From the Headmaster

A very warm welcome and welcome back to 2019 for the Somerset community. Over this week we had 194 new students, 126 in the Junior School and 68 in the Senior School, begin their journey at the College and we certainly hope theirs will be as rewarding as ours.

We started the year with an enrolment of 1,523 from Pre-Prep to Year 12. On behalf of the College Board, I thank you for your continuing support of Somerset as we enter our 37th year. It was quickly apparent that the students settled very well to their classes.

We welcomed the following new staff:

• Mr Ryan Beakey - Grounds and Maintenance
• Mr Scott Bentley - GAP Staff
• Mr Tom Betts - Teacher – Senior School
• Mrs Janie-Marie Burgess - Co-ordinator – Debating
• Mr Shane Cowling - Teacher – Junior School
• Mr Maarten De Kruijf - Co-ordinator – Football and Futsal
• Mr Greg Dwyer - Design Assistant
• Ms Emma Easther -Outdoor Education Assistant (Fixed Term)
• Miss Shelby Fleming - Peripatetic – Dance (Casual)
• Mrs Natalie Flick - Teacher Assistant – Junior School
• Mr Ross Gibbings - GAP Staff
• Ms Sue Horkings -Administrative Assistant – Events
• Mr Robert Hughes -Teacher – Senior School
• Mr Graham Hyman - Co-ordinator – Chaplaincy Services
• Ms Fran Larsen - Teacher Assistant – Junior School
• Mrs Lola McLaughlin -Teacher – Junior School
• Mr Carlos Palacios - Administrative Assistant – Curriculum Services
• Ms Emma Phillips - Assistant Head of Department – Humanities
• Miss Abby Roach - Peripatetic – Dance (Class of 2018)
• Miss Ellie Taylor - AFL Intern
• Mr Lawson Schafer - Performing Arts Intern

After the close of 2018, I regretfully accepted the resignations of Mr Shane Lunniss, Director of Sport and Mr Matt Rowlands, Head of Wellbeing.

Welcome back to Mrs Bianca Hipperson, Mr Greg Juniper, Mrs Cathy Makin and Mrs Helen Moffatt from their well-deserved leave. We wish Mr Craig Sayer a well-deserved term’s leave chasing triathlon glory.

There have been a number of changes to responsibilities this year:

• Ms Lisa Connell - Head of House – Veivers
• Mr Andrew Cooper - Administrative Assistant - Compliance
• Mrs Kate Cornell - Year 12 Co-ordinator
• Ms Jacinta Hyman - Head of House – Franklin
• Mrs Catherine McDonald - Administrator – Academic Services
• Mrs Candice McKenna - Director of Sport (Caretaker)
• Mr Dane Oman - Assistant Head of Department – Business
• Mr Brad Walker - Service Learning Co-ordinator
• Miss Kate Webb - Junior School Sport Co-ordinator and APS/HDSS Secretary
• Mr Sam Whish-Wilson - Co-ordinator – Activities (Term One)

Class of 2018 Academic Results

A complete summary of their outstanding results are available here but the highlights are as follows:

OP, Cohort of 134

• 10 OP 1s, 9.5%
• OP 1 to 3, 22.9%
• OP 1 to 5, 39.0%
• OP 1 to 7, 55.2%
• OP 1 to 10, 76.2%
• OP 1 to 15, 94.3%
• A median OP of 7, missing a benchmark of 6 by one student!

The most common OP score for Somerset students 1992 to 2018 continues to be an OP 1, an incredible achievement.

IB Diploma, Cohort of 12

• 16.7 % obtained OP 1 or 2 Equivalent
• 66 % of IBDP group got ATARs equal to or better than an OP 9.

Tertiary AdmissionAs part of the changes we made five years ago to find alternative pathways, we had 22 students complete an external Business Diploma. This enabled them to be given a rank score equivalent to an OP 9 for tertiary entrance purposes, enhancing their opportunities after graduation.

I look forward to meeting all parents at the Parents' and Friends' Celebration of the New School Year - Welcome to 2019 on Friday 8 February 2019 from 6.30pm to 9.00pm in Towers Quad. This function is a wonderful opportunity for parents new to the College and those returning to meet each other and the staff.

Please make this highlight function a priority on your calendar!