PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Nicholas Adamou

Principal

2023 Key Dates

Grade 6 Parent Information Evening, Open Night: Prospective parents for 2024 

The Parent/Guardian/Student Information Evening, Open Night for our 2024 Year 7 intake was held very successfully, on Wednesday 8 March. A large number of parents/guardians and prospective students visited the school and experienced the teaching and learning programs and all that NGSC has to offer. 

The information evening provided prospective parents/guardians/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 to prospective students in relation to curricular, extra-curricular, individualised and specialised programs. 

In my welcoming speech, I spoke about the school’s high expectations for students, staff, parents and the wider community, the safe and engaging learning environment, and the fact that NGSC is a ‘School of Choice”. Please note, that the Victorian government has made it abundantly clear that parents can choose any school for their children, provided the school has capacity. 

I also stressed the importance of parents/guardians matching the educational needs of their children with the educational programs a 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 high school for the child. 

Highlights of the evening:

• Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM program; Nowbot robot, Robotics, Drones, VR goggles, Makerbot robots, 3-D printers) 
• Select Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) Program
• Scholarship Program
• Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) Program
• STAR Literacy & Numeracy Intervention Program 
• ACE Literacy & Numeracy Intervention Program 
• Digital Technologies (Chromebooks Year 7 – 9 and Year 10 -11 BYOD) Programs
• Student Leadership Programs (School Captains, SRC, Young Leaders and iLeaders Program 
• Significant Teacher Program
• AVID Program 
• Excellence in Sports Program (Football, Soccer and Volleyball)
• Performing Arts Program/School Productions 
• Instrumental Music Program 
• International student Program 
• EAL Programs
• VCE, VCE (VM) and VET Programs 

Since the beginning of this term, Mr Quinn, Transition/Pathways Leader, and his team have conducted many feeder primary school visits, personalised tours and information sessions for prospective students and their families. There is much interest in these visits and if parents of current students with a sibling attending next year are interested, or if you know of others potentially new to NGSC that would like to take this opportunity, I encourage you and others to contact the school on 52405800 to book a visit/tour with Mr Quinn or a Principal Class Officer.

It was a pleasure to meet so many new and also current families during this evening. I take this opportunity to thank all our staff, and in particular our students, who supported this evening, presenting to parents or just by answering parent and prospective students’ questions about their experiences and what they have been learning at the school. Our students are great ambassadors to our wider community and our greatest asset. As their Principal, together with the whole school community, we are very proud of them. 

Also, a special thank you to Ms Molly D’Elia - past student and Ms Michelle Culjak - current Year 7 parent who spoke about their experiences at the school during the evening. Our school council president Mr Dirk Heitmann was also in attendance, meeting many prospective parents.  

2023 Harmony celebrations at NGSC 

Our School Captains, together with several SRC representatives, organised and ran Harmony Day Celebration activities to mark this year’s Harmony Week on Tuesday 21 March. These activities aimed at building on the strengths of the school’s diversity and inclusion.  

Harmony Week is celebrated during the week (Monday to Sunday) that ​includes the 21st March, the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Since 1999, more than 80,000 Harmony Week events have been held in childcare centres, schools, community groups, churches, businesses, and federal, state and local government agencies across Australia.

NGSC community is a very diverse community and is proud to have “Diversity” as one of its four values. We live, breathe and celebrate Australian multiculturalism in our school community. Our school is a very successful inclusive, multicultural school community that ensures everyone belongs and is respected regardless of cultural or linguistic backgrounds, united by our core school values. 

This year the school marked Harmony Day with a whole school assembly. Guest speaker for the day was Mr Stretch Kontelj – former student of the school, former City of Greater Geelong Mayor, prominent Lawyer, Professor at Deakin University, and a Community Leader within the Slovenian Community.

He spoke about the multicultural society of Geelong and its success. He also spoke about Australia, the luckiest country in the world. Thank you very much Stretch for coming back to your high school, inspiring our young people with your speech. 

Thank you to all students who organised and ran Harmony Day activities in coordination with the Wellbeing Team. In particular, I acknowledge the efforts and leadership of our school captains; Mackenzie, James, Emily, Alana, Faith and Bailey who made this year’s Harmony Day celebrations a great success.

 Ms Julie Elkin – Alumni Leader, Dr Stretch Kontelj – former NGSC student and prominent community Leader and Nick Adamou – Principal 

Annual Report 2022

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 2022 Annual Report was presented to the school community at the Annual General School Council Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday 21 March at 5.30pm. The Annual Report will also be published on the school website following the AGM. 

Please take time to read through and familiarise yourselves with the Annual Report. A copy of the annual report will be published on the school’s website www.ngsc.vic.edu.au 

2023 Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) 

 The 2023 AIP is based on the 2020 – 2024 School Strategic Plan. The new Strategic Plan is the product of the school review process which took place in term Four 2020.

The Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) describes how the key improvement strategies in the school strategic plan, and other significant projects, will be put into operation during the year and how they will be monitored. It assists schools to:

• plan and communicate their work for the coming year and how this will lead to achieving their identified goals and targets 
• ensure efficient and effective allocation of resources to complete the work
• monitor progress and success. 

The 2023 AIP is also published on the school’s website 

International Women’s Day Celebration, 8th March 2023

The global theme for International Women’s Day this year was ‘Cracking the Code: Innovation for a gender equal future’. This theme is based on the United Nations 67th Commission on the Status of Women priority theme ‘Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, NGSC hosted a morning tea on Wednesday 8 March, for all female staff members and Year 12 female students. Mackenzie Martin – School Captain spoke about the significance and the meaning of the day. 

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, DET 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.  Students that choose to bring their mobile phones to school must store them safely in their lockers during the school day as per the Department’s rule.

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.

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. Earrings must consist only of sleepers or studs in the ears.

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: (i) the facial piercings are removed during the school day, to and from school. (ii) the facial piercing is discreet and clear plastic and (iii) a band aide 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.

Privacy Reminder to all Parents/Guardians 

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

Please take time to remind yourself of the school’s collection statement, found on our website [add link to your school’s collection statement].

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

School Zone Speed Limits

Just to remind parents/guardians and friends of the school community, of the importance of road safety around schools. 

• School Speed Zones are enforced from the commencement of the school year and parents/carers are reminded to adhere to all VicRoads School Speed Zones rules. 
• Also parents/guardians are reminded to take care and obey these parking signs and observe the Road Rules when picking up or dropping off students around schools. The City of Greater Geelong Parking and Information Officers monitor all supervised school crossings on a regular roster and issue infringements to drivers who stop in unsafe areas, such as “No Stopping” zones, within 20 metres of a school crossing, parallel to a yellow edge line, or if double parked, even for a moment to drop off or collect a student. 
• Queuing to enter a pick up/drop off zone can often lead to traffic congestion with vehicles being stationary in prohibited areas. Should the pickup/drop off zone be occupied with vehicles, to avoid the possibility of receiving an infringement it is advised to drive around the block and return when legal parking is available.
• Statistics show that illegal parking around schools is greatly reduced due to an Officer’s presence and Council prefers to achieve these results though education and awareness. 

Designated school speed zones: Specified times (8.00 - 9.30 am and 2.30 - 4.00 pm).   

Further information in regard to VicRoads speed limits around schools can be found at: VicRoads School Speed Zones

Also, please note that the school car park is out of bounds for all parents/guardians. The car park is only for staff. It is imperative that parents DO NOT enter the carpark during pick up/drop off as they are placing students and staff at grave risk. 

I wish to thank all parents/guardians who always adhere to all traffic rules re: school zones and also the school carpark rules. The safety of all children, staff and parents is paramount.

Last Day of the Term 1, Thursday 6 April  

The last day of Term 1 is on Thursday April 6. Just a reminder to parents/guardians that students will finish school at 1.24pm as per End of Term arrangements published in previous years. 

Students must attend school on the last day of the term and if for some legitimate reason they are going to be away, parents/guardians are required to notify the school as per our school attendance policy. 

Happy Easter and enjoy a relaxing and safe break.

Term 2 begins on Monday 24 April.