Principal's Report
Student Achievement: Make a Wish Foundation
It was a real surprise to him when Marco Orbiki (Year 11, Everard House) received communication that his Make A Wish Foundation wish was about to be realised. Marco’s wish was a trip on a test train through the new metro tunnel with former Premier Dan Andrews.
Marco had an amazing day, as he claims, “It was perfect”.
Dan Andrews was very accommodating and spent the whole time with Marco explaining every aspect of the project, and other projects that Marco was interested in.
Marco also received a letter of congratulations and an itinerary from current Premier the Hon. Jacinta Allen.
It is clear that the Work of the Foundation, is crucial in realising the dreams of many wonderful young people and this experience has not only made Marco’s day but also instilled in him the belief that dreams can come true. We are very happy to know that Marco had a brilliant day with his family living his dream.
Volleyball National Performance Camp
Congratulations to Gus Danelutti (Year 10, Everard House) who has been selected to participate in the Volleyball National Performance Camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra from the 18 - 27 November. This is a great opportunity for Gus and a great achievement to be selected as one of the top volleyball performers in the country for his age group. On his return to school on Thursday 28, Gus will be joining his Eltham team mates to participate in the 3 day Volleyball Victoria tournament representing our school.
Well done Gus!
Year 12 Valedictory Evening
The Year 12 Valedictory evening took place on Thursday 21 November at the conclusion of the Year 12 exams. As a community we gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of our Year 12 VCE, VCE/VM and Victorian Pathways Certificate students. As we bid the class of 2024 farewell, we did so with the hope that each of them has a future filled with opportunity, fulfillment, and prosperity.
The students were fabulous, and their parents/carers were there to support them and cheer them on. It was a fabulous night and one that the students had worked toward for the entire year.
The student performances of the night were superb.
I take this opportunity to remind them all that regardless of having graduated from the school, they will always be part of the Eltham High School Learning Community.
I wish to thank all the staff who attended and in particular the Senior School Team under the leadership of Ms Amanda Saliba who did an amazing job in the organization and running of the evening.
Everyone had a great time. Thank you to all the participants and organisers.
HeadStart Program
The Year 12 HeadStart Program is now over. Currently Year 10 Exams are occurring and then Year 11 HeadStart will begin on Tuesday 3 December for one week.
A big thank you to the Senior Sub-school team, the teachers and our Daily Organiser, Danka Kantarovski for the time and effort that goes into organising, timetabling and running of these programs.
The year is quickly coming to a close and before we know it, it will be Christmas.
There will only be one more edition of this newsletter in the week of Monday 9 December with an update published in the week of Monday 16 December, the last week of school.
Ongoing Engagement in Learning - 2025 Reporting Changes
Consistent engagement in learning is essential for students’ success and growth. When students regularly participate in class, complete learning activities, and actively seek understanding, they develop important habits that support lifelong learning. By adopting a growth mindset—believing that their knowledge and skills can improve through effort—they’re more likely to embrace challenges and learn from mistakes. Encouraging students to reflect on their learning further enhances this growth, helping them identify strengths, recognise areas for improvement, and set achievable goals. Together, these practices not only build academic skills but also foster resilience, confidence, and a positive attitude towards learning, setting students up for future success. As a learning community we are always seeking ways of supporting these learning dispositions in our students.
In support of these values, from 2025 the learning engagement of all students across Years 7-12 will be formally tracked through Engagement in Learning (previously work habits) on both Interim and Semester Reports. Engagement in Learning will comprise of Ongoing Learning Expectations, Organisation, Effort and Persistence, and Respectful Behaviour.
ENGAGEMENT IN LEARNING | ||
| Ongoing Learning Expectations | The learning progress and engagement the student has demonstrated in the subject. This encompasses overall performance on assessments, classwork, and homework as well as the way a student demonstrates reflection, growth mindset, and takes on feedback to improve learning.
| Outstanding – Excellent – Very Good – Good – Satisfactory – Needs Improvement – Not Satisfactory – Not Applicable |
| Effort and Persistence | The determination and commitment the student has demonstrated toward their learning growth. | Outstanding – Excellent – Very Good – Good – Satisfactory – Needs Improvement – Not Satisfactory – Not Applicable
|
| Organisation | Behaviour and conduct in class that demonstrates consideration of, and respect for, peers and teachers to maintain a productive and safe learning environment. This encompasses the responsible and appropriate use of ICT in the classroom.
| Always – Usually –Sometimes – Rarely – Never – Not Applicable
|
| Respectful Behaviour | The demonstration of effective organisational skills including:
| Always – Usually –Sometimes – Rarely – Never – Not Applicable
|
For students in Years 8-10 a student’s satisfactory completion of a subject will be determined based on both their completion and level of achievement in Common Assessment Tasks, and the demonstration of consistent learning engagement. Both elements will be equally weighted in determining if a student has successfully completed a subject. The satisfactory completion requirements for each year level, commencing in 2025, are outlined below:
At Year 7: While there are no S/N judgements included for Year 7 students it is still expected that there is consistent engagement with all aspects of learning in a subject. Students are expected to demonstrate engagement in ongoing learning in class, at home, and through formal assessment tasks. At Year 7 these are predominantly in class learning tasks. Where a student is demonstrating difficulty in engaging consistently and productively with their learning, teachers and the sub school coordination team may put additional supports in place.
At Year 8-9: At Year 8-9 S/N judgements are made on the basis of a student completing the following:
- Engagement in Learning demonstrated at the level of:
- Satisfactory or above for Ongoing Learning Expectations and Effort and Persistence
- Usually or Always for Organisation and Respectful Behaviour
- A student may receive one result of Needs Attention or Sometimes and still receive an S.
- Attempted all Common Assessment Tasks
- Satisfactory completion of 80% of Common Assessment Tasks (e.g. 3 of 4, or 2 of 3)
An N result (Not Satisfactory) may be given to Year 8 – 9 students who do not meet the above requirements or who receive a Needs Attention for 50% of Common Assessment Tasks for the semester (e.g. 2 of 4 tasks).
At Year 10: At Year 10 S/N judgements are made on the basis of a student completing the following:
- Engagement in Learning demonstrated at the level of:
- Satisfactory or above for Ongoing Learning Expectations and Effort and Persistence
- Usually or Always for Organisation and Respectful Behaviour
- A student may receive one result of Needs Attention or Sometimes and still receive an S.
- Attempted all Common Assessment Tasks
- Satisfactory completion of all Common Assessment Tasks
An N result (Not Satisfactory) may be given to Year 10 students who do not meet the above requirements.
At VCE: There will not be any change to how S/N judgements are made at Years 11 and 12 however the Engagement in Learning descriptive habits will be included on all reports as a means of promoting discussions regarding consistent and productive learning habits in VCE.
The descriptive scales that outline the expected qualities and behaviours at each stage are available to view through Compass – School Documentation – 2025 Engagement in Learning Reporting Scales. All staff will use these scales as the basis of their judgements.
Further information will be provided to parents through two online information sessions in Term 1, one at the start of the term, and one prior to the release of Interim Reports. Details about these sessions will be published in the new year.
Student Safety at the Start and End of The School Day
I once again take the opportunity to remind parents/carers of the importance of obeying road rules all the time and especially in the vicinity of the school. I ask you all to be cautious around the children’s crossing and to always follow the guidance provided by the crossing supervisor.
It is important that you are constantly vigilant, watching for students whilst driving on Withers Way and Susan Street during peak times (8:30 – 9:00am and 3:00 – 3:30pm) and adhere to the speed limit.
I also remind you that the front of the administration building is a “No Standing” area during peak times; and you cannot queue there prior to pick-up. If you arrive early and your child is not standing at your pickup point you are required to drive through the circular drive and enter as many times as needed until your child is there for pick up.
If you have been fortunate to find a parking spot when entering the circular drive, we ask that you reverse park as this will reduce the risk of colliding with a student on their way out of the school as well as with other cars.
It would also be reasonable and sensible for you to reverse park in the parking bays at the front of the school as this will reduce the risk of you backing out onto oncoming traffic when you leave.
Signage already exists in front of the administration area about it being a “No Standing” zone between 8:00 - 10:00am and 2:00 - 4:00pm. We are looking at installing additional signage reminding parents/carers to reverse park.
Please be aware that if these measures do not improve safety for our students especially at peak times we will engage with local authorities (Victoria Police and/or Council) to discuss the possibility of increased enforcement of parking restrictions and/or road rules.
I look forward to your ongoing support with this matter.
VINCENT SICARI, Principal