Dear Carroll Community,

Welcome back to Term 4! Where has the year gone? It is amazing to think that we are at this point of the year already. I have had the most amazing year, getting to know the staff, students, and parents. We are so fortunate to have such a loving, caring and giving community. I have felt so welcomed and I am enjoying working with you to move our wonderful college forward in the learning and teaching space. I sincerely hope that you all managed to have a restful holiday break and can savour all that Term 4 brings and find grace and gratitude in the often craziness of Term 4. I look forward to a fantastic term at Carroll College, celebrating and acknowledging the year that has been.

It is unfortunate that we are currently living through world events where we are sharing support for our students in how to cope with what they may be exposed to. As always, the well-being of students and staff at Carroll is paramount. Recent events in Israel and Palestine are widely publicised across all media platforms, including TikTok and Instagram, and may cause distress and concern for our young people. 

It is normal to have feelings of distress in response to these events and awareness of the impact of this information and images on our young people is important. If at any time, you are concerned about the explicit nature of any information your child or the young people in your care are exposed to on social media platforms, please contact the e-safety commissioner website to report this. (Information regarding what constitutes inappropriate content, and ways to report this are available on the e-safety commissioner’s website.) 

As we enter Term 4, students will be embarking on their final term of learning and assessment. Our Year 12 cohort is currently sitting the HSC examinations, and we wish them every success as they complete their final secondary examinations. Year 11 are now engaging in HSC content and will be receiving their 2023-24 Assessment Schedules early in Week 3. Can I please encourage students to note key assessment dates in their personal calendars, and ensure they are aware of all summative assessments on the horizon. The junior school will be completing their final summative tasks mid-term, and this will assist in the development of Semester 2 reporting.

Last week at assembly we celebrated two academic student showcase awards. Congratulations to Chelsea Clugston and Sophie Eppelstun who both received awards for the following:

Chelsea Clugston  Year 9  Mathematics	Sophie Eppelstun Year 11  VL Business Studies

Chelsea Clugston (Year 9) – Nominated by Karen Ashby (Leader of the Mathematics KLA). Chelsea received 100% in her recent two topic tests in mathematics.

Sophie Eppelstun (Year 11) – Has been nominated by her Year 11 Virtual Learning Teacher (Mrs Heidi Stubbs – McAuley College, Tumut) for her consistently outstanding work in the Year 11 course. Sophie has demonstrated exemplary knowledge and understanding throughout the preliminary year.

I wish all our students every success as they approach their studies this term. As always, I encourage all students to achieve their personal best and enjoy their learning!

EFFORT = SUCCESS

Andrew Kenneally

Assistant Principal – Curriculum, Learning and Innovation