From Carolyn Goode

This week we have had a focus on Bullying No Way week.  Students have participated in activities designed to foster a strong sense of belonging within the College. The Bullying No Way campaign has been a great tool to raise awareness within our College community of what bullying is and why it is so important that we are nice to each other. The explicit teaching of our SOLE framework reinforces this throughout the year. We will also revisit these themes on Diversity day in Term 4. One of the really important messages from this week has been reinforcing ideas that we should stand up to behaviour that is not ok and where to go for help at school. 

Families are reminded to get their hats ready!  As part of our SunSmart policy, it is compulsory that students wear hats from Week 7 (Tuesday 27 August) during outdoor activities.  Any time from now would also be a very good idea! The warmer days have certainly been lovely but you will notice that the UV index is starting to climb. Our skin burns when the UV index is 3 or above and students should wear sun protection to ensure they are protected from skin cancer. You can track the UV index on the SunSmart widget which is located on PAM and on our College website.

Parents are also reminded to work with their child(ren) regarding adhering to the College Uniform.  Wearing long sleeve or short sleeve t-shirts under the college polo shirt is not part of the college uniform and should not be worn.  Socks and sneakers are also an area where some students are not complying with our uniform code. Workwear Connect stock long sleeve polos in a number of sizes or alternatively, students should wear the College jumper or jacket if they require additional warmth. From next week, all staff have been asked to request that students remove undershirts and incorrect socks if they wear them to school and parents will be notified regarding this through our BoC notification process (many staff are already doing this.) Our uniform provides a dress code for our students that is neat and fit for purpose. It is our expectation that families will adhere to this code. We encourage families to seek support from their child’s TA should they require assistance with uniform. Please continue to work with your child to ensure they are complying with our uniform code.

The mobile phone and associated device policy and procedure will be reviewed in the coming weeks. The review will consider incidents of phone use at the beginning of the school day which have caused concern for some students, their parents and staff. The proposed changes have been discussed with the Family Community Partnership Group and the College Advisory Council.  If you have feedback on the current policy located here, please feel welcome to email me.

Next week is our College Production Frozen Jr.  Ticket sales have been strong! I encourage you to buy a ticket and come and support our incredible cast and crew who have been hard at work since early in Term 1. I wish them all the best and can't wait to see the show!

Carolyn Goode

Deputy Principal

Wellbeing