John Fawkner College
Kathleen MATTHEWS-WARD (Broadmeadows) (16:51): Recently I had the pleasure of attending the Melbourne Victory primary school gala at John Fawkner College. It was such a joy to see students from local primary schools Moomba Park, Belle Vue Park, Fawkner, Pascoe Vale North, Westbreen, St Matthew’s, Merri-bek and St Thomas More out on the pitch having fun, building friendships and learning new skills. The Melbourne Victory School of Football is operating at John Fawkner College, which boasts some of the best sporting facilities in the region, including two state-of-the-art full-size pitches and access to CB Smith Reserve. These facilities were proudly delivered during my time as a councillor at Moreland, now Merri-bek. Through the program John Fawkner students have the opportunity to train with professional Melbourne Victory coaches and participate in friendly matches with other leading football schools, including from interstate and overseas. The program not only increases participation in sport but also improves school engagement, develops teamwork and builds confidence, resilience and leadership skills.
It is great to see exciting things happening at John Fawkner College, including growth in NAPLAN results this year, which is a testament to the school’s renewed focus on high expectations, inclusive practices and strong leadership under principal Dr Lisa Vinnicombe. It reflects the hard work of students, staff and families and shows what is possible when we invest in our schools and believe in the potential of every young person. I was so proud to secure a massive $14.5 million to deliver new classrooms and world-class science, technology, arts and food tech buildings at John Fawkner. The Victorian School Building Authority were outside again this last week, and I am looking forward to building work recommencing on the project soon.