VUSC News

Principal's Message

Dear Families,

A warm welcome back to what has been a very chilly start to Term 3. At least the days are getting a little longer and a bit sunnier.

 

This term as always, our students are involved in several different activities, while the Year 12 students are undertaking the final semester of their secondary education. We wish them all the very best as they strive to successfully complete their studies and get ready to embark on a new journey. 

 

This year’s Senior Secondary Expo will be held in Week 3 on Monday 25th July. We’re looking forward to welcoming families of Year 9 and 10 students to the Senior Campus where the Information Sessions will be held in Building B and the Expo displays will be in the open learning space of Building D (STEAM Building).

 

Year 9 and 10 students and their families are invited to attend the information session for their year level, to further explain the senior secondary certificates. The Year 9 Information Session will take place at 5pm and the Year 10 Session at 6pm. 

 

This will be followed by an opportunity to speak with teachers to find out more about the subjects that are offered. At the Expo we will outline the changes to the Victorian Senior Secondary Certificates next year. The new VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM) and the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) will replace the VCAL certificate. Students will receive a flyer to take home with the details of the Senior Secondary Expo and this flyer has also been published on Compass. 

 

Students in Years 9 and 10 are undertaking career investigations as part of their Inquiry subject so of course they will be exploring their future career options and will be curious and interested in finding out more about each subject.

 

We place a great deal of importance on ensuring that students and their families are very well informed so that decision making regarding their 2023 courses is based on meeting current and future pathways plans. It is also extremely important that parents understand the costing arrangements for some courses. We commit to providing a standard of program that is expected within our community, but in some cases, this requires parent contributions to support the significant gap between government provision and program costs. We are always willing to support families in this regard but must be very firm about including students in courses where payment has not been received or arranged. 

 

I want to stress that it is very important that you attend the Expo with your child so that we can proceed with confidence that your son or daughter has selected an appropriate program. I look forward to seeing you all on Monday 25th July!

 

Service in Education

Each year in Education Week, we have a morning tea at which we recognise the years of service given by our teaching and education support staff to the education system.

 

The impact that each of these staff has had on the lives of so many young people – on their achievements, aspirations, and future pathways – is impossible to overstate.

Whilst the two years of lockdowns highlighted the centrality of schools to strong communities, this is something that each of these staff have always known and valued in the work each day.

 

On behalf of the College Board, staff and students, I congratulate Alfrieda Caban, a member of our Careers team at VUSC who has devoted 45 years of her life to fulfill her long life passion in teaching and servicing the education system. Alfrieda attended an award ceremony recently and is pictured here with James Merlino. Well done Alfrieda!

 

Felicity Volume 3 out soon!

Stay tuned for the release of Volume 3 of Felicity, VUSC's student-run literary journal. Previous issues have contained engaging creative writing, interesting poetry, and exemplary essays and reports on a range of topics, all written by VUSC students. There will be a launch event later this term - keep an eye on Compass for more details. 

 

College Expectations

Attendance, Uniform, Punctuality

We greatly appreciate the support we receive from parents/carers to make sure that your child attends school regularly and punctually, is in full school uniform, and is well prepared for all classes with books and equipment.

Attendance

Students must have a minimum of 90% attendance in all classes at each year level.

Uniform

Full uniform must be worn to and from school and on all school excursions, including interschool sport.

Punctuality

Students are expected to be punctual at the start of each day and for all classes. Any student who is late will receive a detention.

 

Attendance

Student attendance continues to be a key focus for all government schools.   

 

Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and continuing through secondary school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and beyond.

 

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation.
  • Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other potentially serious difficulty.
  • By Year 6, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of secondary school.
  • By Year 9 regular and high attendance is a better predictor of finishing school rates than academic results in Year 8.
  • Missing 10 percent, or about 18 days, of the school year can drastically affect a student’s success.
  • Students can be chronically absent even if they only miss a day or two every few weeks. Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child maximise their full potential.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Make school attendance a priority. 

  • Talk about the importance of showing up to school every day, make that the expectation.
  • Help your child maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep. 
  • Try not to schedule dental and medical appointments during the school day. 
  • Don’t let your child stay home unless truly sick ‐ complaints of headaches or stomach aches may be signs of anxiety. 

Help your child stay engaged. 

  • Find out if your child feels engaged by their classes and feels safe from bullies and other threats.
  • Make sure they're not missing class because of behavioural issues.
  • If any of these are problems, work with your school.
  • Stay on top of academic progress and seek help from teachers or tutors if necessary. Make sure teachers know how to contact you.
  • Stay on top of your child’s social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school, while students without many friends can feel isolated.
  • Encourage meaningful afterschool activities, including sports and clubs. 

Communicate with the school

  • Know the school’s attendance policy – incentives and consequences. 
  • Talk to teachers if you notice changes in behaviour ‐ these could be tied to something at school.
  • Check on your child’s attendance to be sure absences are not piling up. 
  • Ask for help from your child's Coordinator, other parents or community agencies if you’re having trouble getting your child to school.

A copy of the VUSC Attendance Policy can be found here. 

 

Thank You

A reminder to parents/carers that Compass is our primary way of communicating with families. All student reports, both progress and end of semester, are available on Compass. We would like you to access these reports and discuss them with your child or children. If you have any questions or concerns about reports, please feel free to contact your child's Year Level Coordinator.

 

Thank you to all of you, as parents/carers, who ensure that your child/children arrive on time for school each day, in uniform and prepared to learn. We greatly appreciate your support.

 

I wish everyone a successful Term 3.

 

Elaine Hazim

College Principal

 

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Child Safety at VUSC

Victoria University Secondary College is committed to providing a child safe and child friendly environment, where students are safe and feel safe. 

 

Our child safety and wellbeing policies outline the measures and strategies we have in place to support, promote and maintain the safety and wellbeing of our students: 

  • Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
  • Child Safety Code of Conduct
  • Child Safe Standards Risk Register
  • Child safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedure

All of our policies are available on our school website here. As valuable partners in promoting and maintaining child safety and wellbeing at VUSC, we welcome and encourage your feedback.