Our school is committed to providing a safe, secure and stimulating learning environment for all students. Students can reach their full educational potential only when they are happy, healthy and safe, and when there is a positive school culture to engage and support them in their learning. Our school acknowledges that student wellbeing and student learning outcomes are inextricably linked. We have high expectations for our students and deliver an intellectually rigorous curriculum with multiple pathways appropriate to adolescents in the 21st century.
Hawkesdale is located in south-western Victoria in an area surrounded by Koroit, Port Fairy, Woolsthorpe, Macarthur and Penshurst. The town is about 42 kilometres north of Warrnambool in an area dominated by a mix of farming and agriculture related activities. The school offers a comprehensive curriculum for 13 years of schooling that aims to address the learning needs of students in a stimulating and supportive environment. The curriculum is further enriched by the specialist program and a broad range of extracurricular activities. In the later years, the senior school offers students a variety of vocational and academic pathways for students. Respect, Responsibility and Resilience are the core values of this school: . Respect for self, respect for others, respect for school and respect for the environment. . Responsibility for behaviour and effort. . Resilience to cope with the stresses of daily life and bounce back from difficulties faced. We seek to promote these values throughout the curriculum, in co-curricular activities, and in our daily operations. The “You Can Do It” strategies of getting along, confidence, persistence, organisation and resilience, support these values.
The school wellbeing team consists of the assistant principal, special programs leader, secondary PSD coordinator, a school nurse and a student counsellor. Systems are in place to monitor students and provide support when needs are identified. The school provides a supportive environment that values diversity, promotes equity and is not tolerant of any form of bullying.