Principal's Post
From Mr Phillips
Welcome back to 2016
Welcome back to all in our College community and the 2016 school year. I would particularly like to welcome our Year 7 students as they begin their Ringwood journey and of course all the other new students at other Year levels. Classes commenced last week and it has been a busy and productive start of the year for all year levels.
Our College assembly today highlighted our student leaders and the major events and activities for Term 1.
We have already had the announcement of this year’s college production which will be ‘Anything Goes'.
Our World Tour group leaves for the USA on February 25th and the excitement is building. The world premiere performance of “Made in Melbourne” will be staged on February 23rd and tickets may be booked at www.rscproduction.com.au
Several new Teaching and Educational Support staff have joined us again this year and I would like to extend a warm welcome to them. We also welcome back those returning from extended leave.
Mr Paul Taylor Mathematics and ICT
Ms Kristina Friedl Mathematics and
Science
Ms Emma Ford English and Humanities
Ms Lisa Wajngarten Mathematics and
Science
Mr Peter Vlahos Physical Education and
Science
Ms Michelle Lai Accounting & Business
Mrs Sarah Ritchie Art
Ms Melissa Bennett- Monteiro Science
Mrs Zoe Flavre EAL, Media and VCAL
Mrs Mel Alder English and Humanities
Mrs Anna Russell English Language and
Literacy Support
Ms Jessikah Wintle English and Drama
Mrs Victoria White Music and Inter9reat
Mr Aidan Kent-Brown Sports Trainee
Mr Ery Primaskara Indonesian Language
Assistant
We are really excited to be participating in Maroondah City Council’s Youth Wellbeing and Consultation Project being rolled out in Term 1 this year. Every Primary and Secondary School in Maroondah has been invited to have their students complete an online Wellbeing Survey during February, developed by The University of Melbourne, which will provide us with solid data regarding the wellbeing of young people in our school, as well as the broader Maroondah community. We look forward to utilising this data to increase the wellbeing of our whole school community with the support of Maroondah City Council’s Youth Services team.
More information can be found later in this newsletter but if you have any questions please contact Mrs Allison at Ringwood Secondary College 98702002 or Sarah Cullen, a member of the Maroondah Youth Services team on 9294 5701.
Once again our Year 12 students performed extremely well with a range of outstanding results.Included in this newsletter is an overall achievement flyer that highlights the outcomes and pathways for the Class of 2015.
All government schools have a legally constituted council, which sets key directions of the school within statewide guidelines. The Ringwood Secondary College Council plays an important role in influencing the direction of the college and in ensuring the quality of educational provision.
Parent membership is important in encouraging a diversity of viewpoints and skills that contribute to this direction. Nominations are now open for council and I would invite anyone interested in standing to contact Karen Carden in the the college office for further details.
It is our expectation that students wear the correct school uniform when travelling to and from school. We have been generally pleased with the overall efforts made at the start of the year, but there is still some room for improvement in some aspects. For example the girls summer uniform does not include a winter skirt and the boys summer uniform is the white shirt with the college logo.
In addition, we ask that all students ensure respectful and appropriate behaviour especially when travelling on public transport.
We are always concerned about student safety and ask students to cross busy roads at appropriate locations like pedestrian crossings or safety islands. 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 school should 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 children nearby and allow them to walk a few hundred metres. The car park at the front of the library should not be used as a drop off point just before or after school. Parents dropping off students in Rosewarne Lane, please don't pull up on the left hand side of the road, but drive down and turn around to drop students off.
Michael Phillips
Principal