Principal Report

Semester 1 academic reports will be made available to all parents today via Compass, and I encourage you to access and review them with your child/children. You can access on via your Compass logon on any web browser or via the Compass App in iOS or Android. The report is best read in consultation with the results of all learning tasks. These learning task results are visible to students, and parents/carers live throughout the term. The most productive discussion at home is one that is focused on what the feedback is and what action the child can and should take. This can take time but is very valuable.

Congratulations to our music students for a stunning Mid Year Concert on Tuesday evening at our Performing Arts Centre. Almost every seat was full with a well-rugged-up audience! There were multiple performances from our different bands from Years 7 to 12, with some very sharp, tight and well-orchestrated (pun intended) numbers. A highlight for me was the enthusiasm of some of our senior students, who were so excited to perform again publicly after the last two years. It is clear that the opportunities and relationships within music are central to their Wangaratta High School experience. The concert came after a very big term for music students and staff, including a retreat to Harrietville and a band trip to Ballarat, on top of a rigorous rehearsal schedule.

Many of Year 9 students completed a Morrisby Career Profile over the last week. Facilitated by skilled interviewers, the profile seeks to highlight strengths, interests, and motivations do they can further discover the own unique characteristics. With this awareness, they can be supported to make better-informed decisions when it comes to subject selection and career aspirations. I encourage parents and carers to speak with their children about the results. We have been using the Profile for some time. Thanks to the staff involved, the interviewers and to Cate West for her oversight.

I would like to acknowledge the work of the entire Wangaratta High School staff team this term – all our teachers, education support staff and casual relief teachers for their unyielding commitment to students and the school this term. It has been a successful term but a hard one for all. Thanks also again to the School Council for their work on behalf of the school. Several members of the Council organised a surprised morning tea for staff that ended up being perfectly timed. Thanks to the parents and carers who have made personal contact with staff or groups of staff to express their gratitude – this goes a long way. It has been especially heartening to hear of personal notes of thanks from students.

New Mobile Phone Policy – Term 3 2022

At the start of Term 3 we will be implementing a new mobile phone policy with students (access it here or via School Documentation on Compass). Our policy has been refreshed and is now stricter. We are very motivated to drive change in this critical area to support better learning and engagement at school, more positive engagement between staff and students and support for parents and carers.

I took the opportunity to discuss the proposed policy changes with the School Council and, incidentally, with other parents that I have been meeting and speaking with. They provided helpful input and contributions and were very supportive of the adjustments.

Alongside parents and carers, we have high expectations of students. We are proud that we have these high expectations, and they are encouraged, emphasised and upheld with compassion and care. We have a responsibility to have these high standards for our students – to set them up for success now and in readiness to launch themselves into the world. At Wangaratta High School, learning matters, relationships matter and the best for each individual matters.

The new policy has the same expectations that have been in place for some time now and is based on the Department's own policy, but it is further contextualised for our school, and the consequences for not following the expectations at our school have changed.

We have added our own rationale for the ban on mobile phones and some research snippets. This information and perspective inform our commitment to drive change in this area and its importance.

The consequence for a breach of the expectations (a breach means any use of a mobile phone at school) are different. These are the key changes:

Phones will be confiscated immediately if they are being used. They may not be used at all – no messages, app use, no clock use and no calling parents or carers. The policy lists a few constructive exceptions related to Wellbeing and certain individual needs that are longstanding.
We will not be returning confiscated phones to students. We will only return confiscated phones to parents or carers via Reception.
We seek your support in asking that parents or carers do not collect phones on the day that they are confiscated – please come the next day or a later day at your convenience. We believe that losing access to their device for at least one evening is a fair 'cost' for not following clearly stated rules. We welcome the opportunity to speak with parents about this approach.

There will be meetings held with all year levels in the first few days of Term 3 to explain the new policy, its rationale and the consequences for not following it. Students are encouraged to speak with me further about the policy. Staff will be applying the policy consistently and rigorously as soon as those briefings occur. We recommend that parents and carers discuss the policy at home, especially the timeframes involved for parental availability to collect a confiscated device.

I wish all families all the best for these holidays. I hope you can enjoy the time together and some of the remarkable opportunities in this region to get outdoors and active despite the cold! Please travel and play safely. We look forward to Term 3.

Dave Armstrong

Executive Principal