Alternate Programs

Welcome to Week 6!

We're over halfway through term 1.

This week brings us closer to NAPLAN for our Year 7 and Year 9 students. Parents with concerns about their child sitting NAPLAN should contact their child’s coordinator for assistance.

Regarding student absences: if your child has been away for any reason, please contact the teacher to follow up. We're committed to staying informed about your child's progress and offering support where needed. Every day really does matter, and we are keen to support students to attend as much as they are able to.

At this point in the term, workload increases and fatigue can set in. Treena Hogan, our wellbeing support officer, will be away for the next three weeks. However, students and parents can still reach out to program coordinators for assistance. Additionally, we will have additional wellbeing support available during this time. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need support.

Parents are encouraged to seek support for themselves or their child if necessary. As we approach the end of term, we'll be preparing reports for parent-teacher interviews. McKenzie Creek interviews will take place on Wednesday, March 20th, and interviews for all other programs will be on Thursday, March 21st. Students will not have school on the day of their interviews. Feel free to reach out for assistance before then.

Thank you all for your support at the beginning of the year.

MCKENZIE CREEK

It is hard to believe that we are already half way through Term 1 already! The Creekers have continued to settle into the new school year and we are so proud of their commitment to attending school each day.

We have now established our weekly routine which all students are familiar and comfortable with - so if you have any questions about where we are or what we are doing at any stage of the day, they should be able to tell you! We are hoping that we do not have any more ‘Catastrophic Fire Danger’ days, however we do appreciate everybody’s flexibility as we have navigated our way through these.

The students have continued to enjoy their Project-Based Learning session each Monday and it has been great to see some of the push bikes up and running - it is amazing what a bit of WD-40 can do! They have also been participating in a ‘Movement’ session each Thursday and it was great to see Ben teach them some skills in a boxing workout last week.

This Thursday we are looking forward to heading to the Wimmera Field Days. This is a chance for the students to get a taste of different career paths they can take in the agriculture and trade fields. It is also a great opportunity to get out in the local community and to represent our school.

As we approach the second half of the term, please note these important dates in your calendar before it gets too busy!

• Thursday 7th March - Wimmera Field Days Excursion
• Monday 11th March - Labour Day Public Holiday
• Wednesday 20th March - Parent Teacher Interviews (more information to come)
• Thursday 21st March - McKenzie Creek Swimming Day (more information to come)
• Thursday 28th March - Last day of Term 1 (early dismissal at 2:30pm)

As always, please reach out to Ben or Ronnie if you have any questions or concerns.

BLUE GROUP

Blue Group continue to do a great job in class. We have been continuing on with a combination of real life learning teamed with fundamental English and Maths skills. Students have had the opportunity to plan their dream journeys and in the process have learnt all about fuel costs and other significant factors when planning trips. We also looked locally at bus services available and interestingly few students have ever travelled on these. We continue to build on our literacy skills with our recent focus being on pronouns. The fun continues in our electives too with swimming on a Tuesday and various activities through Centre for Participation. It was a highlight recently to go out to the GWM water treatment plant and learn all about this important part of our town. This Monday too we had a great presentation from Marieke at CFP all about volunteering. Well done to all students who continue to try their best maintaining the College values in class and through our community activities.