From the Principal

Dear Members of the De La Salle Community, It is always a positive experience to reflect when the end of a year draws near and to realise so much of what your community has set out to do has actually been achieved. This is critical for De La Salle College as we continue our journey of improvement and innovation.

The 2015–18 Strategic Plan set a compelling agenda for six key areas of our school’s development and growth. Having worked through the first full year of the Strategic Plan it is worth analysing our progress in this context with reference to all that is happening in and around the College. The Education in Faith sphere defines our very identity as a Catholic school in the Lasallian tradition. In an increasingly secular 21st century it is crucial we provide our young men, and indeed the staff and wider community, with the tools to build a sense of meaning and understanding of the ever changing world around us. Deputy Principal – Faith and Mission Mrs Rana Brogan has provided superb leadership and initiative in this area. From the students’ perspective, the very successful Year 12 Retreat was run along House lines for the first time and the four newly created roles of House Lasallian Captains were instrumental in the formal integration of the five core principles of Lasallian education into our everyday processes. The Staff Formation Day, Year 7–11 Reflection Days and a revised Year 7–9 Religious Education program made significant contributions to enhancing our faith community. In a symbolic gesture to heighten their importance, we moved the Year 7 Welcoming and Leaders’ Commissioning Mass and the Year 12 Valedictory Mass to St Patrick’s Cathedral. The four Community Masses served to reinforce relationships with some of our key parishes. In relation to the Learning and Teaching sphere, improving academic rigour in an environment of challenge and achievement for all has been an intrinsic element of the Strategic Plan. The vision of Deputy Principal – Learning and Teaching, Mr Mark Gustincic, has steered us confidently in the right direction to improve our boys’ learning outcomes. The unambiguous focus of the staff Professional Learning Teams in 2016 has been to differentiate students’ learning, to identify exactly where students sit on the learning continuum and use data to accurately measure growth and progress rather than just recording achievement. The very successful introduction of Maths Pathway at Year 7 has enabled staff and students alike to personalise learning and ensure instruction and assessment suits the individual. Moving to a much more student-centred approach is also bearing fruit, with the Year 9 Inquiry program empowering students to take responsibility for a good part of their learning, particularly with the week-long City Experience. This will be further enhanced in 2017 by adding the Rural Experience. It was gratifying to see the significant investment by the Year 9 students in their own learning. Other initiatives such as a renewed emphasis on literacy across the curriculum, a strategic approach to maximising VCE performance and providing clear and appropriate pathways for all have been effective. The rollout of the notebook computer program for Years 4, 7 and 10 was a triumph in smooth and efficient systems, and effective use of ICT to support learning. With finite space on both campuses, the Facilities and Resources sphere warrants careful consideration. Perhaps the most exciting development for 2016 was the completion and adoption of a Master Plan. With a significant period of time having elapsed since our last major building program, especially at Tiverton, it was critical we exercise due diligence, plan and research carefully, consult widely and incorporate creative and strategic thinking. Designed to promote and facilitate innovative learning and teaching in contemporary spaces, the Master Plan will result in significant renovations at Kinnoull and potentially, a three stage building program at Tiverton. Focusing on a

creative use of space, maximising green areas and increasing room for active and passive play, the Master Plan is an exciting project. Director of Finance and Administration Ms Kerrie Jordan, the College Executive, the Property Committee and Board of Directors have provided excellent support and direction in this critical area. While De La Salle has always been well known for the provision of outstanding pastoral care, todays’ society and the associated pressures and ambitions of adolescents mean we must always strive to maintain pace and get ahead of the game with Student Wellbeing. The new House system, particularly the vertical pastoral care structure at Years 10–12 has been a wonderful innovation for 2016. New legislation around child safety has led to improved structures, protocols and polices to protect and promote the wellbeing of our young men, and Ms Lisa Harkin, Deputy Principal – Students, has taken the helm here with exceptional efficiency. The transition program to ensure our Year 4s and 7s settle well into life in a new school, the revamped Personal Development Plan for Years 4–12, the opportunities for student leadership, and the work of the newly created 2016 Wellbeing Team in planning and governing all aspects of care for our students, have all contributed greatly. Our students are safe and happy, working in an environment of support and encouragement which has clear implications for improved academic outcomes. A highlight each year for all of us involved in De La Salle is the marvellous sense of Community we are so fortunate to be part of and enjoy. I see this as crucial to the success of our school. De La Salle’s capacity to build positive relationships between staff, students and parents – to generate an environment with that palpable sense of belonging – remains perhaps our greatest asset. I must thank Mrs Cate Robertson, President of the Parent Network and her myriad generous and willing helpers for their extraordinary work. Crowds of 500-plus at the Mother’s and Father’s Day breakfasts, and a tremendously successful Day at The Races event were the highlights, but the Parent Network’s contribution creates that critical opportunity for families to meet, mix, and strengthen their bond with their son’s school. The breadth of the cocurricula program assists in building community too. 2016 was a year of success in many sports, the senior production with OLSH, Hairspray, was an outstanding success, and the junior production with Sacré Cœur, A Lighter Shade of Noir, was an opportunity for 34 of our Year 6–8 boys, and a huge boost for the Performing Arts. This level of involvement beyond the formal classroom is an intrinsic element of the students’ opportunities to build community and the self-esteem which comes from that involvement and achievement. In an organisation like ours leadership and management define direction and progress. I must thank the College Executive, the Board of Directors, the four Directors of Learning and Development, and the Director of Students on each campus. Supporting them and the students in a very real way are the House and Year Level Coordinators, and the Learning Area Team Leaders. The engine room of our wellbeing program is the committed House and Class Mentors who build relationships and monitor the boys each day. The wider teaching staff, in the spirit of our founder, provide a Lasallian “human and Christian education” in an increasingly complex and demanding environment. On your behalf I would like to thank the teachers for their commitment to our boys and their dedication to their craft. Very little of what we achieve would be possible without the expertise of the devoted teams in administration, marketing, library, finance, ICT and maintenance. I am eternally grateful to all who serve us with such distinction and in turn, the wonderful young men in our care. Wishing you all a happy, safe and holy Christmas,

Mr Peter Houlihan Principal

College Executive: Rana Brogan, Tom Ryan, Peter Houlihan, Kerrie Jordan, Mark Gustincic and Lisa Harkin