Principal's Message
Emerging from the challenges of a long and cold Term 3, our students at all campuses have shown resilience and focus. It was refreshing to see the relieved faces of Year 12 students at Richmond after they completed their VCE English exam last Tuesday, and equally lovely to see the warm send-off our Year 12 Coburg students received on their final day of classes last Friday.
Our staff are relieved to have finally secured a new industrial agreement, which importantly came alongside a commitment from the present Victorian Government to fully fund public schools according to the prescribed standard. Unfortunately, this has not been guaranteed any time before 2031, which we hope to see changed.
The Student Representative Council has shown great initiative; advocating for changes to the student food program, and successfully negotiating a change to the Term 3 showcase date to enable students to also attend the student strike. SRC members at Richmond have also secured $6,200 funding from the Yarra Youth Climate Action Fund for kitchen garden, healthy eating and tree planting projects.
For parents, kins and carers, our school council are planning to organise some volunteering/social events. Please complete this expression of interest if you think you might be interested. Apologies if you already responded to our earlier survey; this one also includes consent for you to be contacted by a member of council for organisational purposes!
Out-of-classroom learning has been a strong focus throughout the school, with camp incursions and excursions, and wilderness adventures all featuring. Our Year 10 students completed work experience placements, applying themselves well to learning practical workplace skills across a range of settings. Looking ahead, planning is well underway for other opportunities to build on these skills, including our Evening Showcase event, end of year camp and activities.
The SWPBS (School Wide Positive Behaviour Support) implementation team has been working on refining our student acknowledgements system and data tracking frameworks. Staff completed our third round of Re-engage training, continuing to embed relationship based practice as a tool for building positive relationships.
On the wellbeing front, programs including Seasons for Growth, Love Bites, The Men’s Project, and staff Mental Health First Aid preparation progressed well, alongside strong student participation in Wear it Purple Day activities. Art Therapy at Richmond also attracted significant interest from students, culminating in a fantastic exhibition of their work at the end- showcase.
Thank you to our students, staff, and families for your ongoing support throughout Term 3 and into the start of Term 4.
Ralph Gotlib
BYCS Principal
