To the Editor
Ask yourself what has Wanganui gained out of the merger? Absolutely nothing. What has it lost? A fantastic educational opportunity for Shepparton students.
The motto of, ‘divide, destroy and conquer,’ everything to do with the very successful Wanganui Park SC’s 1100 plus students and staff, has succeeded. Jealousy is such a curse!
The programs and aspects that made up the renown ‘Wanganui Factor’, its culture, has gone in 2020!
- The very united staff & vice principals have been spread over three campuses. Granted Shepparton High School students & staff had to move, but did the staff and students in all four schools? SHS students and staff could have gone to Mooroopna SC and McGuire SC where there was plenty of room and need.
- At least 40 very experienced teachers from all four secondary schools in Shepparton and Mooroopna have left the four schools.
- There is no school or vice captain from the Wanganui group of students in 2020, which had more than half the total GSSC population – laughable if it wasn’t so serious!
- Vertically Integrated Grouping (VMG), one of the best selling points at Wanganui has gone. VMG is a subject/unit selection process that allows students to be extended or helped and offers interest based learning.
- The very successful Vertical Homegroups, (year seven-12), have changed into mundane horizontal Homegroups, i.e. year seven, eight, etc.
- Prospective 2020 year nine students have moved to the Mooroopna Campus and the Wanganui Campus no longer has year 7 students.
- All Faculty staffrooms have been abolished. Teachers are now in horizontal Year Homegroup staffrooms. Faculty staffrooms enabled PD to take place spontaneously.
- Music will not be taught in year eight, 2020. Wanganui has always been renown for its excellent music program.
- 12 VCE Accounting will not be taught. Wanganui has had outstanding VCE Accounting results.
- The very successful ‘I CAN Mentoring Program’ for students with Autism has been abandoned.
- Three of the four schools, including Wanganui, used XUNO – the School Management Software Program. Was it sensible for the one remaining school to learn XUNO? No! The executive principal thought it more appropriate to have the three schools in-serviced to learn the ‘Compass system’ and scrap the XUNO software. Because the Compass program was chosen, a local business can no longer produce the student cards, they are now being made by a Compass company in Melbourne
- Wanganui’s girls uniforms were ‘made in Australia’. Uniforms are now being produced offshore, contrary to DET’s preferred policy.
- Executive principal, Genevieve Simson will be moving into Wanganui’s principal, Ken Murray’s office next year for three days a week and at McGuire and Mooroopna SC one day a week. These are very strange arrangements as Ken Murray is the most experienced campus principal, both in years of experience and managing a large school, not the least experienced.
My question.
Why did a successful school of 1100 plus students have to be merged? It has been punished to its death.
If the GSSC succeeds and outclasses Wanganui in all aspects: programs, facilities, culture, etc. etc. it will be a miracle. Do you believe in miracles? I used to?
Helen Sleep
Shepparton
