Principal's Page

WHSC Athletics Carnival, 2019

Another successful Athletics Carnival at Wheelers Hill Secondary College! We were treated to some beautiful weather on the day allowing everyone the opportunity to get fully involved.

We witnessed some wonderful student participation and competition as part of the day, with some outstanding performances across both track and field events involving all year levels.

Congratulations to Napier for winning the WHSC Athletics Shield for 2019 - Napier were just too strong on the day, and full credit to them for improving their standing from the recent Swimming Carnival earlier in the year.

The success of our Athletics Carnival is due to the outstanding participation from our students, but it is also due to the dedicated approach from our staff. We thank all staff for their efforts on the day, particularly Kerrie Lay and Sally Pryde (Sports Co-ordinators) for leading, organising and implementing this wonderful event. Finally, we would like to thank those families and volunteers who attended to support our students on the day.

Year 7 Afternoon Tea, Tuesday 26th March

We have organised a wonderful opportunity for the families of our Year 7 students to come along and enjoy an Afternoon Tea at the College next Tuesday the 26th March (commencing at 4:30pm in the Library). In a relaxed setting, families will be able to meet staff, students and student leaders as part of this important event. We will also hear from our Year 7 students as they share their thoughts on the year so far. The Year 7 Afternoon Tea promises to be another great event at WHSC.

Open Night, Wednesday 3rd April

The WHSC Open Night will be held Wednesday the 3rd April in the Performing Arts and Gymnasium Complex commencing at 6:00pm.

This event provides an outstanding opportunity for our College Community to showcase our great school. There will be presentations, displays and tours as part of our Open Night, with many students in attendance to help lead the way on the night.

We are very much looking forward to this event, and it will give us an opportunity to reveal our recently refurbished Performing Arts and Gymnasium Complex and VCE Centre.

National Day of Action Against Bullying, Friday 15th March

It was the National Day of Action Against Bullying last Friday (15/3/19) and we supported a very worthy cause with a number of activities and events through the week. Please read on in the Newsletter to learn more.

NAPLAN, 2019

Our Year 7 and 9 students will be expected to complete the NAPLAN Assessments online in 2019. A number of our staff have been working with the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (or VCAA) to best prepare for the implementation of the electronic form of the Assessments at our College.

To further help prepare students and staff for this transition there will be a Coordinated Practice Test conducted for all Year 9 students on 28th March during period 1. In addition all year 7 will complete a Practice Test during that week at a time to be notified.

The test will be last approximately 45 minutes plus preparation time and be conducted by the regular class teacher for that session. The practice will mirror various aspects of the different NAPLAN tests to help highlight any issues.

Families who believe it is appropriate for their children to be exempt from NAPLAN and / or believe that reasonable adjustments should be made for their children to participate, are asked to contact the General Office by Friday 29th March. The NAPLAN Assessment Online Window is from the 14th to the 24th May. More details will be shared with families closer to the time.

Building Program, 2019

The Building Program has quickly gained momentum in recent weeks. It is just the landscaping that needs to be completed to finish off the Performing Arts and Gymnasium Complex. The VCE Centre is scheduled to be completed by Friday 29th March, allowing us to 'bump in' furniture and other requirements in readiness for classes in this space by the start of Term Two.

New Staff at WHSC

We welcome the following staff who are new appointments to WHSC:

Stephen Thompson - Visual Communications Teacher
Adam Watson - Accounting Teacher
Peter Burridge - Maintenance / Gardening
Nomita Pradhan - Integration Aide

We are thrilled with our new staffing appointments and we wish them well.

Social Media at WHSC

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. Please see further details below:

Value of the Week - Respect

We received an email from a member of the public praising our students for their excellent behaviour as they were making their way back to the College from a Year 9 school excursion on public transport last week. Our students were commended for how polite and well mannered they were - well done to our students!

Christchurch Tragedy

The events of last Friday (15/3) in Christchurch, New Zealand, were shocking to us all. This horrific act of violence is just so difficult to comprehend. We are all incredibly saddened by this senseless loss of life. Tolerance, love, support and kindness to all will always triumph in our communities. Please seek support from your family and friends as we all try and come to grips with this terrible tragedy. Our Assistant Principals have included some information in this Newsletter that may be helpful to students and families on this matter.

And Finally.....

I will be on Long Service Leave for the last week of Term One. Judy Anderson (Assistant Principal) will be the Acting Principal during this time.

As the end of term is fast approaching, I would like to wish our College Community a safe and relaxing holiday break.

Aaron Smith

Principal