Tuesday, 21 February 2023

 Iwan WALTERS (Greenvale) (13:02): The Andrews Labor government values teachers and school leaders. We know that they are the key to providing all Victorian students with a great education. That is why we have invested nearly $15 billion in building the Education State since 2014 and why we are equipping Victorian schools with the tools and capabilities they need to have the biggest impact with their students. It has been a pleasure to visit schools across the Greenvale electorate and to see the amazing work that is being done to support students’ learning and development. Our schools’ leadership and culture have a massive bearing on student outcomes. Principals and teachers help set the direction of that culture, but students also have an important role to play.

I acknowledge and congratulate the newly elevated student leaders at Kolbe Catholic College in Greenvale: college captains Grace Elisha and Caitlin Richardson, who demonstrate the school’s values and are committed to being role models for the student body; college vice-captains Selafina Akauola and Riley Norrey, who lead whole-school events, such as assemblies; academic captains Noah Gullifa and Caleb Katigbak, who help boost academic excellence by supporting co-curricular events, such as homework club; arts captains Claudine Yao and Norman San Pablo Jr; community captains Chiara Hosking and Ruta Alai; wellbeing captains Mannat Kaur and Ardelina Zinghini, who liaise with school counsellors to promote a healthy mind and body for all at the college; sports captains Abby Cotter and Emmy Graziano, who help run sports carnivals and boost participation in interschool sport; and faith captains Kiara Samtar and Mary Ann Shemiss. Congratulations to all of these school leaders, and I wish them and all the students at Kolbe Catholic College a wonderful year ahead.