Assistant Principals
Eleni Stathatos
Education week
With the theme of celebrating careers and pathways, the staff in the Careers Department provided a series of activities to engage the students and have them thinking in earnest of their future pathways. Thank you to all involved.
Thank you to the members of the PCTA who contributed to the Staff Thank You Morning Tea which was enjoyed by current staff and members of the Heritage and Alumni Committee. We recognised Annette Niven, one of our staff members for her 45 years of service to public education - a magnificent effort!
Annette will be honoured at a Department of Education and Training ceremony this month.
Sharing programs- Marryatville High School, South Australia
We were privileged to be selected by a like school in another state to be a host for 4 leaders who are looking at their own school improvement in line with their school review.
The four staff from Marryatville High School in South Australia were interested in a range of our programs and especially transition from Grade 6 to Year 7, as South Australian schools are moving to incorporate Year 7 students as part of high school rather than primary. The staff particularly liked our Positive Learning Behaviours and BOUNCE program.
REALM
Staff at Ringwood Secondary College had a professional learning session with the digital team from REALM and were delighted to discover that one of the presenters was an ex-student who remembered vividly, and drew humorously on his experiences as a student at the College. The Eastern Regional Libraries provide an amazing resource for our students and we are developing further steps to engage students and develop their love of reading.
Education State School Conference
Leading Learning for Excellence
It was terrific to spend two days in the city as part of a week long conference which aims to keep at the forefront of everything we do, a high quality education for our students. The theme of this year’s conference - Leading Learning for Excellence - drove the message that the progress in our leadership will help achieve excellence for all our students.
The Department of Education and Training is committed to provide the support necessary for schools to produce and recognise the best quality teaching and learning.
Professional Learning
You are never too old to learn and I had a lovely afternoon this past fortnight when I was awarded a Certificate of Principal Preparation (Victoria) from Monash University. As a graduate of the program I have increased my knowledge and skills about school leadership which I practise every day and support the urgency to lift outcomes for our students.
I hope to be a positive role model for anyone aspiring to be a leader, no matter what age, and especially to girls.
End of Semester
The end of Semester 1 is quickly approaching and students are in the midst of revising for exams and tests, fulfilling homework and class requirements and completing the reflections on their learning. Reports will be made available through Compass on the last day of term.
Eleni Stathatos
Assistant Principal
Kyle Simkin
Whilst it has only been two weeks since the last edition of the newsletter was published, a lot of exciting things have been occurring in and out of the classroom.
Year 7 students are nearing the end of their first semester at secondary school, a great achievement which they will celebrate with the Trivia Day on the last day of term at the Manningham Centre. Please ensure consent has been given for this activity on Compass and contact Voula Margellis via email vmargellis@ringwoodsc.vic.edu.au if your child has any specific dietary requirements for the day. Year 7 students have already signed up for tables for the day, for what will no doubt be a fantastic trivia battle.
NAPLAN testing was completed at the end of Week 5 and gave Year 7 and Year 9 students a chance to complete examinations under conditions similar to those they will face in Year 10 and VCE. A number of the teachers who supervised the tests commented that students behaved very well during the testing period and it was obvious the majority of students were attempting to complete the tasks to the best of their ability.
Year 8 students all participated in a Wellbeing Day excursion during Week 5, held at EV’s in Croydon. The feedback from students was that it was a very enjoyable day, with a wide variety of activities, whilst teachers noted that students were engaged and very willing to participate in the tasks. Staff were also impressed that almost all students had a Myki card topped up and ready to go for the day! Year 8 are undertaking a Commerce unit across their Mathematics, English, Language, Science and Geography classes in the final two weeks of term. This unit consists of three modules investigating Work and Work futures, Government and Democracy and Law Making, with many students covering some of these important topics for the first time at secondary school level.
Year 9 students commence their community engagement project this coming week, which aim to make a positive difference to the lives of various groups within the local area. Over the course of the project, students will be working in teams on projects including assisting in a local aged care home and at local primary schools, knitting for those in need, working in community gardens, and teaching technology skills to members of the community who will visit Ringwood Secondary College. In previous years, both community members and the students involved have all indicated that the experience was a very positive one, and we look forward to seeing and hearing about the fantastic achievements that will occur during the program.
Year 10 students are about to embark on an extremely busy period, with their exams commencing next week. Following this, the whole year level undertakes Work Experience in Week 9, whilst in Week 10 half of the year level sets off on the Central Australia trip while the remaining students complete a second week of Work experience. The exam period should enable students to demonstrate the progress they have made this semester and assist teachers as they plan for the remainder of the year, whilst Work Experience and the Central Trip should give students a great insight into the world beyond Ringwood Secondary College and the opportunities that exist for them beyond the classroom.
Year 11 students commence their exams this coming week and all students completing a Unit 3 and 4 subject will also complete the GAT on June 12th either in the Hall, Library or 500’s. Details are available for students near the VCE office. It’s also a very busy time for assessment for Year 11 and 12, across a number of subjects and students are encouraged to revise thoroughly and use the skills they have developed in their earlier Elevate sessions to help prepare them for these tasks. With only three weeks of term left, there is a relatively short time until they can hopefully take a well deceived break during the July school holidays.
Uniform
A reminder that students should all be in Winter uniform, the key details of which are:
- Winter skirt should be worn instead of the summer dress. The white blouse can be worn with the winter skirt
- Black tights or white socks may be worn with the winter skirt. If wearing socks with tights these socks should be black.
- A tie needs to be worn with either the short or long sleeved white shirt
No hoodies should be worn to school at any time, with only college jumpers and jackets allowed.
Kyle Simkin
Acting Assistant Principal