Principals Report

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

As a College we are continually striving to lift our expectations around our performance as a school, of our students, staff and the aspirations that our students have. This work is linked to our four year Strategic Plan goal of improving student’s engagement in their learning in all areas of the College. As we work throughout the year we aim to develop and activate high expectations and aspirations of students, staff and families. This work will be achieved as the College takes the following actions:

· Relaunching our school wide Positive Behaviour Intervention &

Support (PBIS) system with high fidelity at Tier 1 and Tier 2

· Developing and documenting clear expectations for students and staff that support the College's Pedagogical Framework

· Increasing opportunities for students to provide feedback on their teaching and learning program

· Continuing to implement strategies to support student attendance

· The Development and launch of a Pathways Program to support students in Year 7-9 who are of high risk of disengagement

As a result of our work in this space we are aiming to see students:

· be able to articulate our College Values and associated behaviours

· demonstrate increased levels of focus within the classroom

· demonstrate improved positive behaviours and interactions

· maintain an attendance rate of 90% or higher

· provide teachers with feedback on their teaching on at least two occasions per semester.

In addition, we hope to see teachers:

· being able to articulate our College Values and associated behaviours

· consistently supporting student behaviour and classroom management by using the College PBIS Systems with high levels of fidelity

· encouraging student attendance to be at or above 90%

· receiving student feedback on their teaching and demonstrating responsive actions to this feedback in order to build connection, engagement and student achievement levels.

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE DAYS FOR STAFF

As part of the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2017, teachers will receive one day per term when they are out of the classroom to focus on the improved delivery of high quality teaching and learning.

What does this mean for your child?

Your child’s teacher will spend four days per year further developing their skills in areas that are aligned to the school priorities. Your child will directly benefit from these improvements in their daily learning. On these days, an alternate teacher will be provided with the learning plan for the day and be well equipped to assist your child with their learning needs. We are scheduling the professional practice days ahead of time so there is minimal impact to students and, where possible, there is consistency in teaching. If you would like more information on the professional practice days and when they are planned, please contact me.

EVERY DAY COUNTS – SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day. Congratulations to our Year 7 and Year 11 students who have had a great start to the year by maintaining an average attendance rate greater than 90% for February.

Missing school can have a major impact on a child’s future – a student missing one day a fortnight will miss four full weeks by the end of the year. By Year 10 they’ll have missed more than a year of school.

There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes. Coming to school every day is vital, but if for any reason your child must miss school, there are things we can do together to ensure they don’t fall behind:

· Speak with your classroom teacher and find out what work your child needs to do to keep up.

· Develop an absence learning plan with your teacher and ensure your child completes the plan.

Remember, every day counts. If your child must miss school, speak with your Year Level Coordinator as early as possible. If you’re having attendance issues with your child, please let us know so we can work together to get your child to school every day.

SCHOOL PHOTOS

Don’t forget school photos are Tuesday 6th March. Full school uniform is most important.

Kind regards

Brad Moyle

Principal