It has been a delight to have the school back together over the last couple of weeks. Everyone has enjoyed reconnecting and the energy is returning to our classrooms along with the excitement for the reintroduction of much of the co-curricular program.
We were all very proud of the way in which our Class of 2020 finished their last days at school. The final chapel service and awards celebration, dispersed across five locations around the campus, was a great recognition of our students’ achievements given the restrictions in place. One of the best features of the evening was our ability to recognise the individual achievements of every graduating student, a feature we will look to incorporate into future Year 12 celebrations. We were also pleased to have a final day of celebrations outdoors at Bulleen on the Friday which finished with the tradition of opening time capsules back at Sandall Oval at the end of the day. We wish them all well as students work their way through the IB and VCE examinations.
Connecting with nature
Many of us have missed the opportunity to connect with nature this year. To not be able to have our students and staff at Toonallook, Hattah, Wabonga and the variety of other locations around the state has been keenly felt. Shared experiences where students are immersed in the natural environment are the best way for us to support students to build a connection with nature. This connection is an important first step to helping our students to develop a commitment to care for their environment and to take actions that reflect that care. I know many of you will have had the opportunity to see A Life on Our Planet, the David Attenborough documentary on Netflix over the last month. I have certainly had a number of students raise this with me. To say that this is a pressing issue for the next generation would have to be an understatement. Collectively we need to find a way to support our students to find solutions and enact them so that they can feel some sense of hope about the future. One of our priorities for the future will be to support our students to understand their impact on the earth and the actions we can all take to live more sustainably in the future.
A sustainable future is also one of the key focusses for our school and we make steady progress in this area every year, as we upgrade facilities to run in more efficient ways and review our day-to-day practices. This year too we have been looking at ways to reduce the use of paper and, with that in mind, we are encouraging more of our community to receive the biannual Torch magazine and the yearbook, the Carey Chronicle, digitally. We appreciate that many of you will want to have a print copy and so that will not disappear, but, with the uptake of technology this year in particular, it is the right time for us to move into the digital space. In 2020, all families will receive a digital version of the Chronicle, with all Year 12 students receiving a printed copy in the mail. If you would prefer to receive a print copy of the Chronicle, please email Community Engagement, and we will notify you when it is available for collection from Main Reception. We also encourage you to fill out this form if you wish to receive a digital copy of the Torch instead of a print copy.
Device advice – Growing up online
It is timely that we are offering a session for parents on cyber safety, from one of Australia’s leading experts in this space. Susan McLean was a member of Victoria Police for 27 years, and was the first officer in the state appointed to a position involving cyber safety and young people. She has completed advanced training in the USA and the United Kingdom, and now presents to over 250,000 students each year as well as tens of thousands of parents and educators both within Australia and internationally.
The event on Tuesday 17 November will offer useful guidance as we re-establish some boundaries around technology use for our children. You can register for the event on TryBooking.
Scholarships for 2022
Academic and General Excellence Scholarship registrations are open now for Year 7, 10 and 11 in 2022. We are pleased to be able to offer a small number of scholarships each year to students who are excelling. We accept applications from current students as well as prospective students.
Please visit our Scholarships page for more information.
With best wishes,
Jonathan Walter
Principal