From the Assistant Principal

Years 7-9

Landscaping update

The verge along Burgess Street is looking great, with the recent completion of our new fence and planting out and edging of the extensive garden bed down to Auburn Road.  Thank you to those families who have been able to contribute to our tax-deductible Building Fund and our Landscaping Fund; these donations are very much appreciated and every dollar is put to good use as we continue to do our best to upgrade the physical environment at our school.  Please contact the office if you wish to make a contribution.

Digital Thumbprint

Year 9 students took part in face-to-face Digital Thumbprint sessions last week, completing our series of workshops with all junior school students.  The interactive sessions covered important topics such as establishing and maintaining a positive digital identity, respectful online relationships, and using passwords and privacy settings to protect your personal information online.

The school-home partnership is very important in supporting students to navigate their digital world.  There are some really useful resources for parents on the Digital Thumbprint page and at the Office of the e-Safety Commissioner including parent webinar opportunities.  This quick video from Digital Thumbprint touches on identity theft, passwords and privacy settings.  Parents may like to watch the clip to help support some of the key messages from the workshops at home.

Positive Ageing Digital Storytelling Intergenerational Project (PADSIP)

We were delighted to launch our PADSIP program for 2021 at a special evening event last week.  PADSIP is a long-running partnership between Swinburne University and AHS, where a lucky group of students work with older adult volunteers over a period of weeks to create a digital autobiographical story together.  This year, 9S will take part.  Special thanks to Craig McPherson for his efforts and energy in coordinating this wonderful project.  We look forward to watching this year's project unfold and to seeing the finished products!

Senior Years Expo

Last week’s Senior Years Expo was a great success, with Year 9 and 10 students and their parents/guardians coming along to explore the exciting range of subjects and pathway options available to them at AHS as they enter their senior secondary years.  They visited the different Learning Area displays to chat with teachers and current students to find out more about the various subjects on offer, before taking part in a presentation about the different pathway options available at AHS including info about the IB Diploma and VCE.  The evening is an important step in the course selection process as students prepare to take these exciting next steps – and it was also exciting for these cohorts to imagine themselves as senior students in our new Senior School Building, due for completion ready for the 2023 school year!

Diplôme National du Brevet

I would like to offer my congratulations to our Year 9 French Binational Program students who recently sat their Diplôme National du Brevet examinations.  We are very proud of their hard work and aspiration to achieve their best performance on this significant milestone in their secondary schooling.  Félicitations!  Thank you to our dedicated FBN teachers for their high expectations and ongoing support of our students along the way.