From the Principal's Desk
Term three has started as we ended term two – on a high note!
We continue to strive for excellence and achieve our ‘Community of High Expectations’.
This term our students have really focused on engaging with their learning and focusing on building of positive relationships at school. They have been demonstrating that they are respectful of themselves and others both in understanding and accepting of diversity and are co-operating and collaborating with each other both academically and socially.
In this edition you will be informed about our very talented students who have excelled in many endeavours over the first few weeks of semester two and will be provided with further information as to what is still to come for the remainder of the term.
Our Assistant Principals and Program Leaders have acknowledged in this newsletter specific achievements and there have certainly been many students’ activities, programs, opportunities and performances that our school community should be very proud of.
I am always proud of our college but even more so on Monday 29th of June when we hosted a special visitor to the College.
Our partnership with The Smith Family and our combined afterschool learning hub was visited by Her Excellency The Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn, Governor General of Australia.
The Smith Family CEO Doug Taylor and Victorian General Manager Anton Leschen shared this incredible experience with us.
It was incredible to see Her Excellency interact with our students, parents, volunteers and staff and her interest in the benefit of schools partnering with organisations. We were able to highlight the important work our school is doing in our Community Hub that supports family and student engagement in learning.
Student Voice and Leadership
Our Student Representative Council (SRC) led the whole school in our multicultural week celebrations. I would like to thank our SRC members and our school captains for the outstanding program they ran in week three. I would also like to thank the students and staff who demonstrated a generosity of spirt as they built cultural understanding through their various performances and activities. It was a wonderful week of sharing of culture but also the building of our Wyndham Central College culture.
Last week’s Olympics focus further illustrated our school spirit with many students taking part in our Olympic events during break times. We look forward to hearing which students won the gold, silver and bronze medals and which House colour won the overall medal and points tally. Go WCC!!
In this coming week we are excited to celebrate Science week, followed by Book Week – get your costume ready, and we are certainly looking forward to our school production when our students bring to life the play – Shuddersome, Tales of Poe. We will be highlighting these school events in the next newsletter.
I ask parents and carers to continue to encourage your children to be part of these school activities, as school is more than just a classroom. We know how important it is to acknowledge and develop all children to reach their full potential and talents. A reminder that our breaktime clubs run break one and two, every day, where students can find ‘like-minded’ others who share their special interests. If a student would like to start a new club, they are encouraged to see Assistant Principal Mr. Rowe or their year level leader.
Pathways Week
Our pathways team led by Ms Pina Siragusano have been working with our years 9-12 students in the first couple of weeks providing students with the opportunities to attend our annual Pathway expo’s with over 60 different educational and pathway providers presenting to our students in the school gymnasium. We also held our Tertiary events and VTAC information night, a VCE, VCE-VM (replacement of VCAL), and VIP taster program for our year 10 students and our subject OPEN EXPO for all students and families who were invited to the school to come and see what is on offer and to partake in activities provided by many of our subject areas. The school would like to take this opportunity to thank parents who attended during this week and supported our students, your children, in selecting their pathway choices for 2025. All student selections via our Web Preferences should have been submitted and are now overdue.
The college will be working hard over the next few weeks in developing a well-rounded 2025 timetable and teaching program that caters for all students. Confirmation of entry into our specific programs e.g., AVID elective, STEM Academy, Spanish Immersion Program (SIP), Enrichment program, our newly formed Sports Football (soccer) Academy, and the new VCE-VM, and VCE Integrated (VIP) programs will be available to families by the end of term three and all subject selection confirmations will be sent home in the first two weeks of term 4.
Student reports and student results
A printed copy of the Semester one report was distributed to families in the last week of term. If parents/carers did not receive their copy, I would like to remind you that all reports are available on COMPASS via your parent/carer login. Staff are already preparing five weekly checks for our senior classes and interim term reporting for years 7-12. A reminder that this will be the last report for our year 12 cohort.
All students have set learning goals based on their own learning journey. Families are encouraged to support students to achieve these goals by talking about learning and importantly asking for help if needed. The College continues to enhance our learning programs and excellent classroom teaching with the extension of our afterschool homework and learning clubs, and our year 11 and 12 subject tutoring service. In semester two we have continued with supports such as Middle Years Literacy and Numeracy program (MYLENS), Quicksmart and Enhancement literacy and numeracy support, as well as the state government funded Tutor learning Program.
Please note that a key part of the success of your son’s/daughter’s education is the way you interact with the school. Parents/carers are encouraged to contact our classroom teachers at any time to discuss how to improve learning outcomes for your children and we hope that once again we will see all our families at the parent-teacher interviews on Tuesday 17th of September – 11am to 7pm.
Parent /Carer Surveys – your voice is important to us.
As I have mentioned many times it is extremely important that schools and parents/carer’s work together to create the best learning environment for students. Our annual parent survey link has been distributed to all families via Compass and I once again encourage all families to please complete the online survey.
This is a great opportunity to provide feedback or suggestions for improvement and to let us know how we are doing from a parent/carer’s perspective. Please do not hesitate to call the school if you are having any difficulties in using the link or need support with the process.
Ready to Learn
We have noticed that during this winter our pride in our uniform has slipped a bit, where our students are not wearing the appropriate school jumpers, jackets and sometimes trousers or shoes.
It is an expectation that all students arrive at school each day in full school uniform with their equipment so that they are ‘ready to learn’, and not having to deal with the consequences of being out of uniform or being late. If families would like uniform support, please do not hesitate to contact the school, and speak to a member of our student services team or our Assistant Principals. The wearing of a school uniform is a matter of safety but importantly it also builds pride and belonging to the Wyndham Central College school community.
Please continue to help your children feel that they belong and are a part of our great school.
Leanne Gagatsis - Principal
Creating a Community of High Expectations
Respect, Cooperation and Excellence