Mirboo North Secondary College Newsletter

Principal's Update

Well, that is a wrap on Term 3, 2023!

As always, we have been incredibly busy teaching but also planning for the following year. Some of the changes at our school for 2024 will be:

  • A recommendation from our School Review was that we implement a Social Emotional Learning Program for all students (X-SEL). These programs are commonplace in schools now, and data and evidence show that teaching students to manage their emotional selves is more critical now than it has ever been. We will be using as the main part of our X-SEL program, The Resilience Project lessons and resources which our senior students have trialled this year. If you want to know more about The Resilience Project, see https://theresilienceproject.com.au/
  • We are investigating ‘like ability’ groupings in English and Maths. At this stage, we are hoping to implement these for at least the 2024 Year 7s. Like Ability groups are groups of students at similar levels of achievement and development. We know that the best learning occurs when we meet the student at their current Zone of Proximal Development. I think of it as the Goldilocks’s Principle, the learning is neither too hard (too hot), or too easy (too cold), but rather is just right. 
  • We are making changes to the Learning Habits Report to make achievement in classrooms clearer and more explicit for students and for parents.
  • We have implemented an Instructional Model. This is a model for how we teach in classrooms. It includes an Engage, Teach, Learn and Review phase. We are aiming to put all lesson plans on Compass in Term 4.

Good luck to our Year 12s

It is that exciting time of year when our Year 12 students are finishing their final assessments and/or beginning to revise for exams. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our 12s on the effort and commitment they have shown this year. I have been impressed with the friendliness and warmth of this group and have felt privileged this term to teach the VCE-VM Literacy class. On behalf of the school and the community, I would like to wish these students all the very best of luck with their next steps as they plan for what comes next for them in their lives!

 

Student Support Group Meetings

Thank you to our community for your support during our recent Student Free Day where we conducted Student Support Group Meetings. This is an area we are developing our expertise in and having this day meant that we could invite in a large number of Student Support Staff from the Department of Education to support us. Thank you also to those families and students who attended these meetings.

Happy holidays everyone, and for those 12 studying, remember to have regular breaks to recharge.

 

Vaya Dauphin

College Principal

Assistant Principal's Uniform Update

Dear Parents, Carers, and students, 

Recently there has been some vigorous discussion around the wearing of NON-uniform sports SHORTS for both girls and boys at school. As the weather (hopefully) continues to warm up, we expect that many students will want to wear shorts instead of long black pants, however shorts MUST be our standard uniform shorts as per the current student dress code policy: https://www.mnsc.vic.edu.au/college-uniform/. Plain black Sports shorts may only be worn during PE lessons. There are two styles of shorts to choose from in our fully stocked uniform shop, and the office staff will be happy to help you. 

While some students may not ‘love’ wearing the school shorts, it is important that we maintain our high standards and represent the college professionally and respectfully, and this is why a uniform  policy has been developed. There are often ‘debates’ around what components of the uniform are acceptable, but our current dress code policy stands until 2025, and honours the work of the student representatives (VOS), staff, parents and council members who worked to create this. 

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me at the college, or alternatively you may wish to view the complaints policy on our website: https://www.mnsc.vic.edu.au/complaints-policy-3/ 

As we move into the last days of Term 3, the Principal team have agreed that this will be a ‘grace’ period at school, whereby students & parents / carers can get organised for a fresh start in Term 4. Once we return to school, students who are not wearing the correct shorts will be given a detention unless there is a note from home for a temporary exemption. We understand that that shorts may be damaged, in the wash or ‘lost’ so we want to work with you all to make sure we get the uniform looking good early next term and for the foreseeable future. 

With thanks for your support, 

Melissa Neill, Vaya Dauphin & Nic Ryan.