Updates from the
Student Support Team
Welcome Year 7 Students
Our Year 7 students seem to have made a strong start to the 2020 school year and have already shown a real sense of responsibility and organisation as they navigate their new timetables and make their way to and from their lessons. Students have participated well in their transition activities and are now well into their term 1 curriculum program across a wide range of subject areas.
At Coburg High School we value the family-school partnerships to support student success and engage with parents and carers. As earlier announced on Compass, to formally begin this partnership the year 7 team would like to invite you to our Meet the Teacher Evening 5:30pm 11 February for an informal BBQ.
Katrina Aralios
Year 7 Sub School Leader
Attendance: Every Day Counts
All students are expected to attend every school day and there is no acceptable amount of time to factor in for missing school. Dental appointments, assisting family members and other non-compulsory absences are to be avoided where possible, with only absences due to medical reasons acceptable.
Medical certificates are required within three days of a return to school to substantiate an absence due to illness. Students with prolonged absences and low attendance are referred to the Department of Education and Training as well as other relevant government organisations.
Family holidays are considered ‘Unapproved Absences’ and students risk failing VCE subjects if missing classes for holidays in school time. Please update Compass ASAP regarding your child’s attendance and be aware that you can monitor attendance via Compass as well.
Locks on Lockers
All students are required to have a lock for their locker, particularly as valuable items such as phones (if your child is bringing one to school) and laptops will be stored in their lockers. Combination locks are available at reception for $10, or any other type of lock can be purchased. The Student Support Teams at each year level are more than happy to keep a spare key if necessary so your child can still access their locker if they have forgotten/ lost their keys.
The Victorian government 2020 initiative banning students from having phones during school hours is now in place.
Is the use of smart phones, online gaming and the world of social media of interest to you? To be further informed and to discuss the impact of tech use on teens, all students, parents and carers are invited to:
Tech and Teens Panel and Discussion
Thursday 20 February 6:00pm - 7:30pm.
Please sign up so that we can best determine how to accommodate numbers. We will present in a Q & A format, topics include:
Screen addiction
Parental controls on Macs and phones
Gaming and Gambling
The science of sleep and screens
Sexting and pornography
Social Media and cyberbullying
Presenters will include CHS staff and external guests including tech experts, a psychologist and community partners with expertise in gaming. Free ‘tickets’ available here.
Relevant Links:
Mckinnon Secondary College Phone Ban
Insight Episode: ‘Screens at Schools’
Managing screen time over the holidays
Private and Public Schools Banning phones completely
Opinions as to why phones should not be banned
Senior School Updates
We were delighted to welcome back our returning students to the senior (Years 10, 11 & 12) school for the start of the new school year and also a number of new students who have joined us at Years 10 and 11. The senior team for 2020 is:
Year 10 Student Support Leaders: Mietta Robertson and Sam Morley
Year 11 Student Support Leaders: Anna Vella and Lakshmi Sharma
Year 12 Student Support Leaders: Giulia DeVincentis and James Phillips
Senior Sub-School Leaders: Eve Lamb and David Snaddon
Here are two important reminders for our senior students and their families:
Spare periods: Parents/guardians need to provide permission for their child to arrive late when they have a period 1 spare, and leave early when they have a period 5 spare. This can be done on Compass via the event (Senior students spare periods: late arrival/early departure) that has been created. Students must also remain at school when they have a spare period during period 2, 3 or 4. Students must sign in at the library and remain there for all spare periods.
Goals and Study schedules: Parents/carers and students need to discuss and establish what their goals for VCE are for 2020. The benefits of goal setting are well established and we ask that students write down their goal/s and display them in a prominent place at home. A goal setting template can be useful for students to use. It is also imperative that ALL VCE students have a study schedule and a number of templates have been attached to support this. Students are advised to follow this 3 step process to ensure they create a realistic and effective schedule. Furthermore, this link provides information on how to create a short term planner.
VCE Home learning and study schedules
Students in the Senior School (years 10, 11 & 12) and particularly those doing VCE need to develop sound routines around home learning and revision/study.
The purpose of home learning should either be to review prior learning and/or prepare for new learning. As such every senior student should have home learning every evening, as they should be reviewing what was learned at school that day.
David Snaddon & Eve Lamb
Senior Sub-School Leaders
VCE Masterclasses
A list of all master classes for Year 12 (and possibly Year 11 Students) is being compiled and will be distributed shortly. Master classes offer students a chance to build knowledge, ask questions and debate topics beyond the usual scope of class material. For subjects such as English, with multiple teachers, there may be panel discussions and debates, for example: "Was Truman Capote in love with Perry Smith and if so, how does that affect the reader’s interpretation of the truth in the text ‘In Cold Blood’?"
2020 House Program
Our Houses at Coburg High School are Lake (Yellow), Bell (Red), Merri (Green) and Pentridge (Blue). They represent the four points of our local area with the Lake to the north, Merri Creek to the east, Bell Street to the South and Pentridge to the east. One of the features of life at Coburg High School is the team spirit students and staff display in their houses and the opportunities house events offer for us to come together and celebrate our amazing and talented community.
Last week our Years 7, 8 and 9 students celebrated House Values Day, our second annual House Carnival. Students worked together in their Houses and had their first taste of House competition for 2020! Congratulations to Pentridge house who won the tug of war competition!
Hannah Glennie is our House Coordinator and will work closely with staff and students to bring us another year of amazing events, activities and friendly competition in our House Program.
Living our Values
As part of our first House-based event for the year last week, students were involved in discussing our school values--Excellence, Curiosity, Integrity & Community--and how we embody those values in and around the school. A copy of our 'Values Matrix' is available above. Our first House-based activities were an opportunity for students to interact and mix across home groups and year levels and to represent their house with pride. We look forward to the House swimming carnival day coming up next Thursday.
Library Update
It’s a new year with new and exciting things happening in the library. The monthly library mystery is back as of Monday 10th February with display cases filled with a riddle to solve. Come on down and give it your best shot at guessing. The winning answer wins a prize!
There are now eBooks and audiobooks available on the library catalogue to delve into and read or listen to at your hearts content. Come on down to the library if you need help with any of the Oliver library catalogue.
We also have the exciting news with the announcement that ClickView is now available to access on Oliver. YAY! Come speak to the library team for more information on accessing this. It’s very simple.
Dianna Jarnet
Librarian
Asthma & Anaphylaxis Action Plans
It's that time of the year again where we need to update all of our Asthma & Anaphylaxis Action Plans. We have already received a large number of them, which is great. However, we are still missing a few updated action plans and we need these ASAP.
It is a government requirement that every student, no matter the severity of their asthma and or anaphylaxis, MUST have an updated Action Plan. The plan must outline the student's known triggers and the emergency procedures that need to be followed in case of an asthma or anaphylaxis emergency.
The Asthma & Anaphylaxis Action Plans for Victorian schools should be completed/reviewed annually. This plan needs to be completed and signed by a doctor there for an appointment with your GP/specialist will need to be arranged.
The plan can be emailed to "ashlea.christenson@coburg.vic.edu.au" or handed in to the front reception. Plans need to be submitted by the third week of term 1 (21/02/2020).
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me via email or phone (93531700).
If you are looking for more information the below link may assist you:
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/spag/health/Pages/conditionasthma.aspx
Ash Christensen
School Medical Officer