College Principal report Marina Walsh
Dear Parents, Carers and Students,
As we move closer to the end of this calendar year and prepare for 2025, I want to thank all families for their support and commitment to improving outcomes for our students. As a community, we support each other, appreciate and respect the learning styles and needs of all students as they continue to show responsibility for their own learning.
School Review
As widely promoted and reported, our whole school review has occurred this term. We have just completed our five days (Validation Day, three Fieldwork Days, and Panel Day) of the review where all aspects of the college have been observed in relation to our 2021-2024 School Strategic Plan. The review panel has observed a random selection of lessons run across Prep to Year 11. Year 12 was not observed due to final assessments and exams. The review panel spoke with student, parent/ carer, and staff representatives across Years P-12 which allowed the panel to get a very good picture of how Kyabram P-12 College operates.
Thank you to everyone that has been involved in the review. It has allowed our college to work with the review panel to draft our learning and wellbeing goals for the next four years. Each goal will have specific targets that we want to achieve over the four years along with key improvement strategies to achieve these goals. Once these are all finalised, they will be shared with the college community.
Greater representation at Kyabram P-12 College
We have seen greater consistency with students wearing their full uniform on a regular basis. Thank you to our students for this consistency and thank to our parents and carers for supporting our students. As a SunSmart school, our students must wear the college bucket hat. We have recently purchased some hats for students to use on a temporary basis if they forget their own.
We are reaching out to families for feedback on our Kyabram P-12 College Uniform Policy. As part of our ongoing commitment to reviewing all college policies, we want to ensure that your voices are heard and valued. Students have already shared their views through class meetings and surveys, and now we invite you to share your thoughts as well. Please take a few minutes to complete the feedback form using the link below. Your input is crucial in helping us create a uniform policy that reflects our whole school community. Thank you for your participation! Please click this link below.
https://forms.gle/krQty4rtGB7deqvW8
Remembrance Day Service
On Monday 11 November, our college leaders conducted the Remembrance Day Service with all our Prep – Year 11 students and staff in attendance. It was great to see our 2025 College Captains step up and take on their first official duties, working with our current Year 6 Captains, to commemorate such a significant day in our history.
We observed one minute's silence to remember those who died or suffered for Australia's cause in all wars and armed conflicts. I wish to express my gratitude to the Kyabram families who have had relatives serve for our nation and to those who still serve to allow the freedom we experience today.
Assessment period
Our Year 12 students are well underway with their final exams conducted out of the Kyabram Bocce Club. We also have had some students complete their final Applied Learning Work Placements.
Our Year 10 and 11 students are gearing up for their exams which will be held next week. Their exams will be run from Monday 18 November to Wednesday 20 November. Students who miss their exams will need to sit them as soon as they can upon returning to school. Students will need medical certificates if they miss their exams.
All Year 7-9 students will be sitting their benchmarking assessments on Thursday 21 November and Friday 22 November. During the full week of Monday 18 November through to Friday 22 November, all Prep to Year 6 students will also be completing benchmarks tasks as well.
At the completion of these assessments, our teachers will triangulate these results with teacher judgements and other assessments throughout the semester. They will provide details in our end of semester reports.
Attendance plays a key part in determining the final overall results for each subject at the end of the semester. Students will achieve an ‘S’ (Satisfactory result) if their attendance is 80 % or above. Students and their families can check attendance via Compass. As explained in our previous issue of Channels, when you check attendance on Compass, click on the Attendance tab and review the final column on the right labelled ‘School %’. This column needs to show a percentage equal to or greater than 80 %.
We are moving into 2025
In recent days, all families should have received an email from our school relating to classes, booklists and resources for 2025. We want to set our students up for success.
We want them to be as well prepared as possible.
Flying Start for 2025 Years 8-12 classes will commence on Monday 25 November.
- 2025 Year 11-12 classes will run for two weeks from Monday 25 November – Friday 6 December.
- 2025 Year 8-10 classes will run for three weeks from Monday 25 November – Thursday 12 December.
- 2025 Year 7 classes will run for one week from Monday 9 December – Thursday 12 December.
- 2025 Year 1-6 classes will run transition sessions during Weeks 7, 8 and 9. These will be for one to two periods each time and will fall on:
- Monday 18 November
- Monday 25 November
- Tuesday 3 December
- Our 2025 Prep students continue to run transition sessions during this term in readiness for next year.
End of Year Activities
These end of year activities are an amazing opportunity extended to our students who have consistently demonstrated our college values of Community, Responsibility and Respect. This treat is further validation of the behaviours which we expect of our students in school to reinforce the behaviours expected in society.
As previously promoted, our end of year activities running in Week 11 (Monday 16 December – Thursday 19 December) are booked. There are a range of activities that vary in interest and in price. If you are wanting to participate, please sign up via the Google form that was previously sent out via Compass.
Graduation & Awards
This year, we will be holding our Year 6 Graduation and Year 7-12 Awards on Friday 13 December. It will be wonderful to see all our celebrations on the same day. Both events will be held in the Hall. Invitations for the Year 6 Graduation have already gone out to families. We ask families to arrive by 11:30 am. The Year 7-12 Award recipients will be notified after Friday 22 December once the end of this second semester finishes. Awards are determined based on Semester 2 results.
Landscaping will commence in December!
We will be starting the landscaping around our new buildings soon. This will see the need for temporary fencing to go up again during the final part of the term. This will mean that there will be specific pathways to enable access to various areas of the new buildings. Signage will be up to assist students, staff, families and visitors.
Auslan in 2025
I am pleased to announce that we will be expanding our Languages Program for 2025 to deliver Auslan classes to Years P-2, 7, and 8. All schools are to deliver a Languages Program from Years P-10. We are moving towards achieving this expectation and we will continue to expand each year. In 2026, we will see Auslan taught at more year levels as well.
Finally, as the year draws closer and closer, I would like to thank everyone in our college community for their support with running programs, our families for their support of our students, and our staff for providing engaging learning opportunities. This is a true representation of our college values, respect, responsibility and community. Thank you.
Marina Walsh
Principal