Chev Need to Knows

1 March 2024

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we conclude another week here at Chevalier College, I am delighted to share with you some exciting updates and reflections on our journey as a community for the first five weeks of 2024.

Firstly, let's talk about the media coverage we've been receiving lately. It's been heartening to see the media take an interest in our school and the initiatives we're undertaking. There was an ABC Illawarra radio segment just yesterday 29 February. This can be found by clicking here. There was also a WIN News article which can be found here (this link works even if you are not on Facebook).

These articles have highlighted our innovative approaches to education and our commitment to nurturing every student's potential. It's fantastic to see the world beyond the school gates of Chevalier becoming curious about what we're doing here, and we welcome them to join us on this journey. In a few weeks I will communicate how we intend to get feedback from staff, students and parents as we engage with action research about our future facing initiatives.

Recently, I have been asked a few times, "Where do you think the parents are with this? Are they on board?” From the feedback I have gathered from numerous conversations, I believe our parents fall into the following four groups:

The early adopters: those who embrace the positives of all things future facing
The opponents: those who reject or resist the practices of the future facing proposal
The discerners: a keen group of parents who quietly support the one-year trial of future facing initiatives but continue to discern the merits or otherwise of Flipped Mondays
The significant majority who are supportive because they trust the College.

The Matter of Hospitality

This week, we've had the pleasure of embodying one of our core MSC values: hospitality. From the warm embrace of our new students' morning tea early in the week, to the inclusive atmosphere of our New Families Welcome Evening, hospitality has been at the forefront of our interactions.

I had the privilege of attending the new students' morning tea, and it was truly heartwarming to witness the sense of belonging and excitement among our newcomers. Here are some quotes from the students at the event that capture the spirit of hospitality:

“The teachers are really friendly and made me feel welcome even though I didn’t know anyone. I like home room too with a mix of ages.”

“The students have been really good at showing me everything and I’ve made a couple of new friends. I was super nervous on my first day but it’s a welcoming school.”

“I really like it here so far. People smile at you and it’s friendly.”

Last night, the College hosted more than 150 parents for our annual Welcome Evening for parents and carers new to the College. The atmosphere was very positive with parents reflecting that their child had enjoyed an exciting start to the year. Like other occasions, last night reminded me that when I meet with parents, in the main, we have your support and even more importantly, your trust. As a staff, we may not always be perfect, and that is never the expectation, however, with an ongoing commitment to nurture and educate your children, there is a true spirit of partnership at Chevalier. It has been here for decades at Chev, and long may it continue.

2024 Winter Sport and Extracurricular

On Wednesday, we conducted our Winter Sports and extracurricular sign ups. Additional to the various sports options, we offer Bands and Ensembles, Debating and Public Speaking, Show Team, Cadets and Mountain Biking. Before students had the opportunity to choose an option, we gathered as a whole school to remind them that when signing up for an extracurricular activity, they had to commit.

With reference to sport, we spoke about the ‘Non-Negotiables’ and the expectations that students:

Commit to training on every Tuesday and Thursday.
Train well.
Listen to their coaches.
Commit to each and every Saturday.

Interestingly, we also shared data about the number of teams we have fielded in ISA competitions over the last few years, and also their participation in finals. It can be seen below.

This weekend sees 10 of our 21 teams in Summer Sport – 48% of our teams - competing in semi-finals. One of those, our 14As Basketball team, goes straight into the final the following Saturday. Our 1sts Cricket Team has been putting in remarkable performances on the field, resulting in us hosting the semi-final at home this weekend. As such, I warmly encourage staff, students and parents to come along to Main Oval and offer your support. It's truly impressive to see the talent and dedication of our players, whose age range in this 1sts team spans from Year 7 through to Year 12. Let's cheer them on and celebrate their achievements together.

As we wrap up this week's Need to Know, I want to express my gratitude to each and every one of you for your ongoing support and involvement in our school community. Together, we sustain our nurturing and inspiring environment where every student can thrive.

Many Blessings to you all for the weekend ahead and we look forward to a wonderful week to follow.

Greg Miller

Principal

Year 7 Retreats

Our final Year 7 Retreat Day will take place at the College on Monday. Students will be participating in their Religious Education classes as shown below.

Monday 4 March

7.5 - Mariah Edwards

7.6 - Gemma Farrugia

7.7 - Ellen Kearney

The Retreats will run from 8.50am to 3.25pm, and students are to wear neat casual clothing when attending their Retreat. As a snack will be provided to students, please ensure you log into the Parent Lounge or Orbit app to update your child's dietary requirements - instructions are below.

Please note, these are compulsory days, and form an integral component of student life at Chevalier College.

Alexander (Sandy) Abbey

Assistant Principal – Faith Formation and Mission

PDHPE Practical Lessons

Please check the Parent Lounge for details of PDHPE Practical Lessons for each year group. You will find them via School Links >> Student Information. Students must wear their full College sports uniform with correct sports shoes to and from school on their PDHPE practical days. Students who are injured or physically unable to participate in practical lessons for more than one PDHPE practical day during the term require a doctor's certificate. If it is a 'one-off' injury, a note from home is required.

UOW Future Talk - A Parent and Carer Webinar Series

UOW's Future Talk is a series of eight online information sessions designed specifically for a student's support crew. If you are a parent or carer who is navigating the HSC with a student, please consider registering for and participating in these sessions. The first one will be on Monday 18 March 2024. All the information, registration and the webinar schedule can be found here.

Diverse Learning resources

Students with ADHD and/or learning disabilities

The Learning Difficulties Coalition of NSW Inc. are running a free zoom webinar for parents with students who have ADHD and/or learning disabilities on Tuesday 26 March, 7:30pm - 8:15pm. The guest speaker for the Parent Talk is Andrew Greenfield, a child and educational psychologist. Further information is available on the LDC website at www.ldc.org.au. or by clicking here. To register, email info@ldc.org.au or call 02 9806 9960.

Programs for students with disabilities

Loading Zone in Bowral has some great programs for students with disabilities in the Southern Highlands, including:

Fortnightly peer groups run by a speech therapist on Saturdays - suitable for ages 10 and up.
Dungeons and Dragons – Saturdays 11.00am to 1.30pm suitable for ages 15 and up.
Gaming group – Saturdays 9.00am to 10.30am suitable for ages 13 to 16.

For further information, please click here.

National Consistent Collection of Data

All schools in Australia are required to participate in the National Consistent Collection of Data for Students with Disability (NCCD). This allows us to continue to provide and prioritise innovative and high-quality teaching and learning to support all students on their learning journey.

The NCCD Fact Sheet for Parents explains the data collection process for students with disabilities.

Parent Portal / Mobile App Drop-In Support Sessions

Thank you to those parents who have logged in and are now using the Parent Lounge and/or the Orbit App! We are pleased to see so many of you using the new platforms.

For parents who still require IT assistance to access either platform, we thank you for your patience. Our team are working through the requests as quickly as possible. We will also be holding two drop-in sessions at the College where our IT team will be on hand to assist you in gaining access.

Wednesday 6 March from 6.30pm to 7.30pm in C12
Tuesday 12 March from 6.30pm to 7.30pm in C12

If you would like to attend, please click here to help us with our planning.

Please note that it is essential that parents are able to access one of our new platforms. We are no longer issuing paper permission notes and this is the only way for you to provide permission for your child to attend excursions and access the excursion details.

Quick links:

Please watch this space for further details about how important information will be communicated to you in the future. We hope these new platforms make it much easier for parents to keep in touch with the College!

Student Attendance - how to advise us

If your child is marked absent from school and this absence is unexplained, you will receive a notification in the Parent Orbit App and the Parent Lounge, and an SMS.

Below are the methods you can use to explain the absence:

Parent Orbit App – click on Absences on the home page
Parent Lounge – click on Absences in the left-hand menu
SMS – respond to the text

Our preferred methods are via the Parent App or Lounge. You can also use the App or Lounge to advise us of an absence in advance (for absences of 5 days or less).

Please do not use the previously advertised mobile phone number or contact us by telephone as these are no longer acceptable methods to advise us of your child’s absence.

Scoliosis Screening

Historically, the Australian Government provided Scoliosis Screenings at schools for all students to assess and monitor for scoliosis. These are no longer offered in schools, yet are highly recommended to ensure management of the condition is provided as promptly as possible, if it is flagged during screening. It is recommended that girls (in particular due to increased incidence) are screened in Year 5 and Year 7.

Further information regarding the importance of screening can be found at https://www.scoliosis-australia.org/policies-programs/policy-re-screening/.

If you wish to have your child checked for scoliosis, local physiotherapists such as The Physio Space offer screening services.

ISA Sport

ISA Semi-finals are on this Saturday. Team fixtures and bus information can be found here. All buses will be leaving from the bus zone on Charlotte Street. All students should be dropped off in the JFC car park. You can also find your child's extracurricular fixtures and training information in Parent Lounge and on the Parent Orbit app under the Student tab.

Winter Sport Sign Ups

All students were given the opportunity on Wednesday to register for a Winter Sport during the sign-up event held during school assembly.

Any student who was absent and missed this opportunity will need to see Coach Phillips in Break 1 or 2 on Tuesday. Registrations will close on Tuesday.

All students will need to attend trials in Weeks 7 & 8. Further details will be provided to students via Daily Notices. Students must attend all nominated trials to be considered for a team.

Trial Dates

Rugby Union: Tuesday and Thursday 3:45pm-5:00pm Week 7 & 8

Girls and Boys Football: Tuesday and Thursday 3:45pm-5:00pm Week 7 & 8

Girls Hockey: Tuesday and Thursday Week 7 & 8

Tennis: Wednesday 3:45pm- 5:00pm Week 7 & 8

Netball: Tuesday and Thursday 3:45pm-5:00pm Week 7 & 8

All pre-season training will commence from Week 10.

Cadets Recruitment

The Cadets at Chevalier has a long and proud history in the Southern Highlands with many members going on to serve the community through Defence, Police, Fire and Rescue and other vital services.

Students interested in joining the 272 Army Cadet Unit at Chevalier can contact the Cadets directly by email or click here for more information.

ISA/CIS Swimming Additional Events

Any student wishing to enter the below events at the ISA Swimming Carnival will need to advise Coach Phillips by Tuesday 5 March. Students must have an official time recorded on Results Central within the last 6 months to nominate for these events.

Girls and Boys for each of the following events:

200IM: Junior (12-14), Intermediate (15-16), Senior (17-19)
100m Back: Junior (12-14), Intermediate (15-16), Senior (17-19)
100m Breast: Junior (12-14), Intermediate (15-16), Senior (17-19)
100m Fly: Junior (12-14), Intermediate (15-16), Senior (17-19)
200m Free, Back, Fly and Breast:
Junior (12-14), Intermediate (15-16), Senior (17-19)
100m Multi-class Free & Back: Open (12-19)
400m Free: Girls and Boys
Junior (12-14), Intermediate (15-16), Senior (17-19)
400m IM: Girls and Boys
Junior (12-14), Intermediate (15-16), Senior (17-19)
800m Free: Open Girls & Open Boys
1500m Free: Open Girls & Open Boys

Coach Phillips

Extra Curriculum Administrator

ISA Semi-Finals - 2 March
Show Team Robertson Show - 2 March
Year 10/12 Music Excursion - 4 March
Year 11 Biology Excursion - 4 March
Year 7 Retreat Group 3 (classes 7.5, 7.6 and 7.7) - 4 March
Parent Portal / Orbit App IT Drop-in Session - 6 March
Show Team Moss Vale Show - 9 March
ISA Finals - 9 March
Mid Term Break - 11 March
Parent Portal / Orbit App IT Drop-in Session - 12 March
ISA Swimming Carnival (invitation only) - 13 March
Year 12 Retreat - 13-15 March
NAPLAN (Years 7 and 9) - 13-18 March
Jules Chevalier 200th birthday - 15 March
Year 11 White Card Incursion - 18 March
Year 10 Wilderness Excursion - 18-22 March
Show Team Sydney Royal Ester Show - 18-24 March
St Patrick's Day Cake Stall - 20 March