From the Principals' Desk

Nossal Pride

This week I was reminded of the changing nature of our society with the headline “17 jobs over five careers”. Schools in 2018 and beyond cannot be seen simply as a means to achieving a high ATAR but instead as institutions that are instrumental in developing 21st Century skills – including but not limited to critical thinking, problem solving, reasoning, perseverance, self-discipline, initiative, leadership, teamwork, collaboration and cooperation – that are necessary to cope and adapt to a changing workforce.  Careers and roles are constantly changing due to technological advancements and the changing needs of society however it is these soft skills that are becoming increasingly important. Soft skills are more challenging to develop and because they are linked to an individual’s personality they often require constant effort and practice. These skills are increasingly used by employers or universities to determine what sets you apart from other candidates. Once employed, individuals are guided by the professional standards of the organisation and upholding their visions and values.

Nossal High School provides the structures and processes for individuals to develop these skills through engagement in Whole School Nossal Time, Guided Inquiries, the teaching and learning program and a broad range of co-curricular offerings. However, like any organisation there are also professional standards expected of staff and students, which are clearly outlined in the student diary, staff handbook and documentation provided when each student and staff member was inducted into the school community. School uniform illustrates one example of these professional standards. Most importantly it demonstrates our pride in our community and our desire to belong to Nossal High School. While some may not agree with the current uniform policy, it is the responsibility of all members of the school community, staff, students and parents to encourage and enforce the correct wearing of the uniform. Like all organisations there may be opportunity to present arguments for change using appropriate processes, not simply ignoring the policy endorsed by School Council.

Please refer to the current uniform policy as it appears in the school diary below. I ask that you note;

• reference to the length of skirts and shorts being no more than a horizontal hand above the knee
• shorts are acceptable to be worn as part of the winter Academic uniform (despite the diagram not showing this)
• hoodies and other visible clothing should not be seen under the school uniform, including the Nossal PE uniform
• sports uniform should only be worn by Physical Education students on the day that they have a timetabled PE class or on days when students are representing Nossal at interschool sporting events.

Students who are not following the uniform policy will be asked to rectify the problem. I thank you in advance for your support.

URGENT - ALERT/CAUTION 

A Nossal student was the victim of an attempted robbery earlier this week inside the MacDonalds opposite the school. This was at 5.30 pm inside the restaurant in full view of other patrons. A group of 7 older youths demanded his phone, laptop, wallet, and attempted to take the school bag before assaulting him (causing some injury). Fortunately another restaurant customer intervened and the group ran off. The same group and others were near the station the following day attempting to intimidate and provoke a reaction from the victim and others – fortunately the Nossal students appropriately supported each other and were not foolish enough to become involved in any physical alteration.

Police have been informed and are taking action - the group are known to them. Transit Police and Nossal staff will patrol the station area after school to ensure our students are safe and the station staff and Metro Trains are also monitoring. Please exercise caution when leaving the school later in the evening and do not travel alone. I reiterate that all students should have left the school well before 6.00 pm and should not be travelling alone, or walking to the station after dark alone, particularly if this group is willing to assault and rob people in a public place like MacDonalds.

Please ring the school or Mr Page on his mobile (0408121847) immediately should there be any issues or concerns, or the police on 000 if you are witness to, or the victim of such behaviours.

Congratulations

I would like to congratulate Hayden Radford as his essay, “On the Merits of a First Nations Voice in Modern Australia”, was chosen as the runner up of the 2018 John Button School Prize. Hayden will receive a formal letter of congratulations, including judges’ comments, from the Melbourne School of Government and a certificate which will be presented at the 2018 John Button Oration and Reception at the Melbourne Writers Festival on Tuesday 28 August. This year’s Oration will be presented by aboriginal activist and human rights lawyer Megan Davis who will share an on-the-ground account of her involvement with the Uluru Statement From the Heart, the astonishing near-consensus that was achieved, and the great disappointment of its rejection by the Turnbull government.

Flying Scholarship

Congratulations to Year 11 student Kate Cooke for being awarded a Recreational Aviation Australia Scholarship. With over 80 candidates applying for this opportunity, Kate has been presented with one of the 39 scholarships granted this year. Kate will be receiving $1500 worth of flight training which will help her pursue a career in aviation.

Recreation Aviation Australia (RAAus) is passionate about supporting the future of aviation in Australia and you can find out more about their scholarship program here: https://www.raa.asn.au/storage/scholarship-flyer-rgb-final.pdf

Science Week

Science Week was celebrated with many key events from Monday 30 July – Friday 3 August. The Science Assembly led by the students provided wonderful occasion for members of the school community to hear about the many diverse projects that students have engaged in with external organisations including the Dolphin Research team. Each of these experiences have provided students with opportunities which have enriched their understanding and interest in research across many scientific fields of study.

It was fascinating to watch the “Snake man” not only because of his ability to share his extensive knowledge of reptiles but also to watch the different reactions of the students to each of the reptiles that they were able to touch. Like the students, I learnt many new facts during this time including the fact that most deaths caused by animals in Australia is due to horses and cattle and not reptiles which many people fear.

The ‘Meet the Scientist’ lunch was well attended by students and scientists from numerous fields of expertise and tertiary institutions including Federation University, La Trobe University and Monash University. The students questioned each of the scientists wanting to know more about their research and were thoroughly engaged in the activity.

I would like to thank Ms Diane Latham (Science Domain Leader) and her science team for organising each of these events to showcase the diversity of science and the exciting research that is currently taking place to advance these areas.

Thank you

I would like to thank the Nossal community who actively contributed to the Rotary raffle by selling and purchasing tickets. As mentioned previously this raffle is our major fundraising activity for the school with the funds from each ticket sold being returned to the school. I would like to acknowledge the Rotary Club for including Nossal in this fundraising event and for supporting the school in raising funds. This year we raised approximately $13 500 which will be used to improve the educational opportunities for the students.

Course confirmation

The students have spent a number of weeks carefully reading and reviewing the Senior School Handbook to select the subjects that they would like to study in 2019. I was pleased to see that students had engaged in meaningful conversation with their teachers to help to guide their choices, signing in their Passport. All subject entries for students that were made on Wednesday 1 August will be now used to decide subject offerings and blockings for 2019. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms Emma Geyer for overseeing the development of the Handbook, preparing numerous career events throughout course counselling and for organising the smooth running of Course Confirmation Day. I would also like to thank all staff for their assistance in this process and Ms Clarissa Jacques for her careers support at Course Confirmation.

NHS v MHS

On Friday 3 August Nossal High School participated in a friendly sporting competition with Melbourne Boys’ High. Three sporting events were held throughout this competition; AFL, Ultimate / Frisbee and Volleyball. It was a fantastic afternoon of sport with wonderful camaraderie and the opportunity to build friendships across the two schools. This event would not have been possible without the excellent organisation and management of Alvin Santhosh (Year 11) who was instrumental in establishing rules for the events, creating team lists, liaising with MHS students and setting up all equipment for the day.

Winter Concert

The annual Winter Concert was held on Wednesday 8 August in the Meath Auditorium. It was a wonderful evening showcasing the many talented students in the Instrumental Music Program at Nossal. The quality of performances and diversity of sound was astounding, along with the range of instruments that are played. The final band performances, conducted by Ms Nancy Waddington, were exceptional, with over 100 students being involved in producing beautiful musical performances. I would also like to acknowledge the instrumental music team who tutor our students, preparing them for the concert, including Mr Nicholas McCusker, Mr Chris Skepper, Mr Eric Jiang, Mr Lachlan Wallace, Mr Gerard Mapstone, Ms Cassandra Gibson, Ms Tatiana Vega and Mr Arun Patterson.

City Week

We wish our Year 9 students an exciting and adventurous time during their City Week experience starting on Monday 13 August. The students have been working collaboratively on their project for investigation over the last few weeks, finalising their key area of focus and planning their visits to key parts of Melbourne City. We look forward to viewing their final video presentations to hear what they learnt and the skills that were developed through this project. Specific information relating to the excursion is on Compass. Please ensure that your student has planned their journey ensuring that they have plenty of time to meet at the CYC building each morning as there are currently buses replacing trains along sections of the Pakenham train line. If students know that they will be late we ask that they contact Ms Catherine Loel who along with Ms Anna Banaag have organised this event.

House Performing Arts Festival (HPAF)

On Tuesday 28 August the students will be rehearsing for the House Performing Arts Festival (HPAF). The students have been working extremely productively on perfecting their items for their Houses. This is a compulsory school event for students and promises to be a wonderful evening for parents and families to enjoy the entertainment that is on display. If you have not already done so, please use the link below to book your tickets and guarantee your seat for the evening.

All information relating to the event has been entered into Compass. Students will be provided more detailed information closer to the day. We look forward to seeing you at HPAF.

Tickets available from https://tinyurl.com/y9r2pxkw (Nossal students already have allocated seating and do not require tickets)

Meat Tasting

As you may be aware the Nossal PFA would like to invite you to an exciting and tasty fundraiser. The fundraiser requires 60 participants to trial seven different cooked lamb samples and to fill in a short survey on the samples consumed.

To be involved you need to:

• be aged between 18 – 70 years
• eat red meat (medium rare and medium-well done) at least once a fortnight
• enjoy eating roast lamb

The event will be held on Wednesday 22 August beginning at 7.00pm at Nossal High School.

If this event interests you please book through this Trybooking link - https://www.trybooking.com/XIVA

We must have exactly 60 participants on the evening. We will have booking availabilities for emergencies in the event that a taster cannot attend on the night and will contact all participants leading up to the event to ensure that all seats are filled. Please complete the Waiting List details on Trybooking if the event is full when you try to book, notification will be sent out to the participants registered on the  waiting list should places become available.

Fiona Vanstan

Assistant Principal