From the Senior School Assistant Principal 

Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences

In Week 7 & 8 parents, carers and students will have the opportunity to meet teachers in WebEx conferences. We are continuing with the online conference structure for this semester.

Conference bookings can be found on the Community Tab on your Compass homepage. Please note the following times and monitor Compass for information about how to book your conferences.

Week 8:

· Wednesday 23rd August 2:30pm – 4:30pm (students will be dismissed at 1:15pm)

Week 9:

· Thursday 31st August: 12:00pm – 7:30pm (no classes)

For this semester there will be no bookings for Tutor Group or for Education For Life (E4L). There are some staff who are currently on leave or who work part-time hours. If you are unable to book a conference with them, please email the teacher requesting a brief update.

We look forward to meeting with you to discuss your child’s progress.

Acknowledgement of our DARE values

There have been 794 times that Senior School students have been recognised for displaying our DARE values in classes and our community in the first seven weeks of Semester 2. It is incredible to read these posts on Compass and see phrases like: asking questions, productivity, amazing, engaged, involved, learning, challenging, and contributions. Every time you are recognised for one of these actions is a time to celebrate.

Attendance – every day counts!

Ongoing attendance to every class is one of the essential factors for academic success. Last week we completed our 7th week of Semester 2. As we hit this mid-point in Term 3, we have been reviewing our Senior School attendance, including lateness.

As of last Friday (end of Week 5), our year level attendance averages were:

· Year 10: 88.5%

· Year 11: 89.8%

· Year 12: 89.4%

These are very close to hitting our 90% approved attendance benchmark for Senior School. We know that attendance is influences by individual factors, including academic self-esteem, mental health, connectedness, lack of motivation and a dislike of school. Furthermore, family holidays are not approved attendance and therefore impact a child’s percentage. As a partnership, we want to work with families to ensure that we are able to support student attendance.

We ask that families support the work of the Senior School team in monitoring attendance and communicating with the school. Parents can ensure that they ‘approve’ legitimate student absences through the Compass portal. Please upload documentation such as medical certificates for Year Level Leaders to review or contact the Year Level Leader if you require additional support for your child’s attendance. Students are encouraged to also monitor their attendance through Compass. Failure to achieve a 90% approved attendance average for each VCE or IB subject could jeopardise satisfactory completion for that subject and unit. The same requirements exist for Year 10 Semester 2 subjects and is particularly important in preparation for Year 11.

How can we set attendance goals for the second half of the term? 

At school:

- praise student attendance and reward student punctuality,

- responding to student voice to ensure we create a welcoming environment for our students,

- communicate with families when we notice patterns in attendance.

At home:

- help to set routines at bedtime and in the mornings,

- alert the school if there are barriers to attendance at home,

- seek alternative support for your child if you believe that they are at-risk

Thank you for working with us in the remainder of the term.

Preparing for life after Auburn

Our Year 12s have hit an exciting point of the year where their VTAC applications are open for 2024. With an opportunity to meet with Ms Boardman in a one-on-one meeting, students have strong support as they finalise their requirements for selection and admission for their preferred courses.

Discussions around plans beyond school can bring up a discussion on change. This encourages open conversations with students as there is a natural fear about the unknown in regard to life after school. We will be supporting our Year 12 students to enact our Auburn Learner Quality, Character, in their final weeks as they build their sense of identity, facing challenges and opportunities with grit and a growth mindset.

Attending Open Days at universities, TAFEs and RTOs is an important step towards making decisions about future education and training. Open Days allow students to find out about an institution’s courses and programs, explore campus facilities and speak with lecturers and current students about their experience. Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 are encouraged to participate in some Open Days each year to support them with their careers planning.