By the time you read this, we will have information on the Government’s return to school plan. I will email out details regarding GPCC’s response to that separately.

This week I want to share some good news amid the pandemic gloom. On Thursday last week, we received notice that our application for permission to operate a Special School on site at the College, has been approved! Yattalunga Valley Christian School (YVCS) will open in January 2022 with, we hope, 9 or more students in Kindergarten to Year 2. The school will grow each year thereafter in accordance with demand for places. 

YVCS will operate as a separate legal entity under the school company, Green Point Christian College Ltd, and be governed by the GPCC Ltd Directors. Government regulation allows a charitable company established to operate schools to run more than one entity under the company. YVCS will however be separately funded through school fees and Government funds as GPCC is now. No money will go from GPCC to YVCS except for some start-up funds which will be repaid by YVCS once it is operating. 

We had planned to open YVCS in the house the College owns next to the Service Station, but that property sits within a bushfire zone, and we are not permitted to use it for a school. Instead, we are leasing some space in the topmost Primary classroom block from GPCC. As the school grows, we plan to build a permanent facility for it on part of the GPCC land in accordance with our Master Plan.

Yattalunga Valley Christian School is being established to support children who are on the Autism Spectrum. Some children with autism can manage in the mainstream classroom with support, but for others it is too over-whelming an experience and they need a smaller and more managed environment to help them develop. It is our hope that by providing the specialist support needed, many of these children will be able to join the mainstream school at some stage.

I have invited Mrs Nicole Smith our Head of Primary, to oversee the school and we will be making some adjustments to Primary staffing to release her for a day a week to do this. This time will be paid for by YVCS. We will also be employing specialist teachers and teacher aides to work in the school. I will be the Executive Principal as this school joins GPCC as a member of the Melos Foundation group. Other GPCC staff will assist with administration, and these costs will also be recovered from YVCS.

We will be advertising for students this week and if you are aware of any families who may be interested in exploring this opportunity, please direct them to our Registrar, Mrs Angela Sheather who will be able to help them see if this is an option for their child. Our move to establish the school has been prompted by numerous enquiries over the past few years from families looking for a suitable place to meet their child’s unique needs.

Pray with us for quality staff, positive enrolments and that this school will be a blessing to those who need extra love and care.

Phillip Nash

Principal