Principal's Report
Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.”
Vincent Van Gogh
Artwork based on Van Gogh’s sunflowers by David Pyatt
Our students commenced the BE program on Monday 29 November 2021. The BE program adds a new sense of energy and engagement to the end of a school year. Students have begun in their new learning teams, specialisms and VCE subjects with a renewed sense of purpose. It is evident in their overall approach to learning that it has been a positive start for everyone. The learning continues until Friday December 10th with Micro-credentials Week on December 13th. We have our last day of scheduled activities on Thursday 16 December and will offer supervision on Friday 17 December until 11.30am.
The past 2 years have taken us well and truly off the paved road of normality. It has been an unpredictable and challenging walk for us all. We now are on an unpaved path so we must look for the flowers as we travel forward. The hope and beauty of what we will find on that path presents our students, school, community and world with a stronger sense of optimism.
The College has had an amazing staff team that has been supported by our parent community to ensure students are connected and engaged. I would like to thank our Council members for another wonderful year and their continued support of the College and our programs. A special thank you to Annelise Pearce and Jen Jakobi. Jen has been a member of council since 2018 and an active contributor to our curriculum throughout 7-10. Annelise has been unwavering in her advocacy and support for the Stage 2 build of the College. Her knowledge and expertise of large scale school projects was invaluable throughout the project. Annelise has also contributed to acknowledging our wonderful team during lockdown.
Micro-credentials Week
The last week of December 13 to 16 is Micro-credentials Week, an exciting week filled with a variety of engaging programs for students to participate in. There are also supported literacy and numeracy sessions to help students with their skills before the break as well as study supervision if students wish to do independent study. Further details have been sent via Compass.
Canteen Operation
The School Canteen will be operational until Tuesday 14 December during the Micro-Credentials week. This too will be Kathy Gaudion’s last day operating the Canteen. She has decided to leave for personal reasons. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kathy on behalf of myself and the community for the wonderful work she has done in the Canteen providing scrumptious meals for students and staff. In her time with us Kathy has built strong relationships with both students and staff. We wish her all the very best as she moves into the next chapter of her life. H & H Canteens have organised for Tina to commence at the Canteen effective 31 January 2021.
School Phones transition to NBN on 13 December
The School phones will be ported to NBN on 13/12/21 at 10:30am. The College may experience downtime of up to 4 hours. This time is required to make the necessary network changes. If you need to contact the College during this downtime please email via Compass or email directly to office@beaumarissc.vic.edu.au
Year 7 2022 - Parent Q & A Evening 14 December
We are hosting an onsite parent Q & A Evening on 14 December at 6.00pm. A Compass Tix event has been set up for parents to book online. The parents have sent the questions in advance to ensure the event is more purposeful.
Short Course for students in January
Storytelling with Observable, a Digital Medium for Visual Computing and Mathematics
What do tennis players, global climate change and the most frequently used emoji of 2021 have in common? All are part of interesting stories taking place in the physical and digital worlds where we live, work, and play.
This ten day, short course offering will explore how to create those stories using the Observable online visualization platform. We will become active participants in a rich, global community that is investigating, analyzing, explaining and sharing data in new ways. With Observable we will uncover new insights and develop new skills, while learning about working with information, visual computing, and mathematics as its pen and ink.
The course will be delivered by Steve Melnikoff -scientist, mathematician and parent.
Please sign up for the course using the link Short course sign up
Staff Presentations
Beth Cain and Amanda Jacobs presented ‘Embedding and Assessing General Capabilities in Project Based Learning’ at the inaugural 2021 Quantum Victoria STEM Conference – STEM Authentic Learning in the 21st Century. The feedback was outstanding and we will have teachers continue to present in future conferences.
Debby Chaves
Principal