Principal’s Message Week 9 Term 3 2022

Welcome GHS Community,

Having had the honour of leading Geelong High School as Principal for the last ten years, it is quite challenging to reflect upon those years and encapsulate the significant things that have happened. As you would expect there have been highs and lows, successes, and failures. There have also been a lot of wonderful students and staff who have come and gone over that period (and one or two terrors). It is only with the benefit of hindsight over several years that one can more accurately determine what was achieved.

It is my hope that people will reflect on this decade in the history of Geelong High School as being a positive one. It has certainly been one where our character as a school community has been tested time and again, and that character has shone through. A couple of highlights for me include the rebuild and our battle with the global pandemic. Over a six-year period; the first two in planning and the next four in building, we undertook the most significant rebuild of the school in its 112 year history. The results are plainly visible with magnificent school buildings that give the school an imposing street presence befitting the oldest government secondary school in Geelong and one of the oldest in the state. Everyone who contributed to this rebuild should feel a great deal of pride that the high quality buildings are a fitting legacy for future generations. We plan to include some external lighting that will maintain that street presence at night, in the not-too-distant future.

For most of us the global pandemic has been the thing that has presented the most challenges and tested our innovation, our creativity and our patience. Six bouts of remote learning and numerous community lockdowns are not how we would choose to “prepare our students for life”. The remarkable thing is that our students are, by-and-large, well prepared for most things that life can throw at them, and one thing they did learn through the pandemic was the importance of perseverance.

I have enjoyed my 10 years here and now look forward to some leave then retirement; not entirely satisfied, there is always more one could do, but content at least that the school continues in its journey as a good school with aspirations for greatness. I would like to thank you, the wonderful parents and carers, for your support throughout my time here. My thanks to the School Council parent representatives who have so conscientiously represented the parent/carer community in the best interests of the school over the years; Geoff Wiffen and Fiona Chipperfield in particular as Council President in my time. I will miss the staff, I’ve made some very good friends here and have enormous admiration for the difficult work they do on a daily basis.

I would in particularly like to acknowledge the members of my leadership team over the ten year period. They’ve saved my bacon on more than one occasion! And, of course I will miss the students.

The students are why we are here, and the students are the best part of the job. I think we can be pretty confident that the future is in great hands, based on the quality of the students we have at Geelong High School.

Thank you once again,

Best wishes for the future and take care.

Glenn Davey