Principal’s Report

Principal’s Report
Dear Parents and Carers,
Term three is halfway through, there is a hint of the sun shining, and for now Spring appears to be just around the corner. Our students have definitely been shining as they participate in many extra-curricular activities across the school.
Our School production was last week. Held in Elwood at the Phoenix Theatre, a cast and crew of experienced and novice thespians performed ‘The Little Mermaid’. I would like to acknowledge the efforts of Sally Edwards, Caroline Hardy, and Kylie Wagenvoort (vocal teacher) who have inspired, motivated, guided, and coordinated the students involved. We sold more tickets than ever before and the audience was not disappointed.
The house competitions are well and truly in action. This fortnight we have the House Athletics, and the finals of House Debating. Students have shown a keen interest in the new debating competition as speakers, researchers, and audience members. It has been pleasing to see the appetite for expansion in the house activities. Thank you to Isobel Hudson and other staff, who have organised this competition. I know many students will now be inspired to participate in the Debating Association of Victoria’s interschool competition. House Athletics is next week at Duncan McKinnon track in Carnegie. Buses will transport our students from Auburn High School to the track, and then the games will begin. I really enjoy watching the performances of the students, and the team spirit and costumes all add to the energy of the day. Students winning the events will progress to the Division athletics carnival. Good luck to all.
Currently we are in the mid-term cycle of Learning Behaviour reports and Parent Student Teacher conferences. As most parents would know students are provided with feedback on how they display: Agency in Learning, Completing required work, Working productively in class, Seeking assistance when necessary, Working in a team, and Respecting the rights of others to learn. Student are given a score of 2, 4, 6 (expected), 8 or 10. Educational research shows that behaviours drive performance, and that feedback on process, routines, structures and actions has a significant impact on learning outcomes and student engagement. Self-reporting of grades and a student’s awareness of their levels is also a developmental phase we are emphasising here. Education is a lifelong process and I demand the same learning behaviours in my staff. Please have open conversations with your children to reinforce the real-world applications of these skills and behaviours. Parent Student Teacher conferences will have been held by the time this newsletter is published. Currently there are over 2750 appointments booked.
Last week parents/carers received an email regarding the 2025 Parent/Carer Opinion Survey. Each household received a link to the state-wide survey and I encourage you to complete it. Responses from the Auburn High community help system wide programs and provide invaluable insights for our school. The survey closes September 19th. Last year we had a disappointing response to the survey with only 9% of parents submitting. This meant that the data set was not enough to form substantive judgements. I encourage you to be involved in this annual fact-finding process.
Finally, with an eye on 2026, the school is presently processing enrolments. Our enrolments are controlled by an Enrolment Management Policy (DE), except for our French Specialist Programs where students are coming from Caulfield Junior College and Camberwell Primary School. Currently it looks like we will have around seven tutor groups at year 7 and around 110 year 12 students in 2026. This will likely mean that the total student numbers will remain consistent around the 850 total.
Until next time,
Kind regards,
Ross Pritchard