From the Principal: 2 Feb 2022
As we begin another school year, I would like to offer a very warm welcome back to all members of the Radford community, especially those parents who are new to the College. I hope everyone managed to have a relaxing holiday period despite the constant and omnipresent challenges of COVID-19.
COVID-19 is no doubt going to make the new school year challenging on a number of fronts. We are going to have to be extremely vigilant about ensuring our COVID-safe policies and procedures are adhered to, we are going to have to risk assess every activity organised for our students, and across the College, we are going to have to deal with ongoing staff and student absences.
Over the holiday period we (the Senior Management Team) spent considerable time deliberating as to how we will deal with COVID-19 this year, particularly as we work through the first few weeks of this term. In the main, we want it to be ‘business as usual’ for the students, but we are acutely aware of the measures we need to put in place to keep the school ‘operationally normal’. These practices include mask wearing for our older students and staff, ventilation of teaching and office spaces, minimising cohort mixing, constant cleaning and sanitising, and distancing wherever possible. We have already contracted a number of relief staff to work full-time for the first few weeks of term, and we have organised a long list of other potential relief staff to assist, should staff absenteeism rapidly increase.
Having recently had an opportunity to speak to quite a few Radford staff, students, and parents, I know many of you have either had COVID-19, or have been close contacts, and have had to isolate for periods of time. I hope no one has been too ill or inconvenienced. On a personal note, I had to bunker down with the five other members of my family over the Christmas/New Year period, as we had all contracted COVID-19. Whilst it was not pleasant to have some members of the family unwell, it was actually nice to spend more time together, without all of the other usual distractions.
I take this opportunity to remind parents that if your child/ren tests positive to COVID-19, you are required to contact the College Nurse, Sophie Davis, on 0427 005 871 or at Sophie.Davis@radford.act.edu.au, and ACT Health via this online Positive Result Registration Form. Additionally, if your child/ren is/are residing in a house with a COVID-19 positive person, they will be required to isolate for seven days and contact ACT Health and the College.
As is always the case at this time of the year, we not only welcomed our returning students this week, but took considerable time and effort to orientate our new students. The majority of our new students have entered one of our intake years, which are:
- Pre-Kindergarten – where four classes of students begin their Radford journey
- Year 3 – where we take on one additional class
- Year 7 – where the cohort coming up from the Junior School is significantly increases, taking them from five classes to eight
- Year 11 – where new students are able to enter the College after a handful of students leave at the end of Year 10 to pursue alternative options not available at Radford.
Whatever year level our new students have joined, we hope their first couple of days have been enjoyable and informative, and that their association with Radford College is long and fruitful.
As many of you would be aware, Monday was the Orientation Day for students in Year 7 and Teacher-Parent conversations in the Junior School, so it was not until yesterday, when all students returned, that we felt the new school year was finally underway. In walking around both campuses on Tuesday morning, it was clear that there was a mixture of excitement and trepidation as students caught up with friends, worked out classrooms and met new teachers.
As well as being the first full day for all students, yesterday was also the official induction for our 2022 College Prefects. An outdoor service on the Morison Lawn saw the Prefects collectively pledging to support the ethos of Radford College, lead through service and work, and participate fully in the life of the College. Each of them then had their portfolios announced and their Prefect badges presented.
Following on from the Prefects, the two Captains and two Vice Captains (Claudia Kendall, Patrick Walker, Nishita Chavalam, and Jye Rajen) made a similar pledge and were presented with their badges. Together they then addressed the student body, outlining their hopes for the year and their aspirations for the College over the course of 2022. I have every confidence that all 20 of our 2022 Prefects will do an amazing job and will work hard to successfully lead the student body.
In addition to the Prefect induction, yesterday’s outdoor Secondary School Service also included the awarding of both the BSSS and IBDP Dux for 2021, and the JA Mackinnon Dux. As detailed in our Year 12 Results brochure sent to all Radford families in January, Oliver Johnstone achieved the honour of being named the JA Mackinnon Dux for 2021 by attaining the highest ATAR in both the BSSS and the IBDP, with a score of 99.95. This is the highest possible ATAR and was a fitting recognition as Oliver attained a perfect score of 45 out of 45 for the IBDP. It should be noted that a perfect score in the IBDP is a rare feat, and only a very select number of students around the world are able to accomplish such an amazing result.
In introducing both Oliver and Joseph Wilson, who was awarded the BSSS Dux award for 2021 with an ATAR of 99.7, it was clear that both had not only done incredibly well academically, but they had also been heavily involved in the College’s co-curricular program. Research clearly shows that students who involve themselves in co-curricular activities do well academically and are far more likely to achieve their full potential. It seems our high achievers are no exception to this rule.
New staff
Nearly two weeks ago, we conducted our new staff induction for 2022, which saw 23 staff from across the College being initiated into the processes and procedures we have in place at Radford. It was a very productive day where new staff learnt about our history, governance structures, Anglican identity, security, IT systems, financial and administrative procedures, and many other important areas relevant to successfully working at the College.
Of the 23 staff in attendance, we had new teachers from both the Junior and Secondary Schools, new counselling and support staff, new Student Support staff, and staff from the Maintenance, IT, HR, Sport, Music, and Accounts departments.
Amongst those new teachers, we inducted three senior members of staff, all of whom are taking up Heads of Department/Director roles in the Secondary School.
- Mr Damien Nemeth – Head of Mathematics
Damien has come to us from Merici College where he was Head of Senior School. Prior to that, he was Head of Mathematics at St Francis Xavier College. Damien holds a Bachelor of Actuarial Studies, a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Engineering from ANU, and a Grad Dip Ed from ACU. - Ms Elizabeth Chase – Head of Creative Arts
Elizabeth joins us from Canberra Girls’ Grammar where she has held the same role since 2007. Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Grad Dip Ed from ACU. - Mr Scott Corbett – Director of Service Learning
Scott was previously at All Saints College in Perth where he was the Head of the Catalyst Centre for Service and Social Enterprise. He is also a drama teacher. Scott holds a Master of Education in Empathy Development and a Bachelor of Education, both from Edith Cowan University.
I have every confidence that these three senior members of staff, along with the other new staff members, will be fantastic additions to our staffing team.
Work on campus over the holidays
The long summer vacation is routinely a time for a great deal of capital and maintenance work to be completed on campus, and this year, despite some COVID interruptions, was no exception.
The much-anticipated new car park is now open and providing car parking for staff and Year 12 students. The opening of the car park has resulted in changes to traffic arrangements, and it is important that when parents, staff and students are driving in that vicinity, they are aware how these changes will affect them.
A new pedestrian footpath along the back road has also now been installed. This footpath will provide a safe link for people needing to traverse from one side of the campus to the other. No parking is allowed either on the footpath or adjacent to it.
Other major works that have taken place over the holidays include:
- New solar panels in the Rogers precinct
- New temporary change rooms in the gymnasium (required for when the G. Wigg Sports Centre extension begins)
- Mackinnon Building roof fall protection
- Resurfacing of the ELC timber, and recarpeting of the top floor of the Years 5 and 6 classrooms
- Refurbishment of the Careers Office, the Dodd Pod, MAJ 03, and D&T staffroom and classrooms
- Improved LED lighting across the campus.
- Extensive painting in classrooms and office spaces
- Tree maintenance, raised concrete grinding, pressure cleaning pathways
- Cricket pitch maintenance.
Work on the six new outdoor sports courts has also continued over the holiday period, but as reported late last year, it would appear that they will not be ready for use until the end of Term One.