21 Oct 22

Toolern Vale Campus Opening Soon!

Newsletter | Principal's Message

I’m excited, and I’m not the only one!

A whole bunch of us: staff and parents are excited about Toolern Vale campus. It is opening next year.

There’s a select group who will get to be Toolern Vale campus (TV campus) mums and dads, but it is exciting for everyone who loves our school, so let me tell you a little bit about it.

Importantly, the staff who will be working at TV campus are people who have worked at Brookfield campus. This is crucial because we will keep one vision, the MCC vision across our two locations. We need staff at TV who have proven they can carry our MCC way, our vibe, our feel, and our MCC ethos and culture into the new campus.

Another very appealing aspect of TV campus is that we are intentionally starting small.

Sometimes schools start with several hundred students, but we won’t do that. We want to build a culture of belonging right from the beginning. Everyone belongs; no one stands alone. MCC has a reputation for care and kindness. Our school has a reputation for being a place where teachers are firm yet fair, kind yet confident setting boundaries that make students feel safe. We love that.

We got given good news this week. The lowering of the speed limit along Coburns Rd has been approved. Not only will the speed drop from 100km/h to 80km/h, the section of road in front of our campus will be further lowered during school pick-up and drop-off times. Of course, our children will not be dropped off near that road, only within the campus, but the lower speeds will mean entering and leaving the campus will be heaps safer for MCC parents in their cars.

I was chatting with the parents of next year’s TV prep class this week. They asked a great question: “What if all this rain delays the building program?”. Indeed, we must be realistic and ready. It is quite possible; building delays could happen. The rain has been a factor, and while we are hoping there won’t be delays, if there are delays we have the solution. Our TV classes can start in classrooms on our Brookfield campus. TV children will still begin school on time.

Planning is like predicting the future; let me tell you how TV campus is predicted to grow.

As you may know, we plan to start in 2023 with just two classes: one Prep class, and one Grade One class. That will mean fifty-two students in our lovely rural setting. Then when 2023 ends our TV Grade One children will move into Grade Two onsite at TV, then Grade Three, Grade Four and so on.

Once they finish Grade Six there are two possibilities. One possibility is that we arrange shuttle transports to bring those TV Year Seven students to Brookfield campus each day for their secondary schooling. Or, depending on numbers, we commence Year Seven onsite at TV. That would be for the beginning of 2029. (Oh gee, that sounds like a long way off, but time flies folks.)

I hope those snippets and snapshots are exciting for you. These are great times to be part of Melton Christian College. The Lord is blessing us.

David Gleeson, Principal