Issue 6 2024 - Principal

Principal

Wayne Austin

At the end of Term 3, I had the honour of representing the College at the funeral of Mr. Ron Wise. Ron was the last of the original students who transferred from Narrogin to Denmark in 1942, when the Australian Army used the Narrogin facility as a convalescence centre for returning soldiers from World War II. His passing marks the end of an important chapter in our College’s history, and he was deeply respected, as evidenced by the large turnout of family and friends at his farewell.

Looking ahead, we have begun discussions with some of our current Old Collegians, particularly those from the very active classes of 1953 to 1956, about ways to showcase our College’s history. This is still a work in progress as we explore the best methods for achieving this goal. At the beginning of the term, we had the pleasure of hosting this group for afternoon tea, followed by a tour of the College farm, led by our head girl Phoebe Mottram.

2025 Planning

We are currently in the process of developing the 2025 timetable, with a focus on ensuring we have sufficient staff to cover teaching and training for our students. This is a significant undertaking that requires careful planning to accommodate students’ desired courses, while maintaining a high standard of teaching.

To this end, we have advertised for a replacement mathematics teacher, as Trudi Romano, a valued member of the Maths Department, will be moving to Bunbury. Additionally, we have bid farewell to Chris Kirkwood, who has taken a position in Perth for the remainder of the term. We are pleased to report that we have successfully arranged for a replacement teacher to cover his classes.

Our Year 12 students have recently completed their formal education and are now embarking on various paths—joining the workforce, starting apprenticeships, working on family farms, completing ATAR exams, and hopefully pursuing further education at university. We bid them farewell with a well-attended Year 12 dinner, which provided a wonderful opportunity for a more casual goodbye. 

Awards Ceremony

Looking ahead, we have our Awards Ceremony on 15th November, where students will receive certificates and awards and our Year 12’s will officially conclude their time with us. A special thank you goes to Mr. Woodruff for organising the “Transition Out” activities, which featured a range of speakers providing valuable insights into life after school. Representatives from Denmark Police, local real estate agents, and health professionals shared important information that was well received by our departing Year 12 students.

We enjoyed great success at the Perth Royal Show during the last week of Term 3. Our students delivered outstanding performances in the cattle, sheep, and farm skills competitions, showcasing the College’s values to the public. They returned home with numerous ribbons in cattle parading, sheep judging, wool handling, and farm skills. 

This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of all the students who competed. I would especially like to thank the staff who devoted their time after school to help prepare our students, attend the show, and provide support, food, and transportation. It truly was a remarkable team effort!

School Board

The school board represents our staff, community, and parents, and we currently have two vacancies for parent representatives. Please watch for upcoming expressions of interest to join this team!

Compass Update

At the College, we use Compass to communicate with parents. The Education Department is introducing Kaartdijin, which is based on Compass, as a replacement for our current school management software. While Compass will be rebranded as Kaartdijin, you will still receive school information through this new service. We will keep parents and carers updated as these changes take place.

With only a few weeks to go, the College is a busy place. Students are still required to attend as normal as their learning continues right up until the time they are released from school. Students still have assessment tasks and work to complete so that they see the year out.

Keep up the good work and we will make it to the end of the year very soon!

Wayne Austin
Principal
WACOA - Denmark