Principal's Report

Yesterday was a momentous day for us all as we warmly welcomed back to school our Years 8, 9 and 10 students. Several months have passed since every year level was here on site together at school, so it has certainly been a long time coming. 

We recognise that it has been an especially difficult wait for students in Years 8, 9 and 10 and their families, and all the more so over the past couple of weeks when every other year level from Prep to Year 12 had already returned to school on-site across Victoria. Our Year 7s, 11s and 12s have settled back into school exceptionally well over recent weeks and so our focus now turns to supporting everyone in Years 8, 9 and 10 with settling back into life at school and adjusting to new routines. 

This is a big week at Coburg High School, on a number of levels, because it is not only the first week back for so many students and staff but it is also the final week of classes for our Year 12 students. In fact, it is our only week together as a full school because the Year 12s have their final classes on Thursday. On Friday morning, the Year 12s will have their final celebrations before their virtual graduation ceremony together with staff and families in the evening. Following that, they begin their study leave to continue preparing for their final examinations, which begin in earnest in less than two weeks’ time. The entire school will have a role in farewelling the Year 12s on Friday morning and as our Year 8 presenters, Sally and Hakan, expressed so well at this yesterday's virtual whole-school assembly, we are all 100% behind the seniors as they embark on this final stretch of high school. 

Throughout the rest of the term ahead, we will continue to prioritise these three key areas: 

1. Wellbeing and Equity: In these challenging times, the wellbeing and mental health, of every student and member of staff remains our highest priority.

2. Learning and Excellence: Our focus continues to be on supporting all students to engage fully in their learning and to extend and stretch themselves across the final weeks of this year.

3. Transitions: Term 4 is an important period of transition into the following year for all students, but particularly for students moving from Grade 6 into Year 7, from middle school to the senior years, and those in Year 12 graduating and moving into further education and training or employment. Students in all year levels will prepare for a change of teachers and the next year level of curriculum as we near the end of this year. A key priority for us in Term 4 is to ensure each of these end-of-year and beginning-of-year transitions occurs as successfully as possible. 

Staying COVID-Safe

Unfortunately, the pandemic still poses a number of challenges for us locally, with a number of COVID cases in nearby Preston over the past week. We must continue to be vigilant and do everything we can to make sure that our school is COVID-Safe and continues to remain open throughout. 

There are several important expectations with respect to learning together on site, in order to reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus. 

This includes the continued wearing of face masks, proper hand hygiene, and physical distancing where possible, as well as avoiding sharing foods, playing non-contact sports only, and staggered finish times for different year levels, and (for the time being) restricting parent and visitor access to school grounds. Above all, if students are feeling unwell, they must stay home and get tested. 

We have rearranged the timetable so that year levels are kept in year level 'bubbles' as much as possible, and when outside students are expected to hang out only with students in their year levels, as a precaution. For the time being, we will continue to hold year level and whole school assemblies virtually. 

Our cleaners will continue to clean throughout the day, including wiping down shared surfaces around the school, and we are keeping classroom doors and windows open, wherever possible, to allow fresh air flow throughout each of our learning spaces and buildings. 

Making Successful Transitions

We are working to support every student to make a successful transition into 2021. Parents, families and carers can be confident that the best option for most students in transitioning into 2021 will be to stay with their year level peer group and move up to the next year level. 

As most students begin the transition back into life at school, our Year 12s are about to make their transition from school into the next chapter of their lives beyond school. One of the exciting things about graduating from high school is the ability to take charge of our lives. When we are at school, our days are somewhat structured and timetabled for us and, almost by default, we get to see most of our friends every day. However, after graduating from school, each of us will go on to follow our own independent pathways into work, training and further study and it can require more effort on our part to maintain those relationships from school and turn them into lifelong friendships.  

In addition, even though our Year 12 students may not know exactly where they will end up in future, which is to be expected given that our future work and further studies tend to evolve and change in direction over the years, the key thing is that each of them now has a much clearer sense of direction. They have planned their next steps beyond school into work, university or TAFE and they seem to be poised and ready to take those first steps out into their lives with greater confidence. 

We are incredibly proud of the Class of 2020 and what they have achieved this year and who they have become, particularly given the challenges of the pandemic and lockdowns. We can hardly wait to hear and see how they progress in their lives over coming years. I am confident that if they continue to work hard and explore life, a range of opportunities will continue to unfold for them in the years ahead. 

Finally, I’ve been fortunate enough to get a sneak peek of some of the final VCE Studio Art folios that are being submitted at this point in the year, and when some of their art pieces are finally on display over the coming weeks, I urge students to check them out because they are nothing short of amazing. 

Year 12 Graduation Ceremony 

(and Homecoming in January)

The valedictory and graduation ceremony for our Foundation Class of 2020—the first graduates to complete six years at the re-established Coburg High School—will be held this Friday evening. This is a significant milestone and rite of passage for our Year 12s, their families, and all the staff who have supported them through their high school journey. 

The Class of 2020 graduation will be live-streamed for Year 12 students, families and staff and will be a combination of live speeches, pre-recorded video reflections by students, staff and parents, the announcement of sponsored individual awards, and the formal graduation ceremony. We look forward to celebrating together on Friday evening and despite the limitations of the online format, we intend to make it a very special celebration. 

I extend my sincere thanks to the following local businesses who are sponsoring major awards for our Year 12 graduates at this Friday's graduation ceremony:

• Ritchies Supermarket
• Palace Cinemas
• Chemist Warehouse 
• Golden Peak Developments

We also look forward to hosting a Homecoming event in January for everyone in our Class of 2020. By January, we anticipate that restrictions will have eased further so that our graduates can truly celebrate together here once the exams are all over and their future pathways confirmed. The structure of this event is yet to be decided, but will involve our foundation students returning to the school, and leaving a marker of their time at CHS and celebrating a long overdue social event (government restrictions permitting). 

We feel great pride in what we have created together as a school, as well as the leading role our foundation students, and their parents and families, have had in the shaping of Coburg High School’s culture and reputation over the past six years. We will always honour and fondly remember the commitment that they have all made since Year 7 in 2015.

VCE Exams 

The final Year 12 VCE exams have commenced for some subjects already, with Dance, Drama, Music and Spanish exams completed last week or coming up this week. The written exams will begin from Tuesday, 10 November and during that time there will be certain areas of the school that are out of bounds to all students and staff except the VCE students and exam supervisors, particularly the portables in the north section of the school, so that our VCE students have the very best conditions for their final exams.

2020 VCE Exam Timetable:

https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/administration/Key-dates/Pages/VCE-exam-timetable.aspx

It is important to note that all our VCE teachers are available to support students throughout the exam period, both here at school and through e-mail. They are here to help!

Facilities Updates

We have recently installed a new Coburg High School sign at the main entrance. This sign has been in the works for some time and has finally been completed, in addition to recent maintenance to our main entrance. 

It is fitting that this sign has been installed just as we welcome back students and staff to school on site. The timber used is one of the largest pieces of salvaged ironbark trestle timber in Victoria and is dated from November, 1906. The bluestones surrounding the sign were all rescued from the original Coburg High School site on Bell Street. The next step is to involve students (and parents, in time) in landscaping the roundabout around the sign and other nearby sections of gardens along the front boundary of the school.

Our school council has also applied for government grants to upgrade our toilet facilities and to begin the installation of solar panels on our roofs and we are hopeful of a successful outcome with those applications in November.

The pedestrian traffic lights at the intersection of Urquhart Street and Pentridge Boulevard, near the entrance to our school, have been activated in time for our full school return. This is an important safety measure for students walking, cycling, skating and scooting to and from school and I acknowledge Moreland City Council's significant work on this major project.

Finally, we have been working in partnership with Coburg Basketball Association and Basketball Victoria on a potential joint-use stadium proposal. This is a significant project for our school and we will share further information soon. With the expansion in our enrolments, there is an obvious need to expand our indoor sporting facilities and the proposed stadium includes four courts as well as team facilities, a fitness centre, and a section of the building dedicated to our school sustainability program. I will share further details soon as we begin to seek funding for the project but I am attaching the draft designs for the stadium to introduce the concept and pique your curiosity.

Confirmed Subjects for 2021

We are pleased to be able to announce the most wide-ranging curriculum ever offered at Coburg High School in 2021, in terms of core subjects, electives, VCE studies and even a new VET program to be held on-site. Any students who have not yet received their course confirmation for next year will receive it shortly. 

Victorian High Ability Program (VHAP)

Congratulations to the following students who have been invited into the state-wide Victorian High Ability Program, beginning this term: Daniel H, Clifford J, Imogen M, Daniel M, Kestrel M, Celia P and Diego S. 

They are taking part in a challenging program which is designed to enhance their critical thinking, problem solving and creativity skills. 

The first section of the course is focused on ‘Hope in Dystopian Times’ and masterclasses around the genre of dystopia and our team of students are delving into what makes or breaks a ‘perfect society’ through novels, short stories and films. 

In addition, some of our VHAP students are also involved in the specialised mathematical program which is focusing on 'networks and paradoxes'. 

We look forward to sharing some of the projects by our VHAP students in the next issue of the newsletter. 

Introducing the CHS Basketball Academy

In 2021, Mike Torres, who is a renowned basketball player and coach here in Coburg, is intending to launch a specialist Basketball Academy for selected students at Coburg High School. 

This new academy is designed to be an intensive yearlong program for selected basketball players. Although Coburg High School is affiliated with this program, and it will be held here at school, the program selection processes, administration and implementation will be managed by the Academy staff, led by Mike Torres. 

We will be holding a virtual meeting to introduce the program to interested students and families next Thursday, 5 November at 6.00pm. Mike and his team will join this meeting to answer all your questions. 

Further details about the program are included in the attached overview document (below) and will be posted on Compass to all families in the coming days. 

We are proud to be able to host this intensive program of training, coaching, and career advice for talented basketball players here at Coburg High School. 

Stewart Milner

Principal

Coburg High School