Principal's Report

While our College year has continued to be disrupted this term, I am pleased with how our community has adapted and maintained resilience and a focus on student learning and wellbeing.

The Covid-19 pandemic globally has affected everyone in some way. There have been many negative impacts, including illness and loss of life, isolation, face to face schooling, employment, and financial hardship. But there has been a reason for optimism: the pandemic has brought our college community closer together by providing our parents and carers insights and access to the education of your children like never before, slowed the ever-increasing pace of society and returned us to spend more time in the communities in which we live.

Many of us may have previously thought about communities as neighbours, meeting at a local business or sporting club, friends gathered for a shared meal and co-workers working side by side on common challenges. Throughout the past two years our College Community has grown, we may not have been able to be on site as much, but we have embraced the use of technology and increased our online communication skills and use of computer programs at rates well beyond previous levels.

We have been able to connect online in large groups for information evenings, connect individually with other community members, have been able to conduct meetings online and most importantly we have been able to provide continuous access to learning throughout.

One learning that is clear, during times of hardship, uncertainty and fear, community is more important than ever. I thank members of our community including our business and industry partners who have reached out and supported others in need.

Highlights this term:

Increased enrolments for 2022
Transition opportunities
Careers Meetings
Crazy Hair Day
Pets Day
Footy Colours Day
Subject Competitions
Online parent / student teacher conferences
Subject Selection Information Evenings
Australian Business Community Network Partnership (ABCN) Activities
Health and Wellbeing Programs and Evenings
Student Voice and Agency Programs
Police Community Project
KIOSC
Journey Tracks Program
MAT Program
Elevate Sessions
Parenting Webinars
Knox Youth Summit

COVID-19 Vaccinations

As part of the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out, from Monday 13 September, all Victorians aged 12 years and older are eligible to book and receive a COVID-19 vaccine at a state vaccination centre, a Commonwealth vaccination centre, or through a GP clinic, pharmacy or community health service.

Students aged 12 to 15 years can book their own appointment and may be able to consent to vaccination themselves if the health professional assesses them to be a mature minor. This means that the health professional assesses that they understand the information relevant to this decision to be vaccinated and the effect of that decision. Where a student is not considered to be a mature minor by the health professional, the health professional will seek consent from the student’s parent / carer. For further information please refer to the Department of Education Update Letter posted on Compass this week.

VCE Revision Program

This week we provided our Year 11 and 12 VCE students undertaking Unit 3 and 4 studies their revision packs for the Knox VCE Revision Program. The program being conducted next week was initiated, and is coordinated by our College, provides presentations by presenters who are, or have been, recent VCAA assessors for the external exams. Students were also presented with a snack pack to support their studies.

NAPLAN Results

As you may have seen in the media, NAPLAN results have been shared with schools and will very soon be shared with students. I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate our students on their results, as well as thanking parents for their support. Once again, we have had significant growth above the state in several areas. Our numeracy growth continues to highlight the success of our instructional model, the solid evidence-based teacher practises and the value of students maintaining a positive growth mindset. Enrolling your child at Scoresby Secondary College does provide every opportunity for your child’s learning to grow.

This year VCAA have introduced Certificates of Achievement for exceptional results. It was wonderful to receive some for our student’s literacy and /or numeracy. These will be presented at an assembly next term.

I would be remiss if I did not re-enforce our core beliefs about the purpose of education. While high academic results are to be celebrated, results alone are not the only measure of a student’s success, nor does a single test define your child’s future. I am proud that our staff work incredibly hard to not only ensure that every individual student has every opportunity to experience learning growth but also to prepare them for the future. Teacher teams facilitates increased personalisation of programs which allows us to extend our top achievers through enrichment and extension programs whilst delivering small group and one on one support to raise the outcomes for students who require additional support.

Tertiary providers and employers are seeking students with broader education skills as highlighted by Professor Yong Zhao following YouTube clip https://youtu.be/3sfcSyJ-vQs

It is through the development of the skills, knowledge and attributes our children can develop physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially.

Knox Police Community Project

Our Year 7 students were invited to participate in our Term 3, Victoria Police Community Project. Students were asked to create thankyou messages for Victoria Police in acknowledgement for the work they have being carrying out to keep all members of the community safe.

The thank you acknowledgements accompanied by 100 individually packaged cupcakes were presented to Knox Police Area Commander and Officer in Charge of the Knox Police Station on Monday 6 September. The Knox Police were thrilled to receive the messages which have been displayed around the Knox Police Complex. The cup-cakes which were decorated in police colours of blue and white were also much appreciated and provided police members a much-needed lift.

Thank you to Mrs Carol Perryman from Food Technology for supporting the baking and decorating the cup cakes and Mrs Vicky Kamfonas for the packaging and boxing for transporting safely back to the station.

I am very proud of the work that our staff undertake every day at the College, and I would like to extend my congratulations and gratitude for their efforts and all members of our community as we head into the break

On Sunday the Premier will be announcing the next steps to a COVID normal life. Let’s hope we can see all students return to school, if not at the start of the term, then at least before the end of the year.

Please keep a check on Compass for updates over the break.

In the meantime, please keep safe and well and I encourage everyone to get vaccinated.

Mrs Gail Major

Principal