From Mr Phillips

Welcome back and I trust that you all enjoyed the well earnt summer break and managed to enjoy lots of opportunities that were not always available for most of last year! Most appear rested and ready to launch into the school year again.

Classes commenced last week and it has been a busy and productive start of the year for all year levels. Our College assembly this week highlighted our student leaders and the directions, major events and opportunities at the College for this year. A special welcome is extended all new students and their families and especially those commencing their secondary schooling. I hope that you transition well.

This year I hope our students increase their levels of agency for their own learning as we learnt a lot more about what was possible in remote learning. Active learning and taking initiative are the keys to learning wisely. If you have a good cause, if you can see beyond your test scores and find the spark and the joy innate to the act of learning, then learning will become much more interesting and much easier.

Outside of the classroom, get to know what’s happening around you, at both Ringwood and more broadly in the community. There are so many extra-curricular activities you can participate in and different things you can do — academic or non-academic, competitions, community services, sports, music, visual art, performing arts, cultural activities, and the list goes on. Engage in different activities. Develop your interests. Explore your talents. Unearth your potentials. Stretch your limits. Do something, so that you won’t regret not having tried and pushed yourself beyond your comfort zone when you look back on your year in 2021.

VCE and VCAL Results 2020

Last year the results of our Year 12 students were the best in the past 5 years. Many of the Class of 2020 achieved ATARs that have enabled them to take the next step into a tertiary course in their chosen area of study. Overall, 98% of students satisfactorily completed their VCE certificate and 100% of students completed their VCAL units.

2020 is a great year of VCE performances at RSC, reflected by the fact that 18% or 28 students of the cohort achieved ATARs of 90 or better. 12 students were awarded the VCE Baccalaureate.

Heartiest congratulations to the Dux of our College for 2020, Meng Yu who applied herself to a challenging academic subject mix across Maths and Science to achieve an outstanding score of 99.25

I would also like to highlight and congratulate Grace V and Elise B on their scores of 99.2. A further 11 students gained ATARs over 95. They were Matilda W, Jasmine L, Shuming L, Abigail N, Rhian L, Jack D, Cooper B, Nicholas F, Sarah T, Kiara J and Alana C. Tarni K in Food Studies achieved a perfect study score of 50. Well done to Tess Henley as her teacher too.

The Class of 2020 overcame enormous challenges, and I was proud to witness their commitment in all areas of endeavour in their final year, both in and beyond the classroom. They were encouraged and supported by such a committed teaching staff who encouraged this group of students to follow their passions and excel in their areas of choice. This can be seen in the strong scores achieved across a broad range of studies, including 89 study scores of 40 and above which equates to an overall 9.9% of study scores- our best in some time.

I am also delighted to inform you that Cameron Shook, VET Jazz solo, will perform their work from 2020 in Top Class Dance 2021, part of the VCE Season of Excellence.

Co-Curricular

Our main College Production for 2021, “Grease” has been announced and auditions will commence later this term. Our middle school production of “High School Musical” will be staged in March and the junior production in December will be “Seussical Junior”.

Unfortunately, we needed to postpone our swimming carnival at Aquanation. It would not have been much fun wearing masks at an event designed to encourage and nurture school spirit. The stormy weather today would have been a further complication. In any case sport kicks off big time next Thursday with our senior round robin

Staffing in 2021

As is always the case at the beginning of a new school year there are a number of new and returning teachers and we particularly welcome them as important members of our learning community:

Ms Hanna Wertheim – Science and Biology
Ms Megan Alba - Maths
Mrs Maryanne Jennings - PE
Ms Lauren Rowe – English and Drama
Ms Samantha Potter – English and Maths
Ms Mary Eversteyn - English
Ms Penny Newton - EAL
Mr Bailey Matthew - Sports Trainee
Ms Georgina Tangey - Wellbeing
Ms Sylvia Tandberg - College Alumni program
Ms Kim Kim Naulak - Multicultural Aide
Mrs Cathy Menz - Commerce and EAL, Ms Jess Robinson – Humanities, Ms Natalie Kosnar – Visual Art, Ms Monica Ho-Hawker – English, Ms Cathy Whelan -Foods, are all returning from family leave in 2021.

Stage 3 Building Works

Planning for the next stage of our building program STEM centre, additional facilities and landscaping is about to commence. Clarke Hopkins Clarke have been reappointed as architects. This project valued at nearly $15m will make a massive difference to our overall learning environment with fit for purpose specialist buildings and learning areas, replacing tired and outdated ones. We hope to complete documentation to be able to go to tender in Semester 2, 2021.

Tutor Program 2021

As you may be aware, the Department of Education and Training has funded all Victorian schools to operate a tutoring program that supports students whose learning was impacted during remote learning in 2020. We will be targeting students for this program in Years 8, 9 and 11 in semester 1 and Year 7, 10 and 12 in semester 2.

Whilst some students thrived during remote learning, some students may not have engaged as fully or experienced wellbeing issues that impacted their learning. For many of our students, regular high-quality teaching in 2021 will be enough to help them progress to the expected level of learning. Some students will benefit from additional intensive learning support in 2021 to allow them to catch up and get their learning back on track.

Ringwood Secondary College now has a team of staff that are working to set up the program at the college. In the coming weeks, members of the tutoring team will be visiting classes and speaking to individual students. Your child may come home and indicate that someone has spoken to them about their experience during remote learning. The purpose of this is to gain a sense of how we can best support students and working through the process of identifying students who would benefit from support.

Should we feel your child would benefit from support through the tutoring program in 2021 you, and your child, will then be contacted with more detailed information. Please get in touch with Assistant Principal Mr Matt Tucker, if you have any questions.

College Council Elections 2021

Nominations are now open for three parent vacancies and two student vacancies on our College Council. If you are an enthusiastic parent interested in getting more involved and having a say in what our college is doing, or know someone who is, we would love to hear from you. We are looking for people who are committed to improving the educational outcomes for all our students.

Effective councils have a broad range of experience, skills and expertise. Face-to-face and online training is also available to help councillors develop the skills and knowledge for the job. Parents find their involvement satisfying and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.

If you would like to find out more information, please give me or Karen a call at the College. Nominations will close on Thursday February 18th, 2021 and forms are available from school reception or via email from Karen Carden. kcarden@ringwoodsc.vic.edu.au

Student travel to and from Ringwood Secondary College

I request that all students ensure respectful and appropriate behaviour especially when travelling on public transport. At the moment to comply with COVID safety, you are also required to wear a mask.

There are always concerns about student safety and I ask all students to cross busy roads at appropriate locations. There are two supervised crossings on Bedford Road as well as a signalised intersection at Great Ryrie Street that should be utilised. In addition, travelling in small groups is often a good idea and areas like Ringwood Lake are best avoided when travelling alone. In addition, students riding to and from school must wear their safety helmets.

Parents who drive students should be aware of the speed and parking restrictions near the school, as these are regularly enforced. Often it is easier to drop students nearby and allow them to walk a few hundred metres – its good exercise too! The entrance at the front of the library should not be used as a drop off point at any time immediately before or after school.

Student safety matter

Students must not bring drinks in glass bottles to the College. If there is an accident, these containers could potentially cause serious injury and broken glass makes areas in the yard unsafe. There are lots of suitable alternatives that can be utilised. Your cooperation is appreciated.

Personal property at the College

Any personal items/property that is brought to school by a student is the responsibility of the student and is not the responsibility of the school and is not covered by school insurance. Students are responsible for personal items/property they bring to school. Neither the Department nor the school is responsible if any student’s personal item/property is lost, stolen or damaged.

PRIVACY COLLECTION STATEMENT – Information for parents and carers

During the ordinary course of your child’s attendance at our school, school staff will collect your child’s personal and health information when necessary to educate your child, or to support your child’s social and emotional wellbeing or health. Such information will also be collected when required to fulfil a legal obligation, including duty of care, anti-discrimination law and occupational health and safety law. If that information is not collected, the school may be unable to provide optimal education or support to your child or fulfil those legal obligations.

For example, health information may be collected through the school nurse, primary welfare officer or wellbeing staff member. If your child is referred to a specific health service at school, such as a Student Support Service officer, or school-engaged psychologist, the required consent will be obtained.

Our school may use online tools, such as apps and other software, e.g. Compass, to effectively collect and manage information about your child for teaching and learning purposes, parent communication and engagement; student administration; and school management purposes. When our school uses these online tools, we take steps to ensure that your child’s information is secure. If you have any concerns about the use of these online tools, please contact us.

School staff will only share your child’s personal or health information with other staff who need to know to enable the school to educate or support your child or fulfil a legal obligation.

When our students transfer to another Victorian government school, personal and health information about that student will be transferred to that next school. Transferring this information is in the best interests of our students and assists that next school to provide optimal education and support to students.

In some limited circumstances, information may be disclosed outside of the school (and outside of the Department of Education and Training). The school will seek your consent for such disclosures unless the disclosure allowed or mandated by law.

Our school values the privacy of every person. When collecting and managing personal and health information, all school staff must comply with Victorian privacy law. For more information about privacy including about how to access personal and health information held by the school about you or your child, see our school’s privacy policy: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Pages/schoolsprivacypolicy.aspx

Throughout this notice, ‘staff’ includes principals, teachers, Student Support Service officers, youth workers, social workers, nurses and any other allied health practitioners and all other staff at our school. This includes employees, agents and service providers (contractors) of the Department, whether paid or unpaid.

Finally, I would like to let you know that any updates relating to COVID and the impact on college operations will always be provided via a compass post in newsfeed.

Michael Phillips, OAM

Principal

Around the School

Zart Art Awards

Board Game Tuesday