Message from the Principal

To the wonderful Orara community,

My sincerest thanks to everyone for your support and contributions throughout a busy but exciting first term. As a growing and vibrant school of well over 800 students this year it is not possible to capture in a few sentences the great progress and innovation we have seen during these first eleven weeks of the 2024 school year. I hope you all have several highlights of your own but for me the following come to mind:

• the overwhelmingly successful transition to high school for students within one of our largest Year 7 groups ever – 170 students. This success is in no small part thanks to the large number. of dedicated and caring Year 10 students volunteering to be Great Mates!
• the launch of the Orara Student Athlete Academy and our Sport Excel classes.
• our treasured Support Unit being reconfigured into the Inclusive      Education Unit.
• record numbers of students achieving Personal Best certification.
• the excitement, energy and commitment of so many students on display through their involvement in the school musical (curtains up in Term 4!).
• possibly the best school social I’ve ever attended (and I’ve seen a few!) thanks to the great efforts of our Student Representative Council and exemplary 2024 Student Leadership team.
• a wonderful swimming carnival!
• an amazing Harmony Day!
• the rekindling of our P&C! I am extremely grateful to these wonderful parents and carers who are giving up their time to meet with myself and other staff to make our great school even greater.

Of course, these things are just a fraction of the energy and positivity present within our school this term. Right up until the last day, our staff and students are creating important and collaborative experiences: Boambee Day this Friday will once again showcase the wonderful sense of community within Orara. I am really looking forward to concluding the term with everyone during this safe, inclusive and respectful day.

At a time when I am so proud of so many things happening across our school, I very reluctantly have to share some challenging personal news with you all. Just two terms after being permitted to return to the work that I really love, my doctors are now recommending that I conclude my career as your principal. The deal I was able to strike with them is that I continue in my role until the end of Term 3 this year. This is not the news I wanted as I feel very healthy and – despite the many challenges of my position – I really have cherished every day since I was able to return to the school at the beginning of Term 4 last year. I do however have great respect for these same people who saved my life not too long ago and so there really is no choice for me to make.

I will not be totally retiring from education however as I have been offered a part-time position within the NSW Department of Education as a Principal Coach-Mentor. In this role I will support principals in several locations across the state who are new to this very privileged job as they begin their important work within their new school communities. 

Knowing that all this will occur now allows ample time for the next principal of this very important place to be appointed prior to my departure. I will keep you informed of these developments – most likely in Term 3. Another consequence of this decision is that I am already treasuring every day I have the honour to be your principal even more than I had before. Nothing is forever and if we are at times fortunate enough to know when a phase of our life will conclude it really does, I think, motivate us to do our absolute best during the time remaining. Rather than being sad about not being able to continue with you all for much longer, as I had hoped, I will relish working extra hard for you all over the next two terms.

I wish everyone within our school community a happy and safe holiday and very much look forward to reconnecting with all students on Tuesday 30^th April.

Sincere Thanks

Malcolm McFarlane