From the Principal's Desk
The end of Term 3 is upon us, and we are all looking forward to what we hope will be increasingly sunny days during the holiday break ahead.
I would like to begin by thanking our students for their commitment and drive during what is always a challenging term. As they reflect on their reports and continue the conversations about their progress with both their parents and teachers, I encourage them to make a special effort to recognise and celebrate the work that they have done well this term. It is all too easy for us to see the flaws in what we are doing - we generally don't need any help for that! - but learning well also means being able to recognise the growth in our expertise, and taking pride in maintaining and extending that expertise.
On our students' behalf, I would also like to thank the staff in all domains for their exemplary work ethic and their consistent efforts to create and maintain an environment where our students are strongly supported and able to thrive. These contributions are made both inside and outside the classroom, and are a tribute not only to the capability of our staff but also to the trust which they can and do place in each other to work together towards our shared vision.
In particular, I would like to thank Ms Rose Shen and Mrs Donna Callow for their support of our Humanities and Mathematics students this term while two of our ongoing staff members took some well-deserved leave. While we look forward to welcoming back Mr Chris Sacco and Mr Andrew Witt, we have enjoyed having Rose and Donna as part of our community for the past few months.
Curiosity and Caring
As is usual at Nossal, Term 3 has been characterised by an enthusiastic engagement by our students with both academic and non-academic extra-curricular activities. Various groups of Year 10 students have spent time at the nearby Casey Tech School, and as usual our sporting groups have been extremely active. A very recent cause for celebration in this space was the success of our 75 strong Division Athletics Team, which won the Casey North Division Athletics Carnival last week!
There have also been some exciting experiences for our Language Students in the form of Calligraphy and Ikebana workshops.
Looking beyond the school's boundaries, though, have been many groups of students whose work has helped to raise funds for good causes. The Nossal Environment and Sustainability Team (NEST) ran their annual NEST Summit for students not just from Nossal, but from several other schools. The SRC ran their annual World's Greatest Shave event, and our Unit 1 & 2 students ran their annual Market Day, where the profits go to a charity of their choice.
Students in Years 9 and 10 also took part in workshops run by the Melbourne University Global Health Society (a student-led group with links to the University of Melbourne's Global Health Society).
Courage and Celebration
The last few weeks of the term have also been an opportunity for many celebrations. Book Week was, as usual, a vibrant opportunity for our students and staff to celebrate the richness that reading brings to their emotional and intellectual lives. The House Performing Arts Festival was finally completed, with Garuda House taking the prize for their 1970s inspired performance. The courage of our students in stepping outside their comfort zone to make this annual exercise in student-led creativity (and project management!) a success is most admirable.
Our Year 11 students also celebrated together with their annual Formal, this year themed around the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. As usual, our student leaders learned many lessons about what it takes to make an event this large a success, and the attendees all had a lovely time in their finery.
Our chess experts also experienced success this term, coming back with the trophy after their excursion to the Northern Star Chess Zonal School Championships in Pakenham. This passionate group of students regularly impress with their skill. I would like to express the school's appreciation to Mr Bobby Chattrath, who has been a long time supporter of the school's chess-playing community
Clarity and Centering
As we are all aware, we are about to begin the Term 3/Term 4 holiday break. Our students work hard throughout the term, and it is important for them to be proactive in using the holidays as a time for relaxation and renewal.
Our senior students are likely to find this quite challenging. This is their final non-contact period before the end of year examination period, and they will of course have a greater amount of holiday homework than would usually be expected of them as they review and consolidate their notes.
I would like to remind them of the advice that I'm sure their teachers have already given them - if they are going to spend time working over the holidays, then they are best to do that in a structured way (e.g. by constructing a calendar or timetable). It is essential that their plan for the holidays also include some time which is specifically labelled as "work free" if they are to return to school healthy and ready for the challenges of their final few weeks. Personally I would recommend that they use the first week entirely for rest and relaxation, coming to their holiday tasks freshly in the latter parts of the break.
For the rest of our students, the same advice applies. Your teachers may have set a small amount of holiday homework. That's reasonable, but it doesn't mean that they think you should be working for the time you are away. Life beyond the classroom is just as real and just as important as the things you do in an academic context. Enjoy it!
"Hooray!" and Handovers
As we move into the last quarter of the year, we enter a period of celebration and transition. Our alumni organisation, the ONA, is running multiple events in the near future (you may also have noticed that the ONA is also still seeking some folk with cake decorating skills who may be interested in volunteering their time to support various events on their calendar!), and the PFA is also running various end of year activities, including their very popular Mango Fundraising activity.
Finally, we will of course be looking eagerly towards our annual internal events, including Speech Night and the Valedictory Dinner for the Class of 2024. The term will also be full of opportunities for our continuing students to start to think about their role in 2025, including mentoring training and opportunities for our Year 9 and 10 students, and various leadership handover activities for our student leaders at every level.
As these events unfold, we also have some quite serious activities to pursue. As you will see later, we are seeking volunteers to help us supervise the Nossal Examinations for Years 9 - 11.
(Still!) Joyful about the Learning
Finally, I would like to take a moment to thank the many members of our community who have taken the time to reach out to me since the announcement that I will have the privilege of leading Nossal High School into the coming years. It is an honour and a joy to be part of a community which is so engaged by and excited about learning. I look forward to continuing to celebrate the Joy of Learning with our staff, students and families next term and in the years that follow.
Tracey Mackin
Principal