Assistant Principal's Report

Mid-Year examinations.

Congratulations to all Year’s 10, 11 and 12 students on the completion of the mid-year examinations.

Throughout the examinations, students followed examination guidelines and the school values of Respect, Co-operation and Excellence and we are pleased with some of the excellent results achieved.

To assist students, we set up our Year 11 and 12 exams to follow the same processes used for the Year 12 VCAA (Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority) exams at the end of the year so that students are prepared and familiar with the process.

Attitudes to Schools Survey.

All students have now completed the Department of Education, Attitudes to Schools Survey and I would like to thank them for their participation and valuable feedback.

We are in the process of analysing the survey results to ensure that we continue to improve our programs and the whole school learning environment which will enable us to support the continuation of best practice in teaching and learning at Wyndham Central College.

General Achievement Test.

All Year 12 student’s and any Year 11 student’s studying a Year 12 subject completed The GAT (General Achievement Test) on Tuesday 18th June.

The GAT plays an important role in the quality assurance of VCE assessment’s and provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate that they meet the Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Standards expected at a senior secondary level. Well done to all students involved in the completion of both tests.

Reports

Semester one reports will be distributed to students before the of this term and students will complete an activity to reflect on their semester one work. I encourage all parents/carers to take the time to sit down with your child and discuss their progress and to assist them in ensuring that a daily homework and home study routine is put in place. Homework is work that is set by a classroom teacher by a set date, home study is when a student does revision work such as read over notes taken throughout the day and do general revision.

Attendance is vital.

Did you know:

When your child misses just 5 minutes per day of school, this will equal to 3 days missed per year.
When your child misses just 30 minutes per day of school, this will equal to 18 days missed per year.
When your child misses just 1 day per fortnight of school, this will equal to 4 weeks per year which equals to 1 year missed over their school life.
When your child misses just 1 day per week of school, this will equal to 8 weeks per year which equals 2.5 year missed over their school life.

The main reasons for school absence are:

Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they are ill. However it is important that they are only away on the days they are genuinely sick. Setting up good sleep patterns, eating well and exercising regularly can make a big difference.

Family holidays – It is crucial that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible and not during the term. If you are planning to go on holiday during school time, please ensure that you seek permission from the Principal in advance, to assist in developing an absence learning plan.

“Day off” – Think twice before letting your child have a “day off” for no reason as they could fall behind with their school work – every day counts.

Truancy – This is when students choose not to go to school without their parent’s permission or skip out of school during the day. There can be many reasons for truancy and the best way to address this is to work with us to develop a wellbeing or attendance plan.

School refusal - School refusing children experience significant emotional distress not only when going to school but also at the thought of going to school; they may be absent from school for weeks or even months at a time. School refusal differs from truancy as children generally stay home with the knowledge of the parents and despite their best efforts to encourage their child to go to school.

If for any reason your child must miss school, there are things that you can do to ensure they don’t fall behind in their school work:

Inform the school via your child’s Tutor Teacher, Year Level Coordinator or Year Level Leader.
Ask them to check Compass to see what work they need to catch up on and complete some homework.

While all absences can affect academic performance, Department of Education statistics show that unexcused absences are a much stronger indicator of lower achievement in their school results, including English and maths.

We are here to help you and if you are having attendance issues with your child, please speak to your child’s Tutor Teacher to assist in addressing the issues. In Victoria school is compulsory for children aged 6 – 17 years.

Mobile Phone Policy.

A reminder that in accordance with the department’s Mobile Phone Policy, issued by the Minister for Education, personal mobile phones must not be used at Wyndham Central College during school hours (8.50am-3.00pm), including during break one and two and mobile phones need to be stored in a student’s locker.

School uniform is important to the community.

Full school uniform is compulsory and allows students to have a sense of belonging and to show pride in our school within the community. Please ensure that your child wears the correct uniform to school every day and if you need any assistance with the supply of the school uniform then please contact their Tutor Teacher who will be able to assist you.

Year 12 students are now over the halfway mark and it is time to put some extra hard work in place and for students to believe in themselves. If you believe that you will succeed, you will because you are motivated to do so, and you will do whatever you have to do to accomplish your goals. Resilience is an important part of adolescence and I encourage all students to strive for their best and not to give up on their studies and their future aspirations. Year 12 students, work hard and do not give up, it will not be too long before your last year of secondary school will be over and you will venture in to a new and exciting world of further studies or work.

Support is available.

Please remember that a parent/carer’s first point of contact, if you have any concerns, is your child’s Tutor Teacher. Compass is an effective way to communicate with teachers at school and/or by phoning the College.

As we know, when parents/carers are actively involved in conversations with their child about their education the outcomes are far more positive. When this is combined in a three-way partnership with teachers, the outcomes and opportunities are more successful, so please feel free to seek support when needed.

I urge all families to work with us to develop positive relationships between students, teachers and parents/carers and we encourage open and respectful, two-way communication.

I would like to wish all students a relaxing school holiday and I look forward to seeing all students at school, ready to learn, at the commencement of term 3.

Bryan Woollard - Assistant Principal Years 10 - 12

Year Level Leader's Report - Year 10

It has been a huge term for our Class of 2026 with our focus on career aspirations and preparing for the rigour of VCE.

Congratulations to all students for participating in exams and cooperating with staff. Many students who had struggled with exams in the past worked with staff on strategies to excel in the environment. Part of their success was due to most students using the AVID binders and reviewing their notes from the semester, something that families can continue to support their students to do.

With our focus on careers this term we had our FutureTalk excursion with our partners at The Smith Family. In its 16th year, this event brought in industry partners from diverse fields to have round table discussions with our students about what careers they can aspire to. Our students were excellent, asking a lot of questions and coming away wanting to learn more about what they saw. Please encourage your child to make a time with our pathways team if they have more questions.

This week the bulk of our students in our work experience program headed out to various businesses. The extra-curricular program supports students to show their own initiative to find work and practice the skills like timeliness and communication. We have had students in workplaces they aspire to such as construction, child care, hospitality and real estate. We look forward to hearing about their experiences when they return.

Finally with a new semester starting we have worked as a cohort to get our portable classrooms ship-shape, so it feels good to learn in. Students had a binder organisation challenge as well as a cleanest table competition – congratulations to 10D, 10C, and 10A for getting top scores in both!

Students are encouraged to use the holidays to get ahead on Term 3’s work such as reading their English text Macbeth or researching topics from other classes. We wish them all a safe and relaxing holidays and look forward to a productive Term 3.

John Lister – Year 10 Year Level Leader

john.lister@education.vic.gov.au

Year Level Leader's Report - Year 11

Term 2 was marked by significant engagement in extracurricular activities among our students, including events such as the Victorian Police Presentation, Athletics Carnival, Career Expo, Multicultural Week Activities, and Break Time Club Activities. Students demonstrated resilience in adapting to the demands of their first year of VCE and balancing academic commitments with personal responsibilities. Their dedication was particularly evident during their first VCE examinations.

Semester 1 Report Review:

Families are encouraged to review the Semester 1 reports, which have been distributed to students and are accessible via Compass. These reports detail students' subject results, assessment outcomes, attendance records, overall achievements, and homework completion.

Students were enrolled in 5-6 Units in Semester 1, to progress to Year 12, students need to pass a minimum of 9 Units from a maximum of 12 (Year 11—Units 1 & 2) and must pass Units 1 & 2 English. Students who have not passed any subject/s must catch up on the coursework/redemption work requested by the subject teacher/s during the holidays to ensure that students are up to date when they return in Term 3. Parent/carers are requested to speak to the relevant teachers regarding outstanding work and how they can support their child at home with receiving an S grade in the relevant subjects.

Term 3:

Term 3 will feature events such as pathway expos, alumni presentations, and Elevate session on Memory Mnemonics.

On behalf of the Year 11 team, I extend my appreciation to all families for their ongoing support. Wishing everyone a restful and enjoyable school holiday.

Harpreet Singh – Year 11 Year Level Leader

harpreet.singh@education.vic.gov.au

Year Level Leader's Report - Year 12

General Achievement Test (GAT):

I wanted to acknowledge the efforts of the Year 12 students in the completion of the GAT on the 18th of June. The General Achievement Test is an important part of the process of completing Unit 3/4 or VM as it vital to support students at the end of the year with their examinations. The results will appear on their official transcripts from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority.

The students were rewarded for their efforts, with a pizza lunch, we also want to acknowledge the student volunteers who supported staff and their peers with the lunch.

Semester 1 Reports & Unit 3 Results:

Semester reports were distributed to students on Friday 21st of June, it is a great opportunity for students and parents/carers to discuss the progress throughout semester one, and to foster conversations about goals and improvements to be made in Semester 2 and Unit 4. If you require any assistance with accessing or understanding the Semester Reports, please feel free to contact your child’s tutor teacher.

General:

I wish to remind students of the expectations of attendance in VCE and how crucial it is to be at school each day, in uniform and engaging in their learning. A reminder to ensure that each child is continually reflecting on how they are performing in each subject and what ways they can reach full potential to obtain success in their subjects. Please engage with all your subject teachers by asking questions, reviewing notes at the end of the day, completing homework and preparing for SACs.

Ashlin Brown – Year 12 Year Level Leader

ashlin.brown@education.vic.gov.au

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