18 Feb 2022
It is an absolute pleasure to be welcoming our students and their families to the 2022 academic year. Our new school year has started off in a positive manner, with all students enthusiastically engaging in learning with great energy and embracing the opportunity to once again participate in cocurricular activities.
I would like to thank our students and parents, for working with us to ensure a smooth transition back to school over the last 3 weeks. Your support and patience whilst we navigate the Department’s COVID smart guidelines and RAT distribution has been incredibly appreciated.
At the commencement of the school year our staff participated in two School Development Days where staff engaged with professional learning targeting the development of faculty resources for flexible learning, exploring HSC high leverage strategies and embedding our whole school focus of high expectations and continuous improvement.
The concept of high expectations is premised on the philosophical and pedagogical belief that by holding all students and staff to high expectations, as a school we can effectively provide students with access to a high quality education. Research has found that high expectations are an even more powerful influence on student learning progress than relevant lessons, strong friendships and a positive attitude to homework.
Schools cannot overcome all aspects of disadvantage, but schools can be a critical space for better opportunities and higher expectations. The adoption of a whole school continuous improvement culture will significantly contribute to operational excellence and in return, operational excellence reinforces the mentality ingrained in the culture that empowers the school, that staff and students will continuously improve.
The annual swimming carnival was a fabulous way to start the school year and bring our community together. The participation of students in both the swimming races and novelty events was outstanding, with our senior students displaying remarkable leadership, modelling to our younger students the qualities and behaviours that our great school exemplifies.
Whole school activities such as our swimming carnival help to build and embed a positive school culture, as well as provide the opportunity for staff and students to develop quality relationships.
2021 HSC Excellence
I honestly do not think that there is any other Year 12 cohort that deserves full accolades, recognition of achievement and acknowledgement of resilience than our 2021 HSC students. For a full summary of their results click HSC Excellence. 2021 was a year like no other, unprecedented and challenging, not only for our students, but also for our dedicated and passionate staff. It is vitally important that we also acknowledge the significant work undertaken by our teachers and their professional and personal commitment to our students. It is with sincere gratitude that I thank our staff for the work that they have done and continue to do. Congratulations Year 12 2021, we are incredibly proud of you all and wish you every success for the future.
2022 Staffing
There has been a number of changes in our staffing for 2022. I would like to welcome the following staff to Merewether High School:
Permanent Appointments
- Mr Kyle Sutton – HT PDHPE/Languages
- Mr Patrick Legge – PDHPE
- Miss Lindsay McCallum - PDHPE
Temporary Appointments
- Miss Lana Mansfield – CAPA
- Ms Anna Roberts - English
- Miss Taylor Mansfield – Humanities/Geography
- Miss Erika Sorby – Social Sciences
- Mr Glenn Bennett – Social Sciences
- Ms Belinda Middlebrook – TAS
- Mr Lloyd Clark – TAS
- Mrs Amanda Hine – HT Secondary Studies Careers
I am very confident in our new staff and their expertise and am looking forward to working with them and our school community.
Year Advisers 2022
- Year 7 - Mrs Amber Watson
- Year 8 - Mr Mitchell Jones
- Year 9 - Ms Wendy Inglis
- Year 10 - Ms Clair Bennet
- Year 11 - Mr John Poulios
- Year 12 - Mr Grahame Byrnes
Head Teachers 2022
- English – Ms Angela Colbert
- Mathematics – Mr Dharmendra Singh
- Science – Mr Steve Smith
- Humanities – Mr Steve Gibb
- Social Science – Mrs Rachael Tonks (relieving)
- CAPA – Mrs Alison Tenorio
- PDHPE/Languages – Mr Kyle Sutton
- TAS – Ms Lu Taylor (relieving)
- Technology – Mr Scott Cox
- Administration – Mr Phil Horrell
- Teaching and Learning: Curriculum – Mr Rob Berry
- Teaching and Learning: Wellbeing – Mrs Sherida Johnson
If you would like to discuss course specific information, please contact the relevant Head Teacher.
Deputy Principals 2022
- Mrs Corney – Years 7, 9, 11
- Mrs Crooks – Years 8, 10, 12
The Deputies can also be contacted if you have a question in relation to your child. If you would like to contact your child’s Year Adviser, the relevant Teacher/Head Teacher or Deputy Principal, please do so via the school email address: merewetherh.school@det.nsw.edu.au or call 4969 3855.
Welcome Year 7
Our Year 7 students have commenced their high school journey and are settling in incredibly well. It is wonderful to see that they have embraced our school uniform and are wearing it with pride. I look forward to their journey over the next six years, working with families to prepare our students for further education and the workforce.
In 2022 our school continues to focus on achieving improved outcomes for our students through our commitment to the school’s strategic directions: Student growth and attainment; Professional practice; and Student and staff wellbeing. Our school values of integrity, diversity and excellence underpin all that we do at Merewether High and it is these values that help us create a positive learning culture at our school. We look forward to coming together as a school community in 2022 for another year of outstanding achievements across all domains of giftedness.
Rochelle Dooley - Principal