GEC College News

From the Principal Team

Welcome to all students and families - returning and new.  It has been a great start to 2025 for students and staff. Our wonderful Parents & Friends association organised a second hand uniform sale with many families being able to take advantage of the opportunity.  Thank you to the team of hard-working parents who were on hand to help.

 

Breakfast Club is running.  Students are welcome to enjoy a free breakfast in Room 2 and the outdoor wellbeing areas Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8.15am to 8.30am. Thank you to Kelli Lawson for all the work involved in this important program. 

 

All parents will be sent invitations to receive Google Classroom summary pages – this is optional.

 

We welcome Janice Zheng (Education Support) to the college.

 

2025 Annual Implementation Plan

Goal 1: Improve the learning growth of all students.

Our focus is on continuing to document high quality curriculum and on explicit instructional strategies in the classroom 

 

Goal 2: Enhance wellbeing to support engagement and respectful relationships.

Our focus is on School Wide Positive Behaviours that create a classroom and school environment that promotes safety, trust and respect.

 

The Glen Eira 5

‘The Glen Eira 5’ is a document that articulates the practices behind the promises we make as staff, students and parents of GEC. These are the behaviours you see from our community based on our values of …

Growth and striving

Equity and integrity

Care and respect

 

5 promises teachers make to our students;

  • maintain a safe learning environment.
  • know how you learn and what direction your learning should take.
  • make classes engaging.
  • listen, encourage and support.
  • involve the wider community in your learning.

5 promises staff make to one another;

  • share resources.
  • support one another.
  • work collaboratively to improve student learning.
  • be consistent in applying policies.
  • learn from one another.

5 characteristics you will see in our teaching;

  • differentiate teaching and learning to support and challenge the full range of abilities.
  • structure  lessons according to SABRE.
  • be innovative and reflective.
  • be enthusiastic.
  • be accountable for improving student outcomes.

5 things you will see from our students;

  • be enthusiastic and motivated.
  • communicate and be respectful.
  • seize opportunities to participate and learn.
  • work together, acting responsibly and creatively.
  • direct their own learning through questioning and exploring.

5 things you will see from our parents, carers and guardians;

  • be involved and contribute to the broader educational program.
  • play an active role in the child’s learning.
  • support their children in achieving their learning goals.
  • promote the school values.
  • maintain open lines of communication with the school.

VCE results 2025

We were delighted with the wonderful results achieved by our Year 12 students and so very proud of the achievements of all of our students. Congratulations to our Dux, Pierre Maziarz with an ATAR of 99.5.   

  • Our Average ATAR was 75.5
  • Our mean study score was 31
  • 19.3% of ATAR scores were greater than 90
  • 6.5% of study scores were above 40

  • 8 students received the VCE Baccalaureate

     

Introducing our Leadership and Student Management Team

Principal: Nick Hamer-Smith 

Assistant Principals: Loveena Narayanen, Mark Oudshoorn, Chizuko Inoue-Andersson 

Business Manager: Gabrielle Darvell

 

 Junior School Leader: Jared Bandara

 Year 7 Coordinators: Dean West and Niketa Archer

 Year 8 Coordinators:  Thomas Balme and Jake Sherman

 Year 9 Coordinators: Dalji Sandhu and Wei Yi Wang (term1)

 

Senior School Leader: Clinton Chiumello (term 1) and Jeffrey Micallef

 Year 10 Coordinator: Daniel Lake and Karen Eap

 Year 11 Coordinator: Elizabeth Tasiopoulos and Ting Pan

 Year 12 Coordinator: Laura Brancatella

 

Student Wellbeing Leader: Nicholas Ford

 

Teaching and Learning Leader: Daniel Bouchet-Hibbert

 

Data Analysis and Assessment: Melanie Mattsson

 

Learning Specialists – Teacher Practice: Lyzette Chislett & Nicola Angus (term 1)

 

Careers and Pathways Coordinator: Chris Kotsonis and Terry McGann 

 

International Student Coordinator: Miwako Langdon

 

Librarian: Clare Murayama 

 

Annual privacy reminder 

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice. 

 

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy, describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn. 

 

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Microsoft 365 https://arc.educationapps.vic.gov.au/software/30 and Google Workspace for Education https://arc.educationapps.vic.gov.au/software/26 safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace for Education, please contact the school. 

 

This information is also available in ten community languages:

* Amharic

* Arabic

* Dari

* Gujarati

* Mandarin

* Somali

* Sudanese

* Turkish

* Urdu

* Vietnamese

 

Being involved at GEC

We are always looking for ways to involve our parents in our community.  Please contact me if you have ideas of how you would like to be involved.  Our Parents and Friends group is an excellent way to meet other families and I encourage you to join. 

 

Insurance

Just a reminder that any insurance needs to be taken up on an individual user pays basis. The Department does not provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for students. Parents and guardians of students, who do not have student accident insurance/ambulance cover, are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance / transport and any other transport costs. Parents/guardians can purchase insurance policies from commercial insurers if they wish to insure their child.

 

Lockers:  All students are required to have a lock for their locker.  Combination locks are available at the General Office ($15). Any lockers without locks will not be available for student use.  I ask for parent support in providing a lock for their son or daughter.

 

Mobile phones are to be locked in student lockers during the school day.

 

Lost property: We already have a growing mountain of unnamed lost property including jumpers, jackets and shoes.  I ask parents and carers to ensure all items of clothing and books are named so that they can be returned to students

 

Should you have questions, positive feedback, areas for improvement or suggestions at any time do not hesitate to contact me at school.

 

Nick Hamer-Smith

Principal

 

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS)

Glen Eira College is implementing the SWPBS framework as of 2025. SWPBS is a Department of Education supported framework aimed at creating a safe, calm and positive school environment for our whole community. It focusses on teaching and reinforcing positive behaviours whilst providing targeted support to students as required, leading to a more successful and inclusive learning community.

 

For the beginning of this school year, our focus has been on our entry routines and starting our lessons strongly. Students have been shown where to line up for each lesson and our teachers are taking the time to make expectations clear and provide positive feedback when these expectations are met. This work will be reinforced later in the year when we construct our School Wide Positive Behaviour Matrix.

 

We will also be introducing Positive Behaviour notes that will be recorded on XUNO and emailed to parents. These give our staff opportunities to recognise and celebrate positive behaviours from students that are demonstrated in the classroom or in the yard. 

 

We look forward to sharing further updates on our SWPBS journey as the year progresses.

 

School Photo Day

Our school photos will be taken on Monday 24th February. Students will shortly be bringing home individualised order forms from our photographer, SchoolPix. Families are encouraged to order prior to the day as this ensures free delivery of your child’s photos to the school later in the term. Students need to be in full school uniform on the day. 

 

Student Leadership Assembly

We have our student leadership assembly on Friday 14th February, during Period 1. All student leaders for 2025 will be presented with their badges in front of our College community. Parents of student leaders will have been emailed an invitation to the event and a warm welcome is extended to any parents or guardians who would like to join us on the day. In our next newsletter I look forward to sharing the names of all of our student leaders as well as some photos from the assembly.

 

Swimming Sports

We enjoyed a great day at Oakleigh Recreation Centre on Friday 31st January for our swimming carnival. Ruby were the winners on the day with 514 points, followed by Topaz (500), Emerald (392) and Sapphire (262). We saw many students competing in the competitive events as well as having a jump off the 1m or 3m diving boards in the novelty events. The staff vs student relay at the end of the day was also a highlight! 

 

Mark Oudshoorn

Assistant Principal