INFORM Newsletter
2026, Term 3, Issue 5
President's Report
Belinda Hudak
VASSP President
Welcome to Term 3. As we begin the term, I want to acknowledge the outstanding work of Principals and Assistant Principals across Victoria. While schools have returned with energy and optimism, many continue to do so against the backdrop of significant challenges. The ongoing industrial action and the continued uncertainty surrounding a new Victorian Government Schools Agreement have added further complexity to an already demanding role. I recognise the professionalism and care with which you continue to lead your school communities during this period. As always, VASSP will continue to advocate strongly on your behalf and keep members informed as discussions progress.
With negotiations now continuing alongside the lead-up to the State election, there is understandable concern about both the timing and the impact this will have on schools. One issue of concern consistently raised by members since the most recent offer has been the proposed reduction in annual meeting time. VASSP has heard these concerns and continues to advocate for this aspect of the proposed Agreement to be reviewed in any future offer. We are highlighting the critical role that structured meeting time plays in supporting collaboration, professional learning, implementation, effective communication as well as culture within schools.
Last week, our State Committee came together for another productive meeting, reinforcing the importance of member voice in shaping VASSP’s advocacy. We were pleased to hear directly from representatives of School Digital Services, the Victorian School Building Authority and State Schools’ Relief. These sessions provided valuable opportunities to raise issues directly affecting schools, seek clarification on emerging initiatives and ensure the lived experiences of principals continue to inform system-level conversations. Thank you to our Regional Chairs and State Committee members for bringing forward the issues and perspectives of members from across Victoria.
There is a great deal to look forward to this term, particularly our annual VASSP Conference in a few weeks. The conference is always a highlight of the year, bringing together school leaders from across the state to learn, connect and be inspired. With an outstanding line-up of speakers and opportunities to engage with colleagues, I look forward to seeing many of you there and continuing the important conversations about the future of school leadership and public education.
Term 3 also brings many competing priorities. Alongside teaching and learning, schools are progressing subject selections, transition programs, workforce planning, budget development and preparations for 2027. VASSP understands these demands and remains committed to supporting you through advocacy, professional learning and the expertise of our Field Officers and Project Services team.
Thank you for your continued leadership, resilience and commitment to your students, staff and communities. Together, we will continue to ensure the voice of Victorian government secondary school leaders is heard and respected.
I look forward to connecting with many of you throughout the term.
Need to Know
FOR MEMBERS - VASSP ELECTIONS
VASSP regional groups are up for election this year, along with board member positions. This is your opportunity to shape the work of your professional association through elected leadership. Whether leading your region, advocating at state level, or serving on the Board, VASSP needs your voice. Each member will receive an email outlining nomination steps for their region. Please see further details in the COO Report or by logging into the members area of the VASSP website.
OPPORTUNITIES
Have a say about enabling children and young people in Out-Of-Home Care to be at school
If students are not at school they can’t benefit from all that school has to offer – not just for learning but also for wellbeing and social-emotional development.
But students in out-of-home care (OOHC) are absent from school far more than their peers.
Professor Kitty the Riele and colleagues from five universities are doing research to explore how to support students in OOHC to be at school just like their peers.
We would like to learn from the insights of school staff:
Not just school leaders and teachers, but also teacher assistants, social workers, counsellors, Aboriginal Education Workers, occupational therapists, school nurses and anyone else working with students in OOHC in schools.
We invite you to have a say by taking part in our anonymous survey. This online survey will take about 15 mins to complete.
The Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership is inviting expressions of interest for their Principal in Residence positions.
This is a unique opportunity to bring your expertise to a statewide stage and help shape the future of Victorian teaching and leadership.
In this 12-month secondment, you will enhance your leadership skills and elevate teaching and leadership excellence across Victoria by:
- co-designing and facilitating professional learning
- working with stakeholders to support and promote Academy professional learning and resources
- providing a conduit between the Academy and principal networks across the state and with cross-sectoral partners
- working alongside others with diverse skill sets to share, learn and grow.
We encourage you to consider this opportunity to deepen your knowledge, expand your networks and lead at a system level to champion teaching excellence for all Victorian students.
Applications close: COB on 13 August 2026
Information sessions available – see link for detail
Find out more and apply on the Academy website: https://go.vic.gov.au/46egNrd
ASPA Update
VASSP congratulates Andy Mison, ASPA President on receiving the 2026 ACEL Gold Medal
This recognition reflects Andy’s sustained commitment to supporting school leaders and strengthening secondary education across Australia. His leadership has contributed meaningfully to the profession and the advancement of our schools.
Andy will be joining delegates at the VASSP Conference, presenting a Lightning Talk on the current state of play, including the Better Fairer Schools Agreement and Principal Wellbeing.
Members
If you would like to receive the ASPA Bulletin and be part of the mailing list, please register here: https://www.aspa.asn.au/contact
*VASSP values our members’ privacy and will not share member information without authorisation.
Special Report - State Schools Relief
I was grateful for an opportunity to present an update to the VASSP State Committee last week. Most principals know State Schools’ Relief (SSR), but our offer to schools has both grown significantly and evolved over time. SSR works through your wellbeing teams, business managers and the staff working to coordinate support for your students.
Our operating principle is simple: we trust your judgement. SSR does not second-guess a school’s assessment of need. Your staff identify a student in need of material support; our job is to get support to them quickly, discreetly and at no cost to families.
Last financial year 1,393 schools lodged 103,000 applications with SSR on behalf of more than 70,000 students, with secondary schools accounting for 48% of that demand. That figure represents 103,000 separate decisions taken by someone in your school who knew a student would benefit from support. Each application is recorded against a student, as per the requirements of the significant funding SSR receives from the Victorian Government and donors, including many departmental employees.
An independent review this year – drawing on international research and 522 responses from schools – confirmed that material support drives student attendance, classroom readiness and belonging. As Western Port Secondary College told us, “Seeking help has become far more normalised. Students feel safer, more supported and more comfortable reaching out.” SSR will now measure these benefits systematically through our social impact model, reporting for the first time in November 2026.
Demand for support from SSR from schools is growing faster than our growth projections. We are asking schools to work with us to shape this demand, so that limited resources reach the students in greatest need. This is a change process built on clarity for the staff engaging in student wellbeing, and will be supported by additional information and guidance materials in Term 4.
Three ways you can help:
- Confirm your school has an active SSR contact and a clear approval process for applications for support from SSR.
- Volunteer your school to provide feedback on SSR’s Good Practice Model.
- Contribute to SSR’s social impact measurement over the coming months.
Chief Operating Officer’s Report
Amy Rashid
Chief Operating Officer
VASSP Regional Chair and State Committee Representative Elections
This year all 12 VASSP regional groups are up for election. This is an opportunity for members to step into leadership and directly shape the work of your professional association. Each member will receive an email next week outlining the steps for nomination within their region.
Being part of VASSP means more than attending regional meetings. It means shaping the work of your professional association through elected leadership. Two stages of elections give members opportunities to contribute at different levels.
Stage 1: Regional Leadership (nominations open 10 August)
Regional Group Chair convenes and leads your regional meetings each term, working closely with your Field Officer. You chair these meetings, develop agendas, welcome new members, and facilitate professional dialogue on the issues shaping Victorian secondary education. You represent your region at four full-day State Committee meetings per year, where you contribute to state-level advocacy and decision-making.
Regional Group State Committee Representative brings your region’s perspectives to State Committee conversations and feeds that learning back to members. You attend the same four State Committee meetings per year and support the Regional Chair by taking regional meeting minutes and helping foster an active, engaged membership.
Both roles are two-year elected positions with equivalent time commitment. Both offer outstanding professional learning and the opportunity to shape advocacy that strengthens secondary education across Victoria. Each VASSP region has one position available for each role. Members will receive email notification for their region with the election process and key dates.
Stage 2: Board Leadership (nominations open 5 October)
Six General State Committee Representatives are elected to bring diverse voices to state-level conversations.
The Executive Board positions:
- Deputy President
- General Representative
- General Representative
- Treasurer
- and three additional Board Members — are elected via State Committee
*All board positions are two-year roles.
As a VASSP Board Member, you play a pivotal role in guiding VASSP’s strategic direction, ensuring strong governance, and representing the interests of our members and the wider education community. Board members collectively hold fiduciary responsibilities and are guardians of the Association’s mission, reputation, and long-term sustainability. Your leadership will actively support the achievement of VASSP’s strategic priorities: Advocacy and Influence, Learning and Growth, and Support and Care. Board members work collaboratively as part of a collective decision-making body, recognising that board decisions are made jointly and that board members are collectively accountable to the membership and the broader education community.
For more information including role descriptions, members are encouraged to login to the VASSP website for position descriptions and election timelines.
For email enquiries specific to the VASSP elections please contact: elections@vassp.org.au
VASSP Election Timelines
Stage 1
Stage 1 | Date |
Nominations open | Monday 10 August |
Nominations close | Friday 21 August |
Candidate review period | Monday 24 August – Friday 28 August |
Voting opens | Monday 31 August |
Voting closes | Friday 4 September |
Notification | Monday 7 September |
Stage 2
Stage 2 | Date |
Nominations open | Monday 5 October |
Nominations close | Friday 16 October |
Candidate review period | Monday 19 October – Friday 23 October |
Voting opens | Monday 26 October |
Voting closes | Friday 30 October |
Notification | Wednesday 3 November |
Endorsement @ AGM | Friday 13 November |
Professional Learning & Upcoming Events
Coming up:
- VASSP Conference 2026 – 13-14 August, Rydges Melbourne
- Responding to Challenging Behaviours – Friday 4 September, VASSP Offices
- Applying for Principal Class Positions – Tuesday 8 September, VASSP Offices
- AGM and Leadership Seminar – Friday 13 November, Pentridge
For further information and to register for events visit VASSP Professional Learning
Industry Updates
Mission Australia Youth Survey Results
Mission Australia’s latest Youth Survey report, An Unequal Foundation, which examines youth homelessness and housing instability, with recommendations to end it for good.
The report is based on data collected in the 2025 Youth Survey.
The report highlights the more complex and less visible ways housing instability and homelessness affects young people’s lives, including:
- Family breakdown is a common pathway to homelessness, highlighting the need for early and family-focused support.
- Challenges escalate quickly without intervention, reinforcing the need for early and timely support.
- Housing instability and homelessness are strongly linked to poor mental health and loneliness, requiring integrated mental health support.
- Many young people stay engaged in work or study despite instability, highlighting the need to support these connections.
Call for expression of interest for new foreign arrangements
The Department of Education is seeking expressions of interest from schools interested in forming new sister school partnerships or varying existing partnerships with international counterparts. This is in line with Australia’s foreign policy objectives under Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Act 2020 (the Act).
Under the Act, schools submit a proposal to the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, through the International Education and Partnerships Division (IEPD), before negotiating and entering into written arrangements with foreign entities.
If your school is considering a new sister school partnership or want to vary an existing arrangement, please complete the School Foreign Arrangement Form and Sister School Memorandum of Understanding and email both documents to ied.stakeholder.engagement@education.vic.gov.au by 14 August 2026.
To learn more about the process, see: process maps, or read the FAQs on our website.
VASSP Project Services
Customised, on-site project support
VASSP offers customised, on-site and independent project support, professional development and logistical support in most areas of school operations.
What services are available?
Project services include but is not limited to:
- Leadership team development workshops
- Leadership coaching – individual and team
- School Improvement Review processes
- Curriculum reviews
- School Policy and Workforce reviews
- Principal preparation – application writing and interview skills
- In-depth individualised support
Regional Meetings
VASSP Field Officers
Regional Group Meetings, 2026
- Term 1: Thursday 5 February, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 2: Thursday 30 April, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 3: Thursday 23 July, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 4: Thursday 15 October, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 1: Tuesday 17 February, 8:30am – 10:30am
- Term 2: Tuesday 19 May, 8:30am – 10:30am
- Term 3: Tuesday 28 July, 8:30am – 10:30am
- Term 4: Tuesday 27 October, 8:30am – 10:30am
Term 1:
- Thursday 19 February, 9:30am – 11:30am
- Thursday 26 March, 9:30am – 11:30am
Term 2:
- Thursday 7 May, 9:30am – 11:30am
- Thursday 11 June, 9:30am – 11:30am
Term 3:
- Thursday 30 July, 9:30am – 11:30am
- Thursday 10 September, 9:30am – 11:30am
Term 4:
- Thursday 29 October, 9:30am – 11:30am
- Thursday 10 December, 9:30am – 11:30am
- Term 1: Friday 13 March, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 2: Friday 15 May, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 3: Friday 4 September, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 4: Friday 4 December, 9:30am – 12:00pm
Term 1:
- Wednesday 25 February, 10:30am – 12:30pm
Term 2:
- Wednesday 20 May, 9:00am – 11:00am
Term 3:
- Wednesday 26 August, 10:30am – 12:30pm
Term 4:
- Tuesday 13 October, 10:30am – 12:30pm
- Wednesday 28 October, 9:00am – 11:00am
- Wednesday 18 November, 8:00am – 10:00am
- Term 1: Wednesday 11 March, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 2: Wednesday 17 June, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 3: Wednesday 2 September, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 4: Wednesday 25 November, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 1: Friday 6 March, 9:00am – 11:00am
- Term 2: Friday 22 May, 9:00am – 11:00am
- Term 3: Friday 28 August, 9:00am – 11:00am
- Term 4: Friday 6 November, 9:00am – 11:00am
- Term 1: Tuesday 10 March, 10:00am – 12:00pm
- Term 2: Tuesday 2 June, 10:00am – 12:00pm
- Term 3: Tuesday 25 August, 10:00am – 12:00pm
- Term 4: Tuesday 17 November, 10:00am – 12:00pm
- Term 1: Thursday 26 February, 8:30am – 10:30am
- Term 2: Thursday 4 June, 8:30am – 10:30am
- Term 3: Thursday 27 August, 8:30am – 10:30am
- Term 4: Thursday 19 November, 8:30am – 10:30am
- Term 1: Thursday 5 March, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 2: Thursday 21 May, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 3: Thursday 6 August, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 4: Thursday 12 November, 9:30am – 12:00pm
- Term 1: Wednesday 11 February, 8:30am – 10:30am
- Term 2: Wednesday 6 May, 8:30am – 10:30am
- Term 3: Wednesday 5 August, 8:30am – 10:30am
- Term 4: Wednesday 4 November, 8:30am – 10:30am
- Term 1: Thursday 19 March, 8:30am – 10:30am
- Term 2: Thursday 18 June, 8:30am – 10:30am
- Term 3: Thursday 3 September, 8:30am – 10:30am
- Term 4: Thursday 22 October, 8:30am – 10:30am
Friends of VASSP
Messages and updates from friends of VASSP
Ourschool Update Report
Three things that ensure your alumni program thrives
A common question posed by school leaders is ‘What happens when a school no longer receives Ourschool’s intensive help to run its alumni program?’
From years of experience helping schools we’ve learned there are some simple, crucial things that identify a successful alumni program. Here are three top signs of a thriving alumni program:
- A formal, dedicated role, with dedicated time: the school’s alumni program coordinator (APC) has a formal role in the school, with assigned hours.
- Accountability works both ways: the APC has regular check-in meetings with an assigned principal and submits end-of-term progress reports to the school leadership, school council and school community. Members of the school’s leadership team are active advocates for the program. They support the APC, regularly encourage staff to get involved and embed the alumni program into the school’s culture, routines and strategic plans.
- Loud and proud: the alumni program’s progress and achievements are regularly celebrated in the school’s internal and external communications. Students, teachers and parents know why the school has an alumni program and how they benefit.
North Geelong Secondary College graduated from Ourschool’s intensive service four years ago. Its alumni program is flourishing.
The photo shows some of the key results that Julie Elkin, the school’s part-time APC, supported by the school leadership team, achieved in Semester 1 this year.
More updates available via Ourschool’s LinkedIn page or Ourschool’s website
Partner Messages
Partner messages
Atomi Live Mode lets Year 7 to 10 teachers run lessons and quizzes with the whole class in real time, straight from the Atomi content they already use. Students move through together, and teachers see how the class is tracking as they teach, not after.
Who can inherit your super? Take the Aware Super quiz.
Learn the do’s and don’ts of nominating your beneficiaries.
Think you know who you can nominate? Let’s find out.
You’ll be shown 5 common statements about nominating your super beneficiaries. Decide whether each one is Fact or Fiction.
You’ll get immediate feedback, simple explanations, and some handy tips along the way.
General advice only. Consider your objectives, financial situation, or needs, which have not been accounted for in this information and read the PDS and TMD at aware.com.au/pds before acting. Issued by Aware Super Pty Ltd (ABN 11 118 202 672, AFSL 293340) trustee of Aware Super (ABN 53 226 460 365).
Provisional Appointments
VASSP would like to congratulate the following provisionally appointed leaders.
Manolis Skoutas – Korumburra Secondary College
Karen Anderson – Thomastown Secondary College
Mark Natoli – Preston High School
Terry Gladstone – School for Student Leadership (Campus Principal)
Kara Dunstan – Western Port Secondary College |
Kiya Eberle – Phoenix P-12 Community College |
Luke Carey – Ngayuk College |
Daniel Brooks – Wantirna College |
Lance Petherick – Dohertys Creek P-9 College |
Ashleigh Tucker – Reservoir High School |
Megan Comben – Narre Warren Sth P-12 College |
Stuart Berryman – Parkville College |
Kate Robertson – Alkira Secondary College |
Melanie McClure – Wollert Secondary College |
Tom Evans – Hazel Glen College |
Jack Fazzino – Hazel Glen College |
Fletcher Cody – Daylesford Secondary College |
Eleanor Rockelmann – Wulerrp Secondary College |
Toudi Kouris – Virtual School Victoria |
Chrissie McMahon – Sunbury College |
Kimberley Ruddock – Hoppers Crossing Secondary Col |
Cassandra Hardy – Hoppers Crossing Secondary Col |
Megan Laing – Craigieburn Secondary College |
Jason Sands – Traralgon College |
Michael Aubrey – Traralgon College |
Anthony Jackisch – Traralgon College |
Daniel Board – Traralgon College |
Ashlin Brown – Hoppers Crossing Secondary Col |
Brie Berzins – Sunbury College |
Hannah Ryan – Sunbury College |
Elana Lilla – Sunbury College |
Kaylee Hyland – Alkira Secondary College |
Daniel Simmonds – Alkira Secondary College |
Sonali Pendurkar – Alkira Secondary College |
Melissa Casha – Sunbury College |
Logan Dickson – Koo-Wee-Rup Secondary College |
James Swallow – Wulerrp Secondary College |
Pindeniya Senevirathne – Wulerrp Secondary College |
Rosina Gemmill – Nathalia Secondary College |
Austria-Ises Lay – Kolorer College |
Georgia Mangano – Kurnai College |
Sinead Allen – Sandringham College |
Rhys Carr – Hoppers Crossing Secondary Col |
Jason De Araugo – Hoppers Crossing Secondary Col |
Bronwyn Ruigrok – Berwick Secondary College |
Kate Thorncroft – Hoppers Crossing Secondary Col |
Jennifer O’Reilly – Alkira Secondary College |
Tara Smith – Alkira Secondary College |
Harkiran Kaur – Alkira Secondary College |
Sara Shuti – Alkira Secondary College |