Principal
Term 1 in 2021 rolls on quickly and we managed to cope admirably with the circuit breaker lockdown. Thankfully it was just that!
Many of the usual college events have resumed and students are taking the opportunity to participate actively in various clubs, activities, sport events, music and excursions. I hope you have managed to book a ticket or two for our middle school production of High School Musical which opens next Thursday March 11th. Our year 9 cohort head off to camp too at Philip Island on Monday March 15th. Our year 12 students are enjoying their new jackets and given the vagaries of our weather have been able to wear them frequently in recent weeks.
It was a pleasure to host an afternoon tea for our VCE High Achievers this week for students from the Class of 2020 and their families. As a school community, we can all be very proud of the achievements of the Class of 2020 and in particular this group of 28 students who did exceptionally well in all of their studies and attaining scores over 90. Our dux, Afra Yu continued to proudly wear her VCE Jacket from 2020 and commented on how grateful she was for the support and opportunity received at RSC. Many of last year’s class have now commenced their university studies with Monash, Deakin, Melbourne and RMIT being popular destinations.
In 2021, a new certificate will be introduced for Year 9 students. Certificates will be awarded by the Department of Education to those Year 9 students who excel in NAPLAN or who significantly improve their results. The aim of this initiative is to recognise excellence and keep students engaged. It gives equal importance to student learning gain, as well as the level of learning achieved. Year 9 students will receive a certificate for achieving a result in Reading and/or Numeracy that places them in the very top band of NAPLAN, as well as certificates for those who significantly improve on their Year 7 results.
Consultation is continuing with our architects as we review our masterplan, determine the final budget and brief and commence design work for our major capital works project ($15million), which will deliver a new STEM centre, updated classroom facilities, a new canteen and significant landscaping and redevelopment of our grounds.
Commencing in 2021, Ringwood Secondary College is part of a significant National project- New Metrics for Success. This is a collaborative research venture between The University of Melbourne and 37 selected schools to work in partnership to address the meta-problems faced by Australian schools today and in the future.
It is an opportunity to join with academic experts and international innovators to reimagine and influence future schooling in Australia. This research-practice partnership, provides access to expertise at the Assessment Research Centre and across The University of Melbourne to support the creation and validation of new metrics. The components that are being considered in this work include: New Learning Ambitions, New Assessments, New Standards, New Credentials and New Metrics.
It is widely accepted that there is now significant misalignment between what we measure as educational success and the learning goals younger people aspire to, beyond the ATAR. How do we effectively measure other dispositions such as creativity, problem solving and more broadly recognise measures that celebrate a broader and deeper conception of success? We are looking forward to being an active contributor to this trailblazing work.
Following the close of nominations for College Council, the following nominees are declared elected: Parent: Ian Roadnight, Teresa Lodge and Andrew Philp. DET: Shayne Van der Heide. Student: Lucy Philp and Charlie Lodge. Congratulations and thankyou to all successful nominees.
Parent Teacher Student Interviews will be held prior to the end of term 1 on Wednesday, March 31st from 12pm to 8pm. Following feedback from parents and staff and the success of the online model in 2020, we will again use this format. Details of booking arrangements will be made available in Compass News Feed and a progress report will also be issued for all students in the week prior to assist with the conversation.
SPECIAL REPORT: A Conversation on Consent
A recent petition, instigated by a former school girl from Sydney, calls for young women to come forward if they have been subjected to sexual assault whilst still at school. It has since gone viral with thousands of young women signing the petition or sharing their stories which are often graphic, disturbing and upsetting.
The petition calls for sex education, in particular consent, to be taught at a younger age in schools. The observation being that consent is being taught too late, with many young people not understanding the boundaries of consent resulting in sexual assault or rape. This call for change has made many schools reassess their curriculum around sex and life education to help protect young people across the nation.
Parents also need to start having conversations around consent sooner rather than later, as some teens experience their first sexual encounter well before the subject matter is delivered. It is not enough for parents or carers to assume that your teenager knows or understands what consent means and the implications surrounding it. It is important for them to learn about boundaries to enable them to respect themselves and their partners.This Special Report, led and presented by Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, offers parents guidance around normalising the topic of consent to ensure your teenager experiences healthy and respectful relationships. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.
If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help. Please find attached the link to this special report-https://schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-...
Michael Phillips, OAM
Principal