Principal's Report
Semester 1 Concludes
Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of participating in the Semester 1 College Values Award Ceremonies. A significant number of parents, carers and friends of the College attended the ceremonies which are an important part of our school calendar. A number of the ceremonies included student performances, including the Year 7 Band's first formal performances in the Performing Arts Centre. An amazing achievement considering that most students only took up learning an instrument earlier this year.
Our staff recently concluded Semester 1 reports which are now available on via Compass.
Course Counselling
Course counselling for 2025 begins for our students currently in Years 9-11 in the first week of Term 3.
Parents and students of current Year 9 are invited to a course counselling information session regarding the structure of Year 10 and elective subjects.
Date: Tuesday 16th July
Time: 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Venue: Year 9 Centre
Parents and students of current Year 10 are invited to a course counselling information session regarding the structure of VCE or VCE Vocational Major.
Date: Tuesday 16th July
Time: 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Venue: Performing Arts Centre*
Parents and students of current Year 8 are invited to a course counselling information session regarding the structure of Year 9 and elective subjects.
Date: Wednesday 17th July
Time: 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Venue: Performing Arts Centre
*Please note there is landscaping work being carried out so access to the PAC will be through the Community Room
Academic Redemption
We recently completed our first academic redemption program for students in Years 7-10 with outstanding coursework since prior to COVID.
The process was focused on both accountability and support for students and resulted in a total of 284 Common Assessment Tasks being completed in the final two weeks of the semester.
Year 7: 17 students owing 39 tasks down to 1 student owing 5 tasks.
Year 8: 58 students owing 129 tasks down to 23 students owing 61 tasks.
Year 9: 56 students owing 119 tasks down to 13 students owing 32 tasks.
Year 10: 70 students owing 187 tasks down to 43 students owing 92 tasks.
I would like to thank parents and carers for supporting their children in organising themselves to complete outstanding work. The positive habits being built by students will hold them in good stead for their senior school studies.
Junior School Review
Ove the last four weeks, Rebekah Vass (Assistant Principal - Keysborough College) has been completing a placement as part of the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership's Unlocking Potential Leadership Program. As part of Rebekah's placement she undertook a project assisting us with our review of our junior school program.
Here is a reflection of Rebekah's insight into her time here at Patterson River:
"In 2023 I was accepted into the Unlocking Potential: Principal Preparation Course, through the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership. This course is a unique opportunity to develop professional knowledge, capabilities and confidence to lead for learning in schools. A component of this program is a 20- day placement in another school setting, working alongside an experienced mentor principal.
I was eager to be placed at Patterson River Secondary College and learn from all the incredible work that is happening at the school.
As part of my placement, I took upon an inquiry project into the Junior School Curriculum. I have had the privilege to observe classes around engagement and meet with several staff members to hear their perspectives on the Junior School Curriculum & immersed myself into the everyday happenings of the school. As part of this process, I also met with 42 students across years 7-12 in small focus groups, to hear their perspectives around the Junior School Curriculum and how we can improve it further to meet their educational needs. I also spent this time looking into data at the school, including previous Attitude to School Survey data completed by the students each year and delving into current educational research around engagement and student voice.
I was able to present my findings to the school leadership team on Tuesday 18th June for them to take these findings into their considerations for next year and beyond. It’s been an absolute pleasure to be a part of this wonderful school's community and take back lots of learnings to Keysborough Secondary College.
Rebekah Vass (Assistant Principal - Keysborough College)
Student Drivers
We are entering a time of year when a number of students are driving to school.
The school has a number of strategies to keep students safe during this exciting time for our young adults and to reduce pressure on our parking infrastructure. These include:
- Students not being permitted to leave and return to the school site during the day by vehicle.
- Asking students who are driving to school to complete a form outlining expectations.
- Not parking in the school carpark in Terms 3 and 4 to allow a small number of free carparks for parents and visitors.
Arabian Nights
It is now less than one month until our students put on the cabaret production of Arabian Nights, based on Alladin The Musical. Students have been practicing since late last year and I can't wait to see the show. Opening night is being held on Thursday 25 July, with shows running Thursday - Saturday night.
Landscaping Works
The landscaping works at the front of Performing Arts began this week and are due to conclude late in Term 3.
The project will focus on courtyard 1 (see below) and while we are keen to still complete the other two court yards, it appears that the scope of this work may need to be either delayed or scaled back due to costs.
Regardless, this is an incredibly exciting project and we look forward to it being completed.
Parent Voluntary Contributions
I recently sent a thank you letter via email to families who have made voluntary contributions this year towards new equipment across different learning areas. Already this year, we have had over $34,000 donated (up from $23,000 in 2023) and have received enough to finalise the purchase of the following equipment:
- ICT - programmable drones
- Music - MIDI keyboards
- Performing Arts – dance barre, video cameras
- Health – CPR dummies and defib trainers
- Science – electronic balances
- Art – pottery wheels and Wacom tablets
- Maths – CAS calculators
- Sport – soccer and hockey goals.
With tax time just around the corner, don't forget that you might be able to claim your donations as a tax deductable item in your tax return. Items associated with our building and library trust funds are claimable items.
We Need Your Vote
We were recently successful in securing a $2000 grant through the Teaching Initiatives Program (TIP) . The funds will be used to expand the selection of books and to purchase new display units at the school. We are now in the running for an additional $500 through the People's Choice Award.
You can click here to cast your vote .
I encourage you to take the time to look through the various pages in this newsletter to see the many wonderful things that our staff and students have been involved in so far this term.
Finally, I will be taking long service leave for 6 weeks in Term 3 beginning at the end of July. The Department of Education has appointed Adam Slater as the Acting Principal during this time and I am pleased to be going on leave knowing that the school is being left in such safe hands.
Mr Daniel Dew
College Principal