Principal's Message

Dear Families,

It's fantastic to see all of our students back at school, we have really missed you all! Thank you to our students, families and staff for their extraordinary efforts and resilience this year; it has been a difficult year for everyone. I personally visited each class on Monday to welcome back our Year 8, 9 and 10 students, and it was terrific to see everyone's smiling faces again. 

This term our staff will be focusing on supporting students' transition back to onsite learning and providing extra assistance where needed to maximise their learning this year and prepare them for 2021. Of course we are also doing everything we can to keep everyone safe, with continuous cleaning throughout each day and hand sanitisers in each classroom and office. Parents are reminded to please make an appointment prior to visiting the office. 

A reminder that the school will be closed next week on Monday 2nd and Tuesday 3rd November. Students should use their time at home to complete any outstanding work and/or revise for VCE exams. 

Congratulations to Mrs Clarkson and her husband on the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Bonnie Clarkson. Bonnie entered our world gracefully on Tuesday 6th October weighing 3.28kg. Both mum and Bonnie are doing very well. 

Students and staff are currently in the process of electing College Captains and Junior Campus Captains for 2021. Thank you to the students who have applied to be leaders of our school community and student voice representatives. We look forward to announcing the new Captains later in the year. 

ABCN Accelerate Scholarship Program

I am delighted to announce that Year 10 students Zamzam Ahmed and Jordan Zammit have both been awarded an ABCN Accelerate Scholarship! 

The ABCN Accelerate Scholarship program is a three-year program that targets exceptional students who are facing economic, family or social challenges that impact on their study or capacity to achieve their desired tertiary pathways and ultimate career goals.

The Scholarship entitles these two students to $7000 distributed over three years - $2,000 in Year 11, $2,000 in Year 12 and $3,000 in their first year of further education or training. The scholarship funds can be used to cover any fees or costs associated with education.

Greg George, Regional Manager at ABCN phoned and informed me that they were overwhelmed with the high quality and number of applications they received this year. They place great emphasis on the robustness of students' applications and the selection process to ensure they are welcoming the most worthy and well-suited young scholars into the program. 

The students will also receive a dedicated mentor who is a corporate professional from ABCN’s network of member companies. Their mentor’s role is to assist them in planning, understanding the world of work and helping them prepare for their final years of school and first year of study or work. 

Without exception, the students who apply for this program stand out for the disadvantage they have had to face at such a young age. Well done and congratulations to Zamzam and Jordan, we are very proud of you!

Parent Opinion Survey

WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK! 

Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst all parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, student engagement and experiences of remote and flexible learning. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies. 

Further information about accessing the survey is contained in the News Feed on your Compass Parent Portal. All parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the survey are anonymous. This year, the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 12th October to Friday 13th November.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek.

Year 12 Scholarships

A reminder to parents and students that Scholarships are now available for Year 12 students planning to undertake tertiary studies in 2021, and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students planning on completing years 11 and 12. These are offered via the Department of Education and Training. Students must apply online by 28th February 2021. For more information on how to apply, visit the student scholarships web page or download the factsheet below. 

VCE Exams and Consideration of Educational Disadvantage

On behalf of staff and the College Board, I would like to wish our VCE students all the very best for their exams this term. Year 12 exams begin on Monday 9 November and Year 11 exams begin on Wednesday 11 November. I encourage all VCE students to make this year count by studying hard and doing their absolute best to finish the year as well as they can. 

The VCAA will be using the new Consideration of Educational Disadvantage process, as announced by Minister Merlino recently, when assessing each Year 12 VCE student this year and calculating ATARs. This process will take into account each student's circumstances as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns and remote learning. This includes health and wellbeing challenges, financial stress, extra home responsibilities and family stresses. The VCAA will consider all information provided so that each student’s final VCE and VET study results are fair and reliable.

Year 12 Graduation

We are currently planning the Year 12 Graduation which will look a little different this year. The Graduation will take place at school in week 10, after exams have finished. Stay tuned for more details. 

School Review

Our school review is underway and will be completed in the next two weeks. The review process takes place every four years at each school and is undertaken so as to ensure all schools are adhering to, and following, the directives provided by the Department of Education. 

Over the coming weeks the School Improvement Team will meet to discuss and collaboratively form our strategic plan for the next four years (2021 to 2024).

The school review will be completed with the assistance of the following people: 

• Julie Myers from the National Curriculum Services (Reviewer)
• Charles Branciforte, DET Senior Education Improvement Leader
• Ellen Arnott, VUSC School Council President
• Kay Peddle, Pascoe Vale Girls College Principal - Challenge Partner
• Danny Dedes, Taylors Lakes Secondary College Principal - Challenge Partner

Together with our School Improvement Team on Thursday 29th October, the panel will validate our school's performance over the past four years. This process will involve analysing school data, meeting with student focus groups and visiting classrooms.

On the Fieldwork Day on Thursday 5th November, Julie, Charles, Kay and Danny will conduct classroom observations and meet with teachers from both the Junior and Senior Campuses. 

Our final day of review will occur on Monday 9th November, where all the data analysis, classroom observations and findings will inform our next four year strategic plan. Once complete, the strategic plan will be published on our website for the school community to read.

Elaine Hazim

College Principal

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Child Safety at VUSC

Victoria University Secondary College is a child safe organisation committed to protecting students from all forms of abuse.

Our College has stringent protocols in place and endeavours at all times to be fully compliant with the Child Safe Standards set out under Ministerial Order 870.

Our College has the following documents and policies in place to achieve compliance with the Standards. All of these documents are available for downloading on our website or contact the school for a copy. 

1. Commitment to Child Safety
2. Child Safety Policy
3. Child Safety Code of Conduct
4. Child Protection Policy and Procedures