As the year draws to a close the Hume Anglican Grammar Community would like to acknowledge the following staff members who have completed 10 years of service at our school. What a wonderful achievement.

	Jane Newton: Jane Newton has completed a distinguished 10 years as a teacher at Hume Anglican Grammar. Jane’s love for lower Primary has seen her teaching predominantly in Prep - Year 2. As an experienced educator, Jane held the position of Prep Coordinator, where she led the Prep Team and managed the teaching and Learning across all curriculum areas. She has a special interest in play-based learning and was instrumental in the design, function and creation of the Prep Creative Space. Jane’s opinion is often sought by others as her experience and knowledge is respected and valued. She has been a wonderful sounding board for colleagues and often has simple answers to complex issues. Jane’s sense of humour and ability to laugh at herself and find the funny side of any situation has endeared her to many and she always manages to get the best out of her students regardless of their starting point. Jane is also very aware of her students’ learning environment and be it inside or out, she is always looking for new and exciting learning opportunities. Congratulations on completing 10 wonderful years of tireless service.
	Aaron Butcher: Aaron’s time at Hume Anglican Grammar began before his official appointment in 2013 as he completed his final Pre-Service teacher placement the year before. He has since been a valued member of staff, teaching predominantly across Years 3 - 6. Aaron’s evident leadership skills saw him move into the role of Year 5 and 6 Coordinator and then shortly after, following his passion for student wellbeing, he moved into the Assistant Head of Student Wellbeing role. Aaron’s love for Olrig House also became apparent as he enthusiastically fulfilled the role of Olrig House Coordinator. Aaron has been an active staff member, representing Primary staff as their Consultative Committee member and also in enterprise bargaining negotiations. Aaron has introduced a number of sustainability initiatives, including the collection of take-away coffee cups, plastic bottle caps and soft plastics. Aaron’s enthusiasm for recycling and looking after our environment, as well as his support for Seeing Eye Dogs Australia with the regular attendance of training dogs that he cares for, has been widely felt. Congratulations on achieving this 10-year milestone, Aaron.
	William Sweeney: In 2013, Bill moved from Adelaide to Melbourne to take up the position of Principal at Hume Anglican Grammar. The School was just five years old and comprised of 75 staff and 709 students. Under Bill’s leadership and direction, the School has flourished, with over 2000 students across three campuses, and 240 staff. As the School changes, matures and increases in complexity, Bill has always kept the best interests of students as his first and foremost consideration. Throughout Bill’s 10 years as Principal, he has managed some extremely difficult situations, none more so than Covid-19. He successfully navigated Hume Anglican Grammar through prolonged periods of remote teaching and learning and the mandatory requirements as set out by state and federal Governments. The School is in a constant state of growth, requiring considered and nuanced decisions to ensure its continued success. The opening of additional campuses at Donnybrook and Kalkallo, as well as the significant addition of major buildings and facilities at Mt Ridley, is testament to Bill’s ‘future focused’ direction and strategic thinking. We are in very good hands under Bill’s leadership.  On behalf of the community, we thank him for 10 years of outstanding service.

Cara Valentine - Coordinator of Community Engagment