From the Principals' Desk 

Dear Families

We welcomed our Year 9 families at the Meet and Greet on Thursday 15 February.

The evening is an annual highlight and provides an informal opportunity for staff to mix with families and students. It allowed the parents to meet with their students' Head of House and Tutorial teachers. Nossal High School is committed to building and strengthening our partnerships with families and ensuring that all students are fully supported.  We are very grateful to Mr LaBrooy, Director of Years 9 and 10, for his excellent organisation and oversight of this event.  

We also had a group of Year 10 students who assisted with greeting our new parents and catering for the event. We appreciate the student support at such events. 

VCE Information Evening on Thursday 22 February 

This event was attended by parents new to VCE, mainly Year 10 and some Year 11 parents and students. Ms Ball, the Director of VCE and Pathways, focused on the importance of thriving rather than just surviving VCE. The key messages were that this partnership was between parents, students and the school. She encouraged students and their families to reach out to their Head of House and or other members of the Wellbeing team if they needed assistance. A 100% attendance at school is essential, and we encourage parents to ensure that they communicate with the school via Compass or phone contact if the student is absent.  

Parents can support their students by:

• Ensuring good sleep habits, a healthy diet and exercise
• Encourage help-seeking behaviours​
• Support them to maintain a balance by spending time with family and friends
• Encourage them to challenge themselves and persist in the face of setbacks
• Watch for changes in behaviour that might indicate stress or anxiety​

We thank Ms Ball and Mr Clark (Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy) for their time and effort on the evening.  

Nossal High School Student Representative Council 

Our Student Representative Council led by Wilbur Machado (Chair), Sejal Chadha (Secretary), Neriah Morales (Treasurer) and our School Captains, Eesha Arun, Karthik Kalaiselvan, Thehasna Nanayakkara, and Sanuda Perera, have been extremely busy this year, meeting every Monday. This year's meetings have focused on developing an “authentic student voice.”  They understand that they represent the student community and must listen to the suggestions and ideas from within the school community.  

These suggestions are discussed and debated at their meetings, and a proposal in writing can then be sent to the principal team. The team have also started the year looking at the current SRC constitution and working groups. They have had two extraordinary meetings on a Wednesday afternoon to discuss how best to facilitate the passage of knowledge from year to year and to look at ways to maintain the school spirit and connections. The communications and philanthropic executive teams have also been busy ensuring that our community knows who represents them and how they might be approached. We thank them for their ongoing commitment to providing exceptional opportunities for our community to come together. 

The SRC team is busy at the moment organising Harmony Week the theme for this year is “Everyone Belongs”.  Harmony Week is a celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together everyone from different backgrounds. It’s about inclusiveness, respect, equal opportunity and a sense of belonging for everyone. Several activities have been organised by the SRC team, ranging from musical and dance performances to games from various cultures.   

The out-of-uniform day was held on Friday 1 March, and students provided a gold coin donation to wear cultural outfits or something orange.  More information can be found on the regular SRC page. 

School Council Student Representatives

Nossal has always prided itself on providing students with a voice at our School Council. It is a pleasure to announce that our new student representatives on the School Council will be Anhad Arora and Patrick McConachy. 

They will join your School Captains, Eesha Arun and Karthik Kalaiselvan, as the student voice on the peak governing body of the school.  

Clubs and Societies Sign-ups

Clubs and Societies have already commenced their sign-ups. We have a vast array of clubs and societies. There is something for everyone.  

Students involved in these co-curricular activities have the opportunity to explore their passions and connect with like-minded students in different year levels and tutorial groups. We encourage students to get involved in at least one of these activities. Students interested in creating a specific club or society are encouraged to see Ms Bonham in the Science office to discuss their ideas with her. 

Wellbeing Report 

The Wellbeing Team has been very busy and productive in the last few weeks. Our team is working together to develop several proactive programs in each of the year levels to build greater self-awareness and more robust connections within our community. We are ready to launch our Tier Two programs, “Conscious Man” and “I Can” program”, and in the Senior School, we intend to run a series of workshops that focus on inclusivity and diversity.  

Tutorials and Nossal Time allow students to connect with peers, learn new skills, build ties to the community, and support mental health. We encourage students to be proactive about seeking the help and support they need by talking to their Tutorial teachers or their Head of House. In addition, the Wellbeing team meets weekly to discuss the referrals and connect students with the resources and support they require. We have also completed several Student Support Group meetings; these meetings are designed to understand how we may better support our students in the classroom and beyond.    

We aim to develop our students' coping, regulation, and help-seeking behaviour to ensure they have the best opportunities in the classroom. The door is always open - the team looks forward to working with all students and the school community to promote mental health and well-being so that all can thrive and learn effectively. You are welcome to stop by for a chat!  

At Nossal High School, we intentionally foster care, formally and informally, as effective learning relies on a sense of well-being, healthy self-esteem and trusting relationships. This creates the conditions that enable students to learn effectively and take on new challenges. We are always looking for new initiatives to better support our students and the community. 

We encourage all families to reach out to the Wellbeing Team, especially our Year 9 parents. If your young person needs additional support and adjustments to their learning program or they have been involved with the Wellbeing Team in their previous school, please let us know. We would like to work proactively with our students.  

Our Wellbeing Team is always here for students who need any support. To enhance our good work, we are partnering with ‘ISN Psychology Clinic’ to provide professional and timely psychological services for our students. This service will be provided with no out-of-pocket expenses through Provisional Psychologists*.  

We understand that there can be barriers to accessing beneficial support for your student, and an ongoing school service may be the most appropriate and effective option for you.  

School-based services can increase collaboration between parents and school staff and ensure the benefits of young person’s work with these supports extend to their school experiences. (Please note that during COVID-19 restrictions, these services are provided via telehealth sessions.) 

*Provisional Psychologists are qualified, knowledgeable and skilled. They are in their final stages of study before transitioning to being a registered Psychologist. If you wish for your student to be provided support from a registered Psychologist, you will need to make an appointment with your child’s General Practitioner (GP) to get a Mental Health Care Plan. This service may incur a cost. Please do not hesitate to contact the school.   

ISN Psychology can provide treatment and intervention for a wide range of psychological difficulties, including: 

To access this service for your student, please contact the Wellbeing Team at Nossal High School. You may email the student's Head of House or the Assistant Principal, Fiona De Zylva fiona.dezylva@nossalhs.vic.edu.au . The student will require a letter of referral from the General Practitioner; this referral is provided to the Mental Health Practitioner, who will organise a meeting between the student and the practitioner.   

If you have any further enquiries relating to the well-being of your students, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Year 9 NAPLAN – March 13-22 National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy is a series of tests focused on basic skills administered annually to Australian students. These standardised tests assess students’ reading, writing, language and numeracy and are administered by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. NAPLAN tests will occur in Term 1, March 2024. 

Students will practice the online system in Term 1 on Wednesday 6 March, in preparation for testing. All students participating in NAPLAN (Wednesday 13 March and Thursday 14 March) must have their laptops charged, headphones and pens during the testing period. Communication around the testing will occur via Teams Compass News Feed, including events on student timetables, so students are aware of testing dates.  

Eligibility for the CSEF

Families with valid means-tested concession cards can apply for the Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund. A special consideration category also exists. Schools can receive the applications from families by 28 June 2024 or sooner, considering our camps and pathways week is in Week 8.  

Families can list more than one student on one application form if they attend the same school. The CSEF does not automatically transfer from one year to another or one school to another, parents will need to complete another form. 

 Click here for more information and the application form. 

Fiona De Zylva