Key Dates

29 July Parent/Teacher Conferences

12:00 to 7:00 pm

30 July - 2 Aug Year 10 Careers Week

7 - 9 August Year 10 Camp

12 - 16 August Year 9 Leadership Camp

19 - 21 August Year 12 Snow Camp

19 - 21 August Year 8 Camp 1

21 - 23 August Year 8 Camp 2

27 August Curriculum Day

(Student Free Day)

30 August Year 7 Zoo Excursion

2 - 6 Sept Year 9 Careers Interviews

9 - 13 Sept School Production Week

18 - 20 Sept Year 9 Camp

22 October Year 12 Graduation

Mr Nicholas Adamou

Principal

Welcome to Term 3. I trust that everybody had a relaxing break and ready for a very busy term. In particular the Year 12 students are coming closer to the end of their final VCE exams. I also trust that all parents and carers have logged on to the school portal and received their children’s reports, celebrated their achievements and also discussed areas for improvements. The beginning of a term is always a good time to reflect on the previous performance and set new goals to be achieved for the remaining of the academic year.

Any parent/carer who for some reason hasn’t been able to log onto the school parent portal (Compass) to receive their child’s report, I urge to immediately contact the school to be provided with support in order to be able to receive your child’s Semester One report.

During this term the students from Year 8 to Year 10 will undergo a rigorous subject selection process and counselling to ensure that everyone is successful in their individual pathways for the next academic year. Parent information evenings and discussions will also take place to inform and support the students in this process. Details of these evenings will be communicated via invitations, Compass notifications and SMS messaging. I encourage all parents/carers to attend with their child and I hope to meet as many as possible during these evenings.

The teachers and the Principal Team are looking forward to see as many parents/carers at the upcoming Parent/Teacher Conferences on Monday, 29 July, to discuss the progress of the students.

The beginning of this Term also saw the completion of the Capital Works project. Stage 5 was completed and delivered during the school break. The brand new and refurbished B, C, D Wings, court yards, car park bring most of the school’s facilities to a great standard, including the latest technologies (Touch screen and WiFi technologies), 100% air-conditioned Learning and Teaching spaces and of course beautiful court yards.

The students and staff are very excited with the outcome of the capital works school refurbishment and are very happy to be working in these outstanding teaching and learning spaces. I invite parents and carers to visit the school to see the state of the art new or refurbished facilities.

Wishing everyone a very productive Term 3.

2019 Parent Opinion Survey

22 July to 11 August

We're conducting a survey to find out what you think about our school.

This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday, 22 July to Sunday, 11 August.

The Parent Opinion Survey is an opportunity for schools to collect data from parent/cares in relation to our school community, ensuring that continuous improvement and success is occurring in School Climate, Student Engagement, Teaching and Learning and of course improved student outcomes. The survey is aligned with the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes and the Attitudes to School Survey. NGSC will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies. It is a very important step towards making our school one of the best possible educational settings in the wider community.

The 2019 survey will be conducted online by ORIMA Research Pty Ltd and only takes 15 minutes to complete. The survey can be accessed via desktop computer, laptop, tablet or mobile at any convenient time within the fieldwork period from Monday, 22 July to Sunday, 11 August 2019.

The Parent Opinion Survey is completed annually by the Department of Education and Training and is conducted amongst a sample of randomly selected parents at every school in Victoria. This year, about 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate. All responses to the survey are anonymous. Many NGSC parents over the years would most likely have completed these surveys.

This year, your family may be randomly selected to participate in the Parent Opinion Survey. If you do get selected, I would ask you to take the time to complete the survey as your opinion is important to our school community. It is important to us that you complete the survey as honestly as possible.

Completing the survey: Access, translations and more

The survey will be completed online and it only takes 10 – 15 minutes to complete. It can be accessed at any convenient time within the fieldwork period desktops computers, laptops, tablets of smartphones.

There will be no paper survey option, therefore, North Geelong SC is very happy to provide access to computer facilities and staff members to support all parents who are unable to complete the survey online using their own devices or they need someone to guide them through the survey. The school will notify the selected parents and provide them with the information and all the support needed to complete the online survey at home or at school.

The online survey is available in English, Arabic, Mandarin, Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Vietnamese, Japanese, Greek, Turkish, Somali and Punjabi.

Additional survey language guides have been made available to schools in Albanian, Bengali, Burmese, Cantonese, Dari, Dinka, Filipino, Greek, Gujarati, Indonesian, Japanese, Karen, Khmer, Korean, Macedonian, Malayalam, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Samoan, Serbian, Sinhalese, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Turkish or Urdu.

For more information, see: Parent Opinion Survey

Thank you very much for your support. If any parents/carers have any questions or queries re: Parent Opinion Survey, please don’t hesitate to contact the school Principal.

Learning Partnerships and Communities

Understanding 'why?' and 'how?'

Education and learning are forever changing and at NGSC teaching staff strongly believe in placing the student in the centre of everything we do. However, sometimes we face some challenges in our quest to provide the best possible Teaching and Learning programs to our students. Some challenges we are facing are:

linking knowledge, learning and support across school, family and community: how the education triangle of teacher-student-parent/carer produces powerfully positive results
supporting all students through personalised learning: how NGSC and the wider community support each learner as a whole person with specific needs, interests and goals
developing networked learning communities and clusters of schools
bridging the gap in attainment between students who experience high levels of socioeconomic disadvantage and those who do not
supporting children, young people and teachers in the use of digital tools and technologies, including through online learning within and outside the school.

Even when the ‘why’ of learning partnerships and communities is clear, we may struggle with the ‘how’. This is an issue of sufficient resources and the right support for schools. It is also a matter of:

Identifying and dealing with assumptions that may frame – in limited ways – how parents, teachers, and students see themselves and each other and the challenges and possibilities

Do you have a child with a disability about to move from primary to secondary school?

For children and young people, the most significant transitions occur when they start school, move from primary to secondary school and from secondary schooling to adult life. It is a process of change that for some students may require substantial preparation, planning, adjustment and support. The following information will assist schools and families to provide a positive transition experience from primary to secondary settings.

• Transition Framework

• Transition Planning

• Legislation Requirements and Transition

• Parent Support for Students in Years 6 and 7

• Other Transition Resources

The Transitioning from Primary to Secondary resource is advice/guidance designed to assist schools to support students with additional or complex needs that arise from disability or difficulties in learning, to transition from primary to secondary school, so that their experience is a positive one.

The Importance of Transition;

Supporting students with additional or complex needs to transition involves more than timing and monitoring the physical transfer from one educational setting to another; the endeavour is best described as building a strong, well-engineered bridge that the students can cross.

The principles and desired outcomes that guide effective transition planning for children and young people living with a disability are the same as for all children and young people. What may be different is the need for transitions to be well defined, of longer duration and for schools to be conscious the impact that such changes may have, not just on the student, but also on their parent(s)/guardian(s)/carer(s), their siblings, their peers and their teachers.

So, when initiating transitions for students with disabilities, elements to be considered are:

the nature and severity of the student’s disabilities,
the impact of a disability on the student’s access and participation
the extent to which existing transition programs take account of the individual needs of the student, their family and the receiving setting.
Good practice programs that support students with additional or complex needs that arise from disability and difficulties in learning to transition from primary to secondary school have a number of things in common. They:
begin well in advance of the point of transition,
are person-centered and tailored to the individual needs of the student,
are collaborative and involve parent/guardian/carer(s) as vital partners,
provide the student and parent/guardian/carer(s) with information to make an informed choice about future educational settings/options,
are adequately resourced and are facilitated by a ‘transition coordinator’ who can communicate across sites, ensure that collaboration between the sites is effective and that all aspects of the transition planning process are addressed, and support the student and parent/guardian/carer(s).

The resource has drawn upon existing practices of schools, as well as research by, and recommendations from, disability and educational experts. The processes and plans suggested are designed to align with existing practices in schools. The intention of this resource is to provide information and support documents in one accessible location. North Geelong Secondary College provides excellent transition processes and programs that promote positive transition experiences for all students.

Find out more information here:

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/diversity/Pages/transtosecondary.aspx

Child Safety Code of Conduct

NGSC is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. Our school community recognises the importance of, and a responsibility for, ensuring our school is a safe, supportive and enriching environment which respects and fosters the dignity and self-esteem of children and young people, and enables them to thrive in their learning and development.

This Code of Conduct aims to protect children and reduce any opportunities for child abuse or harm to occur. It also assists in understanding how to avoid or better manage risky behaviours and situations. It is intended to complement child protection legislation, Department policy, school policies and procedures and professional standards, codes or ethics as these apply to staff and other personnel.

The Principal and school leaders of NGSC support the implementation and monitoring of the Code of Conduct, and will plan, implement and monitor arrangements to provide inclusive, safe and orderly schools and other learning environments. The Principal and school leaders will also provide information and support to enable the Code of Conduct to operate effectively.

All staff, contractors, volunteers and any other member of the school community involved in child-related work are required to comply with the Code of Conduct by observing expectations for appropriate behaviour below. The Code of Conduct applies in all school situations, including school camps and in the use of digital technology and social media.

Acceptable behaviours

As staff, volunteers, contractors, and any other member of the school community involved in child-related work individually, we are responsible for supporting and promoting the safety of children by:

upholding the school’s statement of commitment to child safety at all
treating students and families in the school community with respect both within the school environment and outside the school environment as part of normal social and community activities.
listening and responding to the views and concerns of students, particularly if they are telling you that they or another child has been abused or that they are worried about their safety/the safety of another child
promoting the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
promoting the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of students with culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds
promoting the safety, participation and empowerment of students with a disability
reporting any allegations of child abuse or other child safety concerns to the school’s leadership
understanding and complying with all reporting or disclosure obligations (including mandatory reporting) as they relate to protecting children from harm or abuse.
if child abuse is suspected, ensuring as quickly as possible that the student(s) are safe and protected from harm.

Unacceptable behaviours

As staff, volunteers, contractors, and any other member of the school community involved in child-related work we must not:

ignore or disregard any concerns, suspicions or disclosures of child abuse
develop a relationship with any student that could be seen as favouritism or amount to ‘grooming’ behaviour (for example, offering gifts)
exhibit behaviours or engage in activities with students which may be interpreted as abusive and not justified by the educational, therapeutic, or service delivery context
ignore behaviours by other adults towards students when they appear to be overly familiar or inappropriate
discuss content of an intimate nature or use sexual innuendo with students, except where it occurs relevantly in the context of parental guidance, delivering the education curriculum or a therapeutic setting
treat a child unfavourably because of their disability, age, gender, race, culture, vulnerability, sexuality or ethnicity.
communicate directly with a student through personal or private contact channels (including by social media, email, instant messaging, texting etc) except where that communication is reasonable in all the circumstances, related to school work or extra-curricular activities or where there is a safety concern or other urgent matter
photograph or video a child in a school environment except in accordance with school policy or where required for duty of care purposes
in the school environment or at other school events where students are present, consume alcohol contrary to school policy or take illicit drugs under any circumstances .

IMPORTANT NOTE TO PARENTS

Whilst we welcome and encourage parents to attend the school for a wide range of reasons, it is important that all visits to the school come through our front office. Parents, carers and visitors to the school are not to go directly to other areas of the school including different wings, classrooms or the technical support office. Our office staff welcomes will handle all parent and visitor enquiries and make the appropriate arrangements for you. Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.

Student accident insurance, ambulance cover arrangements and private property brought to schools

Parents and Carers are reminded that the Department does not provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for students.

Parents and Carers of students, who do not have student accident insurance/ambulance cover, are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance/transport and any other transport costs.

In some circumstances, medical or other expenses will be paid by the Department where it is assessed that it is likely, in all the circumstances, that the Department is liable for negligent (careless) acts or omissions of its staff/volunteers.

Student accident insurance/ambulance cover policies are available from some commercial insurers, and can be obtained by school councils on a whole-of-school basis, or by parents/guardians for individual students.

Private property brought to school by students, staff or visitors is not insured and the Department does not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage.

VCAL VIBES