Goodbye, Mr Smith

By Lia Bichel
AS THE end of the year approaches, so does the end of a beloved Fountain Gate Secondary College teacher’s significant career.
Wayne Smith, who also serves as a City of Casey councillor, will be leaving his job as community links co-ordinator after 11 years at the school.
His new job will be as the Head of the Education Program at Monash Medical Centre, where he worked for five years prior to Fountain Gate Secondary College.
Year 11 student and vice-captain Ben Hill said Mr Smith had made a major contribution to the school and had a positive impact on student’s confidence and leadership abilities.
“Mr Smith was very committed to making each of us students as good as we could be,” Ben said.
“Mr Smith taught me a lot about leadership, how to serve other people and more confident public speaking. I am disappointed he won’t be here next year.”
Mr Smith said his decision to leave the school wasn’t made lightly but he believed he had notched up a number of achievements in the last 11 years.
“When I first came to the school it was pretty rough and didn’t have the best reputation,” he said.
“Now the numbers are increasing and we have become a school of choice.”
Mr Smith helped establish a school leadership team, introduce services for Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, led a number of school camps and instigated the school’s popular annual event CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts) Talent Quest.