Welcome to Yarrawonga College P-12,

we value your child as part of our P-12 family along with you as the parent/caregiver.

For children to thrive at the College we need to ensure that there is a strong and ongoing partnership between parents/students/teachers.  We are continually working on our communication between teachers and families, please ensure that you have the Compass App on your phone to receive all current information and communication from teachers.  If you aren’t receiving timely information/communication, please let us know so that we can continue to improve.

2021 started very well apart from a bump in the road when the State experienced a three day lockdown.  Students have settled into Term 2, amazingly we were able to hold an ANZAC Assembly with 900 of our 970 students in the Basketball stadium.  The students demonstrated an extremely high level of respect, which we are very proud of.  The Prep students were on an excursion so missed out on the experience but we hope to bring all 970 students together at some stage during the year.

Last year was full of unknowns, this year could potentially be another year of ups and downs, please keep working with your children and letting them know everything is going to be alright in the end.  We have found that students can become quite anxious as a result of the snap lockdowns and it is important to reassure them.

The Tutor Learning Initiative is in full swing, students have been identified and are well into the program.  We are witnessing some great growth across the College where students are being supported in small groups and in some cases one on one.  If you are concerned about the impact of 2020 on your child’s learning and you are concerned about their progress please let your child’s teacher, (P-6), or Year Level Coordinator, (7-12), know.

This year we are beginning to implement The Resilience Project. The research is clear; the more positive emotion you experience, the more resilient you will be. For that reason the project focuses on three key pillars that have been proven to cultivate positive emotion; Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM).  The program also has a strong focus on Connection, Purpose, Kindness, Emotional Literacy and Physical Health.  To find out more please follow the link;  https://theresilienceproject.com.au/

The large Year 12 cohort from 2020 achieved some fantastic results and created some great opportunities for themselves into the future.  The College prides itself on creating future pathways for students and once again has been very successful in doing so.  College student destination data, (the percentage of students with a successful pathway when they leave school) is well above state average and has been for many years.  Academically the Year 12 cohort from 2020 had the highest average study score for the Goulburn area, something to be very proud of.

The College is working hard to achieve the vision of 0-99 education provision for the community.  We are constantly meeting with stakeholder groups from the Local Government Area, Department of Education, Early Childhood and Adult Education/Learn Local.  When successful the next stage of the Capital Works Project will see the following new facilities/resources on the Gilmore Street site;

• Year 7 & 8 classrooms
• Year 9 – 12 classrooms
• Year 7-12 Science and Creative Arts classrooms
• Gymnasium with full size Basketball Court
• College Oval

We strive to develop our students self-worth, independence and a sense of community, whilst at the same time instilling the College values of Integrity, Cooperation, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility. These five values underpin all that we teach and do. We pride ourselves on providing an environment that is conducive to achieving these aims. Our College uniform is an important part of our positive environment, and we expect it to be worn with pride. We look forward to welcoming you into our College community and sharing the educational journey with your family.

Damien Keel
College Principal