Principal and CEO

Welcome to Term 2 - Monday 21 April 2025

Dear Parents and Carers 

Welcome to term 2. We are looking forward to seeing our students tomorrow as we launch the second term. It’s a nine-week term and ends with mid-year reporting on student progress. So, you can expect that learning is engaged with from the first day. And of course, it is always worth reminding ourselves that our young people’s development extends way beyond academic achievement levels. What matters most to us is the formation of character and faith – and exceptional learning within a vibrant community that provides opportunity for them to build skills every day is ALL part of what we aspire to each day for every child. 

Last term was horribly impacted by weather, and it is the outcome of this I want to talk to you about today. Having worked closely with our insurance provider and many trades specialists we can finally give you a firm update about the damage to our campuses begun by the cyclone weather event of early March and then exacerbated by the ongoing heavy rain.  

CARBROOK CAMPUS 

At Carbrook our worst affected building was Koolyangarra, closely followed by the Performing Arts building (whose roof design is not the best for our wet climate!). We also lost the student kitchen in the Alcorn building and suffered minor damage across many other places. Much of the minor damage has been attended to but the kitchen refurbishment will take a while. Our students and staff have been wonderfully flexible in dealing with relocation of classes as required. I commend them all on their flexibility and resilience.  There will be some minor short-term classroom impacts in the early part of this term as our tradespeople finish the restoration work.  

I am delighted that the waterway and the extensive work done in the summer to address drainage issues at the campus entrance have worked superbly in managing weather events such as we had. On a campus that is over 35 years old with buildings built and added to across the years it was inevitable there would be some issues where drainage built across several decades was not always consistent. The Executive team shares a vision with the Grounds and Buildings team of dealing with problems fully as we seek to ‘fix it right’. This requires endless patience and steady commitment from every member of the team. One of the great advantages of the relationships we have developed with the trades people who service our community is that on the Sunday during the cyclone weekend when I visited the campus, I found our plumber dropped by to see the impact on his newly installed drainage system! 

We continue to struggle with our pathway and its ‘slippery slope when wet’. Please take care in wet conditions as we continue to trial potential solutions.  

And of course, work continues on restoring the oval – ongoing wet conditions have not helped it dry out which is necessary prior to the major restoration work being done. I shall keep you updated as we progress. 

SPRINGWOOD CAMPUS 

Damage to the upper level of the Florence Young Building (Stage 3 learning area) is extensive and these classes will be operating from the Judah block for term 2. Staff have been planning to accommodate the three classes across these large rooms. I appreciate the support of our Japanese and Music teachers, Mrs Peel and Mrs Vezos giving up their spaces for the duration of the repair work. 

The weather and distraction of our grounds and buildings team as they focussed on the ongoing urgent needs at Carbrook has meant that the beautiful new multi-purpose court has been delayed. I hope that this can be made available for use soon but I can make no promise at this stage.  

The other area extensively damaged is the sports shed, and a lot of equipment will need replacement. Fortunately repair and replacement of equipment is covered by insurance, but it will take some time for Mr McInnes to work through this process. 

And of course, all this means delay to the long-awaited new playground. All I can say is I have seen the drawings for this rebuild and it will be an awesome play space for our students…eventually. 

I am looking forward to a winter season where we can accomplish the work scheduled and the silver lining is that once these repairs are complete, we will have both campuses in better repair than prior to Cyclone Alfred.  

We are also working with the College Council on developing an updated Master Plan for our campuses. You can expect either later this year or early next year that there will be some consultation sessions as we share our ideas with you and hear of your dreams for a future Calvary where students continue to be well served by our beautiful, natural environment and our fit for purpose buildings.  

Yours sincerely 

Cherylynne Gostelow
Principal and CEO