College management reports on progress

Three weeks into its implementation, the Brisbane Water Secondary College, has reported on its progress.

A College Management Group (CMG) was formed immediately with its composition and function defined in a "Memorandum of Understanding".

The CMG consists of the three college principals; Carolyn Carter for Woy Woy campus, Frank Gasper for Umina campus and Pat Lewis as acting College Principal.

This group will make decisions for the College. The CMG meets weekly on Thursday afternoons and has decided to include the deputy principals from each campus in these meetings to facilitate more idea generation and debate.

The College Steering Committee (CSC) has also been formed and consists of representatives of principals, teachers, other staff and parents, aboriginal education and TAFE.

Members are:

College Principals - Carolyn Carter (Woy Woy), Frank Gasper (Umina), Pat Lewis (College)

Teaching Staff - Teachers Federation Representatives, Michael Fensom (Woy Woy), Ruth Woodford (Umina).

School Support Staff - Mignon Ward (Woy Woy High School), Carol Roffey (Umina High School).

Parents – Lyn Hyde, Pam Crain (Woy Woy High School); Lorraine May, Bruce Graf (Umina High School); Mary Nipperess (Pretty Beach Public School); Cheryl Dew, Cassandra Richardson (Empire Bay Public School); Janelle Vanderwoude, Dianne Gaston (Umina Public School);– Kerrie Bleakley, Ray McDonald (Woy Woy South Public School); Kay Denning, Alex Wells (Woy Woy Public School); Elizabeth McMinn, Alex O’Hara (Ettalong Public School); Denise Markham, Steve Collins (Aboriginal Education Consultative Group).

The TAFE representative is yet to be appointed.

The CSC is a forum where issues of implementation can be discussed and recommendations made to the CMG.

These issues will be brought to the meetings by the CMG and by the members.

As part of the implementation strategy, a number of working parties have been established.

These were decided upon by the CMG, ratified by the CSC and by the combined executive of the College.

They are not set in concrete and may change in number or task during the process of implementation.

The working parties will include Staffing and Timetable, Curriculum, Technology, Student Welfare, Special Education, Staff Welfare, Sport and Creative Arts, Administration and Finance, Promotion and Marketing, College Ethos (vision, mission etc) and College Identity (logo, badging etc)

Staff, students, parents or communities who wish to participate in a working party may submit an expression of interest form which may be obtained from a Steering Committee representative and returned through them, or directly to any of the college principals.

A further task which has been completed has been the preparation of an information booklet regarding the College.

This booklet presents a case for the change, a description of what the change will bring, implementation progress so far, and answers to some commonly asked questions.

This will be distributed to every student and staff member of each of the six feeder primary schools and the two high schools before the end of this week.

Copies will also be available to the community.

Several meetings took place within the College in recent days.

The College executive teachers met to discuss progress in the implementation process, exchange views on the College, review the suggested Working Parties on August 23.

Year 10 students from both campuses had a meeting at the Umina PCYC on August 24.

Over the course of the full day, students engaged in activities, exchanged ideas on the College and began the process of learning about and making selections for courses to study in Year 11 next year.

A meeting of combined staff groups took place at the Woy Woy campus on August 27 to discuss College curriculum.

Preparations were also under way for enrolment of the first College Year 7 group at the Umina campus next year.

Offers for 330 enrolments were sent out to parents of current Year 6 students.

It is anticipated that Year 7 enrolments will eventually be closer to 350 leading to the formation of at least 12 classes.

Mr Gaspar, Ms Carter and Mr Lewis have also been visiting Year 6 parent groups at each of the primary schools to speak to them about the College and answer questions.

College newsletter, August 28