From the Principal
What a wonderful term we have had. Our students have been involved in a wide range of programs already this term including the Swimming Carnival, interschool sports, Francophonie celebrations, Cultural Diversity Week and Harmony Day, a range of excursions, lunchtime activities and more. You will read about many of these throughout the newsletter.
The Year 12 formal was a wonderful event – our students looked so beautiful and happy as they danced the night away.
Our Alumni
I am delighted with the progress of our Alumni led by our wonderful coordinator, Bridie Skinner (an alumni herself!). The focus this term has been to increase our connections with alumni, develop our social media pages and start creating conversations around bringing in alumni for on campus sessions.
The Glen Eira College Alumni Facebook page has been our main source of communication to past students and the wider school community. This page has consistently been updated with alumni bios each Thursday.
We have also used this platform to celebrate alternative alumni involvement within the school, for example, on International Women’s Day. You can visit the page at this link: https://www.facebook.com/GlenEiraCollegeAlumni
Parent Education Sessions
As part of GEC's commitment to supporting our students through their learning, we recognise the important role that families play to ensure that support continues at home.
I hope those of you that have viewed the first webinar in the Healthy Families Webinar series for parents and carers, Raising Kids in a Digital World, found it useful.
The replay is available until 10th April at:
Dates for the remaining sessions are below. All are online and commence at 8pm. There is no cost to families.
- 2 June: Managing Anxiety & Other Big Feelings (for tweens)
- 18 August: Reduce Chaos & Increase Calm
- 17 November: Tackling Tricky Conversations
See attached flyer for more detailed information.
I will be sent the registration link 3 weeks before each webinar and I will email this to all families.
We hope this series is useful in supporting our young people and provides you with some tips, strategies and resources.
Senior Secondary Pathways Reform
In 2023 there will be a new integrated senior secondary certificate, which will be fully integrated by 2025. This will bring together our Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) certificates.
The VCE Vocational Major will replace the existing VCAL at the Intermediate and Senior levels from 2023.
This two-year vocational and applied learning program within the VCE will equip students with the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need for the world of work. It will also prepare them to transition into apprenticeships, traineeships, further education and training, or university via non-ATAR pathways.
In line with the recommendations of the Firth Review, all government secondary schools, are expected to provide the VCE Vocational Major from 2023, with limited exceptions.
Provision of the VCE Vocational Major and VPC means that Literacy, Numeracy, Work Related Skills and Personal Development Skills studies are delivered on-site by the school.
We are currently working towards this and will provide detailed information for current Year 10 students and families as part of the course counselling process.
Finally
Rapid Antigen Testing has been extended for the first 4 weeks of term 2. Students will receive their next box of RATs on the first day of term 2.
We farewell Maree-Josee Mill who has been filling in this term.
We farewell Zamarah Morley (strings) and Arik Singer (Hebrew) and thank then for their outstanding work at GEC and wish them all the best for the future.
If you have any wonderings, concerns or feedback, please do not hesitate to call me at the school to talk or arrange a time to meet.
I trust that the upcoming holiday period will allow you all the opportunity to relax and enjoy the company of family and friends.
Sheereen Kindler
Principal