From the 

Acting Deputy Principal 

As I settle into the role of Acting Deputy Principal at Moama Anglican Grammar for this term, I am faced with new learning opportunities and inevitably challenges. One such opportunity was being invited to attend the University of Melbourne Careers in Teaching Expo on Wednesday, where schools were able to connect with their graduating cohort of students. Employing graduate teachers has many benefits for schools. They often bring a high level of enthusiasm, are adaptable, cost-effective and they bring fresh ideas based on the latest research which can be shared with experienced staff.

When speaking to the students, it was difficult not to reflect on my own 21 years in education, since graduating. I vividly remember my first day on the job, when I was introduced to a Year 9 group of students as their new Dutch teacher for the year. My nerves were at an all time high and I certainly had this ‘swim or sink’ moment. I could sense the trepidation from the students, most about 7 years younger than me, and their doubt that I could teach them anything. You simply have to trust that the four years of studying Teaching at University prepares you for the inevitable first day of teaching without a supervisor in the room. 

Graduating is a time of celebration and it often signifies a point of change which is about to occur; completing your degree and moving into the workforce. A workforce that has seen significant change in the last 2 years due to the impact of COVID-19 on teachers. It is well-documented that the number of students completing their teaching degree has significantly reduced in the last few years. This is leaving a big gap and it changes the dynamic from teachers competing to get a job, to schools competing to attract strong candidates. 

Whilst it was a busy day, I was impressed with the professionalism shown by these students who are about to embark on their professional careers. Thank you, University of Melbourne, for facilitating this great opportunity.

Community Vaping Info Session

One of the challenges in today’s world for parents and schools is staying abreast with the latest issues and trends in the Alcohol & Other Drug (AOD) space. It changes constantly and the latest Vaping wave amongst our young people is a perfect example of confusing misinformation or in fact limited information.

To support the Echuca/Moama community, Moama Anglican Grammar is hosting a Vaping Information and Q&A webinar with Tanya Cavanagh, CEO at NotEvenOnce Projects, on Wednesday 10 August at 7:30pm. This webinar will be open to all members in the community. NotEvenOnce Projects have been supporting Australian Schools since 2015 and to date have delivered to just over 80242 students. The program outcomes have been evaluated by Western Sydney University and shown to positively impact the Cognitive and Affective Domains (How young people think and act) in this space.

During this session she will address some of the Vaping myths and deceptive nature of the Vaping industry and leave you better equipped to discuss this with your children. We hope it will give you some insight into this area that we have only just glimpsed the swell of the tidal wave that is coming to our youth in Australia.

The link for the webinar will be sent out to families via email early next week.

School’s Out

We are excited to commence our partnership with School’s Out in the near future. School’s Out will provide quality Outside of School Hours Care (OSHC) for our Primary students and families. We would like to formally welcome the team at School’s Out to Moama Anglican Grammar. For more information or to get the enrolment process started, please visit their website www.schoolsout.net.au or call them on 1300 329 106. 

Creating a Child Safe culture at MAG

Below are links to some of the key informational documents mentioned during Principal Carmel Spry's recent zoom session on Child Safety at MAG:

Child Protection Policy:

https://www.moamagrammar.nsw.edu.au/about-us/strategic-plan-and-policies/

Child Protection Officers - make a report: 

https://www.moamagrammar.nsw.edu.au/about-us/strategic-plan-and-policies/

Other Information

https://ocg.nsw.gov.au/organisations/reportable-conduct-scheme

https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/providers/children-families/child-protection-services

Kind Regards,

Nici Deller

Acting Deputy Principal