EMC Community Connection

Principal Message

Dear Parents, Carers, and Students, 

 

Welcome to the 2024 academic year. I am incredibly excited as we start this year, and more so proud of the College community and their academic performances in 2023. 2023 was a successful year on so many different fronts for the College. We saw our College recognized in the AGE for a significant and expected improvement of the student VCE mean study scores, as we climbed into the VCE 30 club with a mean of 31.  Coupled with this we saw our students accessing a diverse range of university courses across many universities. 

 

2023 student Year 7 and 9 NAPLAN results outperformed state, network and similar schools on reading, writing and numeracy. These results are a reflection of the growing partnership between home and school, along with the College's focus and investment in student learning and high expectations for success across the entire College. 

 

2024 sees a deepening commitment to the high expectations for learning and behavior. 'As parents we all want our children to succeed at school', underpinning success at school is student behavior and safety. In 2024 we have consolidated the College's implementation of the School Wide Positive Behavior Support Framework and have introduced 4 simple routines to create a calm and respectful environment, these are mapped with our 5 basic rules for students, setting the tone for a successful lesson and safe classroom environment. 

 

4 Simple Routines:

  • We respect how the teacher has set up the classroom. 
  • We line up and wait to be welcomed into the classroom.  
  • We wait for the teacher to begin the lesson and give the first instruction.  
  • We pack up when the teacher instructs us to and wait at our desks to be dismissed. 

 

5 Classroom expectations

  • We arrive on time with the correct materials.
  • We follow all staff instructions.
  • We are positive and active participants in learning.
  • We support and respect staff, students and our environment.
  • We Celebrate the strengths and achievements of ourselves and others.

 

 

Term 1 goals for all EMC students

Here are 5 goals to being your best this term:

  1. Phone and smart devices in locker bell to bell.
  2. Be at class on time with all required materials.
  3. Avoid leaving class for any reason.
  4. Perfect EMC uniform.
  5. Adhere to the EMC Expectations at all times.

Our College values underpin the work we do, and our core focus in 2024 is to build our communities understanding of Respect as a value and the behaviors that underpin this value. You will notice that all of our expectations and values build on respectful behaviors, and teachers will be explicitly teaching these behaviors. I hope that this can be a regular discussion at the dinner table, as in partnership we deepen our communities enactment of respect, where we establish acts of kindness and gratitude within our community.

 

We are celebrating our 40th Anniversary this year with a series of events that will encourage current students and families and College Alumni to participate and celebrate our journey and improvement over the past 4 decades. We have a rich history and will look to recognize the past, current and future contributions of everyone involved in our College. In 2023 we started the redesign of our College alumni with a connection with Ourschools, seeing past students join current students to share their journey and success, and in doing so building aspirations of future careers and opportunities. If you are an alumni and would like to share the positive outcome of your learning journey at EMC please make contact with our alumni coordinator Lindsay Dare. 

 

Elisabeth Murdoch College has a rich history in the performing arts, this year we have undertaken the ambitious challenge of the school production Mamma Mia. This is sure to be an exciting and very successful show. 

 

On Monday 5 February, we once again welcomed Penny Fowler to assist us with the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Commemoration. In some inclement weather our students were wonderful as we stopped to recognize the contribution that Dame Elisabeth made to the Langwarrin community and our wonderful College. We also take time to recognize students who have exemplified the College values through the DEMC award and the Live Your Values awards. Tara Noy and Isabelle Eames were the respective awardees of these two prestigious awards, both exemplary students and committed to making EMC a kind and caring environment where everyone can succeed. 

 

The year ahead is full of a broad range of fun and activities that should serve to assist every student to have a positive and connected year, with sports, performing arts, visual arts, digital technologies, camps, extra curricula camps and excursions, that are all sure to compliment our outstanding learning and teaching program. 

 

We have all noticed the positive uptake of the changes in the College uniform Policy, and we openly thank students, parents and carers for their support of these changes. The new sports kit has been a real success, along with the triple black runners. The pride in which students are presenting at school is having a significant and positive impact on learning behaviors and we thank everyone for their continued support as we create a safe and caring learning environment. 

 

Policy Updates and Reminders

Mobile Phones

 

A reminder that the Department of Education has in place a mobile phone ban that requires students who bring mobiles phones to school to have them switched off and securely put away during school hours.

 

The department is requiring all schools to ensure this ban is in place and enforced from the start of the 2024 school year. The ban applies equally to all government schools right across the state. This helps ensure that school is a learning environment free from unnecessary distractions and disruptions.

 

By ensuring mobile phones are kept away at recess and lunch times, students can interact with each other face-to-face, without the distractions and social pressures that mobile phones can cause.

 

I ask for the support of all our families, staff and students in continuing to support the implementation of this policy in our school.

 

Further information

Exceptions: For a small number of students with particular health needs, an exception to the policy may be granted. Please contact your childs Student Achievement Leader (SAL) if you would like to discuss this.

 

Emergencies: In the event of an emergency or if you need to immediately contact your child, I ask that families contact the school office who will pass on a message as required.

 

Elisabeth Murdoch College's mobile phone policy has been developed in conjunction with College Council. A copy of our school’s mobile phone policy, which implements the government’s mobile policy in line with our local context, is available here: Mobile Phone Policy. 

 

Parent support: The Mobile phones in schools webpage provides links to resources for families to help them balance their children’s time using mobile phones.

 

If you have further questions, please contact the administration office.

 

2024 is going to be a year of celebration, recognition and success, as we recognize 40 yrs of growth, learning and success. I would like to thank everyone for their commitment to the students of Langwarrin as we work together to make sure that they can access their pathways to success. 

 

Kind regards, 

 

Dean King

Principal