Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome back to the start of the 2015 school year! We extend a special welcome to those who are new to Galen: we hope you find our school community to be supportive, challenging and positive as we work together for the best possible future for your children.

I had the pleasure of greeting all the new Year 7 students on Friday morning in assembly, and then again in their classrooms and around the yard during the day. Starting secondary school is such a big milestone for everyone in the family. I look forward to working with your children – and you, their parents – over the coming years. Please remember that there will be an Open Afternoon for all parents and guardians of Year 7 students on Wednesday, 11th February straight after school ends.

Also on Friday, I also had the opportunity to welcome the Senior School students back at their assembly. I made the point to the senior students that at this stage of their learning journey, their best resources are their teachers. Our expectation is that all will strive to do their best, whatever that best might be for each individual, and to be appropriate role models for the younger students. We will support those who put their best foot forward regardless of whether they are completing the VCE, VCAL, VET or some combination of the above.

Our Years 8, 9 & 10 students returned on Monday with similar levels of enthusiasm and energy. I wish them all well for this year also.

Uniform
It was very pleasing to see the overwhelming majority of students wearing correct uniform on the first two days. There are some families still awaiting shoes to be delivered to shops and I thank those parents for making contact with the school to explain their predicament.

It was disappointing, however, to discover a number of students who were not fully in correct uniform. These students have been spoken to and are expected to be in proper uniform from now on. I ask parents to get on the front foot and make contact with their child’s homeroom teacher or Year Level Co-ordinator or Mini-School Director if you have any outstanding issues regarding uniform items. The school will be contacting parents of students in incorrect uniform if we have not heard from them first.

Thanks for your co-operation in this: your attention to this matter allows our time at school to be much better utilized on the real issue of learning.

Living Galen History
We were delighted to extend a very warm welcome back on Friday to Galen’s first ever Principal Ross Keane (formerly Brother Ross).

Brother Ross, as he was then, was the inaugural Principal when the two Catholic secondary schools of St Joseph’s College (girls school) and Champagnat College (boys school) combined their Year 11 & 12 classes. Ross brought with him a number of historical documents,

including copies of the first three ever Galen Year Books, and the formal minutes from the meetings that led to the establishment of Galen College.

New staff this year
• Erica Waite – Administrative support for Mini-school Directors

• Ren Seymour – Teaching PE, Health

• Zac Wingrave – Digital Media & Technology Trainee

• Sarah Hynes – PE/OEd Trainee

• Jayden Burt – PE/OEd trainee

• Ben Talarico – Education Support Trainee

• Robert Speziale – Education Support Trainee

• Lisa Power – Wellbeing counsellor

• Eleanor Chan – Teaching Maths, Science

• Grace McGarigle – Teaching VET Hospitality, Food Technology

• Michelle Campbell – Exchange teacher from Canada: teaching Maths, Science

• Lina O’Donohue – Reception

• Fiona Neal – Food Technology, Health, SENIT

• Malcolm Vickery – VCAL, Systems Tech, Materials & Technology, Discovery

• Sarah Taylor – Religious Education, Humanities

Staff returning from extended leave

We welcome back the following staff who are returning from extended leave:

• Kate Howard and Sonia Bourke, returning from maternity leave last year

• Paul Benedetti and John Pasztor returning from long service leave in 4th term

• Maree Timms and Annette Fletcher returning from leave without pay for 2014

• Claudia Bellani returning from leave since 2012

Good luck to everyone as we embark on the exciting journey of 2015 at Galen Catholic College.

Best wishes,

Bernard Neal – Principal