Assistant Principal (Years 11/12) Report
Mr Jason Tickner
Westall Secondary College
Report from Assistant Principal Jason Tickner
Semester One Reports
Course Selection 2024 Update
Throughout Term 3, students in Years 8-11 have participated in a range of course selection and activities and events. This has enabled students to reflect upon subject areas that they have passion and/or ability in, and connect this to their future education, or career pathway options. In the first week of the term, parents were invited to attend an information session where our Assistant Principals presented key details to guide program and subject selection. Students also engaged in a Domain Expo, allowing them to discuss programs and subjects with teachers, which has been instrumental in their 2025 subject selections.
Currently, course confirmation panel interviews are being conducted for Years 8-11 to ensure that the subjects chosen align with the students’ academic and pathway goals.
This process is especially significant for Year 10 students, who are making crucial decisions about their senior school years in Year 11 and 12. As such, parents have been invited to participate in Year 10 course confirmation panel interviews, scheduled for Monday, August 19th. On this day, Year 10 classes will be cancelled so that students and parents can attend face-to-face interviews, hopefully with their parents. Interview times have been provided to Year 10 students through Microsoft Teams and Compass. Supporting students in making the right decisions is vital, and we are confident that the ongoing course counselling activities and support systems in place are setting students up for success in their chosen programs and subjects.
Once the course counselling process is complete, school leadership will determine which programs and subjects will run in 2024 based on student choice and interest. It is important to note that subjects with low enrolment may not be offered, in which case students will be re-counselled by their sub-schools to select alternative programs or subjects. This process will be finalized by the end of Term 3. We would like to thank parents for discussing program and subject selections with their children. Your support is invaluable, as these conversations at home are a critical part of the overall process.
Term 3 Progress Reports & Parent Teacher Conferences
At the half-way point in the term, teachers will soon complete Term 3 Progress Reports. Progress reports provide parents and guardians with a brief snapshot of how your child is progressing during the second semester.
Progress reports cover the areas of effort, behaviour, use of class time, ability to meet deadlines and, homework & preparation for class. Progress reports will be available to view in the final week of term.
On Wed 31st July, Semester 2 Parent-Teacher conferences were held. The interviews provide a great opportunity for teachers and parents to discuss student’s academic progress to this point in the term. I wanted to thank every parent and student who attended these interviews, either in person or online. The feedback from our teaching staff was very positive, and the relationships forged, will certainly assist students to improve in specific areas discussed.
Leaving school grounds
It is an expectation that all students remain on school grounds for the entire school day. Your child’s safety is our responsibility during school hours; our duty of care responsibilities are compromised when students take themselves off school grounds, to go home, to run an errand, to go to the nearby shops, without permission. If there is a valid reason for a student to leave school, he/she must obtain permission from their Year Level Coordinator.
Senior students with study periods are expected to report to the Senior Centre and to use the time for study/homework; they do not have permission to leave school to get food, to go home, to run an errand, etc.
Sleep is important for learning!
Research indicates that sleep helps learning and memory in two distinct ways.
First, a sleep-deprived person cannot focus attention optimally, and therefore, cannot learn efficiently.
Second, sleep itself has a role in the consolidation of memory, which is essential for learning new information.
The below link will take you to an online article which discusses the causes of sleep deprivation, effects of sleep deprivation on teenage children, tips for parents to assist teenagers to establish effective sleep habits, top sleep tips for teenagers and where to get help in sleep deprivation is an issue.
Mr Jason Tickner
Assistant Principal (Year 11/12)