Principal's Report
We are very proud! Our inaugural Unit 3/4 results with our foundation Year 11s are great. We had multiple 40+ scores in the Science, Art and Humanities, including a top 2% result in the state. The hard work, commitment and approach to learning of our students are highlighted with these first set of strong results. The beginning of better yet to come in 2023!
The BE Program was a fantastic start to our 2023 curriculum program for students. It provided a boost of engagement and energy for staff and students. It is also hard to believe that our foundation students are entering Year 12, with only 9 months of school when they return in 2023. The time will truly fly by.
Micro-credentials Week
Micro-credentials Week (12 – 16 December) is once again very well subscribed with our students across Years 7-10 learning new skills beyond the traditional subjects offered at school. The college is committed to developing the whole person and providing an environment that supports the physical, social, intellectual and emotional engagement of every student. Through the development of a range of opportunities, the Micro-credentials Week will help to build a community that nurtures and respects individual skills and talents in a safe and supportive environment and celebrates those achievements.
Our world is demanding that young people be lifelong learners that possess a multitude of nuanced skills that can be generalised to a range of roles within an organisation. Each skill builds on another and shows a growth trajectory that creates a highly sought-after employee in the job market. The key difference between micro-credentialling and other qualifications is that micro-credentials acknowledges ‘bite-sized’ chunks of learning, illustrating the proficiency in a particular skill. They are developed with a particular industry in mind, meet industry-specific needs, are relevant and recognised by future employers. This new approach to learning and engagement is personalised and generally transferrable. We want to build on this during a young person’s secondary schooling and believe that this can be done through a robust micro-credentialing framework.
Presentation Evening
Our annual Presentation Evening was held last Thursday (8 December) and it was a wonderful celebration of another fantastic year at Beaumaris. My speech, which sums up my feelings about the year and the night, can be found on the Presentation Evening page of this newsletter.
Holiday Spirit
Once again, the spirit of generosity is strong across the college as we had 50 gifts for the OzChild Wishing Tree. Thank you to all those who contributed to bringing joy to a child on Christmas morning.
Our staff villages (offices) competed for the best holiday decorated space with staff and students voting to decide the winner. Our wonderful Admin village has created a holiday wonderland that left many students and staff in awe.
The Beaumaris Neighbourhood Watch sponsored the Whimsical Windows down at the Concourse. We had 6 students contribute to this creative showcase. Please take the time to wander through the concourse and enjoy the various window holiday designs. I am very proud of our artists. Read more on the Whimsical Windows page of this newsletter.
The BSC stage band performed at the Beaumaris Concourse Christmas opening night on Friday 2 December. These talented musicians and vocalists provided uplifting entertainment for all attending. Once again, Beaumaris Secondary College are connected to the community.
Our New Telescope
At the conclusion of last week's Presentation Evening, we took the opportunity to have our final training session on using the new telescope. The night skies will be revealed in a way that will inspire our students to continue reaching for the stars they see. It is a powerful telescope that allows students to take photos of planetary wonders. This may lead to an interest in NASA.
Read more about it on the Telescope Training page of our newsletter.
Year 7 2023 Orientation Day
We are excited to host our 2023 Year 7 students onsite for Orientation Day on Tuesday 13 December. We will be welcoming 160 new students to the college. We have current students supporting across all the classes, sharing their interests.
Mulch Donation
A huge thank you to local business T4 Tree Services for their generous donation of mulch. The mulch has really freshened up the garden beds and the grounds are looking amazing.
Ecological Burns in Bayside
Gardening Australia recently aired a segment on controlled ecological burns in Bayside which may be of interest to you.
I wish you all a relaxing and joyful holiday season and look forward to welcoming everyone on Tuesday 31 January 2023.
Debby Chaves
Principal