Secondary Bulletin

Illuminate the Sky - House Spirit Showcase

Year 12 Formal House Spirit photos

The winning Year 12 Formal House Spirit photo is Campbell House! 

Youngman House

The Year 6 students of Youngman House led a House Session and interactive activity, demonstrating leadership.

During the Youngman Senior House meeting on Friday, the Year 6 students made a booklet about Australian and American logos. There were a variety of names of logos to choose from, and only one was correct. We showcased it to the Youngman House students to play, and it ended with a close tie.

 

We had various prizes to give away, including Chupa Chups, some Lindor chocolate, and Maltesers. In the end, some Year 12 students stood up and danced to a 'Just Dance' video. By the end of the video, most of Youngman had joined in! It was a lot of fun!

 

During the House meeting, everyone demonstrated different skills and was encouraged by everyone to have a go. Everyone had lots of fun and showed great sportsmanship, and we enjoyed the opportunity to lead the Senior Students in our House.

 

- Grace Bowtell, Mahika Dhingra, Alexandra Anictomatis and Ella Shepherd,

Year 6 Youngman Students

Harmony Day Assembly

Please save the date for our Harmony Day Assembly on 21 March 2025 at 10:45am at the PE Centre. If a student would like to process in our ceremony, please register via the following link:

Year 12 Progressive Reports

Recently, Year 12 students received progressive reports on their first piece of internal assessment (IA) of Unit 3. These reports can be accessed via Student Café or Parent Lounge. If accessing progressive reports via Parent Lounge, they can be found under the ‘Student Details’ tab and then 'Curricular Activities' in the drop-down menu. 

These progressive reports provide valuable feedback and feedforward on students' most recent assessment tasks. This information actively and explicitly supports students as they embark on their second piece of internal assessment.

Interschool Chess Tournament

On 31 March 2025 we are hosting our Interschool Chess Tournament. Expressions of interest from Year 7 to Year 9 students are invited. Preparation sessions with Mr Desmarchelier are planned in the lead-up to this tournament. More information coming soon.

Debating 

This week, the first debates of the year are taking place. We congratulate all students who have nominated to be part of a Debating Team and wish Year 8 and Year 10 teams the best of luck in their debates this week. 

The Year 8 team is debating the negative side of the debate around major tourist destinations significantly limiting the number of tourists that can visit, while the Year 10 team is debating the negative side of the debate around military leaders being directly elected by citizens while remaining subject to the authority of elected civilian leaders.

Year 10 to Year 12 Exam Block

An exam block for Years 10 to 12 starts in Week 8 of this term. In the lead-up to this exam block, students are encouraged to:

• Create a study plan if they have not yet done so. Ideally, this study plan will allocate specific times to focus on each subject. It is worth considering allowing additional time for subjects students find challenging to make this study plan effective. Allowing time for breaks, extra-curricular, and other family commitments is also important. Sharing this plan can assist with accountability.
• Utilise practice questions or past exams if available and appropriate. Becoming familiar with the format and style of questions can aid understanding of what to expect. Atomi quizzes provide an additional tool that students can use to check their understanding of subject content.
• Ask for help as soon as possible. This can be in class, via email, or in tutorials. Tutorials offer an opportunity to work through any challenges in a small group or one-on-one scenario and can be invaluable in the lead-up to assessment.

As Week 5 draws to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some key points and ask for your support in discussing these with your child/ren.

• All students in Years 7 to 9 are required to record their homework in the College Diary and carry the diary with them to each class. This assists with their organisation and building positive learning habits for their Secondary School journey and beyond.
• In line with our Uniform Policy, makeup such as foundation, blush, bronzer, highlighter, eyeliner, and mascara are not permitted at the College, and staff will ask students to remove this. However, tinted moisturiser with sunscreen is permissible and supported for sun safety purposes.
• In line with our Uniform Policy, only matching earrings that are plain small studs or sleepers (gold, silver, or pearl) may be worn in each earlobe in the lower hole. Studs or sleepers with stones or with twisting and thickening are not acceptable. Students will be asked to remove earrings that are outside this expectation, with an infringement issued.
• Necklaces of a religious or cultural nature may be permitted after a discussion with the relevant Head of Year. If permitted, they are to be worn underneath the uniform.

I draw your attention to the College’s Positive Behaviour Process (below), where a restorative and positive approach is favoured. We believe that every student has the right to a respectful and safe learning environment and as such, deliberate disruption, inappropriate language and behaviour is not permitted. If needed, infringements and detentions will be issued. 

Students are to be congratulated on the improvements they have made with the handing in of mobile phones each morning.

Creating a solid study routine at the start of Secondary School can be daunting as students tackle new subjects and a higher workload. Last Wednesday, Year 7 and 8 students attended workshops run by Elevate Education to learn practical ways to build a foundation of good study habits.

The Year 7 cohort participated in 'Memory Mnemonics,' a seminar designed to move away from reliance on rote learning. The session covered three main areas, including the first area on the role of minimising distractions such as social media and electronic devices. The second area discussed was on students exploring different learning styles and how they can use information to best suit their individual preferences for learning. Lastly, they were provided with a range of ways to apply mnemonics or cues to their study routine, such as word association and visualisation.

The Year 8 seminar focused on 'Kick Start Study Skills.' A key part of this session was dynamic reading, where the presenter walked students through the practice of reading large pieces of text and selecting important information. Additionally, students practiced the most efficient and effective ways to take notes, such as creating concept maps. The key takeaway was understanding the importance of being able to apply new information to different contexts.

Both workshops were an engaging way for students to learn how to study using evidence-based strategies. Our Year 7 and Year 8 teachers are looking forward to seeing these new skills in action during the upcoming Term 1 assessment period.

International Women's Day Breakfast

Screens, Social Media and Our Kids

Date: Thursday 13 March 2025

Time: 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Venue: Online

Cost: Free

In this parent webinar, tween/teen champion Michelle Mitchell and Clinical and school psychologist Dr Matt O’Connor will discuss some practical strategies, tips and insights for helping your child foster a healthy relationship with technology and unpack some ways to

help your family prepare for the upcoming social media ban.

Learn more and register via the link below.

Michelle Mitchell

Tween/teen expert and parenting educator

Dr Matt O'Connor

Clinical and school psychologist