From the Principal Class Team
Dear Parents/Guardians
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.
Already this term there have been so many fabulous things happening around the school making it hard to believe we are only just over three weeks into Term 3: course counselling, the Art Expo, MAC, interschool sport, Maths Games Day, and LOTE poetry competitions are just some of the events that have contributed, in many ways, to providing enriching and challenging experiences for our students. Thanks and congratulations to all our staff who have coordinated and participated in these activities.
Welcome
It is a pleasure to welcome a number of new teaching and Education Support staff to the College this term. Ms Ashima Ghuman is replacing Louis Turner whilst he is on leave this term and Ms Ayse Unal replaces Amy Lee who is also enjoying a term’s leave. Ms Lesley Wright joins the Food Technology team for the remainder of the year. We also welcome Mr Justin Gourlay to the Science Department as a Lab Technician, and Ms Grace Wendiggensen to the Individual Needs Department as a Speech Therapist. Ms Linda Rose is our new Canteen Manager, Mr Brett Pollard will manage Facilities and OHS, and Ms Sarah Weston joins the General Office team as Marketing & Publicity Officer.
We are delighted to have these new staff join our team, and wish each of them all the very best for their time with us.
Recognition of Service
Each year we recognise staff who have completed a significant number of years of service with the Department of Education, as well as at St Albans Secondary College. Earlier this term we paid tribute to 25 staff for their individual and collective contributions to government school education in Victoria, and, most importantly, acknowledged the positive impact they have had on the educational outcomes, lives and opportunities of many thousands of students.
Between them, they represented over 400 years of service with the Department and over 340 years at our school. On behalf of the entire school community we congratulate and thank each of the following staff members:
St Albans Secondary College Recognition Awards
Lynne Borle 15 years
Derek Newsome 15 years
Craig Jennings 20 years
Rosemary Bambery 25 years
Surjeet Singh 25 years
Stewart Fraser 30 years
10 Years Service in Education & 10 years at St Albans Secondary
Atarjit Brar
Louise Bryant
Marlene Cassar
Lauren Honeycombe
Louis Turner
Maree Wilke
15 Years in Education
Gloria Vlasonjic
15 Years in Education & 15 years at St Albans Secondary College
Catherine Armstrong
20 Years in Education
Piera Biondi
Michelle Veith
25 Years in Education & 10 Years at St Albans Secondary College
John Eckel
25 Years in Education & 25 Years at St Albans Secondary College
Andrea Coleridge
Thu Tran
30 Years in Education
Laura Gough
Gregory Sheen
30 Years in Education and 30 Years at St Albans Secondary College
Kathy Haris
Mark Micallef
35 Years in Education
Cinzia Cunningham
40 Years in Education and 20 Years at St Albans Secondary College
David Russell
Congratulations….
To Mr Louis Turner, his partner, Emily, and their daughter, Lotte, on the arrival of their son and little brother, Jens. Everyone is doing well, and we are really happy for them.
And congratulations, too, to the staff of our LOTE Department and their students who achieved outstanding success in both the Italian Dante Alighieri and French Berthe Mouchette poetry competitions. Students in both languages made it to state level in the competition. Toutes nos félicitations! See our article for the full report.
Curriculum Day
All staff were involved in professional learning during our Curriculum Day on Friday, 28 July.
The focus for the day was on creating assessment for teaching rubrics under the guidance of consultant Michael Francis, from the Assessment Research Centre, University of Melbourne. Assessment for teaching rubrics (also called developmental rubrics) are a valuable tool used by teachers and students to interpret student progress, provide specific feedback, and set learning goals. Teachers have created rubrics on the key knowledge and skills that students will need to demonstrate in their learning. Thanks to all staff for their ongoing work in this new initiative.
100 Days of Success
Year 11 students started Term 3 with a well-deserved celebration of 100 Days of Success in their VCE and VCAL studies. Students who have excelled both academically, as well as in co-curricular activities were recognised with special awards. A large proportion of students also received certificates for 100 % attendance this year.
The celebration continued with a range of musical performances, showcasing the wonderful talents of the VET music students. The highlight was certainly Tim Ellis, a skilled illusionist who uses pure dexterity and a few tricky props. His performance seemed utterly impossible and captured the imagination of both staff and students. Congratulations to all students on your achievements and a big thank you to the Senior Sub School Team for their organisation of this event.
Course Counselling
All students in Years 9 to 11 have now participated in course counselling. After completing a pre course counselling assignment, and with the support of the MIPs team, students selected subjects that will support their future pathway aspirations. We will now use the information gathered to start planning for 2018, including timetable construction and staffing. Thanks to the MIPs team and the course counsellors for their work with the students.
Parent Opinion Survey
The annual Parent Opinion survey is now underway. This Department of Education survey is an important way for us to gather information about parent perceptions of the school. This information is used in a variety of ways to inform planning for 2018. If you are one of the families randomly selected to participate we would appreciate your support in filling out this survey. Further information is included in this newsletter.
MAC - The Wizard of Oz
Well done to all of the students and staff involved in this year’s MAC production, 'The Wizard of Oz’. It was a fabulous show that showcased the tremendous talent of our students. A special thank you to the staff who have put in many hours of work, including after school, holidays and weekends, under the leadership of Ms Janet McKenzie, who directed the show. It was a real team effort, and many staff have put in a huge amount of time and effort. Well done to you all!
Year 8 Parent Information Night
A reminder that all parents of Year 8 students are invited to the College on Thursday 17 August from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. This evening is an opportunity to celebrate student success, hear some performances, and receive important information about subject selection for 2018. We hope to see you all here! Please contact the Junior Sub School if you have any questions.
Facilities News
There has been a lot happening at the school over the recent weeks with room upgrades and new student facilities now completed. This has been accomplished with the support of the school’s Facilities & Finance Committee and the school’s commitment to providing the best teaching and learning environment we can for our staff and students.
We have a new Facilities & OHS Manager, Mr Brett Pollard, who is assuming the role while Mr David Fraser is on leave until the end of the year. We look forward to working closely with Brett to maintain the facilities and grounds at the high standard we have set for ourselves and our community.
2 New classrooms in D-Wing
Over the term break the school removed one of our kitchen areas and created 2 new classrooms. These new rooms D3 & D5 are bright, fresh and create extra learning spaces to cater for our increased student numbers. They are fitted out with the latest technology and new furniture to support student learning.
New All-weather Barrel Shade for student walkways and passive recreation area
The installation of two new shade structures over the walkways between our new portable classrooms now provides excellent protection from the weather for students and staff. These shades provide protection all year round and is another student friendly meeting area for recess and lunchtimes. Alongside these shades, the school has created a grassed shaded area that will have student seating installed in the next few weeks.
New infills between our new portable classrooms
The installation of infills between our new portable classrooms has made an enormous difference in blocking the cooler winds that had been blowing between the buildings. This greatly increases staff and student comfort and has also integrated these new buildings into the main buildings of the school. With the onset of spring, we will also plant out the garden beds around the portables to create another very pleasant area in the school for students to enjoy.
INTERACT Club - Doing Good Things for the Community
The school’s INTERACT Club continues to work diligently to refurbish the local SCOPE Centre outdoor recreation area. Teams of students have been working Thursday mornings and afternoons to rejuvenate the gardens, provide an area for the residents to display their artworks, and generally brighten up a dull area with colour painting and new furniture. The students have raised funds from BBQs at school and a seeding grant from Brimbank Central Rotary. We expect to be able to handover the new area to the residents at SCOPE around the start of Term 4 this year.
Student Attitudes to School Survey
Late last term students from Years 7 – 12 completed the annual Student Attitudes to School Survey and the preliminary results have arrived at the school. The Sub Schools and the Principal Class members have looked at the data and will conduct a more thorough analysis when the comparative data from the survey is sent to schools. Initial feedback from students seems to indicate that they feel safe and supported by their teachers and the school and are motivated to do their best. In the coming weeks, with the additional comparative data, we will provide detailed feedback to the students and outline how we will celebrate the things we are doing well and address any areas identified as needing improvement.
And finally….
Thank you to all of you, as parents, who ensure that your children arrive on time for school each day. We greatly appreciate your support. However, we still have many parents who drop off their children at school after classes have started at 8:55am. Whilst we understand that occasionally things can happen to cause lateness, in most cases, it is avoidable. We expect students to be in class, ready to learn on the second bell. The Principal Team will contact families where repeated lateness is a concern to discuss expectations and support as needed.
We wish everyone a successful Term 3.
Principal - Ms Kerrie Dowsley
Assistant Principal - Mr Ian Crocker
Assistant Principal - Ms Losh Pillay
Assistant Principal - Mr Craig Jennings