Middle School
The Importance of Attendance
- A Reminder to Parents
Going to school every day is the single most important part of your teenager’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind.
Why attendance is important
We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begins with students coming to school each and every day.
Students develop good habits by going to school every day – habits that are necessary to succeed after school, whether in the workplace or in further study.
Missing school can have a big impact on students academically and socially. It can affect their test results, including VCE & VCAL, and, just as importantly, it can affect their relationships with other students, and lead to social isolation.
There is no safe number of days for missing school - each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes.
It’s never too late to improve attendance. Even in the middle years, when school can seem the most challenging for students and when attendance rates can be at their lowest, going to school more often can make a big difference. Every day counts.
For more information and resources to help address attendance issues, visit: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/studentmanagement/attendance/Pages/improve-attendance.aspx
Year 7 STEAM Excursion -
Molecular Gastronomy
This week our Year 7 F-J students headed into the city for a fantastic STEAM excursion, bringing together the different streams of learning in STEAM Molecular Gastronomy.
Students took part in a range of activities including a "maths walk" exploring angles and geometry in Federation Square, a visit to Niska Robotic Ice-Cream Bar that included a Rube Goldberg machine, and sampling ice-cream made from liquid nitrogen at the Lab Nitrogen Gelato.
Thanks to our terrific teachers for their hard work on the day, and giving students such an educational and fun day in the city!
"On Monday, 28 October 7H went to the city for a STEAM excursion via public transport. This excursion involved us learning about how ice-cream is made using liquid nitrogen in order to speed up the freezing process. We were fortunate enough to buy ice-cream and we all enjoyed the excursion. It was a lovely way to spend the day. " 7H
Green Benefits – Gardens and Wellbeing
Amidst beautiful sunshine, our Year 9 MyOutdoors students tended to our Wellbeing Garden on Wednesday, 23 October, helping to nurture this important space within our school.
With shovels, plants and watering cans in hand, students had the rewarding experience of connecting with nature while reflecting on the value that green spaces bring to our environment. Students planted a mix of edible native grasses, endangered plants, and used organic compost from recycled food waste and leaves, under the guidance of our passionate school gardener, Robyn Leszczynski.
As part of the day’s activities, award-winning landscape designer Andrew Laidlaw inspired students with his work for Australian charity, Global Gardens of Peace. Sharing his passion for building gardens that support vulnerable communities, Mr Laidlaw spoke of his project to build a five-acre urban forest in the Gaza Strip, complete with play equipment, an Arabic maze, and Australian plants that are a climate match for the area.
He also spoke of the important role trees play in absorbing carbon, creating habitats and providing people with a sense of connectedness and safety.
The day finished with a class yoga session, creating another space for mindfulness, calm and reflection in the students’ otherwise busy days.
Thank you to Ms Chiuchiarelli for organising such engaging activities and helping to foster wellbeing within our school community.
“I haven’t done much gardening before so it’s been great to learn, and is something I will be able to do at home. The Wellbeing Garden at school is a nice place to sit and relax with my friends. I’m glad I can contribute to creating the garden at school.” – Ellen V, 9A
“It was interesting learning about what’s going on in the world and what Global Gardens of Peace is doing to help kids. Planting trees is important because it helps fight climate change, and having gardens around brightens our mood.” – Ethan D, 9A
On Demand Tests -
Well Done Students!
It was a big week for students in years 7-9 last week, as they completed their On Demand tests.
These tests are a great opportunity to show students and their families how far their learning has progressed over the last year. The results of these tests will be published in end-of-year reports.
Students who have shown the most improvement since last year will receive growth awards on Presentation Night.
Well done to our hardworking students on their terrific efforts!
Gary Rule
Assistant Principal