Bidding farewell to two esteemed leaders of our school

I hope the Easter break provided a wonderful opportunity for connection and rest with your family.

At the end of this year, we will bid farewell to two esteemed leaders of our school as they move into retirement: Kate Croft and Peter Robson.

Kate has served as Deputy Principal – Learning for five years and has been instrumental in guiding the School through significant changes that have strengthened our academic programs and refined our operations post-COVID. Key achievements under her leadership include the implementation of a new timetable, transitioning to 75-minute periods, the development of new assessment and reporting frameworks emphasising students' observable learning attributes, and leading the Research and Innovation Team in collaboration with the University of Melbourne on the development of the Complex Competencies. This transformative work will benefit all students by allowing us to assess a variety of competencies beyond domain-specific knowledge.

Peter Robson, Deputy Principal – Wellbeing, has been with Carey for approximately 23 years. Starting as Director of Activities in 2003, his role evolved into Director of Positive Education and Wellbeing in 2015, and for the past five years, he has served as Deputy Principal – Wellbeing. Peter's influence on our community has been extraordinary. He has overseen all co-curricular activities, including sports, performing arts, camps and trips, which have been memorable and life-changing experiences for many students. In the last three years, Peter and the Wellbeing Team have developed a new wellbeing framework that has significantly improved student wellbeing outcomes and is recognised as a leading program in educational circles. Many parents, students and staff have benefitted from Peter's encouragement and support during challenging times. His compassionate leadership has been invaluable.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Kate and Peter for their contributions to education over the years and look forward to celebrating their achievements at the end of this year.

As we commence the term, we are reinforcing uniform standards across the School. At our recent staff professional learning day, I requested all staff to support students in wearing their uniforms in accordance with school guidelines.

We have communicated with Middle and Senior year students regarding this matter and seek your support in improving overall appearance standards. Parents are encouraged to review the Uniform Guide.

Additionally, I thank all who participated in the recent parent survey. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. I look forward to engaging in further discussions with those parents able to attend the dialogues with leadership on the following dates: Thursday 15 May, Monday 19 May and Tuesday 20 May to explore some of the issues raised in greater depth. Register your attendance here.

Jonathan Walter
Principal