Principal's Message
Welcome to another bumper edition of the College Newsletter, our third for 2020!
A RETURN TO FACE-TO-FACE TEACHING
Announcements made through the week make it clear that we will have a staged return to ‘Face to Face Teaching’ over the coming weeks. To assist our staff with making this transition, there will be a Student Free Day on Monday, May 25. VCE students (including Year 10 students completing a VCE study) will return on Tuesday, May 26, with all remaining students from Year 7 to 10 returning on Tuesday, June 9.
A return to ‘Face to Face Teaching’ is a welcomed development. Despite the success of our Remote Teaching and Learning Program, there is no substitute for being at school. We have commenced our planning for this staged return including how we can best meet cleaning, physical distancing and hygiene requirements. Importantly, our staff are also planning to best meet and further the Teaching and Learning outcomes of all of our students.
Please continue to look out for College Updates provided on Compass. These Updates will be helpful in explaining our plans for successfully transitioning back to ‘Face to Face Teaching’. Please be reminded that the wellbeing our College Community remains our priority as we continue to embark on this staged return to ‘Face to Face Teaching’. Whilst wellbeing remains a priority, we have also not lost sight of the fact that our Teaching and Learning Program is critical to delivering improved outcomes for all of our students. We look forward to working with our College Community to make a smooth transition back to ‘Face to Face Teaching’.
It is important to note that our Remote Teaching and Learning Program will continue up until the key dates provided.
ASSESSMENT & REPORTING, SEMESTER 1, 2020
Students and families can expect to receive a Semester One Report for 2020. Despite the challenges of teaching and learning in this COVID-19 environment, we are committed in providing ongoing assessment and reporting across all subject areas. Please expect Semester One Reports for 2020 to be made available via Compass at the end of this term.
VICTORIAN CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION
As mentioned earlier, we welcome a staged return to ‘Face to Face Teaching’ with our VCE students returning on Tuesday, May 26. We understand that completing the VCE at this time can be quite stressful for VCE students, particularly our Year 12 students who are in their final year.
There has been a great deal of planning behind the scenes by staff to best support our VCE students learning remotely. For example, our ability to get through the required content, together with plans relating to the setting, completion and submission of School Assessed Coursework remotely are areas that immediately comes to mind.
It has been a strong team approach to how we have managed VCE requirements. We appreciate the efforts of our VCE students working with staff in a positive and productive manner, and we thank parents and carers for their support. As a College, we look forward to continuing this positive and productive approach when ‘Face to Face Teaching’ resumes.
COLLEGE PRODUCTION 2020: MARY POPPINS JNR.
Despite COVID-19, arrangements concerning our College Production of Mary Poppins Jnr have continued. Rehearsals have been happening ‘online’ with many students at different times working through their respective roles with staff on a regular basis.
Please expect the College Production for 2020 to look different this year. Despite the possibility of a different format being used in 2020, we can still expect a quality Production to be provided. We are looking forward to the WHSC Production of Mary Poppins Jnr in 2020.
STAFF "WELCOME BACK" MULTIMEDIA PROJECT
Whilst talking about ‘Productions’, our staff have been working on a ‘Production’ of their own which will be shared with students next week. Be sure to look out for this very special ‘Staff Production’ as soon as it is made available.
COVID-19
The COVID-19 virus has been a challenge for us all, and will continue to be for some time to come. We have all been affected in some way with COVID-19; it has ‘turned our lives upside down’. Some within the community of course have been affected more than others with job losses, illness and social dislocation having such a profound impact. We should always understand that there are some who are finding things very difficult at the moment. The wellbeing of students, staff, families and the broader community remains our priority.
The COVID-19 Pandemic is unprecedented and I think the way we as a College Community has responded has been outstanding. As a College Community, we have worked hard as a team to try and make the most out of a very difficult situation. We should all be very proud of our efforts. We welcome the easing of restrictions allowing us to get back to some sort of normality with our lives. The importance of social connection and getting back to life’s routines and activities can not be underestimated. Despite the recent easing of restrictions, please be sure to follow the current advice from relevant authorities in order to stay safe and well.
As a College, we will continue to work with the relevant authorities to ensure our planning best meets the necessary requirements of working in this COVID-19 environment. We celebrate our Remote Teaching and Learning Program but we are looking forward to being in the classroom once again.
Mr. Aaron Smith
Principal, Wheelers Hill Secondary College
Contact Us
Ph: (03) 9561 5811
Email: wheelers.hill.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au
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