Year 8 News

Welcome back to Term 3. I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays but more importantly, it is great to see all students settling back into the classroom ready for another exciting term. As the colder weather hits sickness comes more prevalent within our school community, if your child is absent due to sickness (or any other reason) please record the absence on Kurnai College's absence hotline at (03) 5165 0600 - option 1 or contact me directly via Compass.

As we move through Semester 2, there have been a few staffing changes within the Year 8 team. I am excited to have accepted the role of Assistant Principal – Junior Sub School, where I will be leading our Year 7 and Year 8 cohorts. In this role, I will be the primary point of contact for Year 8 student wellbeing, engagement, and learning matters, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with students and families.

We are also pleased to share that Elisse Burke has transitioned into a Learning Specialist role, where she will be supporting teachers to further enhance teaching and learning across the college. While her role has changed, students will continue to benefit from her expertise and commitment to achieving the best outcomes for every learner.

We look forward to an exciting semester ahead and thank our Year 8 families for their continued support and partnership.

Attendance

This year, our aim is to improve student attendance rates to an average above 95%. If your student is absent, please contact Kurnai’s absence hotline message bank on (03) 5165 0600 - option 1 or contact Ross Johnson directly via Compass. 

Uniform

As we continue through the colder months, we would like to remind families that students are expected to wear the correct school uniform, including navy blue school pants as part of our winter uniform requirements. Wearing the appropriate uniform helps students stay warm while maintaining a sense of pride and belonging within our school community. If your family requires support in accessing school uniform items, please don't hesitate to reach out to the College. We are here to help and can discuss the support options available.

Non Core Subjects

As part of our Year 8 curriculum, students participate in a

range of non-core subjects throughout the year. These subjects provide a broad

“taster” of different learning areas, helping students develop new skills and

interests and make informed elective choices in Years 9 and 10.

Students are allocated to these classes through the school’s

overall timetable. Due to the size of our Year 7 and 8 cohorts and classes

operating at or near capacity, we are unable to accommodate requests to change

elective classes. Moving one student can have a flow-on effect across multiple

classes and timetables.

We encourage students to approach each subject with an open mind

and make the most of the opportunities it provides. Engaging with unfamiliar or

challenging learning also helps students develop resilience and perseverance.

With encouragement and support, students can learn that they are capable of

doing hard things and experience the confidence that comes from persisting

through challenges.

Fortnightly Focus

Over the past fortnight, our Year 8 focus has been on ensuring every student arrives to class on time and prepared to learn. During our Relationship and Resilience classes, students set themselves up for success by placing a copy of their timetable in their locker and discussing strategies to ensure they have the correct books and equipment for each lesson.

Being organised is an important life skill that supports learning and reduces unnecessary disruptions throughout the school day. Students are expected to arrive to every class on time with the required resources, including their subject workbook, pens and a fully charged device.

While many students are meeting these expectations, we have noticed an increase in the number of books and pens being supplied by the college. To help students develop independence and responsibility, we ask families to ensure their child comes to school each day with their own learning materials.

Thank you for your ongoing support in reinforcing these expectations at home. Working together, we can help our Year 8 students build positive habits that will contribute to their success both in and beyond the classroom

Contact Details 

If you have any concerns regarding Year 8 students, please don’t hesitate to email me of phone me on (03) 5165 0600 or Ross.Johnson@education.vic.go.au