Dear Parents, Students and Members of the OneSchool Global Community,
As we move through another busy and productive term, I would like to take the opportunity to share some updates from across our Victoria and Tasmania Region.
Last week, I attended the OneSchool Global Regional Heads of Department Conference in Sydney. It was a valuable opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from across our AU Region and to learn from the outstanding work taking place in our schools. I was particularly impressed by the high calibre of planning, leadership and strategic thinking demonstrated by our Heads of Department as they continue to focus on delivering exceptional outcomes for students.
One of the key areas of discussion was the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education. AI presents exciting opportunities to enhance learning, develop future-ready skills and support student achievement. As technology continues to evolve, we remain committed to ensuring our students are equipped to use these tools responsibly, ethically and effectively as they prepare for success beyond the classroom and the workplace.
Over the past fortnight, I have had the pleasure of visiting our campuses at Berwick, Melton, Nathalia, Swan Hill and Bendigo. These visits continue to provide valuable opportunities to meet with students and staff, observe learning in action and celebrate the many successes occurring across our region. Every visit reinforces the strength of our school community and the shared commitment to providing high-quality learning experiences for our students.
A particular highlight was spending time at Nathalia and working alongside Mr James Mason, who commenced as Campus Principal on Monday 10 August. Mr Mason has made an excellent start to his role, and it has been wonderful to see him already building positive relationships with students, staff and families. We warmly welcome James to the OneSchool Global community and look forward to his leadership at Nathalia.
It has also been a pleasure to meet with our newly established Campus Support Teams (CSTs) across the region. I have been genuinely impressed by the high level of commitment, enthusiasm and professionalism shown by each team. These groups play an important role in supporting our campuses, strengthening collaboration and helping to ensure that students and staff continue to receive the support they need to thrive. Thank you to all members who have committed their time and expertise to this important initiative.
A further highlight has been seeing the continued success of the weekly intra-campus travel program in Tasmania. Our students have seamlessly embraced the opportunity to travel between campuses each week, demonstrating remarkable flexibility, maturity and commitment to their learning. It has been encouraging to hear how students are building new relationships, collaborating with peers from other campuses and making the most of the expanded learning opportunities available to them. The positive attitude shown by our Tasmanian students has been outstanding, and they should be commended for the way they have embraced this initiative and the benefits it brings to their educational experience.
I am also pleased to share that we are very close to appointing our new Sub-Regional Director of Student Support for the Victoria and Tasmania region. This is an important role that will further strengthen the support available to our students, staff and campuses. We look forward to making an announcement in the near future and welcoming another experienced leader to our regional team.
Looking ahead, next week I will be joining members of the Victorian SLT at the Royal Children's Hospital to present our fundraising cheque for $100,000. This remarkable achievement reflects the generosity, compassion and community spirit of our students, families and staff across the region. We are incredibly proud of what has been accomplished together and grateful for the opportunity to support the important work undertaken by the Royal Children's Hospital.
As we continue through the term, I would also like to acknowledge the many students and families who consistently support and uphold our uniform expectations each day. Thank you for taking pride in presenting yourselves in accordance with our uniform policy. A well-presented uniform promotes a sense of belonging, pride and professionalism and reflects positively on our school community. For those who may not yet be meeting these expectations consistently, I kindly ask for your support in ensuring that all students attend school in the correct uniform each day. Working together in this area helps us maintain the high standards that are a valued part of the OneSchool Global culture.
Thank you for your continued support of our students, campuses and the broader OneSchool Global community. I remain continually encouraged by the enthusiasm, dedication and positive spirit that I see across our region, and I look forward to sharing more updates with you in the coming weeks.
Warm regards,
Frank Vetere
Regional Principal
OneSchool Global Victoria & Tasmania
Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you for the warm welcome I have received since arriving at Nathalia. Stepping into leadership mid-term can be challenging, but I have really enjoyed getting to know the students, staff and families and finding my feet within the campus.
It has been great to see students engaging with the Learning to Learn framework and taking greater responsibility for their learning. Nathalia is a lovely campus, and one thing that has stood out to me already is the willingness of staff to work together and do what is needed to support our students.
There is plenty happening at the moment. AI Day took place today, along with a number of activities and opportunities for students scheduled in the coming weeks including our Student Leadership Team attending the Royal Children’s Hospital on Monday 17th of August and the Year 12 Motivational Day schedule for the following week on Tuesday 25th of August. MAP testing is also happening next week and will give us useful information about where students are in their learning and where they may need further support or challenge.
Over the coming weeks, I will also be looking at how we use study periods and making sure this time is purposeful and supports students to make the most of their learning.
Relationships matter. The relationships between students, staff and families are what allow us to work together, particularly when a young person needs some additional support or a different approach.
For me, this comes back to consistency, collaboration and communication. Consistency does not mean everything has to look exactly the same for every student. Needs are different, and sometimes the support will look different too. What matters is having clear expectations and putting the right support in place at the right time.
One of those clear expectations is uniform. Wearing our uniform correctly is part of belonging to the campus and representing our school well. We will continue to reinforce this with students and will be following up where needed.
There has also been quite a bit of influenza and illness around recently. Please keep students at home when they are unwell, both to give them time to recover and to help reduce the spread across the campus.
Thanks again for the welcome. It has been a positive start, and I am looking forward to the weeks ahead and continuing to work with our students, staff and families.
James Mason
Campus Principal
Nathalia Campus
