Principal - Peter Corkill

Dear Parents and Students

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all new parents, teachers and students to the JMSS community, and of course a sincere welcome back to those of you who were with us in 2015. The holiday break was well-deserved, and I hope everyone managed to have a relaxed time with family and friends, especially after the wonderful success of the International Student Science Fair which we hosted in December. Whilst a most memorable and energising experience for us all, it was certainly taxing at the end of such a busy year, so I trust you all took the chance to recharge over the summer.

The new students have already made a wonderful start to their schooling at JMSS. The Year 10 Camp was another terrific success, my congratulations to Mrs Sally Cheah-Johnson, Mr Chisholm and all the staff for their hard work, and to the students who engaged so willingly with every activity and met all of the challenges on the camp, especially in getting to know as many people as possible and giving everything a go in the true JMSS tradition.

Our fortnightly newsletters will inform you of some important upcoming events, and report on the highlights of life at JMSS. We urge all members of our community to keep up with the news at JMSS through these newsletters.

New Staff at JMSS in 2016

Eleven new members of staff have joined the school, adding to the rich mix of teaching and support staff already at JMSS. We also welcome back two staff members returning from family leave.

Driving Arrangements In Front of JMSS

Soon the new Monash Village in front of the school will return to full operation, and it is important that parents observe the correct protocols for dropping off and picking up students. The zone will become very busy soon and it is vital that all parents follow these rules in order to keep all students SAFE. In summary:

• The road in front of the school is TWO-WAY, but you can only drop-off or pick up students if you are heading WEST along that road. In this case you may enter the drop-off bays directly in front of the school;
• If approaching the school from the western end, cars may turn left into the Village carpark, and then take care to turn right onto the main road in front of the school, drop their student in front of the school, and exit via the road on the western end.
• Please DO NOT try to drop students off in front of the Monash Village as this congests traffic, and creates a danger for your son or daughter crossing the road into JMSS.

Please take note of these arrangements and proceed accordingly.

"Meet the Mentor" Night for All New Year 10 and 11 Parents – Tuesday 16th Feb at 7pm

The ‘Meet The Mentor’ Night for new parents is scheduled for this coming Tuesday 16th February at the school at 7pm. The event will give you all an opportunity to meet with the Principal Class Officers and your child’s House Leaders and Mentors. You will be able to access important information about the way the House system operates and other matters related to starting at JMSS. You will be given your Compass login and password. All of our students have made a terrific start and we look forward to meeting you all on Tuesday. All parents of Year 10 and new Year 11 students are welcome to attend.

School Council Elections

As our School continues to grow it is important we are able to draw on the experience, expertise and energy of members of our parent community to continue to guide JMSS through the next stage of its development, characterised by our new Strategic Plan which emanated from the whole school review undertaken in 2015. If you would like to be involved, now is the time to put yourself forward.

We have TWO vacancies for positions on School Council, both for a two-year term. This is due to two Councillors finishing their current terms.

Nominations are due by 4pm on Wednesday 24th February 2016, and more information and forms are available in the “Parents” section on the school website: http://www.jmss.vic.edu.au/jmss/2851/school-council?frm_id=65. Once complete, please send your forms to our Business Manager Mrs Alison Galloway alison.galloway@ jmss.vic.edu.au.

Should there be more nominations than vacancies, we will proceed to an election, and will contact you again once nominations are closed.

Parents who do not wish to stand for election to join Council may still wish to contribute to one of our Council Subcommittees: Learning and Teaching, Student Wellbeing, Philanthropic and Corporate Support, Facilities and Finance. If you are interested in any of these please contact either myself or our Business Manager Alison Galloway at school via phone (99051002) or email (peter.corkill@jmss.vic.edu.au, or alison.galloway@ jmss.vic.edu.au).

Parents and Friends Association

Our PFA organises social functions for parents as well as raising some much needed funds for the school, so if you would like to join I am sure they would love to see you at their meetings. The PFA will be supporting our ‘Meet The Mentor’ night and you will be able to meet many of the parent members.

Homestays for our Regional Exchange Students

As mentioned to parents and students at recent events, there is an opportunity to host one of our visiting Year 10 students from regional Victoria. This year we will host students for FOUR weeks early in Term Three (Weeks 2, 3, 4 and 5) from Monday 18th July until Friday 12th August. Hosting one or more of these students for their time at JMSS is an outstanding opportunity for our own students to get to know people who live in a very different situation to our own. Having been involved in such programs at JMSS and at previous schools, I can say honestly it is an opportunity for lifelong friendships to form, and a chance to offer these young Victorians an opportunity they would never otherwise access. We look forward to your support in providing a life-changing experience for a fellow young Victorian.

I would ask all families interested in hosting a student to please email Ms Lisa Horsley at school – lisa.horsley@jmss.vic.edu.au. It would be good to have our homestay families for the exchange known by the end of February. We will be in touch soon after to arrange a meeting to give you further information and answer any questions you may have.

Peter Corkill

Principal