Principal's Report
Welcome Back into Term 4
I extend a welcome back to all students and staff hoping that everyone has had a restful and relaxing break in readiness for the work that we will need to do together in Term 4.
For our Year 12 students and any students undertaking a Unit 3/4 study, the Term 3 break presented an opportunity to test their knowledge and understanding across each of their subjects by engaging in the practice exams. These were very well attended. These exams have been externally assessed and students will benefit from the feedback provide to them via their teachers.
Year 12 students will complete their formal studies by the end of the second week of this term and it is important that as a community we all engage in supporting them towards a successful completion.
A number of events have been organised to mark the closure of the school year for the Year 12s and it is important that all other students understand the expectations around their behaviour as the Year 12s celebrate this milestone.
Across the term we will progress our work with the final stages of planning for 2025. We are also in the process of finalising our staffing for the new school year, taking advantage of the opportunities provided. We are also preparing for our School Review, scheduled for Term 1, 2025.
The Year 12 and Year 11, Headstart programs will be implemented in November and through these, students will begin their preparation for their 2025 studies.
Further to the above a number of activities will take place including: the Opening of our Art/Technology exhibition; Volleyball Tournaments; the Year 12 Valedictory Night; and, our Twilight Music Concert.
I look forward to the work that we will achieve together during Term 4 and to celebrating together the achievements of our students and staff.
Student Achievement: 2024 Anthology Book Week Writing Competition
We were fortunate enough to hold two writing competitions this year which allowed our students to showcase their wonderful creativity and writing ability. I would like to thank all students who submitted their stories and poems; we are all proud of your effort.
I extend congratulations to all of the winners across the three categories of junior poetry, junior short story and senior short story. This year, the Anthology Team also included a teachers’ writing competition for the first time.
Junior Short Story: Poppy Mackenzie (Year 9, Toner House)
Junior Poetry: Annalies Veldman (Year 9, Skipper House)
Senior Short Story: Lucy Azzopardi (Year 10, Everard House)
Teacher Winner: Kat Turner (Everard House)
A big thank you to the Anthology Team and Student Leaders for their hard work in the selection process and to Raynold Kumar for his support of the students through this process.
A Story in Miniature Writing Competition
This year, a number of Eltham High staff and students entered VATE’s annual A Story in Miniature writing competition. We could not be more thrilled to announce that out of 343 entries across Victoria, Melanie Gaylard (Pakana House) won the teacher classification and Elsa Ngo (8H, Toner House) came runners-up in the Year 7 and 8 category.
Sources close to the judging panel tell us that first-prize for the students’ pool was hotly contested, with lots of debate amongst the panel about the creative merits of the most exemplary pieces. It is testament to Elsa’s linguistic flair, experimentation with style and genre, and unique imagination that her piece came second!
Please take the time to read Elsa’s short but impressive piece, Pet Shop.
The pet shop is tucked amongst the seedy industrial warehouses and fast-food chains, just a turn-and-ten-steps away from the path home. Today, I choose to take the turn-and-ten-steps.
Fish. They’re beautiful creatures, elegant and graceful and bold, and in this place, their displays march endlessly along the walls, awash in harsh, glaring light from thrumming fluorescent tubes. Compelled by instinct and habit, I begin my well-practised ritual of solemnly trailing my fingers along the fish labels and gazing with wonder at the inhabitants of each tank.
Fantails, $20
They’re a buoyant, squat and rotund fish, with pearlescent white and orange scales, and large, diaphanous tails that drift in the water like rippling silk. As they waddle up to the glass wall separating them from me, I wonder if they’re trying to break free of their prison with the sheer force of indignance.The shrill shriek of crickets stored in plastic containers grates on my ears.I hurry onto the next tank.
Halfmoon Betta, $35
He acknowledges me in his usual way, by ambling in my general direction. His fins flick lazily, as if to say, ‘sup. Each time I visit him, I think that he’s reached his peak beauty. Each time, I’m proven wrong.
Today, iridescent cerulean scales glimmer like brilliant jewels, and breath-taking fins fan out and ripple magnificently in the water, framing his slender form. I’d love to take him home with me and save him from the aggressive lights and inquisitive knocking fingers, but a sticky note informs me that he is ‘reserved for Bianca.’ I really hope Bianca treats him well.Ree-ree-ree-help-mee-mee-meeeee!The sound of dying cricket comes crashing back. I briskly rub the goosebumps on my arms, and move on.
Feeder Fish, $3
I used to wonder why this fish was priced so low, and what the care requirements for this species of fish were, until I realised that ‘feeder fish’ didn’t refer to a species at all, but a label for fish unworthy of care and love. They’re bred to become the food of other beloved pets. What is the use of keeping them healthy and beautiful, if they’re going to be feasted on anyway?This is reflected in their grey, twisted bodies, their cloudy, infected eyes, their shredded, faded fins, and the despondent way they float, listless and aimless.I rescued one, once.She now lives in my community tank and has become a radiant orange-pink, a precious sliver of sunset darting about in my fish tank. I should feel like I did the right thing by rescuing her, but still I wonder if it is really alright for humans to breed creatures like her in the first place.Living beings born to die.Behind me, the crickets scream even louder. It’s now a nightmarish cacophony in the pet shop. The hair on the back of my neck has risen and the goosebumps have returned, marching aggressively up my arms. I hurriedly exit the pet shop, and continue walking home.
Congratulations to both Elsa and Melanie for their outstanding achievement. We are very proud of you both.
Staff Achievement: Indonesia Education Explorer Award 2024
Congratulations to Matthew Atherton who was one of a small number of teachers of Indonesian Language across the country to be selected for the Indonesia Education Explorer Award.
As a result, Matthew travelled to Indonesia in the last term break as a guest of the Indonesian Government, living the life and engaging with both the language and culture.
This has been a great opportunity for Matthew to further develop his love for the language and his understanding of Indonesian culture, allowing him to enrich the Indonesian Language Program within our school and broadening the engagement of our students with their language studies.
Matthew reports: “It was an absolutely phenomenal experience, which has deeply inspired me and provided me with an incredible amount to share with our students in order to further broaden their understanding of Indonesia.”
The photo’s below, speak for themselves.
The following is a link to a video made by the Indonesian Department of Tourism and Creative Economy, with some of the highlights relating to the school visit that Matthew participated in on the first day of the trip while in a remote village.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13Kutogo_ru5WrmLwX2aexzMtxaVZRV5z/view?usp=drive_link
Well done Matthew! We are all looking forward to hearing more about Matthew’s experience in Indonesia.
Final Days for Year 12 students
Thursday 17 October is the final day of formal classes for our Year 12 students. Next week we have a series of assemblies planned to remind the whole school of the expected behaviour around Year 12’s final formal days at school. We will reinforce the understanding that the Year 12 celebrations over the last days of Year 12 attendance are for Year 12 students only. I ask all parents/carers for your support by reiterating this message to your children at home. Students will be told that a no tolerance rule will apply and that serious consequences will be put in place for anyone who behaves in a way that goes against the school values and the ultimate safety of any member of our community.
Normal classes are scheduled for Thursday. At the end of the day, Year 12s will be involved in the traditional count down to the bell. On the following day, all Year 12 students have been invited to breakfast and they are allowed to dress up in costume if they so wish. At the end of breakfast, Year 12 students will leave the school.
We are looking forward to celebrating the end of the school year and their achievements to date with all our Year 12 students.
A reminder that Year 12 teachers will be available to students up until the day of their subject exam. Year 12 parents/carers, please encourage your children to take advantage of this opportunity and support. Teachers can also be accessed outside of their scheduled class time but I would encourage students to e-mail their teachers before coming in, just in case they have another commitment.
The facilities of the school, including the VCE Study Centre, the Resource Centre and the Year 12 Common Room, are all available to Year 12 students who may wish to come into school to study.
Day Before Melbourne Cup – 4 November
Historically the day before the Melbourne Cup holiday has had very poor student attendance. Consequently, and as a way of causing the least disruption to the educational program of the school, the last few years have seen this day used as time-in-lieu for teachers. As clearly expressed in the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022 and supported by the Department of Education and Training, this compensates teachers for the time they allocate beyond work hours throughout the year to student progress interviews involving students, parents, and staff.
In the past, irrespective of the time-in-lieu arrangement, the school has remained open on the Monday before Melbourne Cup Day as Year 12 exams are generally on during that time, and the school is an examination centre. This will also be the case this year.
However, while this day would seem to be the most appropriate in terms of minimising disruption to the educational program of the school in the provision of time-in-lieu, I am writing to ascertain your intention as to your child’s/children’s attendance on Monday, 4 November for us to plan effectively. The school will be open on this day and based on previous experience, due to the small numbers of students in attendance, it is most likely that an alternative educational program will be in place. Your information will be valuable in ascertaining staffing requirements for this day.
I ask you to confirm with us only if your child(ren) will be attending on Monday, 4 November 2024 by contacting the appropriate Sub-School Office either by telephone on 9430 5111 or by email through each of the Sub-School Team Leaders by Wednesday, 30 October:
Senior Sub-School: Amanda Saliba – Amanda.Saliba@education.vic.gov.au
Middle Sub-School: Ross McKinnon – Ross.McKinnon@education.vic.gov.au
Junior Sub-School: Melissa Hughes – Melissa.Hughes@education.vic.gov.au
I thank you for your cooperation with this matter.
School Working Bees
The next Working Bee has been scheduled for Sunday 20 October. I invite all member of our community and friends to join the Grounds Committee on this day to begin to get the grounds ready for the summer months. I look forward to welcoming you there on the day.
Yard Duty and Supervision
Student safety at Eltham High School is our highest priority and the safe and appropriate supervision of students is an important element of our duty of care to students. Part of this duty is ensuring parents and students are aware of our student supervision arrangements before and after school.
Before school: School grounds are supervised at 8.49am, with supervision provided at entries to the school from Withers Way and Ely Street.
After school: School grounds are supervised after school from the end of the school day until 3.24pm. Again the supervision points are placed at the exits to the school at Withers Way and Ely Street.
Students on school grounds outside these times will not be supervised unless they are attending a supervised extracurricular activity. Parents/carers are requested to ensure that students do not attend school outside of these supervised times unless they are attending a pre-arranged supervised activity (i.e. Music, Drama and Sports programs).
Families are encouraged to contact Fran Mullins at fran.mullins@education.vic.gov.au for more information about the before and after school care facilities available to our school community or if you would like any further information about our student supervision arrangements.
For a copy of our school’s Yard Duty and Supervision Policy please contact the General Office. This policy includes Eltham High School’s student supervision arrangements across the school day, including before and after school.
Student Safety at the Start and End of The School Day
I once again take the opportunity to remind parents/carers of the importance of obeying road rules all the time and especially in the vicinity of the school. I ask you all to be cautious around the children’s crossing and to always follow the guidance provided by the crossing supervisor.
It is important that you are constantly vigilant, watching for students whilst driving on Withers Way and Susan Street during peak times (8:30 – 9:00 and 3:00 – 3:30) and adhere to the speed limit.
I also remind you that the front of the administration building is a “No Standing” area during peak times; and you cannot queue there prior to pick-up. If you arrive early and your child is not standing at your pickup point you are required to drive through the circular drive and enter as many times as needed until your child is there for pick up.
If you have been fortunate to find a parking spot when entering the circular drive, we ask that you reverse park as this will reduce the risk of colliding with a student on their way out of the school as well as with other cars.
It would also be reasonable and sensible for you to reverse park in the parking bays at the front of the school as this will reduce the risk of you backing out onto oncoming traffic when you leave.
Signage already exists in front of the administration area about it being a “No Standing” zone between 8:00 - 10:00 am and 2:00 - 4:00 pm. We are looking at installing additional signage reminding parents/carers to reverse park.
Please be aware that if these measures do not improve safety for our students especially at peak times we will engage with local authorities (Victoria Police and/or Council) to discuss the possibility of increased enforcement of parking restrictions and/or road rules.
I look forward to your ongoing support with this matter.
VINCENT SICARI, Principal