Dear College Families
We concluded Term 3 by congratulating our appointed student leaders of 2025:
Head Girl 2025: Joelina Dahdal
Head Boy 2025: Lucas Crowley
We look forward to all that our student Council will do and the good influence they will have on our College. Congratulations to our Student Leadership.
Thank you to our 2024 Student Leaders for all their contributions to the College.
This year our Student Leaders have been active in charity work and fundraising for charity. This has been very much at the heart of their objectives. Head Boy Cameron Watts spoke about servant leadership in his address when he was first pronounced Head Boy. The charitable work that Head Girl Angelina Montini has initiated with Cameron Watts and their Deputies Brendan Raymond and Taitum Ellis has been excellent. Angelina has also activated the option of trousers for Secondary girls in the uniform wardrobe and in 2025 from Term 2, all Secondary girls will have the option to consider from our uniform shop a much smarter navy blue College young ladies’ trouser to add to their uniform selection if they choose. The grey trouser which is part of the boys’ uniform, is not to be worn by our girls. Now that a process of approvals has been officially enacted through the Uniform committee and Executive in consultation with the Head Girl, girls must be mindful of the correct navy blue trouser option to wear which can only be obtained from the uniform shop from Term 2, 2025. This option addition to the full suite for the uniform wardrobe is a result of our Head Girl’s proposal and the preferences from the Uniform committee. Secondary girls can choose to opt for the trouser or the dress in summer, and in winter the trouser or the skirt. We understand that warmth and modesty are important to our Secondary girls.
It is very important to the whole College that our students wear correct school uniform which includes no excess ear piercings, no visible make-up and no beards for our senior boys. It isn’t a good look and does not represent them nor the entire student body well when there is divergence from the uniform rules. Our students benefit from the good name that the College has built as a private school of choice. The public perception of their respectability demonstrated by smart uniform attire in support of the College uniform rules, supports their future endeavours.
It was a wonderful opportunity for me to attend the Governor’s Prayer breakfast with our Student Executive Leaders, Angelina, Cameron, Brendan and Taitum earlier this term. We all came away affirmed by the experience of such a purposeful morning. Thank you to Mr Stefan Botha Head of Year 12, Mr Mikael Leo acting Deputy Co-curricular, Mr Alex King Deputy Wellbeing, Mr Harris Head of Secondary, Mr Moses Head of Primary, Mr Robinson Executive Business Manager, Ms Jasna Trimble Director Childcare, Ps Christine Velebir and ADF Chaplain Velebir, Chaplain Sean Stahlhut and Board Chair Mr Grant Botha for being part of our table to represent South Coast Baptist College at this very important occasion.
We congratulate our Year 5 and 6 Boys on their performance in the WA Primary School State Championships for Football. Our Year 6 Boys came first 8-1 and are the State Champions and our Year 5 boys came third. The trophy and medals are proudly displayed in College Reception. We are proud of our boys!
In addition, we were delighted with the news that the Year 3 to 6 Interschool Cross Country Team managed to win the carnival as CPSSA overall school champions for 2024!
We also congratulate our Secondary ACC Team who were raised up a Division level last year and competed this year with a tougher level of competition. Our students did very well and we are proud of their efforts to represent our College. Well done Team and the HPE Department. It was wonderful to see some of our individual students achieving so well. I was glad to be there at the ACC carnival and proud to represent our school as the guest Principal presenter for the awards and announcements.
As technology has developed with further need for improved cybersafe devices that allow updated 21st century learning capacity, we have been exploring for both staff and students in the Secondary school, a better and more powerful Microsoft laptop device to meet the increasing curriculum, support, security and extension needs of our students. This is part of the strategic work to provide best quality for teaching & learning in the 21st century. There is evidence to suggest that the Australian education sector ranks number 4 in the world as a technology target averaging over 3,900 cyber-attacks per week. To protect our students and deliver quality online interaction with enhanced technological hardware and software the implementation for next generation devices will need to be considered particularly for the advanced learning needs of Years 7-12. We share with our College families a need to see our students grow in their learning and be skilled to navigate safely, the online environment, which is ever increasing in 21st century requirements. Further details will come next term.
I wish to congratulate and announce specialist staff portfolios appointed for 2025. You will meet our staff in their respective portfolios in due course and it is a pleasure to welcome and congratulate the following new staff and current staff appointed to significant new strategic positions in the College from 2025.
We welcome:
Mr Warren Hodges as our new Executive Business Manager (commencing December 2, 2024, in overlap with our current EBM, Matt Robinson who is departing for travel with family from December 13)
Mrs Kelly Dwyer (commencing 2025) as our new Executive Dean of Staff Development & Strategy
Mr Richie Rajan (commencing 2025) as our new Director Information, Systems & Technologies
We congratulate:
Ms Carly Phoebe promoted to Executive Dean for Co-Curricular & Academies from 2025
Mr Sam Newman appointed as our new College Director Music from 2025
Mr Andy Price appointed as our Secondary Director Cross-Fit from 2025
Ms Caroline Crowther appointed to Director Pastoral Care in Secondary from 2025
Ms Amber Surman appointed to Director Bible Christian Studies in Secondary for 2025
Mr JD Gerber appointed Coordinator Gifted & Talented 2025, and Director Research Institute
We thank:
Mr Mikael Leo for his work this term as Acting Deputy for Co-Curricular
Mr Brendan Van der Kooij for his work this term as acting Head of Physical Education
Mrs Adele Hutton for her work this term as Acting Deputy K-2
Ms Alicia Cawood for her work this term as Acting Kindy and Pre-Primary Coordinator
We welcome back:
Mr James Dawes who has been on Long Service Leave Term 3
Mrs Jo Gudgeon who has been on Long Service Leave Term 3
Ms Carly Phoebe who has also been on Long Service Leave Term 3.
As we work through our recruitment and appointments for more positions in 2025, I will announce further congratulations later in the year.
We hope you have seen the new College website which is looking very smart and updated and is easier to navigate. We also hope you have seen the College master plan capital works video flythrough on the landing page of the new website. There are several understandings behind the creation of the new master plan which will likely take another 15 years to manifest. We thank architectural Firm Architectus, our consultants, in the creation of the new master plan which will propel great improvement to the College footprint and facilities. Late in Term 4 the constructions will commence for the new amphitheatre and prayer garden which we hope to be completed before Founder’s Day next year (11th February) and the 40th Anniversary celebrations. Our Stage 2B building which is the double-storey Secondary block going up near the gym is also taking shape and should be completed by the end of Term one next year, though classrooms will be completed by the start of 2025.
As always the College is a place of much activity. If your child has been part of any of the Arts productions, the vocal and drama programs and has contributed to the Art Exhibition coming up early next term we hope you enjoy seeing the talents and specific giftedness of College students. We are very proud of them and their work and we wish them the very best in all their passions and endeavours.
Quality achievement doesn’t happen without the dedication of our skilled and competent staff and as we look to the Graduation of our Year 12 class of 2024, we are pleased that our Year 12 students have enjoyed their time at South Coast Baptist College and have many wonderful memories to treasure.
Best wishes to our graduating students and to those senior students sitting final examinations and completing assessments soon. We send our prayers, support and best wishes.
Wishing you a refreshing term break.
God bless.
Dawn Clements
Principal
Psalm 100:5
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.