Executive Team Report

It is so nice to start seeing the sun again! After many weeks of very cold and wet weather it is clear that spring is just around the corner. The dark, cold evenings certainly make Term 3 a challenging one, however, despite the weather and the range of winter illnesses that have been rampant this term, we are continuing to do all that makes Koonung Secondary College a great place to be.

College Musical

For two solid weeks, over seven shows, the audience who attended the Sound of Music was transported to the Austrian Alps. I was lucky enough to be in the audience on both opening and closing night and, on each occasion, we were welcomed into the lives of the Von Trapp family and the Nuns of the Noonberg Abbey as they navigated the political situation of 1938 Austria. As we witnessed the events unfold, we were captivated by the cast and their incredible talent. I am always amazed by our students, I shouldn’t be, because they never disappoint, but the Sound of Music was at yet another level. I am sure you are familiar with the musical items in this famous production, and you know how challenging they can be, our students did not disappoint. I will admit to that little thrill that comes over you as you sit there and are completely captivated and that tinge of a tear in the corner of my eye as the cast hit those notes with unerring accuracy. Wow we have some powerful voices!

The sets and stage management appeared to, my eye at least, to be seamless. The ongoing dedication of our staff, parents and students to ensuring a truly wonderful show is to be publicly applauded. Thank you to our staff: Mark Anderson, Chelsea Thomas, Pete Martin, Luke Wilcockson and Jennifer Molloy for your tireless efforts. Thank you to the ex students who continue to support our productions, the many parents who spent hours making a vast array of costumes, to Ms Eva Hussan who attended in her role as the Austrian Consul, and thank you to the staff and families who attended the show and provided our students with such an appreciative audience.

Ski Camp

On Tuesday 9 August, 41 students and a group of staff and volunteers headed off after school to Mt Buller for three days of skiing. This adventure camp is a challenging one, it encourages students to operate outside their comfort level, to work as part of a team, to push themselves physically and to literally pick themselves up time and time again. Though not an activity that I personally enjoy, I recognise the skills that it develops in our young people. Luckily the weather was perfect. Once again, I would like to thank staff and the volunteers for providing our students with this opportunity.

Subject Selections

We have been very busy over the last three weeks speaking with every one of our Year 9, 10 and 11 students after they submitted their subject preferences for 2023. It is lovely to be able to sit down with parents and students to celebrate the wonderful results that so many of our students have achieved. Equally important, is the opportunity to support students to recalibrate and set learning goals. While our Year 8 students do not have 1:1 counselling sessions, they too have submitted their preferences for the elective blocks. This process sees them progressively gaining more and more autonomy over their learning program as they progress through the school. Selections for Years 8-11 have now closed and we have started work to determine the classes which will run in 2023 and we will then develop a blocking grid. This latter step involves running a variety of simulations/combinations of classes to establish the best grouping of classes into lines to enable the maximum number of students to be placed in their preferred courses. Unfortunately, not every student will be able to get all of their preferences, but we aim to achieve an optimum solution. As a result, we will have many more conversations with students as we progress through to the final establishment of the blocks. Once completed students will receive a confirmation of their subject allocations for 2023. This usually occurs early in Term 4 and then the final timetable can be developed.

Reminders:

There are a number of important events in the coming weeks.

The first is the whole school Professional Practice Day on 25 August. On this day students will undertake work from home. Lessons will be available on Compass. In general, work to be undertaken on this day will include completion of assigned tasks, activities to consolidate previously learned content, revision or practice for upcoming assessment tasks. The intention is not to provide students with new content.
The General Assessment Test (GAT) will take place on 7 September. All students undertaking a Unit 3/4 sequence are required to complete the GAT on this day. As a large number of our Year 11 students do a unit 3/4 subject there will be no scheduled classes for students in Year 11 or 12. This year is the first year of the new format for the GAT. The GAT will consist of two sections. Section A will assess literacy and numeracy skills. Section B will assess skills in mathematics, science and technology, the arts and humanities, with an increased focus on critical and creative thinking skills.
On Wednesday 14 September we have parent/student/ teacher interviews and there will be no scheduled classes.
Then on the last day of term, Friday 16 September, we have Koonung Day. For families new to Koonung, this is a day where we celebrate being part of the Koonung community, there will be a range of activities throughout the day primarily organised by our student leaders, all of which are designed to help develop a connections within and across year groups. More information will be provided over the coming weeks.

Sandra Greenhill

Acting Principal