ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS' REPORT

VCAA GAT

The VCAA General Achievement Test (GAT) will be undertaken by all students completing a Unit 3 & 4 subject in 2017 on Wednesday 14 June. No VCE classes will be conducted on this day.  Students are expected to be at school by 9:00AM. Students must know their VCAA student number, which can obtained from their student managers. Students may bring into the GAT pens, pencils, sharpeners and erasers and an English and/or bilingual dictionary.  No calculators, blank sheets of paper or white out liquid/tape may be taken into the GAT.

CORRECTION DAY

Friday 16 June is a correction day for staff members. No classes will be conducted on this day; students should not attend school.

LATE START TUESDAY 30 MAY

Staff will be attending an important lecture on the teaching of writing across the school on Tuesday 30 May. This lecture will be from 8:30am to 10:30am. So that all staff can attend this professional learning opportunity, classes will commence Period 3 (with Period 1 and 2 being cancelled).  Students must therefore be at school by 10:30am.

EXAMS

Mid-year examinations are fast approaching, with all students in Years 9 - 11 finalising assessments and revising. Thorough revision and effort in exams in these middle years lays a strong foundation for success in Year 12. Students should set high expectations for their own achievement and seek advice and support from their teachers. We wish all students the best of luck in their exams.  

At home, students can be supported by implementing the following recommendations:

Providing a quiet study space at home free from distractions;

Encouraging your son or daughter to eat well and get plenty of sleep;

Encouraging students to limit social engagements around this time, including their use of internet social networking sites such as Facebook. Students should focus solely on their studies, without distraction from Instagram, sending SMS to friends, etc, then do so when having a break in their study.

NAPLAN TESTING

NAPLAN testing was undertaken by students in Years 7 and 9 at the College this week. We congratulate and thank all students for their punctuality, organisation and mature approach to the NAPLAN tests. Results will be sent home to students late in Term 3.

DISCUSSING LEARNING WITH YOUR CHILD

When discussing with your child their academic achievement at school and the feedback provided on Learning Tasks (and through progress reports and parent-teacher-student interviews), it is critical that parents and students look beyond grades and scores. We encourage all students and their parents to instead reflect on each child’s academic progress and growth; our intelligence is changeable, and focussing on growth has a very positive impact on student learning.

All students - regardless of year level and the grades they have achieved - should reflect on what new skills and knowledge they have acquired, what feedback and advice they have acted upon and what their next goal will be.

Hard work and a willingness to persist when facing academic challenges are the keys to success for all students, and emphasising learning progress rather than grades/scores is a simple - but powerful - way to support student learning.

PARENT FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Many families have paid (or set up quarterly instalments) for subject contributions for 2017. Thank-you for your ongoing support in this regard; the School Council believes parent financial contributions are critically important to support the College in providing high-quality education. Statements will be posted out shortly by the Finance team, and we remind all families that payment can be made online (including instalment plans being established and payment for events/excursions) on Compass - this is the College’s preferred payment method. Any families in financial difficulty are encouraged to contact a member of the Principal team for a confidential discussion about alternative payment arrangements and support the College can offer.  

SELLING & BUYING SECONDHAND UNIFORM ITEMS - clk2sell

Clk2sell is an online marketplace supported by State Schools’ Relief and the Department of Education and Training to buy and sell pre-owned school uniforms.

Benefits of the clk2sell app:

It’s free: all schools are pre-loaded on the app;

You can save money on expensive school items and make money from unwanted items;

It’s simple and quick to use.

Many school communities are already using the app and State Schools’ Relief is encouraging more schools and parents to use it. Being able to purchase school items at a reduced price helps limit any financial barriers to a child’s education. Visit clk2sell.com to learn more.