The Score

College Principal's Report           

Principal's Report

Welcome to this edition of the Score

We are already half way through Term 3 with student learning and assessment occurring at all levels. 

 

Night of the Notables

Last Tuesday night, I had the pleasure of witnessing the culmination of our Year 9 student’ English inquiry learning project. Students were required to research a notable person, working autonomously, deepening research skills and taking ownership of their organisational skills to meet a timeline to present their notable person.  Parents and families who attended the evening were introduced by the students to the highlights and fascinating detail of many notable people throughout history.  I was proud of the students and as I walked around and visited various displays, I was amazed at how much the students had become their Notables for the night.  I would like to thank Mr Cronin and other Year 9 English teachers and other teachers for the work in the lead up to the evening and on the night.

Student Success

Congratulations to Zac Howarth from Year 7 who has been selected to represent Victoria in the upcoming Touch Australia Tournament.

We wish Zac and his fellow Victorian Storm Team members all the best for the competition held in Townsville, Queensland in October.

 

Respectful Relationships in Schools (RREIS)

Last week Years 8 and 9 Students participated in Challenge week. The program, which was first introduced in 2015 is aimed at building school and community partnerships to embed a culture of gender equity and respectful relationships.  Since then our College has delivered, evaluated and continuously refined the content and activities to develop a strong program which is being extended into other year levels and into our College policies and procedures. This is shown in:

  • our commitment to the development of resilient and respectful students within our College values
  • the development of rights responsibilities for students, staff, parents and community
  • key policies including our Student Engagement and Inclusion Policy and Code of Conduct

We aim to teach our students that while respect for others and the environment is an expectation, it is of utmost importance to respect themselves.

 

Scoresby is a Lead School for the Respectful Relationships Education Program in Schools. The program is now a core program within the Victorian Curriculum for all schools.  As a Lead School, we have been allocated resources to

  • continue to skill up our expert team for the delivery of the program in our school
  • present at professional learning programs
  • mentor ten local primary and secondary schools in the Knox area who will be delivering the program for the first time

I congratulate Mr Chris Knight our Assistant Principal and the expert team on their leadership and the provision of this excellent program.

 

Parent Information Evenings

I thank parents who have made the time to come to our 2020 information evenings for students entering Years 9, 10, 11 and 12, your commitment to supporting your children to make informed decisions regarding their future choices is valued.  I would also like to thank Mr Chris Knight and Ms Emily Phibbs for leading these evenings and staff who have attended.

 

Attendance at these evenings shows your child that you are there to support their education and provides you with vital information. Even if you have attended for an older sibling previously, there are continuous updates that arise as VCAA and DET review curriculum and delivery requirements.

 

It is disappointing that at some year levels not all students had parents or guardians attend.  Parents and families play an important role in supporting their child's education.

 

“Research has shown that when schools and families work together, children do better, stay in school longer, are more engaged with their school work, go to school more regularly, behave better, and have better social skills. Parent engagement also results in longer term economic, social and emotional benefits”

Australian Government Education Website

 

Aboriginal Youth / Police Educational Tours Project

Our work with the Knox Safety Network has provided a unique educational experience for our indigenous students.  On Monday seven of our students, Ms Kim and Mr Knight, four local police officers and a member from the Justice Department attended an informative and educational tour delivered by Chris Hume, supported by Adrian Greenwood from Mullum Mullum Gathering Place. 

 

The tour included a welcome and smoking ceremony, a guided walk around the area, including informative discussions about the Aboriginal traditions, local fauna and wildlife, tools and weapons used, historical Wurundjeri leaders, local language and the importance of cultural identity and heritage. The students and staff enjoyed the lunch provided which consisted of slow cooked Emu and Kangaroo wraps. The students even got the opportunity to listen to the didgeridoo and try their hand at throwing Boomerangs (with mixed success)!  

All reports showed it was great day with police, students and teachers all interacting. 

It is always pleasing to hear good feedback about our students. Jason, the member for the Justice Department informed me that our students showed a real interest in learning more about their heritage and were polite and well mannered throughout the day. The students will have the opportunity on 16 September to participate in a tour of the Police Academy. The  tour will include showing students the pathways towards becoming a police officer should they be interested in pursuing a career in VICPol.

 

Gail Major 

Principal