Principal's Page

Welcome Back for Term 2!

I welcome back our College Community from the recent school holiday break.  I hope families had an enjoyable school holiday period, and that students are ready for what will be another busy term at Wheelers Hill Secondary College.

Parent - Teacher - Student Conferences, Term 2

We held our Parent - Teacher - Student Conferences earlier in the week (1/5/19).  It was a great opportunity for students and families to learn more from teaching staff about the academic progress of students. 

The term 'conference' needs to be highlighted here.  We encourage our students to actively participate in these conferences to highlight their own thoughts and opinions of their learning experience, together with sharing their reflections on how they think they are progressing across their subjects.

We were pleased with the level of attendance for our Parent - Teacher - Student Conferences this term, and we encourage parents and guardians to make contact with the relevant teaching staff if they have any queries relating to their child's learning.

VCE Centre

The VCE Centre is now complete. Classes commenced in this renovated space earlier in the week.  There is a distinctly more modern feel to the VCE Centre.  New carpet and furniture, freshly painted surfaces, together with classrooms taking on a more open feel, have contributed to a more contemporary look.  The VCE Centre of 2019 is a vast improvement on what we had previously, and I thank staff, students and families for their patience with respect to the works attached to this area of the College.

Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (or VCAL)

We are investigating the implementation of the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (or VCAL) for our College Community.

It is incumbent upon on all secondary schools to provide study and course options for Senior School students.  In the Senior School at WHSC, we currently offer the Victorian Certificate of Education (or VCE), together with providing opportunities for senior school students to embark on Vocational Education and Training (or VET) in study areas of interest.  The small number of students currently who do decide to enrol in a VET course (eg Automotive Studies, Construction, etc) combine their VET studies with their VCE.

VCAL can be another option for students.  VCAL is a course that allows for more applied or experiential learning in areas such as Work Related Skills, Numeracy, Literacy and Personal Development.  

VCAL is seen by some students and their families as as a viable and worthwhile course of study.  Many schools currently offer VCAL to their Senior School students as an alternative to the more academic course being the VCE. 

We will continue to investigate the possibility of implementing VCAL for our College Community.  At this stage, I invite students, families and staff to contribute to our discussions by sharing any ideas or feedback that they may have about VCAL for our school with the General Office.

NAPLAN Assessments, 2019

NAPLAN Assessments are from the 14th to the 17th of May for our Year 7 and 9 students.  As a College, we have been busy preparing our students and staff for Online NAPLAN Assessments this year across all schools.

Whilst NAPLAN can be used as a measure by schools, individual students and their families to gauge student learning in Literacy and Numeracy, it is not the only way in which to note progress in these key areas.  For example, teaching staff use their expertise to continually assess and report on student progress on an ongoing basis across multiple subject areas.  This assessment and reporting by staff gives a comprehensive approach to monitoring and gauging student progress.

If families have any queries concerning the 2019 NAPLAN Assessments, please contact the General Office. 

WHSC and Social Media

Please be reminded to follow what is happening at the College by accessing our Social Media Platforms in Facebook and Instagram.  We have a plan to update these platforms on a regular basis to try and keep our College Community abreast of the most recent activities and events, both in and out of the classroom.  

Value of the Week - Respect

We had our Special Anzac Day Assembly earlier in the week (30/4).  Mr. John Coulson was our guest speaker.  

Our students were incredibly respectful on the day - Respect is one of our key values at the College.  Please read on to learn more of our Special Anzac day Assembly.

And finally..............

Bunnings in Notting Hill have partnered with our College for a fundraising opportunity on Saturday 8th of June.  We are calling on families to volunteer on the day to help out with a Sausage Sizzle at the venue.  Our Parents and Friends Committee have been instrumental in organising this event and this is a great opportunity for our College to raise some funds for key programs and / or equipment.  Please contact the General Office if you are able to assist (eg a 2 hour time slot) on the on the day,

Aaron Smith

Principal