Assistant Principals
From Mrs Stathatos
Reflections on learning
As we approach the end of Term 3 we are reminded of all our achievements to date and we have the time to reflect and re energise for the remainder of the year.
Parent Teacher Student interviews were a terrific opportunity to visibly see the collaboration that exists between students, teachers and parents. The continuous feedback that students receive via the Compass management system is another vehicle with which we visibly present student learning in our aim to help students reach their full potential. Student voice is so important in this endeavour and in a personal reflection with my Year 7 French class, I asked students what their comfort level was going into the next Common Assessed Task.
This response from one student is indicative of the positive culture around learning that exists in the college:
My comfort level going into this test is excellent, as I did well in the practice and understand pretty much all of the French. Also, may I add that I find it really awesome how you want to know how we feel before a test, so thank you for that.
Instructional Model
As part of the Education State initiatives, staff have been exploring both the High Impact Teaching Strategies and an Instructional Model of practice in external workshops, Learning Area meetings and Staff meetings. The Department of Education and Training’s support has been visible through resources that are evidence based and which aim to lift the learning outcomes of students. Further planning, discussion and application of the ideas in this area is continuing.
Indonesian tour
As part of our Internationalising the curriculum, a tour group to Indonesia is heading out of Melbourne this Saturday for an authentic language and cultural experience. Staff Jess Lundie and Benn Jamieson will be accompanying 14 language learning students in Years 8-10 on this much anticipated Indonesian tour. We wish everyone safe and happy travels.
Year 9 City Week
Thank you to our InterGREAT leader Virgina Watson who organised the City Week experience for the Year 9 students and to students and staff who participated in the program. As always we receive positive feedback from the community about the behaviour of our students while in the city. Over the course of a week they learn to navigate their way around the Melbourne CBD experiencing a range of programs and activities. From a personal and academic development, the week offers an opportunity for students to become independent and active citizens whilst developing increased maturity and responsibility.
Gala Concert
To end Term 3 on a bright note, you are invited to the Ringwood Secondary College Gala evening on Thursday 21st of September at the George Wood Performing Arts Centre, Yarra Valley Grammar School. The concert begins at 7.30pm and involves a huge number of our talented musicians across the whole music program. There will be a presentation of awards on the night as well as other special presentations.
Eleni Stathatos
From Mr Barut
Please read the following information from Mrs Cathy Menz, Head of Senior School:
Year 12 students attended ’The Finishing Line' run by Elevate Education on Thursday 7th September. This session covered key ideas on how students can best use these final few weeks leading up to their exams. The session covered some revision techniques, including how to make students knowledge ‘bulletproof’, ways to manage increased stress levels, and the importance of health and wellbeing in these final days of school. The presenter was energetic, passionate and enthusiastic about the students doing their best. Hopefully all students gained some tips or ideas to make these last few weeks fun, productive and less stressful! Students were also given the username and password for the Elevate website where they can access further information as well as some practice exams.
Key Dates for Year 12 students and parents:
Friday 22nd September – Final Day of Term 3
School Holidays – Various revision sessions – timetable has been posted on the Compass Newsfeed for both Year 12 Parents & Students
Monday 9th October – Thursday 19th October – Normal Classes
Friday 20th October – Year 12 student and parent breakfast (details to follow)
Friday 20th October - Year 12 Celebration Day excursion to Funfields (for those who have opted in)
Monday 23rd October – SWOTVAC begins (students are not required at school for classes from this day)
Wednesday 1st November – Wednesday 22nd November – Year 12 Exams
Friday 24th November – Year 12 Valedictory at Melbourne Park
Friday 15th December – Year 12 Results released
Cathy Menz
This information is very important as we ask all our parents to support their son/daughter through the final weeks of secondary education and of course, the examination period.
On another note, planning for 2018 is well underway and one of the most enjoyable tasks of doing this job is interviewing our year 11 applicants for prefect portfolios for next year.
I speak on behalf of the entire panel when I say that we have been awe inspired by the work and dedication to the community that our young people put in, outside school hours. We hear of voluntary service to welfare groups, environment groups, assisting others in transition to the Australian way of life, coaching teams, mentoring others, tutoring both students in younger year levels here at RSC and even visiting local primary schools to offer a helping hand. We have been honoured to hear this commitment from our students and we are so thankful and proud that they attend our college.
Prefects for 2018 will be announced in the following weeks. Good luck to all the applicants.
Our Middle School students have been very, very busy too!
This week, as part of the InterGreat program, every Year 9 student has been involved in City Experience Week, where they have been exposed to a myriad of activities that included, but not limited to:
- ACMI
- Eureka Skydeck
- Street Art Tour
- Melbourne Musuem
- The Shrine
- Etihad Stadium
- River Cruise to Scienceworks and the Planetarium
- Pizza in Lygon Street at Il Gambero
- Ice Skating
- Melbourne Star etc etc
What an adventure for all our students! Thanks must go to Virginia Watson and all the attending staff for all their hard work in giving our students an authentic learning experience. Thank you, too, to the Year 9 cohort for their exemplary behaviour throughout.
This Saturday morning, over 140 Year 10 students will be departing the College on their way to the airport for the first Year 10 Central Trip. What a fantastic time they will have! We wish all the students and their teachers all the best. Just a reminder to parents that normal Year 10 classes will run for the students back at the College. Parents will be notified if there are any changes to these arrangements.
Our Year 7 and 8 students have been working extremely hard to achieve their personal best in classes and extracurricular activities. Congratulations to our youngest cohort who have now completed their first three terms of secondary schooling!
Next Friday, the Year 8 cohort will be travelling to Eastland to watch The Emoji Film, as a reward for all their hard work throughout the year that saw them strengthening positive relationships with their teachers and their peers.
As this is the last newsletter of the term, I would like to wish all our students and their families restful break, to recharge and prepare for another busy, challenging, rewarding upcoming term.
James Barut
From Mrs Allison
Heritage and Alumni Perpetual Scholarship
Heritage and Alumni are offering a perpetual scholarship to all current and potential VCE students. The aim of the scholarship is to support the selected student who faces some form of hardship, to undertake the VCE (Years 11 & 12). The scholarship will assist the student with study requisites, recognise persistence and effort, credit resilience and endeavour and encourage learning and opportunity. The closing date is October 30 with interviews in mid-November. Contact Mrs M Allison (AP) for details. Students are required to submit an application, of no more than 500 words, to mallison@ringwoodsc.vic.edu.au
2018 Leadership positions
Ringwood Secondary College’s leadership program aims to:
- empower students to work in partnership with staff towards shared goals.
- enable creativity to flourish as the school community benefits from the wealth of experiences, ideas, skills and sense of fun that students bring.
- provide opportunities for students to develop leadership skills through a variety of inspiring, challenging and valued projects which impact positively on learning, teaching and well-being for both students and staff.
- prepare students for secondary and tertiary education to achieve personal and professional excellence in life after school.
Students in Years 7-10 are encouraged to apply for a 2018 leadership positions that will be advertised today, via email. A College assembly will be held next Wednesday morning to introduce the outline for the application process. Enquiries can be directed to Ms Karly Horton khorton@ringwoodsc.vic.edu.au
Wellbeing Focus for this week…
Wellbeing Builder:Positive & Optimistic Thinking
Meaning and Purpose: Leadership/Move More
As Barbara Fredrickson’s research has informed us, it is the frequency of positive emotions, not their intensity, which builds our wellbeing. Looking at life optimistically and searching for what is good in things and right about what we are doing sees positive emotions bubbling away in us. We are striving, thriving and flourishing.
When we educate our students about the amazing benefits of adopting an optimistic outlook in their lives and introduce them to the little positive actions they can do often, they shine. Happy people enjoy better health and are more likely to achieve what they set out to do.
The alternative is to look at life pessimistically and search for what is wrong with things. Well guess what? People who adopt this negative way of thinking find plenty of things they perceive to be not right, because that is all they are on the lookout for. It’s a pity they miss out on the great things that are happening and could happen. As such, they seldom have those warm feelings of gratitude and appreciation.
The zest of optimistic thinkers is contagious and rubs off on those around them. Unfortunately, this is also true for negative thinkers.
“It makes sense to me to only think optimistically.” MW
Maria Allison