SECONDARY NEWS 

From the Assistant Principal 

SAVE THE DATES:

Family Conferences will be held in Weeks 7 & 8 on the following nights for students in Years 7-10.

• Week 7
  • Year 7 - Monday 9 March
  • Year 9 - Tuesday 10 March
• Week 8
  • Year 8 – Monday 16 March
  • Year 10 – Tuesday 17 March

On each afternoon, teachers will be available from 3.45 – 5.45 pm in the Holy Trinity Hall. The last booking will be at 5.40 pm. As in past years, parents are strongly encouraged to bring their children to participate in the conversation. The conferences will allow you to discuss your child’s progress with each of his/her subject teachers. 

Each meeting will be limited to a five-minute maximum per subject; this should allow all conferences to be completed within the allotted time. Should there be a need for an extended discussion, arrangements can be made with the teacher concerned or the Assistant Principal. 

The Family Conferences offer an opportunity for you to find out how your child is getting on with classmates, whether there are areas in which they excel, any aspects that are causing difficulties, and what they can do at home to build on their strengths or overcome any weaknesses. Teachers are helped considerably by getting to know parents and gaining information from them to enhance their child’s educational and social experiences. 

The protocols are as follows:

• Interview times must be booked before attending the conferences – no bookings can be made on the day.

  • Parents will book their own appointments via the Compass portal. Years 7 & 9 will be open after 12.00 today, and Years 8 & 1 later in the week.

  • Please contact the Front Office, your child’s subject teacher, or the Pastoral Care teacher if you need assistance.

• If you need to meet with a teacher for more than one subject, you may need to book two time slots.

• The five-minute time limit per subject will need to be strictly adhered to.

• Only the designated year group can attend each evening – we cannot have conferences with siblings in other year groups.

Young Curators Shine at the Inverell Show

Four of our 10 students recently traded their paintbrushes and pencils for S-hooks during a hands-on excursion to the Inverell Showgrounds. Tasked with hanging and displaying a wide range of works from local artists and fellow students, our cohort stepped up to the challenge.  These students carefully considered how colors, textures, and themes interacted across the walls to create a cohesive and engaging experience for the public.

Throughout the day, the students demonstrated remarkable initiative and a keen eye for detail. We were particularly proud of the consideration and care they showed toward the artworks. It was a wonderful day of community connection, and their hard work ensured the local talent was showcased in the best possible light.

Health Careers Forum

Several Year 10 students are attending the Health Careers Forum next Tuesday in Tamworth. The University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health (UONDRH) will conduct the annual Health Careers Forum (HCF) for North West New England Secondary schools. The forum will focus on Year 10 and 11 students who have a clear interest in a career as a health professional. Mr East and Mr Uebergang will be accompanying the students.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN testing begins on Wednesday 11 March for all Year 7 and Year 9 students. 

If a student is absent on one or more of these days, catch-up sessions will be held. Students have been involved in practice and familiarisation activities in preparation for the NAPLAN assessments. They should ensure that they are rested so that they can complete the tests to the best of their ability.

Study Skills Seminars

Elevate Education will return this year to deliver study skills seminars to students in Years 7 - 10. They will be here in Week 8.

The focus for the sessions will be as follows:

• Year 7 - Study Skills Kickstart
• Year 8 - Junior Time Management
• Year 9 - Memory & Mnemonics
• Year 10 - Study Sensei

Ready2Learn

Pastoral Care teachers will be checking in with the students in their class each morning to ensure that they are Ready2Learn. All students have received the information below and were encouraged to show their families and discuss how to be Ready2Learn each day. Pastoral Care teachers will be able to help students start the day in a positive way. Please ask your child about this and support them to be Ready2Learn.

Students are being asked to ensure that they understand these elements and have all their equipment and uniforms by the start of Week 6. The infographic also outlines what to do if there is a problem with doing this and who you can go to for assistance.

Pastoral Care Teachers

 Year 7:    

7J – Mr Jack Jeffery

7M – Mrs Veronica McCormick

7R – Mrs Katrina Richardson

7W – Miss Lisa Wilson

Year 8:  

8K - Miss Kristina Majetic

8M – Mr Ricky Muggleton 

8T- Mrs Jane Taylor

8W – Mr Sam White 

Year 9:    

9C – Mrs Claudia Marshall

9E – Mr Jeremy East

9G – Miss Lauren Green

9M – Mrs Christine McLachlan

Year 10:  

10E – Mr Peter Ehsman

10G – Mrs Hannah Graham/Mrs Nicole Simpson

10S – Mrs Kristen Smith

10U – Mr Blake Uebergang.

Students and parents are encouraged to approach the relevant Pastoral Care teacher for assistance.

Contacting Staff

We ask that all correspondence with staff is via the Compass portal.

Living Well, Learning Well 

Student Wellbeing

Check In Tuesday with the Pulse Wellbeing App

Pulse is a tool for measuring the week-to-week wellbeing and engagement of all our students. It tracks the wellbeing of an individual so that the school can respond if needed. It also tracks engagement with the school so we can make intervene if necessary.