From the Principal's Desk
An impressive first term
We have come to the end of a characteristically full Term 1, and I would like to thank our students, our families and our staff for the different ways in which they have contributed to a relatively smooth, and very successful, first quarter of the year.
The Term 1 calendar is always very full, and it also requires all of our students (to different degrees) to embrace the challenge of a new set of expectations, a new timetable and a new set of personal and academic goals. Our Year 9s have made a smooth and positive transition into their new school environment, and should feel proud of the work they have done to establish new relationships and new habits. Our Year 12s have taken up the mantle of school leadership, and there has been plenty of evidence in our tutorial and Nossal Time groups of their thoughtful support of their younger peers. Our Year 10 and 11 students have also had new things to experience, many of them (though not all!) related to the growing proportion of their time devoted to their VCE studies. The cycle of regular, sometimes large-scale, assessments that characterises a VCE course has its own rhythm and requires its own reflective approach to both homework and study.
Holiday Homework... is partly not to do homework!
On the topic of homework and study, I would like to take a moment to remind everyone that while some teachers (particularly in the senior levels) will have set some holiday homework for our students, it is also very important that they use this time to disengage entirely from formal academic pursuits. They may have an area of passion that they enjoy pursuing for their own pleasure - that's fine, of course, and I for one am a fan of spending time strolling around a museum learning more about the things that ignite my brain. That's not the same as doing homework and study.
If parents are finding that their students need an argument to take a proper break this holiday, they could direct them to this article from the Harvard Business Review, one of many extolling the virtues of allowing the mind and the body to have the rest it needs if we are to engage creatively and productively with our longer term tasks. In it, the author notes that
"Uncluttering your mind allows you to think more clearly and boosts creativity. This can happen in both small and big ways while on vacation. Research shows that merely taking a walk (even if it’s inside on a treadmill) significantly increases creativity. On a grander scale, taking time off provides an opportunity for big or innovative ideas to emerge."
Parents can access advice on what the school considers a reasonable amount of time for our students to be spending on homework in general, and on holiday homework in particular, by looking at the School Documentation section of Compass where they will find Homework and Study @ NHS in the Advice Sheets folder.
Year 9 and Year 12 Camps
On behalf of our students, I would like to thank the organisers and leaders of our Year 9 Camp to Roses Gap (Ms Ella Young, Mr Rian LaBrooy, Ms Fiona de Zylva and Mr Stuart Fankhauser) and of our Year 12 Camp to Somers (Ms Jessica Ball and Ms Joanna Soltys), along with all of the attending staff who made these very special events possible. I was lucky enough to be able to spend an evening at each of the camps, and could see how enjoyable and empowering these events were for our students. It was also wonderful to see their relationships with both their peers and with the staff flourish in these new, and less pressured, environments. I commend our students for their positive approach to these experiences, and for the way they embraced the challenge of living for a little while outside of their comfort zone.
Pathways Week
While our Year 9 & 12 students were away, our Year 10 and 11 students were provided with an opportunity to explore and extend their work-readiness, and their overall preparedness for life beyond our school buildings. On behalf of Ms Vanstan (the Pathways Week organiser) and on my own behalf, I would like to commend our Year 10 and 11 students who positively engaged in the variety of activities throughout the week that were designed - much like the camps - to allow them to "learn by doing" through a range of experiences that prioritised the sort of essential non-academic skill building that our students sometimes forget they will need outside of Nossal's protected environment. The knowledge and skills that were enhanced as a direct result of these experiences will put them a step ahead of their peers in future life events, including applying for part-time employment and in their interactions on large scale projects.
It was a busy week with many new providers involved to share their expertise in areas including enhancing leadership, improving preparation and presentations at interviews and making informed and road safe decisions that impact not only the individual but also the community. You can read about our students experiences during Pathways Week later in the newsletter.
Reminder: Winter Uniform from the start of Term 2
I would like to take this opportunity to remind our families that with the start of Term 2 we move into Winter Uniform.
Wearing our Nossal uniform symbolises both the wish to belong to the school and pride in the school. Students who are enrolled at Nossal High School accept the responsibility of wearing the school uniform on all school days, when they are travelling to and from school and when representing the school out of hours. They should do so in a manner that brings credit to the school. Parents/carers also accept the responsibility of supporting their children to ensure the correct uniform is worn at all times. On a later page, you can read an extract from the Student Handbook which outlines both the elements of our school uniform, and the processes that apply when the uniform is not worn correctly.
In the interim, I would be grateful if you would provide us with some help in undertaking a very short reflection on our current uniform. As the school undertakes its 15th year, it is reasonable for us to take stock of different aspects of our school life, and this is of course a very visible part of our daily operations. You can provide us with some quick feedback using the form below:
The PFA Uniform Shop will be open before school on the first day of Term 2 (Monday 15 April) from 8.30am if uniform items are required.
Our New School Council
On Tuesday 26 March our new School Council met for the first time. As part of the meeting, a new set of office bearers were elected. I would like to thank the following individuals for their willingness to serve the school in this capacity:
- Professor Subhash Abhayawansa (President)
- Dr Angavai Swaminathan (Vice-President)
- Mr Anoop Mathew (Treasurer)
- Mr Anhad Arora (Student Representative - Elected)
- Ms Eesha Arun (Student Representative - Co-opted)
- Mr Woody Cherian (Parent Representative)
- Ms Fiona de Zylva (DE Representative)
- Ms Sivanthi Gurumurothy (Parent Representative)
- Mr Karthik Kalaiselvan (Student Representative - Co-opted)
- Dr Jennifer Mansfield (Monash Representative - Nominated)
- Mr Patrick McConachy (Student Representative - Elected)
- Mr Satheesh Kumar Pachippan (Parent Representative)
- Mr Andrew Somers (Rotary Representative - Co-opted)
- Ms Fiona Vanstan (DE Representative)
During the most recent meeting, I provided an overview of the 2023 Annual Report which the members of the Council are currently reviewing. Once they have endorsed it, it will be made available via our website.
Welcomes and Farewells
Over the course of this term we have seen some changes in our staffing, particularly in our Education Support team. I would like to formally farewell Ms Maxine Rofe and Ms Sandy Ayton-Delaney (counsellor), both of whom have left the school this term.
Maxine served as laboratory technician with the school from part-way through 2021 until her resignation from the school earlier this term. We thank her for the support she provided, particularly in our Biology laboratories, and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.
Sandy has been an important part of our Wellbeing Team since the start of 2017. She has supported a large number of our past and current students, both through individual counselling support and through her contributions to the school's developing wellbeing systems and structures. Her engagement with the school and its students was enriched by her prior experience as an educator, and her willing service to the school over the years has been greatly appreciated (as has her good-humoured contributions to our community). Sandy is retiring from education from the start of Term 2, and we wish her every happiness as she enters this new phase of her life.
Finally, I would like to formally welcome Ms Kay Munyard, who has been working with our French language students in Years 9 & 10 this term, and Ms Marjorie Hau, who will be joining our Languages Team in Term 2. Kay has been most dedicated in her work with our students this term, but will be sharing these classes with Marjorie as we move into Term 2 and beyond. I have no doubt that our students will see considerable benefit in having access to two able educators as they pursue their learning in this important area of study.
Early Term 2 Events
As the first term ends, we have reached the day when our Term 1 reports are published to parents (4pm 28/03/2024 via Compass). These reports are of course very much interim reports, since they are based on a quite short period of class work and incorporating a significant amount of diagnostic assessment on the part of many teachers as they get to know their students. Long term parents will be well aware that our reports are designed not to convey every aspect of each student's learning, but as a prompt for conversation between students and parents, students and teachers, and parents and teachers. To this end, with the release of reports will also come the ability to make appointments for Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences on either Thursday 18th or Friday 19th April. These conferences will be held in person at the school.
For parents new to the school, I recommend that you read the front matter of the reports carefully. This explains in detail how the ratings on each report relate to norms external to Nossal, and provides an insight into how best to interpret the information the reports contains.
For parents of Year 12 students, I remind you that once your student has left the school, you will no longer have access to Compass. Over the course of this year, it would be wise to ensure that you have downloaded a copy of all of your students' reports so that these are available to you (and them!) in the future.
You may also wish to take note of the fact that in Week 2 of Term 2, the ANZAC Day Public Holiday is followed by a (student free) Curriculum Day.
Hooray for Holidays!
Despite the rather difficult start to the year, it has as usual been a pleasure to work with our students, our staff and our families this Term. I congratulate you for your committed and fruitful work, and will hold you in my thoughts as this first set of holidays begin. May the break be a time of rest, contentment and inspiration. I look forward to seeing you all again in the middle of April.
Tracey Mackin
Acting Principal