What’s the big fuss about the new Southern Hills sign on Albany Highway?
“According to Main Roads, this is one of the busiest roads in the state,” says College Principal Mr Paul Beacham.
“After 37 years of being here in Bedfordale, we are finally on the map!” he says with a chuckle, betraying a positivity that has become contagious on the Bedfordale campus in recent times.
Since early 2017 when there were barely 200 students on the roll, Mr Beacham has worked hard with his team and the number of students that call Southern Hills home has topped 420 this week. That is quite a staggering growth rate!
What’s the secret?
“I really love the team we have here. For every one of those hundreds of enrolments, the front office team answer numerous phone calls and follow up all of the paperwork. The team of staff really work for each other and in the best interests of the students. The hours can be long at times, but there is a joy in what we are doing here that sustains it all.”
Mr Beacham shared some of the early ‘master plan’ concepts this week with his staff and listened to opinions from each part of the school community. This sort of planning was just a dream only four years ago when enrolments were struggling, but it seems that these architectural innovations are absolutely vital with some classes now experiencing waiting lists for 2022.
“These are problems, but they are good problems that have arisen from parents who are telling their friends about their own children’s happiness at Southern Hills. This has led to a steady stream of enrolment interviews, and we are trying to accommodate all of the new families who are keen to come on board in 2022 at Southern Hills.”
There are twelve little ones who will not need to fill out enrolment forms this week – the dozen new chicks who are due to hatch any day now in the Year Two classroom under the watchful eye of Mrs Patterson and her class.
So, the new sign on Albany Highway that marks the turn-off to Southern Hills is a talismanic reminder to all of us that persistence pays off.
The new era of Southern Hills is one of growth, positivity and direction.
Turn right on Admiral Road and keep going over the hill – you can’t miss it!