2018 COMMUNITY REPORT

Each year our College themes have common elements: they are outward looking, they support the values of the College, they can be used to encourage learning as well as relationships, they look for a ‘we’ response rather than an ‘I’ response, and, they become our focus for the year. Our themes reflect who we are as a community. ‘I wonder…’ was the theme for 2018. Young children are filled with a sense of wonder about everything around them. If we want our children to think deeply about what they are learning, to maximise their understanding of the world around them, and to gain a strong understanding of how humans interact and operate with each other in the best ways possible, having a sense of wonder is essential for these things to occur. It was with great privilege that I saw this theme unfold for our students in 2018.We began the year with a discussion of the relevance of this theme at our 2018Welcome Assembly, where our two Keilor Campus Middle School Captains, Kiana Dimovski and LiamArmstrong, shared their unique perspectives: “For every question we ask, there is an answer, and for every new answer we find, there is a question to counter it. This is where we create this beautiful loop of learning and growth that is never- ending.” – Kiana Dimovski “Don’t leave the school, wondering what you might have done. Don’t be a student who misses out on what Overnewton offers to all of us.” – LiamArmstrong LiamArmstrong has taken his advice and demonstrated that he doesn’t limit himself to wondering - he goes further to imagine and create.When inYear 7, at just 12 years old, Liam wrote an inspirational story about acceptance and tolerance that won the Short Story category of the 2018 Redgum Book ClubYoungWriters’Award. ‘Miriyan:A tale of Family, Foe and Footy’ is illustrated by Cheri Hughes and has been published for sale across Australia. A remarkable achievement! Our 2018 College Dux, NaokiWoolcock, is also familiar with impressive results. He achieved an exceptional AustralianTertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 98.55 and was awarded the inaugural University of Melbourne Principal’s Scholarship. It was with pride that I recommended Naoki for this scholarship opportunity; one which he was successful in receiving and was so richly deserved. Of course, I am immensely proud of the achievements of all of ourYear 12 students. This year, 168 students successfully completed theirVCE and, of this cohort, 99 students (67%) have been in the College for the entire 13 years of their schooling. I can happily share that our NAPLAN results this year have been the strongest we have had in our history, with each year level -Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 - achieving 2 OVERNEWTON COMMUNITY REPORT