all times to be fully compliant with the Child Safe Standards set out under Ministerial Order 870.

Our School has the following documents and policies in place to achieve compliance with the Standards. All of these documents are available for downloading on our website or contact the school for a copy.

1. Commitment to Child Safety

2. Child Safety Policy

3. Child Safety Code of Conduct

4. Child Protection Policy and Procedures