Welcome to another edition of the school’s newsletter. I would like to congratulate David Davis for being successful through merit selection as the new Deputy Principal Georges River College Hurtsville Boys Campus.

I would like to welcome the following staff to our school:

• Amber Harvie our new Student Support Officer, has been employed as part of the government’s $88 million investment to provide every public high school with a full-time student support officer. Amber comes to us with experience working with young people to improve their wellbeing and mental health. She will work alongside students to promote safety, resilience and pro-social behaviours, as well as being a key person for students to seek advice and guidance. She will form part of the Wellbeing team at the school who can help provide necessary wrap-around support for these students.

• Eliza Jane Potter, our new Wellbeing and Health In-reach Nurse Coordinator (WHIN), joins us as part of the partnership between NSW Health and the NSW Department of Education to support schools with wellbeing and health needs. The program establishes a Wellbeing Nurse position in our school one day a week. Eliza will work closely with the school’s Wellbeing and Learning and Support teams. She will also work closely with local health and social services to support students and their families on a wide range of health and wellbeing issues. Issues may include mental health, social and behavioural support, physical health, and peer or family relationship support.

Both staff come to the school at a much needed time to support our students. Please read their stories in this terms newsletter to find out more about their roles.

Influenza (flu)

As many of you can appreciate the impact of influenza (flu) among our school community, and measures that we can all take to reduce the spread of flu as we enter into the colder months, is a focus for our school community.  Given the impact of the cold and influenza virus, and to help protect our school and the wider community, we ask that unwell students stay home to reduce this impact.

To help minimise the spread of flu, colds and COVID-19, students are being encouraged to:

• wash and sanitise their hands regularly
• avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• cover their nose and mouth when they cough or sneeze
• get tested for COVID-19 if they feel unwell and follow the current Department of Health isolation requirements if a positive result is shown
• stay at home if unwell, until their symptoms pass.

Rapid antigen testing kits will continue to be distributed to families this term. Face masks are available in all schools and can be worn by any staff or students who wish to do so, including those who are medically at risk. Vaccination remains the best protection against both COVID-19 and flu, and we encourage you to get your child vaccinated. Vaccinations can be booked through GPs and pharmacies. I am aware that this is a challenging situation and we thank you for your understanding and support at this time.

Facility Upgrades

The school is also undergoing some much-needed facility upgrades including:

• Asphalt replacement in the Year 8 playground including the area between building A and D block and the carpark.
• Metro Network Uplift Project ITD upgrade to our school’s existing network infrastructure to the latest network standards. The upgrade will include a full network uplift of high-performance wireless and core network infrastructure, and provide ongoing management and operational support of that infrastructure. This will be a huge benefit to student teaching and learning. This project is scheduled to commence this year.
• LED Lighting Upgrade Program (LED LUP), a NSW government initiative which has committed $157.8 million to replace inefficient lights with new LED lights in up to 1,000 public schools across NSW.
• Roofing restoration in building A and E.

Celebrations & remembrance

We have also celebrated a number of events this term:

• ANZAC Day memorial service (25 April) celebrated on 6 May in honour of the Australian and New Zealand troops who fought and died in World War I, as well as "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served”. Students recited poetry, read about esteemed Australian military personnel, and viewed dramatic acts aimed at honouring those who have served in the Australian military and at ANZAC Cove in World War I. A special thank you to the student leadership team, Ms Doulakis, and Mr Peckham for organising the event.
• Meet the Teacher BBQ (10 May) was an opportunity for many of our parents/carers and students to meet their teachers face to face for the first time. It was a great opportunity to build connections and share experiences of Stage 4 student's time at GRC Hurtsville Boys Campus so far. We were also joined by headspace @ Hurstville who also provided information about the services they offer. Everyone enjoyed the BBQ and it was great to meet so many parents.
• ROSE Assembly (20 May) celebrated the excellent behaviours, attitudes and academic dedication of our students during our Recognition of Student Excellence (ROSE) Assembly. We are consistently proud of the efforts of our boys and strive to recognize this. Congratulations to all students who received an award and thank you to Ms Cazouris, our ROSE Assembly Coordinator, for organising the day. We had the largest turnout of parents to the school at this event.
• National Reconciliation Week (27 May - 3 June) This event is a time which allows Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. This year’s theme was “Be brave make change”. GRC Hurstville Boys Campus welcomed guest speakers Cole Hardy and his son, Jeff Hardy. Cole Hardy was the first Aboriginal person to win a Golden Guitar at Tamworth. With his rich deep voice and strong interpretative qualities, he paved the way for future generations of Indigenous singers, country and otherwise. Jeff Hardy who represented the Illawarra Steelers between 1985 and 1989 and the St George Dragons from 1991 to 1998. He played in three Grand Finals in 1992, 1993 and 1996.
• Athletics Carnival (30 May) held at the Ridge Athletics Track at Barden Ridge. The rain may have held off but records fell on a day of excellent participation and sportsmanship from our boys. This was followed by the Zone Cross Country was held at Gannons Park. Our boys battled through the windy conditions to represent our school proudly, with several students qualifying for the Sydney East Carnival on June 15. Congratulations to all students who qualified and made it to the next round. Thank you to Mr Derbridge for organising both days.
• Men's Health Week (13-19 June) aimed at raising awareness of the prevalence of negative health outcomes for men and boys in society. The theme this year was "Building Heathy Environments for Men and Boys". This year’s theme focused on creating physically, mentally and emotionally healthy environments in the home, workplace and in social settings. A number of key events have been designed to support our boys including activities from Headspace at the year meeting presentations. Students also donated with a mufti day. Once again thank you Ms Stanborough and Mr Rea for organising this event.
• Biggest Morning Tea (1 July)The school participated in the Australia’ s Biggest Morning Tea which enable us to raise funds for people impacted by cancer. Thanks to Ms Rasic and to all the staff who contributed with food and other donations and the organisation. The funds raised will be going to a very worthy cause.

NSW SPC Conference

Each year the Annual NSW SPC Conference attracts hundreds of SPC members and is an unrivalled platform for NSW public school principals to engage in a vibrant discussion about the future directions for education in the 21st century. The theme for the 2022 Conference was “Phosperescence” Trials of light and wonder on the power of public schools and the luminosity of school leadership. I had the pleasure of attending the NSW SPC Conference in Wollongong (land of the Dharawal Nation) between 14 June – 16 June 2022. Some of the key note speakers that resonated with me included:

• Julia Baird, a Sydney journalist, focused on ‘How do we continue to glow when the lights turn out?’ Encouraging us to look outwards and upwards to find the magic that will sustain us and fuel the light within – our own phosphorescence!
• Anita Heiss, a proud member of the ‘Waradjuri Nation' an Aboriginal Australian author publishing across many genres focused on helping us “find our creative light”.
• Jennifer Robinson, human rights attorney who has represented Julian Assange and Wikileaks, sees the law as a social justice tool strengthening movements for positive change. Jennifer has a strong desire to give back and commitment to inspiring young people from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Dr Richard Harris OAM, (Australian of the Year 2019), an Australian anaesthetist and cave diver who played a crucial role in the Tham Luang cave rescue. Through the power of the individual and with a sense of purpose he largely encourages young people to challenge themselves and take good risks.

The conference focused on building the idea of principals as a leading light, dealing with today’s Complexities, Challenges, Curiosities, and the immense light within. At GRC Hurtsville Boys Campus we will continue to support our students to see the light when the world goes dark.

2021 Annual Report

The Annual Report for 2021 is provided to the community of Georges River College Hurstville Boys Campus as an account of the school's operations and achievements throughout the year. Preparation of the Annual report involves schools reflecting and making assessments of their ongoing progress towards the strategic directions identified in their Strategic Improvement Plan. It provides a detailed account of the progress the school has made to provide high quality educational opportunities for all students, as set out in the Strategic Improvement Plan. It outlines the findings from self-assessment that reflect the impact of key school strategies for improved learning and the benefit to all students from the expenditure of resources, including equity funding. If you wish to read more about the school's 2021 achievements please click on the link.

I would also like to congratulate Darren Elms on the birth of his second baby, a girl. This is such a wonderful time for your family and we hope that your life is filled with fun and long-lasting memories.

I would also like to thank:

• Rimlesh Rai for the contributions she has made to GRC Hurstville Boys Campus this semester as Head Teacher Special Education. Rimlesh will be returning back to Holsworthy High School in Term 3. We wish her the best of luck.

• Sarah Bernie who has relieved in the position of Head Teacher Special Education for her hard work in the second half of Term 2. Sarah will continue in this role in Term 3.

Next term we welcome:

• Skye Jones who joins us from Kanahooka High School as the new Learning and Support teacher. She comes with extensive experience.
• Christopher King who joins us from Cecil Hills High School in the role of Head Teacher Secondary Studies.

We look forward to Skye and Christopher joining our Team next term.

I wish everyone a safe and restful holiday.

Kathy Klados | Principal