WELC & International Student Report

Message from the WELC and International Student Coordinator 

Ms Debby Morgan

WELC – Term 4

Language Centre Report

WELC students have had a busy start to Term 4.  We have had 16 new students enrol in our Language Centre this term and are running 5 classes. All students went on an excursion to Philip Island. After a long bus trip, students had great fun meeting Australian animals up close. Students were able to feed kangaroos and wallabies and watched two koalas fighting over one tree. Later the group went to the Nobbies and took some photos of the beautiful scenery and their classmates. It was a wonderful day and was enjoyed by all.

This week, students participated in a ‘Meet a Lifeguard’ workshop. They were taught several tips for keeping safe at the beach and introduced to the work of a lifeguard. Later this term, students will go to the beach and be able to learn practical tips to help them keep safe around water. We encourage all students to learn to swim or keep practising their swimming while in Australia and encourage them to follow the safety rules they have been taught so they keep safe always.

In Week 6, on Thursday 9 November, we will hold Parent Teacher interviews. All families are welcome to attend to discuss their children’s progress. Our program is an intensive program, and we encourage all students to use their time well so they can make the biggest progress possible during their short time in the Language Centre.

All students have been provided with a Reading Eggs subscription and should do some Reading Eggs practice every night. Additionally, Group 4 students are encouraged to come to school at 8:30 am on Tuesday and Thursday mornings to do extra reading practice with staff. If students do not understand their homework or want to ask questions, they are welcome to ask teachers before school or after school, too.

Later this term, many of our students will transition to their new schools and may go to a Transition program in November or December. If you need any help enrolling your student in their future school, please contact me at school.

Debby Morgan

WELC Coordinator

International Program Report

The International program is growing every term. We have had new students start at Westall this term and currently have 95 students in our program. This year we have nine Year 12 International students and they are currently completing their final exams. We wish them all the best for these exams and into the future. We look forward to celebrating their achievements at the Year 12 Graduation later this year.

On 30 October we held Homestay Training for our homestay providers. Anyone who was unable to attend should contact me at school to arrange another time to complete this training.

We held September and October birthday celebrations this term and you can see the pictures in this newsletter. We wish all these students a very happy birthday.

Just a reminder to all senior students that we have Homework Club every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon from 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm.  This is compulsory for all Year 10 – 12 students and is a great opportunity to get help with classwork or prepare for exams. University students come to help tutor students and students also have the opportunity to work together on their homework.

I remind all International students that they are required to maintain 90% attendance and pass all their classes. If any student is having difficulty with classes, we encourage them to talk to someone in the International team, or talk to their class teacher, in order to get extra help.

We ask all International students who plan to go overseas or interstate on the summer holidays to submit their holiday plan to the International staff by the end of Week 8. Students will need to provide dates, destination and parent permission for their travel.

Debby Morgan

International Student Program Coordinator