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Annual Reports for the Year Ended 31 December 2012

Chairo Christian SchoolWarragul District Parent-Controlled Christian School Association Incorporated

abn 12 451 824 370

Annual Report

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Annual Reports ContentsBoard Chairman’s Report for 2012 ..........................................................................4Principal’s Report for 2012 .......................................................................................6

Introduction .......................................................................................................6Value Adding .....................................................................................................8School Focus Verse ............................................................................................9Parental Involvement and Partnership with Parents .................................10Chaplaincy Program .......................................................................................11Chairo Mentoring Program ...........................................................................12Devotions .........................................................................................................14Visit to Chairo by Duncan Armstrong (Australian Olympian) ................14Mission and Community Service Programs ...............................................15Student Leadership .........................................................................................17Chairo Alumni .................................................................................................18Teaching and Learning Programs .................................................................19Academic Achievements ................................................................................22Chairo’s Early Learning Centres ...................................................................24Learning Support Programs .........................................................................25Sporting Activities ..........................................................................................26Camps and Excursions ...................................................................................27Cultural and Community Events .................................................................27The Staff Team .................................................................................................29Strategic Planning ..........................................................................................30Building Program ............................................................................................31Conclusion .......................................................................................................32

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Board Chairman’s Report for 2012Our mission states: “To provide excellence in Christ-centred education in partnership with families within a caring Christian community”. Wikipedia describes “excellence” as “a talent or quality which is unusually good and so surpasses ordinary standards”. Can we, as sinful individuals ever really hope to achieve our aim? In our own strength, the answer is obviously a resounding “NO!”. Revisit the mission statement however, and the answer becomes clear: “excellence in Christ-centred education”. Excellence, in context, is qualified by the term “Christ-centred”. Our focus and our striving, as a Christian School, must always be bounded and undergirded by our devotion to Jesus Christ, without whom, we cannot hope to deliver our stated aim.

The 2012 Board of Directors was made up of Chris Dean, Mark Cutchie, Tom Guilford, Karl Hood, Peter Morison, Brian Tucker, Tanya van Praag, Stephen Young and myself. To this number, Rob Bray (Principal) and Bryan Lewis (Business Manager) were added as non-voting members. Mark Cutchie filled the role of Vice Chairman, Tom Guilford continued as Board Secretary and Brian Tucker remained in the role of Board Treasurer. Karl and Tom concluded their service on the Board at the end of the year. Both men contributed significantly at Board level over seven and six years respectively.

With two Board members concluding their service, we were grateful to be able to add a new member to the team, elected at the November General Meeting. Melissa Rumble commenced in 2013. Melissa has been a very active parent at the Drouin East campus and it’s great to see active parents taking up a role on the Board. Brian and I were re-elected to serve a further three years, commencing 2013. Thus the Board complement for 2012 dropped slightly to eight members, plus Rob and Bryan. Whilst this is below the full complement of twelve, the team is a good one, working well together, with a blend of gifts and skills provided by God in exactly the right quantity.

One of the Board’s Strategic Plan elements for 2012 was to review ways to recruit new members. A membership drive was undertaken through 2012, resulting in a significant number of new members acknowledged at our General Meetings: 4 in May (Marton Murany, Alec and Leeta Zurrer and Mark Ross), and 9 in November (Jeanette Baldwin, Janine Howe, Matthew Wright, Nicole Matthews, Robbie Matthews, Paul Graham, Sue Mellords, Fritha Blackwood and Anushka Fernando). If you are keen to add your name to the list, to gain voting rights and influence God’s work amongst the children under our care, please drop into one of our Admin. offices and ask for an application form.

In addition to new members at our 2012 General Meetings, we were blessed by excellent speakers and presentations. The Annual General Meeting saw us encouraged by a devotion from Steve Messer; a Guest Panel interview where Denise Spink interviewed Nick McLean, Steve McAllister

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and Steve Messer; and special presentations around the Gonski Report and an update on the Strategic Plan. The November General Meeting, held at our Pakenham Campus, was a very special evening with an entertaining sparring contest between our very own Nick McLean on devotion, and Olympian, Duncan Armstrong; a delightful presentation by our Pakenham Campus Student Choir; Board elections; and updates on finances, changes to our Statement of Rules, and the Strategic Plan.

The Strategic Plan continues apace, with updates provided at each General Meeting. Some of the key outcomes for 2012, in no particular order were:

• Review and implementation of the management structure and recommendations from the CEN Principal Review, conducted in 2011.

• Completion of the review of our LOTE program.• Completion of a full Uniform review.• Commencement of a review examining issues related to boys’ education

and Learning Support processes.• Completion of a strategic review of the Pakenham Campus, encompassing

all aspects of structure, governance and operations.• Assessment of the current Chaplaincy program, including related

resources and services.

Some of the goals set for 2013, again in no particular order, were:• Expansion of our music program.• Address the needs of ‘gifted and talented’ students.• A review of our mission and service programs/trips.• Further development of our support in choosing study and career

pathways.• Clear and communicated definition of ‘academic excellence’ in our context,

as stated within our Vision statement.• Expansion of our involvement in Christian

Education National and the wider Christian education community.

We ask you to continue in prayer for your Board and Senior Management, as we continue to serve you, our parents and students, on our journey toward that

“excellence” I mentioned earlier.

Jeff CalwayBoard Chairman

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Principal’s Report for 2012IntroductionOne of the great privileges that I have in my role as Principal of Chairo Christian School is the presentation of this Annual Report. Our School is certainly a dynamic learning community and I trust that the following pages of this report will provide ample demonstration of the breadth of learning opportunities that take place at Chairo in the space of one school year.

Once again, I would wish to begin this year’s report by referring to comments that I made in my introduction to the 2012 ‘Outlook’ School Magazine. (In many ways the purposes of the Annual Report and our School Magazine have much in common as they both set out to ‘showcase’ for the members of our School community the incredible variety of engaging teaching and learning activities that have taken place during a twelve month period.)

The heading of my ‘Outlook 2012’ article was presented in the form of the following question: ‘Where do we find direction in life?’ I went on to make the following observations:

This is one of the most frequently asked questions in today’s world. People of all ages, from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds, are all seeking direction and meaning. So many of our questions seem to begin with ‘How? Where? Why? Who?’

Each one of us are also involved in a search for meaning. We, too, have many questions that we ask about our world and our place in it. We seek guidance in relation to our careers, our relationships, our leisure pursuits and our belief systems. We also ask questions about how best to bring up our children and to provide for their educational needs.

As parents of Chairo Christian School students, I congratulate you on this decision that you have already made in relation to the education of your children. As you read through the pages of our Outlook 2012 school magazine and learn more about the many exciting programs that our students are involved in, I am confident that you will be affirmed in your decision.

These pages clearly demonstrate that young people at Chairo are engaged in a wonderful variety of meaningful learning activities. There is little doubt that such programs are providing them with purpose and direction for living productive lives.

Chairo is a member of the Christian Education National (CEN) schooling system. Membership of this national organisation of like-minded Christian Schools forms an essential part of our identity. In 2012 there were 60 schools belonging to this Association. In Victoria there are 15 CEN Schools.

Chairo Christian School is located on three geographically separate sites. In 2012, we had campuses at Pakenham (Pre-Kinder -Year 10); Drouin

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(Middle School: Years 5-8 and Senior School: Years 9-12) and Drouin East (Junior School: Pre-Kinder –Year 4). We have seen the introduction of Year 11 VCE at our Pakenham Campus in 2013, followed by Year 12 VCE in 2014.

I would encourage you to carefully read all sections of this report. I am confident that they will demonstrate that Chairo Christian School is a dynamic learning community. It is a place where our students have the privilege to gain a quality education that rests firmly on a sound Christian Worldview foundation. You will first locate a message from Jeff Calway, our Board Chairman. Jeff lists the names of all Board members who served during 2012. He also refers to the Strategic Plan and provides a progress report in relation to the many items that it contains. This is a reminder that Chairo Christian School has, since its inception, been a school that is governed by a Board of Christian parents.

This report has been distributed to each Chairo School family as part of the Annual General Meeting mail out. I wish to encourage you to come along to our AGM, to be held in our Drouin Campus Library, commencing at 7.30pm on Thursday, May 30th. At this meeting we can join together to celebrate God’s continual provision for our School. This year (2013) our AGM program contains many highlights. As is our practice, we will focus closely on a specific area within our School. This year we will have two major presentations on the vital topic of ‘Mission and Service’ programs. Another highlight will be a presentation from our friends at South Coast

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Christian College, designed to increase our understanding and appreciation of this proposed new member of our Chairo family.

Throughout this report you will read encouraging updates related to areas such as parental involvement, the chaplaincy program, mission and community service programs, student leadership initiatives and training, sporting activities, camps and excursions and cultural and community events. There is also a detailed overview of the vital Teaching and Learning area which must always lie at the heart of any successful school community. Updates are provided about specific areas within our School including our Early Learning Centres and Learning Support Department. We can be encouraged that God has again blessed our School through the provision of wonderful new buildings and facilities. I also make mention of our dedicated and professional staff team who have continued to work faithfully with you and your children throughout the 2012 school year.

Value AddingPlease note that the rest of this report forms one component entitled ‘Value Adding’ of the larger Chairo Christian School Annual Report that covers the key reporting areas as required by the Australian Government for Funding from 2009 - 2012 under the Schools Assistance Act 2004. These guidelines require that School Performance information is made publicly available to the School and wider communities in the prescribed formats. The complete report will be made available on our website, www.chairo.vic.edu.au, later this year with notification of its availability to be announced through the School newsletter.

We have always had a strong desire to ensure that our School community is kept fully informed about our programs and performance. As partners in the educational process, our parents are greatly valued and we wish to maintain effective communication with you at all times. We do this through a variety of methods including our School Newsletter (The Chronicle); via the School website; through SMS and email messages; through telephone conversations, personal interviews, surveys and direct mail outs.

At Chairo Christian School, we provide a wide variety of educational programs delivered from a Christian Worldview perspective. We are confident that these programs add great value to the spiritual, social and academic development of our students. I have organised the information in this Principal’s Report under a series of key headings for ease of reading.

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School Focus VerseIn 2010 we introduced our first official School Focus Statement. As the name suggests, our desire was to highlight key aspects that were considered to be of vital importance for the effective operation of our School community. This simple five word Focus Statement read ‘productive partnership through effective communication.’ In 2011 we retained the same School Focus Statement for a further year.

In 2012 the decision was made to introduce a School Focus Verse that provided guidance and direction taken directly from God’s word. This Focus Verse came from Philippians 2:4 – Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.

We had confidence that this Focus Verse provided excellent advice that would help to guide our Chairo community throughout the 2012 year and beyond. Clearly the sentiments expressed in this verse reinforce the qualities that we highly value at Chairo Christian School. This emphasis on the ‘interests’ of others must lie at the very heart of a Christian school community.

I am always greatly encouraged as I move around our School campuses to see staff, students and parents so frequently demonstrating genuine care for the welfare of others. I am confident that this determination to care for others is one of the key character qualities exhibited within our Chairo school community.

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Parental Involvement and Partnership with Parents at Chairo Christian SchoolThe active involvement of our parents in a wide variety of School activities is certainly one of the distinguishing features of Chairo Christian School. This was always a key aim of the pioneer parents who established our School. This aim is clearly reflected in Chairo’s Mission Statement which reads “To provide excellence in Christ-centred education in partnership with families within a caring Christian community.”

The emphasis on ‘partnership with families’ is central to everything that happens at our School. As I travel around our Chairo campuses on a daily basis I meet parents who are integrally involved in a wide range of activities that enrich the learning experiences of our children. At the beginning of the 2012 School year, the Board and many Chairo staff members were delighted to welcome new parents to our School community. This was done via two very successful New Parents Coffee and Dessert Evenings held at our Drouin East and Pakenham campuses.

Whilst it is not possible to refer to every individual program that directly involves parents, I would like to mention just a few examples. Parents at our Drouin East Campus meet together on a weekly basis as they share conversation and fellowship at the ‘Parent Cuppa’ gathering. Parents freely give of their gifts and talents to enhance School Enrichment and Clubs programs. Parents provide assistance in the classroom in areas such as student reading programs. Parents regularly volunteer to attend School

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camps and excursions. Our parents assist with the running of School Open Days and Family Fairs. Parents attend Sporting and Cultural activities and Presentation Evenings. Our School Productions could not operate without the support provided by parents who transport their children to rehearsals outside normal school hours. Parents also provide invaluable assistance in areas of costume design, make-up and set construction.

2012 also saw the enthusiastic growth and development of the Pakenham Campus ‘Parents and Friends’ group. This group of supportive parents were energetically involved in a range of fundraising and community support activities. I would wish to especially mention their ‘CHELP!’ initiative. This program aims to provide cooked meals (and non-perishable foods) to be distributed to School families when the need arises.

Finally, we are indebted to the on-going prayer support provided by so many of our parents. Some of these parents are members of our Parent Prayer Support Groups who faithfully meet with members of our Chaplaincy Team to uphold our School community in prayer. All staff members at Chairo Christian School are greatly encouraged by the active support provided in so many ways by our School parents.

Chaplaincy ProgramThe Chairo Christian School Chaplaincy Team, comprising Graeme Lowe, Di McAllister and Mandy Smith, has provided the following overview of Chairo’s Chaplaincy Program as it operated in 2012. Our School community has benefited greatly from the dedicated input of our School chaplains:

Recommendations from the 2011 chaplaincy review were implemented from the beginning of 2012. This included an increase of chaplaincy time by one day, the appointment of a third part-time chaplain and the change from a whole-school role, for each chaplain to a focus on individual campuses.

Di McAllister spent her 3 days of chaplaincy per week at the Pakenham Campus. Mandy Smith was appointed as the third chaplain and worked 2 days per week across the Drouin and Drouin East Campuses, and Graeme Lowe had a Drouin Campus focus for 2 days per week and a third day as Senior Chaplain in a whole-school role. It is believed these changes have made the chaplaincy role more sustainable and provide greater continuity in chaplaincy involvement at individual campuses. The challenge for the chaplains included spending greater time working as individuals at their focus-campuses. To help address this they met as at team each month to address concerns and support each other. All of the chaplains also accessed supervision throughout the year which is a requirement of their roles.

Chairo chaplains have appreciated opportunities to take part in a variety of activities including: staff devotions, student class devotions, Enrichment, Chapel, excursions, camps, Parent Prayer Groups, welfare meetings, student leadership

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training, student peer mentoring, enrolment interviews, professional development, special events, representing chaplaincy and/or the School in local churches, Drouin Primary School Breakfast Club and personal interviews with staff, students and parents. Each occasion allows opportunities to build relationships with students, parents and staff and to share life experiences.

As part of seeking to facilitate practical support and solutions, Chairo chaplains have the privilege of sharing a Christian Worldview perspective on the questions:

“Who am I?”, “Why am I here?”, “What’s gone wrong?”, “Is there a solution?” and “Where will it all end?” Support is also aimed to help students address well-being in physical, mental and heart (emotional/spiritual) areas of their lives, with the chaplains supporting families in referrals to Health Professionals whenever the needs of students exceeded the scope of the chaplaincy program.

Support and accountability for the chaplains came through the Welfare Leadership Committee that met each term. For reporting requirements, survey feedback was sought and this provided overwhelming support on the part of the School community for the continuation of the Chairo Chaplaincy Program.

At the request of the Leadership Welfare Committee, the chaplains compiled a list of statistics with regard to personal support provided to students. In 2012 they worked with 256 individual students. The majority of those students were referred to the chaplains by staff members while others came via a parent request or by making contact with a chaplain themselves. The major reasons for seeking chaplaincy support were: family crisis, peer and friendship issues, anxiety and depression, grief and loss and for reasons of faith/spirituality. Other issues, including bullying, abuse and self-harm also presented, but were encouragingly reported by fewer students.

In a role that continues to be a challenging one in its emotional and spiritual demands, the chaplains acknowledge the valuable partnership provided by Chairo staff, parents, local community networks, churches and service providers and also acknowledge their dependence on the Chief Shepherd, who encourages us to “cast all our anxiety on Him because He cares for us.” (1Peter 5:7)

Chairo Mentoring ProgramThis program was a major new initiative in 2012. The following report has been provided by our School chaplains:

Early in second term, while other students were savouring the last day of their holidays, twenty-four Senior School students from Pakenham and Drouin were training to be mentors.

Rebecca Edwards, a Year 10 student at Pakenham, who spent valuable time last year with staff and students completing Cornerstone Leadership Training at Swan Hill, provided the initial inspiration for the program. She committed herself to making a difference in the lives of other students at school. Rebecca thought that a

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mentoring program could be an excellent way to make a positive difference in the lives of some students at our School.

Contact was made with the Christian mentoring agency, Temcare, where staff were excited by the potential connections that could be made within the school setting. Temcare representatives delivered the initial training to our Senior School students and continue to provide ongoing direction and encouragement during the year.

The mentor training sought to teach students, not only how to be effective mentors, but also how to develop the invaluable life skills they need to be successful. Students learnt the importance of being consistent, dependable, and accountable. Through their mentoring they also practiced being selfless in that they must listen to the needs and concerns of others. They worked on being considerate, compassionate, and caring. As mentors, students were challenged to move beyond their comfort zone and to think outside of themselves.

The mentoring program began in earnest during second term and continued for the rest of the year. For mentors, (Senior School students), the program has provided a positive experience as they have learnt new skills, being trained, being self-reflective and putting their faith into action. For mentees, (Middle School students), it has been an opportunity to be supported and encouraged through a school-based program. In some cases, personal struggles have been discussed through activities, with the intent to help the young person remain focused at school and to build positive friendships.

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In practice, mentors arranged to meet weekly with their mentee during a lunchtime. Time was spent in pre-planned activities such as playing board games, cards, sport, art/craft or simply sitting to chat.

The fruit of the relationships can be seen through comments such as this one from one of the Middle School mentees, “The best part is that I have an older person I can talk to and hang out with who has helped me learn more about what friendship really means,” and this from one of our Senior School mentors, “This is one of the best things I’ve ever done. I have new skills to share and I have really enjoyed getting to know my mentee.”

Mentors and mentees had their own goals to achieve and their efforts and achievements were acknowledged through the presentation of certificates at an end-of-year celebration at Mill Valley Ranch.

God has richly blessed all involved in this program and we look forward to its continuation in 2013.

DevotionsOne of the key ways in which the program at Chairo Christian School ‘adds value’ to the lives of our students is through the systematic provision of ‘devotional’ opportunities for all students. Each day begins with a twenty minute Student Devotion, delivered in class groups. (Staff also are involved in a devotional session that is held at each campus commencing at 8.00am) Other regular opportunities for spiritual growth and development occur in the form of Chapel Services, School Assemblies featuring guest presenters and Campus Worship Services and Inter-School ‘Ecumenical’ gatherings. The content of these programs enriches the spiritual growth of our students as well as developing positive self-image and resiliency skills.

Visit to Chairo by Duncan Armstrong (Australian Olympian)Throughout every School year, we aim to invite a variety of guests to challenge and enrich the lives of our School community. We realise that such guests can provide valuable educational experiences that extend the horizons of our students. One such visitor in 2012 was Duncan Armstrong who spent a full day travelling around all of our Chairo campuses on November 15. At 20 years of age, Duncan thrilled the Australian public in 1988 by winning the 200 freestyle event at the Seoul Olympic Games. Duncan is a committed Christian and he challenged our students and parents throughout the

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day in relation to setting goals and realising our ambitions. Duncan even provided some of our Pakenham students with coaching advice during a swimming session held at the Cardinia Pool and Leisure Centre. In the evening, Duncan was guest speaker at our Association General Meeting.

Mission and Community Service ProgramsThese areas continue to be distinctive features of the programs offered at Chairo. Students of all ages are encouraged to develop a mission and service focus whereby they actively seek opportunities to serve other groups within our local and wider communities. This aspect represents a logical outworking of our Christian Worldview approach to teaching and learning. The words of Jesus Christ state that ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (Acts 20:35(b)) and through numerous programs, Chairo students are encouraged to actively assist those in the community who are less fortunate than themselves.

Our Student Senates and Student Representative Councils (SRCs) are also actively involved in fundraising events for worthy community organisations. In 2012 they participated in a wide range of community service activities including:

• The Pakenham Senate organised a ‘Thank You Water Day’. By selling ‘Thank You Water’, students were able to support a great social enterprise as well as using raised funds to ship ‘Operation Christmas Child’ boxes overseas – supporting two great causes with one very successful day. ‘Thank you Water’ was started by a group of young Christians. The aim is to use all profits to fund clean water projects in developing countries.

• The SRC at Middle School, Drouin used the funds raised from their Casual Clothes Days to support the following organisations: ◦ The ‘Shades for AIDS’ organisation; ◦ Donations of food stuffs that were delivered to the West Gippsland

Food Bank for distribution amongst families in need within the Baw Baw Shire;

◦ Orangutan Habitats in Indonesia; ◦ One term’s Casual Clothes Day was directed towards the provision

of School facilities. This year it provided a full-length mirror in the girls’ toilets.

• The Drouin Senior School Senate raised funds through holding a Casual Clothes Day each term. A major new fundraising initiative of the Drouin Senate in 2012 was the presentation of a very successful Trivia Night. This was held in our Drouin East Heritage Hall. This event attracted a diverse cross-section of our School community, including current students and their extended families, alumni students and staff. The Senate are to be congratulated for the creative way in which they organised this event. The

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evening raised over $1,300 for the work of International Children’s Care (ICC). It is planned for the Trivia Night to become an annual event on the School calendar.

• Other initiatives of the Drouin Senate in 2012 included the filling and sending of over 80 ‘Samaritan’s Purse – Christmas Child’ gift shoe boxes and an equipment package that was purchased and delivered to Hebron School in India. The Senate also organised entertaining Staff versus Student matches in a variety of sporting areas. They, once again, planned an excellent program of House sporting, cultural and novelty events.

Once again, Chairo staff and students were involved in the Darwin Mission Trip. This is the fifth consecutive year that we have sent a team to participate in this seventeen day program. Students and staff received three intensive days of training provided by Youth With a Mission (YWAM). In 2012 we had two teams of students, each with two allocated staff members. Eleven students and two staff went to Beswick, a remote aboriginal community located near Katherine in the Northern Territory. Another group of seven students and two staff went, for the first time, to Oenpelli, another remote aboriginal community, located within Kakadu National Park. This mission trip also provides an opportunity for our staff and students to minister to the people of the community, and to each other, as they grow and strengthen their faith in God during this time. This program also provides excellent opportunities for our students to form strong friendships with the community and to learn more about the land and the aboriginal culture.

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Student LeadershipAt Chairo Christian School we place great emphasis on training our students to become effective leaders. We believe that every student has leadership abilities. We deliberately aim to seek out leadership training programs that are designed specifically with Christian students in mind. These leadership skills are invaluable assets to our School community and one day will be of great benefit to the wider society as Chairo students graduate from our School. 2012 was another year that saw many key student leadership training initiatives taking place.

In 2012 CEN and CSA, the two major Christian School organisations in Australia, once again held a camp for the training of Christian student leaders. This three day leadership program was held at the Oasis Christian Youth Camp in February. Approximately 70 young Christian student leaders from many Christian schools throughout Victoria were in attendance. Chairo Christian School had four students who participated, drawn from our Drouin and Pakenham campuses. There was a great variety of activities presented across the three days involving devotion sessions, music and singing and a range of electives including topics such as ‘Planning a successful activity’; ‘Leading devotions and leading others’ and ‘Balancing priorities as a leader.’

In January of 2012, Chairo again sent its two Year 12 Senior School Captains from 2011 to participate in the ‘Compass’ Christian Student Leadership Training Program. This training program is a national initiative organised by the Australian Christian Lobby and is held annually in Brisbane. (This is the fifth year that Chairo students have participated.) It aims to equip young people to be effective Christian leaders as they prepare to leave Secondary School to enter the wider world of work and tertiary training.

This year Chairo again partnered with ‘Cornerstone Community Inc’, a Christian organisation that is active in training Christian student leaders. The one week program occurs in Swan Hill and is aimed at Years 9/10 students. The intention is to equip these students with the leadership skills required to make them effective student leaders in their own school communities for the final 2-3 years of their Secondary School education. In 2012 Chairo sent four students, two each from our Drouin and Pakenham campuses.

Our students also participated in a number of leadership programs that are not necessarily aimed directly at Christian student leaders. One of these is the ‘National Young Leaders Day’ held at the Melbourne Convention Centre. In 2012, students from Drouin Middle School joined with over 3,000 students from around Victoria in this one-day program. Students listened to a range of carefully selected guest speakers. Their stories and examples were

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inspiring and our students were challenged about how they could operate as positive role models within the Chairo School community.

Our Drouin Senior School Captains and Vice-Captains again participated in two ‘Synergy’ Student Leaders Breakfasts. In 2012 Chairo hosted the first breakfast held in March and the Baw Baw Shire hosted the second breakfast held in August. These events saw our student leaders joining with those from the six other regional secondary schools to discuss leadership vision and strategies. They are also challenged by guest speakers who share aspects of their leadership journeys with our students.

Each year senior student leaders from both our Pakenham and Drouin campuses join together with student leaders from Christian schools throughout Victoria to participate in the Victorian Youth Prayer Breakfast. They join together to pray for the needs of our schools, for our state and national leaders and for our wider world. In 2012 our students were addressed by ‘Stephanie’, a clinical psychologist on her way to war-torn central Asia. The topic was “You must be kidding, God”.

One of Chairo’s regular forums for student leadership is our Student Senates and SRC. These groups are run by students, with the help of a staff liaison member, and provide opportunities for students to demonstrate initiatives in many areas. A number of these groups also conduct their own extensive student leadership training programs. I have specifically referred to some of the achievements of our Senates and SRC in the ‘Mission and Community Service Programs’ section of this report.

Chairo AlumniChairo’s mission statement refers to ‘partnership with families’ and this is an aspect that we greatly value. Our ‘partnership with families’ does not cease when a student departs our School. We are very interested in all that happens to our alumni students when they head out into the ‘wider world’.

For this reason we maintain an extensive Alumni data-base. We currently have some 780 past Chairo students who have provided their email contact details so that we can remain in touch with them. All of these students receive a number of ‘Alumni Newsletters’ throughout the year. These provide information about developments that have been occurring at our School and extend personal invitations to attend special events.

We also hold a Ten Year School Reunion every year for alumni who were members for any period of time of the class that graduated from Year 12 ten years earlier. In 2012 this Reunion was for the Year 12 class who graduated in 2002. It is always a delight for Chairo staff to meet with our alumni students and often their husbands, wives and children. In 2012, 18 alumni students attended this event.

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Throughout the second half of 2012, considerable time and effort went into the design of a Chairo Alumni Survey. We are keen to learn more about how Chairo has prepared our alumni for the world beyond school. We are also seeking information about how we can most effectively communicate with them. This survey is being conducted in 2013 and we are confident that information provided will greatly assist us to monitor the effectiveness of many school programs.

Teaching and Learning ProgramsChairo exists to ‘provide excellence in Christ-centred education’ as our School Mission Statement clearly indicates. At Chairo Christian School, we are greatly blessed to have a dedicated leadership position set aside for the sole purpose of ensuring that our School provides the highest quality teaching and learning programs.

This leadership is delivered through our Deputy Principal (Teaching & Learning). This is a whole-school position created to ensure that Chairo provides consistent and up-to-date programs across every year level and at all campuses.

I would wish to publicly acknowledge the professionalism and dedication of Peter Wells who operated as our Deputy Principal (Teaching & Learning) throughout 2012. His tireless efforts have ensured that Chairo Christian School offers excellent programs and that our staff have regular opportunities to participate in stimulating professional development activities. Peter’s expertise in the teaching and learning sphere has been recognised by CEN’s tertiary body, the National Institute for Christian Education. The Institute requested that Peter operate as a lecturer, delivering Masters level units to Victorian CEN students which he has now done on a number of occasions.

However, during Semester One of 2012, Peter Wells announced that he had accepted a leadership position at SPH International Schools (Indonesia),

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commencing in 2013. This early announcement of Peter’s changed plans provided our School with ample opportunity to advertise for a new Deputy Principal (Teaching & Learning). Chairo was already blessed with a wealth of expertise in this area and in July we announced that Jane Ward had been appointed in this vital role from 2013. (Jane had operated as our Head of Senior School at Pakenham Campus for many years.) It is of interest to note that, like Peter, Jane’s expertise in the teaching and learning area has also been recognised by the CEN Institute. As a result Jane also delivered a Masters level unit during 2012.

The benefit for Chairo of making this early leadership appointment was that Peter and Jane were able to work closely together in the teaching and learning area throughout Semester Two of 2012. This has resulted in an extremely smooth ‘transition’ process, ensuring that key teaching and learning priorities will continue without interruption in 2013.

The following report has been provided by our Deputy Principal (Teaching & Learning) and I am confident that you will be encouraged by the information that it contains.

• Chairo’s academic results in 2012 were, once again, very pleasing. Our Year 12 VCE students produced some excellent personal performances. Further information is provided elsewhere in this report.

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• Our music program continued to develop across the School. This has been a major strategic area of focus throughout 2012. (Further information about this program is also provided elsewhere in this report.)

• As of Semester One, 2012, every section of the School began using TASS software for academic reporting. This has been a three year project to align our campuses, design report templates and content and train staff in the use of the system. This project is now complete.

• CLAY biblical Character Training was implemented across the School, with coordinators appointed from each sub-school. It was well received and care was taken to archive the curriculum resources that have been sourced or created for this project so that in the next 4-year cycle of the program there will be plenty of content. This will be an ongoing project through to 2015, but there is a pleasing level of interest and commitment amongst staff and students seem to be responding well to the program.

• 2012 was the year of redeveloping curriculum to align with Australian Curriculum in the areas of English, Maths, History and Science from Prep to Year 10. Coordinators on each campus planned for the new curriculum requirements, carefully documenting these changes. Other learning areas, including the Arts/Technology, Health/PE, Geography and Languages will be redeveloped throughout 2013.

• Extensive work was done in order to apply for the amended registration of the Pakenham Campus with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) to extend to Year 11 in 2013. The application was submitted and the School received notification that it was successful.

• Research continued throughout 2012 regarding the proposed implementation of iPad 2 personal learning devices in designated Years 5 and 6 classrooms. This led to the School setting up school-administered secure email for students involved in the iPad trial. Teachers responded very positively to the world of learning possibilities created by having such tools readily available to students.

• Following on from the 2011 Board Education Committee LOTE Review, initial planning for staffing and resourcing a dual-language LOTE program (Indonesian and French) continued throughout the year. A number of new LOTE staff were appointed and Chairo students can look forward to the provision of Years 5 and 6 (Indonesian and French) for the commencement of 2013. This will expand to Year 7 in 2014.

• The Board Education Committee (BEC) ‘Boys’ Education Review’ commenced early in 2012. Significant progress was made in developing ‘Terms of Reference’ and then carrying out major research in these key areas. The Committee will make their recommendations to the Board on this vital educational area in the first half of 2013.

• Terms of Reference for the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) Review of Learning Support across the School were established in 2012. Major research was

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undertaken throughout Semester Two. The findings of this Committed are also due in 2013.

• Ongoing developments of facilities, resources and service provision through our libraries, under the leadership of Janita Morison (Head Librarian), continued at a pleasing pace throughout the year.

• Chairo continued its involvement with the Independent Schools Victoria (ISV) National Partnerships Program, including teacher training in Evidence Based Observation regarding classroom practice. Staff also benefited from access to expert consultancy relating to improving the effectiveness of the teaching of spelling.In 2012, Chairo successfully administered over 1500 NAPLAN tests for

Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students.Our Early Learning Centre Directors, Wendy Lowe and Noelene Power,

worked hard on the completion of a Quality Improvement Plan as required by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).

Continuing improvements were made to the staff ‘Pathways’ Professional Growth and Development Program with all teaching staff undertaking an initial interview to reflect on teaching practice, to be coached by a leader in the school and to set goals for the year ahead. Staff were then involved in one or more collegial classroom observation sessions.

Academic AchievementsThe Chairo community can be justifiably pleased with the academic performance of our students and the 2012 year was no exception. At all of the end-of-year Presentation Evenings, numerous students were recognised for the achievement of excellent results.

Year 12 VCE achievementsAll members of the Chairo School community received an information letter in February 2013 that summarised the outstanding performances of our Year 12 VCE students. James Bedford was announced as the Dux of 2012. James achieved an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) score of 98.05. James has gone on to study Science at the University of Melbourne. Seven other Chairo students achieved ATAR scores above 90% which ranks them in the top 10% of all graduates across the State of Victoria.

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Other excellent academic achievementsChairo students performed with distinction in a wide range of academic fields. The following are just some examples of high achievement at Chairo in 2012. Four students achieved Distinctions in the Australian Mathematics Competition. At our Pakenham Campus, six students were presented with bursaries for their outstanding performances in the Science Talent Search. This event is open to all primary and secondary students from schools throughout Victoria. Two Year 10 Drouin Campus students, Ellie Williames and Anthony Claxton, were successful recipients of the prestigious Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholar Awards, presented by the University of Melbourne. These scholarships were awarded on the basis of demanding academic and leadership criteria.

Music ProgramsThis is one of the major areas within the current School Strategic Plan. Consequently, during 2012, there has been considerable focus on the further development of music programs throughout Chairo.

At our Pakenham Campus, there has been significant further development of the Instrumental Music Program (which was highlighted in the ‘Outlook 2012’ School Magazine). Major events and achievements included:

• Pakenham Music students joining with other schools to participate in a three day music camp.

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• The participation of the Chairo Concert Band in the Christian Schools Band Festival.

• Successful participation of the School Choirs and Bands, Brass Ensemble, Clarinet Choir and Flute Ensemble in the West Gippsland Eisteddfod.

• The successful sitting of AMEB music examinations by numerous students.• A successful tour by the Chairo Concert Band, performing in Pakenham

and at local primary schools and childcare centres.• A successful performance by all Music students from Prep-Year 10 in the

annual Chairo (Pakenham Campus) Music Festival.All parents at our Drouin and Drouin East campuses were invited to

provide their comments and suggestions as they participated in a Music Survey. Consideration of responses has already led to some new music program initiatives and more are to follow. A Voice group has been introduced at Drouin Campus and Recorder groups are operating within classes at Drouin and Drouin East. Mrs Hood, a Chairo parent, is conducting a Middle School Choir.

We recognise that music has a very clear place in the curriculum of a Christian school and we will continue to pay close attention to the further provision of music programs for Chairo students.

Chairo’s Early Learning CentresChairo Christian School operates Early Learning Centres at both our Drouin East and Pakenham campuses. In 2012 both of these centres operated two Three Year Old and two Four Year Old Kindergarten classes. The ELC’s provide a wonderful opportunity for parents to enroll their children in a Kindergarten program that offers stimulating activities presented from a strong Christian Worldview perspective. I asked our 2013 Kindergarten Directors, Noelene Power and Wendy Lowe, to provide the following information:

The E.L.C’s have a Christ-centred focus in all that we do and, as the children play, there is opportunity to talk about God, Jesus, and the Bible. This occurs intentionally and spontaneously with the whole group, small groups and individually. For example, we discuss the acorn under the oak tree and how, in a small seed, God put all the right information to make a tree grow. At Pakenham, with the Beauty Salon, the children explore, through play aspects, the true meaning of being “beautiful”, which includes that God looks for a beautiful heart and is concerned with what’s on the inside.

The majority of children from the 2012 classes have gone into Prep at both campuses, making it a smooth transition to school and rewarding for children, parents, and staff. The National Curriculum Framework and Quality Improvement Plan have been smoothly implemented with staff from the Drouin East and

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Pakenham Campuses meeting together twice in 2012. At these two sessions the ELC Philosophy was finalised and Quality Improvement Plans completed. Another session was held where the Quality Improvement Area 5: ‘Relationships with children’ was examined in order to review our practices and develop policy. The Directors, Noelene Power and Wendy Lowe, have been meeting together to write a number of policies that are required under the new National Law and Regulations. All these have aided the ELCs to prepare for assessment in 2013.

Learning Support Programs I asked Lorraine Lodge, our Whole-School Learning Support Coordinator, to provide the following specific information. (Mrs Lodge is to be commended for the very professional manner in which she continues to oversee this important area of our School):

Chairo Christian School acknowledges that each student is unique; with a range of strengths, abilities, interests and learning styles. We aim to create a welcoming and inclusive school community where the needs of a range of students are catered for. A variety of evidence based programs and supports are utilised to increase the participation of all students in the life of the school community, whilst enhancing their individual academic potential.

Each campus has a Learning Support Team that works collaboratively with teachers, students and parents with the aim of maximising learning opportunities for these students. The Learning Support Team provides a range of support services that may include:

• assessment and recommendation of strategies, adjustments and resources for students with a wide range of disabilities and additional needs;

• development of Individual Education Plans;• classroom support using Learning Support Assistants;• support for students who have Literacy, Numeracy based challenges, or

difficulties with social, organisational and study skills.• support for teachers in meeting the needs of a diverse range of students

within their classrooms • development of resources and assistive technology;

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• preparation of funding submissions;• arrangements for Special Provision in the Secondary levels.• collaboration with parents and a multi-disciplinary team of professionals.

Our Learning Support Staff are an invaluable component of the Chairo Staff Team. We gratefully acknowledge the dedication of Lorraine Lodge and the Learning Support staff. Their patience, enthusiasm and expertise are greatly appreciated by students, staff and parents.

Sporting ActivitiesChairo students are regularly engaged in a wide variety of sporting activities. Timetabled Sport and Physical Education sessions on a weekly basis continue to be an integral part of our curriculum. In 2012 students have had the opportunity to be involved in sports at Inter-House, Inter-School and Interstate levels. Chairo is affiliated with numerous sporting bodies including the Gippsland Independent Schools Sports Association (GIS); Christian Schools Sporting Network (CSSN); National Christian Schools Championships (in Swimming, Soccer, and Basketball ), School Sport Victoria (SSV), Primary School swimming and athletics events at Tarago District, West Gippsland Division, and Greater Gippsland Region levels; Pakenham Schools District and Zone Competitions; State Schools Netball Championships and the International Netball Competition. As a strongly growing school, our sporting achievements are flourishing.

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In 2012 it was announced that four schools would be departing our Gippsland Independent Schools (GIS) Sports and Cultural Association to form a separate group. However, we are confident that the ‘new-look’ GIS will still provide our students with healthy competition in the sporting and cultural spheres. In fact, we believe that there will be increased opportunities for a larger number of Chairo students to participate in events in coming years.

Camps and ExcursionsStudents at Chairo Christian School are privileged to be involved on an annual basis in a wide range of stimulating experiences that take them well beyond the classroom. Many of these events have a focus on healthy outdoor educational activities. The programs are designed to be age-appropriate with the duration and challenges of the activities increasing as children move to higher year levels. Excursions occur regularly throughout the year and take our students to such diverse locations and events as the Melbourne Discovery Centre; Melbourne Law Courts; the Melbourne Arts Centre; Old Gippstown; Indoor Rock Climbing at Bayside Rock; Melbourne Zoo; VO2 Max. testing at Deakin University; Walhalla; Healesville Sanctuary; Maryborough RACV Energy Challenge, Circus Training provided at School by Fitness Worx; National Gallery of Victoria, and the Career Expo, to name just a few. Camps are held from Year 3 to Year 12.

Our Camping Program is one of the highlights of each School year for our students. Some of the destinations include CYC Cowes; Mount Hotham Ski Camp; Canberra; Melbourne; Allambee; Adanac Lodge; Camp Coolamatong on the Gippsland Lakes; Mill Valley Ranch; Oasis Camp; Forest Edge; hikes along the Mitchell River and on the Bogong High Plains, and the Great Ocean Road, Barmah State Forest and Echuca; Liloing adventure on the Thomson River; Discover Port Philip Bay camp; Wilsons Promontory coastal environment camp; Tali Karng alpine hike; Baw Baw Plateau snow-shoe hike and a sailing day on Hazelwood Pondage.

Cultural and Community EventsStudents throughout the School are strongly encouraged to participate in a variety of cultural events that occur at both House and Inter-School levels. These include areas such as Chess, Theatre Sports, Public Speaking and Debating, Music and Dance. Many students and staff choose to be involved in the various School Productions that occur at each of our campuses, usually on an annual basis. Many hours of dedication and commitment are put into the rehearsals to ensure the successful presentation of these events. In 2012 Drouin Senior and Middle School students presented the musical ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’. ‘Cinderella’ was the title of

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the School Production presented by Middle and Senior School students from our Pakenham Campus. Each Junior School grade at the Pakenham Campus provided a colourful musical item at their Presentation Evening. On behalf of the wider Chairo community, I would wish to congratulate staff and students for their willingness to use their gifts and talents in such a creative manner.

Our ‘Artsmartz’ Exhibition was held at Heritage Hall for the first time. This was an evening where VCE students from the Arts and Technology areas displayed and showcased their work. There were performances by the Unit 4 Theatre Studies students and fine food was provided by the Food Technology Class. Visitors were able to look through student folios and admire a variety of art and technology products.

Another valuable opportunity to extend the cultural awareness of our students is found in the long-standing ‘Sister School’ relationship that Chairo has with ‘The Foreign Language School’ in Jiujiang City, China. In 2012 a team of students and teachers from Jiujiang visited our School for a two week period. Whilst here, the members of the team were hosted by various staff and student families. Our Chinese guests visited classes at all three campuses and shared in learning activities with our students.

We were also privileged to have Melanie Smyk, an international visitor from Germany, as a guest student at Chairo for a six week period. Melanie joined our VCE students and shared in their studies. She also addressed a Senior School Assembly, outlining the differences between the German and Australian schooling systems and cultures.

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Chairo students continue to participate enthusiastically in a range of community events. These included activities such as the West Gippsland Music and Drama Eisteddfod. (Further details provided elsewhere in this report.) Another community event where Chairo students represent our School is the annual ANZAC Day ceremonies. Chairo students lay wreaths in memory of fallen soldiers at a number of these ceremonies. Chairo staff and students continue to be represented at the four day Farm World event held each year at Lardner Park. A small group of Chairo students entertained passers –by with their musical talents which attracted further interest in our information stand.

The Staff TeamAt Chairo we recognise that it is the quality of our staff (both teaching and non-teaching) that has the greatest impact on the educational journey of our students. Yes, we are blessed with wonderful buildings and resources but our staff team is our greatest asset. Our teaching staff are well-trained and they have a thorough understanding of how to develop and deliver a Christ-centred curriculum. They work in conjunction with our Learning Support, Library and Careers teams to ensure that every student has the opportunity to fully develop their God-given gifts and talents. These endeavours are wonderfully supported by our non-teaching staff from such areas as Office Administration, Finance, Information Technology, Grounds and Maintenance and Canteen.

Considerable financial resources are budgeted every year to ensure that all Chairo staff receive opportunities to participate in professional development programs of the highest quality. As stated elsewhere, all staff also participate in our annual ‘Pathways’ Professional Growth and Development Program. This means that staff are being continually encouraged and supported to further develop their God-given gifts and talents.

In 2012 all members of the Executive Leadership Team participated in the CISIT 360 School Improvement Program. This involved team members completing a detailed online survey and then being interviewed individually by an expert consultant. The results of this exhaustive process were fed back to the ELT so that we could better understand how to more effectively use the range of gifts and talents contained within our leadership team. The ELT found this to be a very helpful and informative process that assisted us to sharpen our leadership skills.

Every staff member is aware of the vital importance of being a positive role-model for our students. Our staff display genuine ‘servant hearts’ and all of them place a high priority on providing effective pastoral support for the students in our care.

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Strategic Planning In his ‘Board Chairman’s Report for 2012’ Jeff Calway spends considerable time referring to the School’s Strategic Plan. It is clear from Jeff’s comments that this document covers a wide range of strategic areas throughout the School. These range from recruitment of new Association Full Members through to curriculum and uniform initiatives.

Chairo’s Executive Leadership Team and, in fact all Chairo staff, are actively involved, in a variety of ways, in ensuring that key areas of the Strategic Plan are developed and implemented. In 2011, for the first time, the Executive Leadership Team created an Annual Action Plan (AAP). This proved to be a very helpful working document that was continually referred to throughout the year. In 2012 the AAP has been revised, ensuring that the ELT has a set of clearly defined strategic goals that relate directly to the broader School Strategic Plan.

Plans for the implementation of a Years 11 and 12 VCE program at our Pakenham Campus, commencing with Year 11 in 2013, continued to be a major strategic focus. The VCE Planning Committee that was established in 2011 continued to meet and this resulted in a successful application to the VRQA for registration of an extra year level (Year 11) in 2013. In the second half of 2012 the focus of attention turned to plans to apply for a further extension to Year 12 in 2014.

Another vital area of the Strategic Plan relates to effective ‘marketing’ of the School and its programs to the wider community. 2012 saw Chairo working closely in partnership with two external marketing consultants. Each consultant had their own key areas to focus on. Some immediate benefits derived from this marketing initiative included the launch of the new Chairo Website, the conducting and analysis of Community Health Audits (surveys) at our Pakenham and Drouin campuses and a careful review of our enrolment processes. Progress was also made on the creation of a Chairo DVD that we plan to use in a flexible manner with a wide variety of audiences.

In summary, Chairo Christian School takes the process of strategic planning very seriously and you will see a number of these strategic areas referred to specifically in the Chairman’s Report, the Teaching and Learning section and elsewhere throughout the Annual Report. As a Christian school, however, it is vital to conclude by emphasising that all strategic planning at Chairo is done in a prayerful manner. The Board and Executive Leadership Team are ever mindful that we are instructed to “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3

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Building ProgramThe following encouraging information has been provided by Bryan Lewis, Chairo’s Business Manager:

The 2012 year has been one of consolidation and preparation as we seek to build on the good things established in the past and to lay the foundations for new stages of growth and improvement.

During 2012 we completed major new Administration, VCE and Middle School facilities at Pakenham. Much focus was also given to updating our 5 Year Plan to ensure not just that we can sustain a healthy financial position but that we can also achieve goals to improve the School, introducing new programs and developing improved facilities. In 2013, however, there will not be a major building project for the first time in a number of years. Beyond this new Middle and Senior School buildings will be required at Pakenham and we have begun discussions about achieving improved Multi-Purpose facilities at Drouin. Strategic Plan items that are likely to bring program changes include reviews of languages, music, extension programs and technology provision.

Our Chairo School community has much to be grateful for and I would encourage all of us to be thankful for God’s provision in this area. We also acknowledge and appreciate the support of the Australian and Victorian Governments in assisting with these developments that will bring benefits to all in our School community and to the wider community as a whole.

Once again, on behalf of our Chairo Christian School community, I would wish to acknowledge the initiative shown by Bryan Lewis, our Business Manager, as he oversees this area of School operations. We also thank all the members of our Grounds and Maintenance Team who have been kept extremely busy as a result of these building developments. We gratefully acknowledge the hard work of our School Cleaners, ably led by Steve and Trish Barnes, who ensure that all of our facilities are maintained in pristine condition. We are also grateful to our Architectural Designer, Warren Van Damme and to our builders who have done such an excellent job.

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ConclusionIn the introductory section to this Annual Report, I highlighted the question ‘Where do we find direction in life?’ I stated that this is one of the most frequently asked questions in today’s world. We can be overwhelmed with the questions of ‘How? Where? Why? Who?’

However, I was bold enough to suggest that parents who had made the decision to send their children to Chairo Christian School were already well on their way to finding satisfying answers to many of these questions as they apply to the world of Christian education. I trust that, after having now read through the pages of the 2012 Annual Report, you have located even more reasons to feel confident about your decision regarding choice of school.

In conclusion, I wish to personally thank every member of the Chairo School community for the role that you have played this year in helping to bring our School Mission Statement to fruition. I trust that Chairo Christian School in 2012 did indeed ‘provide excellence in Christ-centred education in partnership with families within a caring Christian community.’ Whether you are a parent, student or staff member; whether you serve on the Board or are now an alumni member, I believe that you should be greatly encouraged by the rich blessings that God has showered on our School community throughout the 2012 School year.

Rob BrayPrincipal