Assistant Principal's Report

Mid-Year examinations

Good luck to all students as they prepare for their mid-year examinations which commence from the 30 June, an exam timetable and letter will be sent home in due course. A reminder that students need to spend time preparing for their exams and I encourage all students to commence a revision and study plan, utilising AVID strategies, as soon as possible.

Attitudes to Schools Survey

Students will commence the Department of Education, Attitudes to Schools Survey from the 12 May.

The College values the input of all students, and we will be using the survey results to ensure that we continue to improve our programs and the whole school learning environment. We always value student feedback and we encourage our students to utilise the Student Representative Council (SRC) as one form of student voice. We also utilise classroom survey’s, called PIVOT, with student’s so that they can give direct feedback to their teachers about the learning occurring in their classes. This enables us to support the continuation of best practice in teaching and learning at Wyndham Central College.

General Achievement Test

The GAT (General Achievement Test) is on Tuesday 17 June in the College gymnasium (compulsory for all Year 12 student’s and any Year 11 student’s studying a Year 12 subject).

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. No special study is needed for the GAT, however studying past subject exams like English, Mathematics, Science and History can help prepare students for the GAT by building their general knowledge and skills in writing, numeracy and reasoning.

School uniform is important

Full school uniform is compulsory and allows students to have a sense of belonging and to show pride in our school within the community. This is in keeping with our aim of developing in students a feeling of belonging, respect and a sense of identity. Students must wear the uniform on each school day, to and from school and the uniform must be always presentable. The positive image that the College presents to the community is important to us.

School attendance is important

There is no safe number of days for missing school, each day a student misses puts them behind and can affect their educational opportunities. It is never too late to improve attendance, attending school more often can make a big difference. Every day counts. 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.

It’s not okay for students to be away or late to school and it’s important that students are only absent if they are genuinely ill.

Below are some easy to follow tips to improve attendance at school:

✔ Commit to sending your son/daughter to school every day.

✔ Make sure children arrive at school and class on time (you can check this on COMPASS).

✔ Inform the school when they are away, sending medical certificates and other evidence of genuine absence.

✔ Students must catch up on missed class work.

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.

Mobile phone policy enforcement

In accordance with the Department of Education’s Mobile Phone Policy, issued by the Minister for Education, personal mobile phones must not be used at Wyndham Central College during school hours (9am – 3pm), including Break 1 and 2, unless an exemption has been granted by the Principal.

The aim of this policy is to provide:

a safe environment to learn without inappropriate mobile phone use (including cyberbullying) or distractions.
greater opportunities for social interaction and physical activity during recess and lunchtimes.

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 would like to encourage all families of our College to work with us to develop positive relationships between students, teachers and parents/carers and we encourage open and respectful, two-way communication.

Bryan Woollard - Assistant Principal Years 10 - 12

Year Level Leader's Report - Year 10

Welcome back to term 2, we hope that all students got a chance to enjoy the break and be ready for a big term.

In term 3, all year 10 students will have the opportunity to complete work experience from 18th-22nd August, and this term should be spent preparing for that opportunity. Work experience is a fantastic chance to not only try out a career and learn new skills, but also to develop their resume and use the evaluation in future job applications.

To be able to access work experience, all students must complete the safe@work general module and the safe@work industry specific module. Students are then expected to contact companies they are interested in to find their own work experience placement. We would encourage all parents and carers to have the conversations with their students about completing the modules and contacting relevant companies.

Once a company has agreed to take the student for work experience, an application form must be completed, to be signed by the student, guardian, work place and school. If you have any questions about work experience, please contact the year 10 team on Daniel.robson2@education.vic.gov.au or Rebecca.zarafa@education.vic.gov.au

In the meantime, there is lots of information on the students Teams pages about work experience opportunities.

Students will also need to be thinking about their options for next year as subject selection for year 11 will be at the start of term 3. Again, we encourage all students to start talking with their families about the options, including what VCEs to take, whether they want to pursue a move into VM (Vocational Major) pathway or whether they are interested in applying for a VET (Vocational Education and Training). More information will be available to both students and families about those options.

Finally, students will have exams from the 2nd-5th June, so it is an important term for all year 10's!

Should you or your student have any questions about any of these, please contact the year 10 team.

Dan Robson – Year 10 Year Level Leader

daniel.robson2@education.vic.gov.au

The Year 10 2025 Tutor Team consists of:

Year Level Leader's Report - Year 11

I hope that everyone had an enjoyable and restful break. Students have made a strong start to the beginning of the term. Students are currently working their way through the final weeks of their unit one studies as they work up towards their exams which begin on the 30th of May. Exams are compulsory. Students will soon be provided with their exam timetables and have been advised they are only required to be at school when they have an exam timetable. In the interim, please encourage your child to collate their knowledge, notes, and resources from the semester to best prepare themselves for their upcoming exams.

If students are absent from school, they must submit a medical certificate and will be provided an opportunity to then resit the exam missed in Exam Catch Up time, these catch up exams must be pre-arranged with Mr. Walker or a member of the Senior Years Team.

For Year 11 students enrolled in Year 12 subjects, attending the Year 12 examinations takes priority. Students are not permitted to leave the exam before the stated time. Any concerns are to be directed to your tutor teacher or Mr. Walker.

In our pastoral care lessons students are starting to focus on their future careers. In this time students will explore careers which interest them and the many pathways available to them post their VCE studies. With their graduating year of 2026 fast approaching these discussions are increasingly important.

In the coming weeks students will undertake the annual Attitudes to School Survey. The Attitudes to School Survey is offered by the Department of Education and Training to assist schools in gaining an understanding of students’ perceptions and experience of school. Wyndham Central College values student voice to improve student engagement, wellbeing, and quality instruction. Our school will use the survey results to plan programs and activities to improve student’s schooling experience. Students from Year 7 to 12 at our school will participate in the survey during school hours. All survey data that is made available in reports are for groups of students only so that no individual student can be identified.

In recent weeks, there has been an increased expectation on uniform, arriving at school on time and mobile phones. The Year 11 team appreciate the work families have been doing at home, reinforcing the importance of the following in conjunction with the work being undertaken at school.

Key Dates

30 May – 5 June: Year 11 & 12 Exams

6 June: Student Free Day

9 June – Public Holiday

10 June: Semester 2 Begins

17 June GAT for all students

4 July: Last Day of term 2

If you have any questions or queries, please contact your child’s tutor teacher or myself.

Callum Walker – Year 11 Year Level Leader

callum.walker@education.vic.gov.au

The Year 11 2025 Tutor Team consists of:

Year Level Leader's Report - Year 12

Attitudes to School Survey

Year 12 students at Wyndham Central College will participate in the annual Attitudes to School Survey, scheduled from May 12 to May 23, 2025. This survey, facilitated by the Department of Education and Training, is a valuable tool for schools to gain insight into students' perceptions and experiences within the educational environment. At Wyndham Central College, we highly value the input of our students as it enables us to enhance student engagement, well-being, and the overall quality of instruction. The feedback collected from the survey will be instrumental in guiding our efforts to develop tailored programs and activities to improve our students' schooling experience. We assure you that all survey data provided in subsequent reports will be aggregated, ensuring the anonymity of individual students.

Examination

As the Year 12 examination period swiftly approaches, we wish to inform you that examinations will be conducted between May 30 and June 5, 2025. Each student will be required to undertake an exam for every subject they have pursued during semester one. Please note that these exams are compulsory. In the forthcoming weeks, students will receive an exam timetable. It is imperative for students to be present at school only when they have an exam scheduled. In the interim, we encourage you to support your child in organizing their knowledge, notes, and resources accumulated throughout the semester to facilitate effective preparation for the upcoming exams.

Should a student be absent from school during the examination period, it is mandatory to provide a medical certificate. Upon submission of a valid certificate, arrangements will be made for the student to reschedule the missed exam during the designated exam catch-up time.
For Year 11 students enrolled in Year 12 subjects, attending the Year 12 examinations takes priority.
For students, who have timetabling clashes with other subjects will also be allowed opportunity to reschedule the missed exam during the designated exam catch-up time.
The above students are required to attend the designated ‘catch up’ exam timeslot, which must be coordinated in advance with the respective Year Level Leader and respective subject teacher.
Students are not permitted to leave the examination hall before the conclusion of the allocated time. Any concerns or queries regarding the examination process should be directed to your assigned tutor teacher or Mr Singh.

After-School Tutoring Support

The college has employed our Alumni (currently in University) as tutors to provide additional academic support for Year 11 and 12 students who may be at risk or seeking to excel in their studies. We encourage families to reinforce the importance of attending after-school tutoring sessions, particularly if there are concerns about their child's academic progress. The tutoring schedule has been shared with students. We ask that they connect with the relevant tutors to confirm the specific days and times. Tutoring is available for the following subjects:

Accounting, Arts, Biology, English, General Mathematics, Legal Studies, Mathematical Methods, Media, Music, and Physics.

Students are also encouraged to take advantage of additional support during Homework Club, which is held on Wednesdays from 3:10 PM to 4:00 PM

VCE/VM Minimum Requirements and School Expectations

To be awarded a VCE certificate, students must successfully complete a minimum of 16 units, including 3 units from the Literacy/English units, which must include a Unit 3 and 4 sequence, and at least 3 other sequences of Unit 3 and 4 studies.

Students are expected to attend school every day, except in cases of illness. It is important to plan holidays during term breaks to minimize disruption to learning. A high level of attendance is essential for teachers to authenticate students' work.
As VCE students, it is expected that they dedicate an average of 3 hours per night to study in order to successfully complete their VCE. This study time can be reduced if students use class time effectively.
If a student receives a Notice of Concern or Failed Results through Compass, or a Report indicating an N (Not Satisfactory) grade, it is important to engage in discussions with your child, the subject teacher, and tutor teacher to develop strategies that will support the student in achieving an S (Satisfactory) grade.

School-Assessed Coursework (SACs) and Absences

Students may be permitted to reschedule an assessment task if they are absent due to medical reasons or a school-approved activity. A medical certificate will be required to receive a score for the assessment.

Students who are absent for non-approved reasons may be given the opportunity to submit redemption work in consultation with the subject teacher. However, they will not receive a score, only an S (Satisfactory) or N (Not Satisfactory) grade.

Upcoming Important Dates for Term 2

07/05/25 - Wednesday – VCE Success Strategies Presentation
14/05/25 - Wednesday – Elevate – Ace your Exams Presentation
30/05/25 - Friday – 05/06/25 Thursday – Year 11 and 12 Exams
06/06/25 - Friday – Assessment Day/Student Free Day
09/06/25 - Monday – King’s Birthday
10/06/25 - Tuesday – Semester 2 Begins
11/06/25 - Wednesday – Pat Cronin Presentation
17/06/25 - Tuesday – GAT
04/07/25 - Friday – Last Day of Term 2

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s tutor teacher or myself. Thank you for your ongoing support in ensuring the success of our students.

Harpreet Singh – Year 12 Year Level Leader

harpreet.singh@education.vic.gov.au

The Year 12 2025 Tutor Team consists of:

	Event
7 May	Australian Maths Competition
12 May - 13 June	Attitudes to School Survey
22 May	Careers Expo (Year 7 & 8)
30 May - 5 June	Year 11 & 12 examination period
2 June - 5 June	Year 9 & 10 examination period
4 June - 5 June	Year 7 & 10 examination period
6 June	Student free - Assessment day
9 June	Public Holiday - Kings Birthday
10 June	Semester 2 begins
17 June	General Achievement Test (GAT)