By XAVIER SMERDON
WYNDHAM’S only public P-12 school has had a change of leadership following the sudden resignation of its Principal.
Angelique den Brinker stood down as the Principal of The Grange P-12 late last month to take up a position at the Victorian College of the Deaf.
The school’s Assistant Principal for the past eight years, David Smillie, has stepped up to fill the position and will be the Acting Principal for the remainder of the second term.
Mr Smillie told Star he hoped to be named as the full-time Principal at a later date.
He said he was confident that he was the right man to lead the school.
“I feel very confident,” Mr Smillie said.
“We’ve got a good team of Assistant Principals and leading teachers who are very experienced and very committed to working with me as a team.”
Mr Smillie said he had already met with around 70 parents of students at the school and he felt ready to tackle the top job.
“We’re very unique in that we are the only government P-12 school in the area, which gives us a great opportunity to intervene in the student’s lives and make sure they are achieving the best results possible,” he said.
“We are a school of enormous improvement. Our students all come from the local community and they reflect the challenges that the community is facing at the moment.
“There is always a need for change and the biggest thing that I can offer is the ability to develop independent learning for the students.”
