NGSC Newsletter

PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Key Dates

9 MARCH             Labour Day Public Holiday

12 MARCH            Information Evening/Open Night

16-18 MARCH     Year 7 Camp 1

18-20 MARCH     Year 7 Camp 2

20 MARCH            Whole School Assembly

24 MARCH            Parent Teacher Conferences 7-12

26 MARCH            Athletics Day - Landy Field

27 MARCH            Last Day term 1

                                 (1:30 PM Finish)

13 APRIL               Easter Monday

14 APRIL               Term 2 Commences

20 APRIL                Year 7 Immunisations

Mr Nicholas Adamou

Principal

Whole School Assembly

The first whole school assembly for the year was held on Friday, 28 February. Our student Leaders/School Captains organise and run these assemblies supported by Ms Scorringe – Events Coordinator and Mr Dawson - Assistant Principal. Students and staff were officially welcomed to the new academic year. In particular, a warm welcome was extended to all the new Year 7 students and all other students new to the College students in Years 8 to 12.

 

During my Principal’s address, I stressed key values upheld at the College, as well as encouragement to students to strive for their absolute best. To the Year 12 students who are embarking on their final year of their secondary schooling; a challenging year filled with hours of study, deadlines and SACS; I wished them a productive and rewarding year.

 

My expectations as College Principal are very clear not just from students, but also staff, parents and the wider community. My goal is to see all students follow the College rules, work with their teachers in a very supportive teaching and learning environment to improve their results and fulfil their full potential.

 

There are also the non-negotiable expectations; that all students uphold the school values of Respect, Excellence, Achievement and Diversity. Also students must be always punctual, prepared for all classes, wear the correct school uniform with pride and enjoy what the North Geelong SC community has to offer them. Students need to use their time here at the school to build a long and bright future for themselves, developing independent learning skills and succeeding with their chosen pathways. 

Grade 6 Parent Information Evening, Open Night Prospective parents for 2021

The Parent/Carer/Student information evening, Open Night for our 2021 Year 7 intake will take place on Thursday, 12 March, 2020.

 

The Information Evening provides prospective parents/carers/students the opportunity to visit our school, talk to teachers, students and current parents about our community, our close knit family and what it has to offer their children in relation to curricular, extra-curricular, individualised and specialised programs.

 

The Victorian Government has made it abundantly clear that parents can choose any school for their children, provided the school has capacity. I also like to stress the importance of parents/carers matching the educational needs of their children with the educational programs a secondary school has to offer. We all know, and research informs us, how important it is to the future success of the child the decision in choosing the right secondary school for the child. 

 

Highlights of the evening:

  • Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM program; Nowbot Robot, Robotics, Drones, Spheros)
  • Select Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) Program
  • Scholarship Program
  • STAR Literacy & Numeracy Intervention Program
  • ACE Literacy & Numeracy Intervention Program 
  • Digital Technologies (iPad and BYOD) Programs
  • iLeaders Program
  • Significant Teacher Program
  • AVID Program
  • Excellence in Sports Program (Football and Soccer)
  • Performing Arts Program/School productions
  • Instrumental Music Program
  • International student Program
  • EAL Programs
  • VCE, VET and VCAL Programs

I am looking forward to meeting as many parents and students as possible during the Information Evening.

School council membership

Each school council’s Constituting Order makes provision for its structure and membership:

  • Parent members – parents of students at the school must comprise more than one third of the school council’s total membership. ‘Parent’ includes a carer or person responsible for maintenance or with custody of a student of the school. Department employees are eligible for membership in this category as long as they have children attending the school and the Department employees do not work at the school (except for the principal who is a member of the Department employee member category) of that school council.
  • Department employee members – must not be more than one third of the school council’s total membership. The principal is automatically included in this membership category and has full voting rights. Other staff (teaching and non-teaching) are elected or co-opted to this category. To be eligible for election to this category, a person must be a member of the Department of Education and Training (DET) employee electorate of the school.
  • Student members – ‘student’ describes a student who is enrolled at and attends the school and is in year 7 or above. Students are elected to this membership category, or co-opted if a casual vacancy occurs. To be eligible for election, a student must be a member of the student body of the school. The number of student members is recorded in the Ministerial Order for the school council.
  • Community members – is an optional membership category. The council’s membership schedule may include this category. If a council has the option of community members, the council decides who to approach and co-opt into this position. People are co-opted by the school council to a community member position to bring additional skills and perspectives. Community members hold the same rights, responsibilities and terms of office as elected members. Parents are eligible to be co-opted to a community member position but Department employees are not. Students may also be co-opted to a community member position.

 

The North Geelong SC, school council composition includes:

(10 parents, 2 students and 5 DET employees including the Principal - Voting members)  

  • 10 x parents (no DE&T employees)
  • 5 x DE&T employees – teaching and non-teaching staff
  • 2 x students

Total number of voting members 17.

The College Principal is the Executive Officer of the school council

 

This year we have 4 parent vacancies for a 2 year appointment (2020 & 2021) and 1 DE&T employee member vacancy for a 2 year appointment (2020 & 2021). We also have 1 student vacancy for a 2 year appointment (2020 & 2021). I call for parent nominations for the 4 vacancies, any parent that would like to discuss the role of Council or the role of the parent member on council please call the school and speak to Ms Narelle Wiffen or the Principal.

 

Nomination forms can be obtained from the General Office, see Ms Narelle Wiffen and they close on Friday, 6 March at 4.00pm.

 

I take this opportunity to thank all school council members in particular the parent body for their outstanding contribution to the life of the College.

Student Appearance

All students at North Geelong SC are expected to take pride in their personal appearance.

 

Jewellery, make-up, hair colour and style must be discreet as per the school expectations and policies.

 

It is the school's preferred position that students do not have facial piercing ie. any facial piercing other than the ears. However, for students who already have facial piercing they have the following options: 

  1. the facial piercings are removed during the school day, to and from school.
  2. a band aid is applied on the piercing during the school day, including to and from school.

Under no circumstances will metal facial piercings be accepted.

 

Therefore, new facial piercings cannot be obtained during the year due to the healing time which requires the piercing to be metal.

Student accident insurance, ambulance cover arrangements and private property brought to schools

Parents and Carers are reminded that the Department does not provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for students.

 

Parents and carers of students, who do not have student accident insurance/ambulance cover, are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance/transport and any other transport costs. 

 

In some circumstances, medical or other expenses will be paid by the Department where it is assessed that it is likely, in all the circumstances, that the Department is liable for negligent (careless) acts or omissions of its staff/volunteers. 

 

Student accident insurance/ambulance cover policies are available from some commercial insurers, and can be obtained by school councils on a whole-of-school basis, or by parents/carers for individual students. 

Annual Report 2020

Annual reporting is an important tool for effective governance within schools and across the government school system. Reporting to the school community adds value in a number of ways:

 

Keeping the school community informed: The annual report provides a means for the school council to inform the community of what has been achieved and how the school is performing. Providing information about schools helps the community hold schools, the system and government accountable for improving student outcomes.

 

Contributing to system accountability and meeting legislative requirements:  Public accountability for improving student outcomes and for the use of public money is mandated in the Education and Training Reform Act (2006), where school councils are required to prepare and publish an annual report.

 

Relationship between the planning and annual reporting processes: The development of the annual report is an opportunity to reflect on the school’s achievements and use this as a basis for future planning.

 

The 2020 Annual Report will be presented to the school community at the Annual General School Council Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, 17 March at 5:30 pm. The Annual Report will be published on the school website following the AGM.

Personal Property brought to school

Personal property is often brought to school by students and visitors. This can include mobile phones, electronic games, calculators, toys, sporting equipment and cars parked on school premises. I wish to remind you that the Department does not hold insurance (excluding the school’s iPad program) for personal property brought to schools and it has no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such property.  I wish to discourage students and visitors from bringing any personal property, in particular valuable items, to school and if you choose to do so it is entirely at your own risk. 

 

The state law/ban of mobile phones in all Victorian public schools came into effect at the beginning of the school year. Any students who choose to bring their mobile phones to school have to place them securely in their lockers with the first bell for the day and take them out at the end of the last bell for the day. Some exemptions apply; please see the mobile phone policy on the school’s website.

 

Students must ensure that their lockers are securely locked at all times.

 

The school has invested in an extensive CCTV network in all locker bays to ensure the safety and security of student lockers.

Privacy Reminder to all Parents/Carers

North Geelong SC collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy

 

For more information about privacy, see: Schools’ Privacy Policy – information for parents. This information also available in nine community languages.