From the Principal Class Team

Welcome, Year 7s 2019

On Tuesday 11 December, Grade 6 students across the state, spent the day at their new secondary schools. We welcomed 305 students as the Year 7 class of 2019! It was also a pleasure to meet many parents on the day, too. The Grade 6’s experienced a range of subjects, had a tour of the school (fear of getting lost is always high on their list of concerns!), and enjoyed a BBQ lunch. Many thanks and congratulations to Transition Coordinator, Ms Marlene Cassar, and her team of staff for organising such a successful event; and to our student leaders for their leadership on the day, and the excellent way in which they looked after the new students and represented the school.

Year 12 formal

On Thursday 22 November, the Year 12 students had the opportunity to celebrate the end of their secondary school journey at their formal held at the Luxor Reception Centre in Taylors Lakes.  This was a great opportunity for the students to celebrate finishing their VCE or VCAL studies in a really thoughtful and creative way.  Groups of students organised different entertainment that was both humorous and reflective in regards to their secondary school journey.  There were gameshows, quizzes and videos with archived photos and great memories.  One group performed a couple of choreographed dance routines to the delight of the audience.  Overall it was a wonderful way to celebrate together.  Throughout the night students and staff danced to the music of the DJ, posed for photos in the photo booth and were treated to a three-course meal.  Congratulations to all those involved in organising the event, the student organisers and entertainment providers and the staff of the Senior Sub School.  Many staff attended to enjoy the company of the students and colleagues and all who went had a wonderful time.

New staff induction

The induction program for staff new to St Albans Secondary College was run on Thursday, 6 and Friday, 7 December.  The program provided these staff with an overview of the College, its day-to-day running, our guiding principles and other important information.  The calibre of the sessions was exceptional and our Professional Development Team are to be commended on putting together such a comprehensive program which contributes to the connectedness of our new staff members to the St Albans Secondary College community. A very successful part of this program is the assigning of a mentor to support each new staff member.  We are looking forward to working with all our new members of staff and know they will be a great addition to our school.

End of Semester 2 Reports

End of Semester Reports for years 7-11 were placed on Compass on Friday, 14 December.  If you have not already done so please ensure you read your son or daughter’s report and discuss their progress with them.  The feedback provided can be used as the basis for discussion about the performance of your child in each subject. 

Congratulations to the many students who performed well as a result of good study habits and engagement in the learning process.  For those who feel they could improve, this is an opportunity to set some goals and work towards these throughout 2019.

It is important to note that the reports provide a summary of the progress of each student at this point in time and should be viewed as part of the overall educational journey of each individual student.  If you have any concerns about your child’s progress, please do not hesitate to contact their year level coordinator.

Step up and orientation programs for 2019 classes

The VCE Orientation and Year 8-10, 2019 step up programs were run as part of the final weeks of this year and provided students the opportunity to experience their classes for 2019.  This means that students have an idea what to expect prior to starting in Term 1 next year.  Both programs were very successful in preparing students for the next steps in their secondary school journey and helping them to connect with their classes, subjects and teachers.  Those in VCE next year will have some homework to complete over the break but will still have plenty of time to relax and recalibrate prior to starting next year. 

Japan Trip

Over the past 2 weeks 20 students from Years 9, 10 and 11 and three staff travelled through Japan. Highlights of the trip included 5 days in Tokyo, visiting the many and varied neighbourhoods. There was also a visit to our sister School, Nishishiba Junior high school, where our students were able to present to the Japanese about life in Australia. Next stop was Kyoto, where temples and castles were explored, as well as the famous Inari Gates. The last stop was Osaka, for great food! Students were able to do a day trip to Hiroshima, where a very moving visit was made to the Peace Park and the Atomic dome. A day trip to Nara rounded out the trip, where students were able to feed deer and visit another temple.

Congratulations to all the students who attended for representing themselves, their families, the school and their country so maturely.

Also, a very special thank you to Ms Caroline Tran and Ms Emi Narasaki for their great organisation of the trip, and their work with the students in Japan.