PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Welcome to term 3! We have been greeted with a very busy 2 weeks as we launched into term 3 with pathways planning and course selection for 2023 well and truly in full swing. 

This term, we will be continuing with the Course Selection process and Course Counselling. We highly value the conversations happening within families as you explore the exciting range of possibilities for each student's individual program. Our teachers received training last term to provide the best support for students and families during this process. Please ensure that your child completes their Course Selection by the specified date for their year level to assist us in organising their top preferences. Please see below dates for specific year levels pathways counselling meetings.

Tuesday 25 July – Pathways Counselling for current Year 10 students going into Year 11 2024 (no timetabled classes for Year 10 students as they attend the interviews with parents during the day)

Wednesday 26 July - Pathways Counselling for current Year 9 students going into Year 10 2024 (no timetabled classes for Year 9 students as they attend the interviews with parents during the day)

Thursday 27 July - Pathways Counselling for current Year 11 students going into Year 12 2024 (no timetabled classes for Year 11 students as they attend the interviews with parents during the day)

College Review

Schools undertake a school review every 4 years to inform the directions of the school’s 4-year School Strategic Plan (SSP) (a legislative requirement for all schools).

The first component of the review is the pre-review self-evaluation (PRSE) where schools review their data and other evidence to form a collective view of current practice and areas for improvement.

This is followed by a review conducted by a panel, utilising the expertise of challenge partners, and convened by an independent school reviewer. On Wednesday, WHC commenced its first validation day of the review and were joined by the reviewer Fiona McKenzie and Challenge Partners, Sarah Foley (Bellarine SC) and Josh Baker (Belmont HS) and our SEIL (Senior Improvement Leader).

It was a great first day of the process and we look forward to continuing to engage with our community as we develop the direction for the college for the next 4 years.

 Curriculum Day

On Friday 28 July it will be a pupil free day as teachers continue their professional learning with the Berry St Education Model, mandatory reporting and edlearn modules.

Year 7 2024

WHC is very excited to have send out offers for Year 7 places for 2024 this week. We now look forward to running selection processes for the SSP and Accelerate learning programs commencing next week and to welcoming our new students and their families our college community later this term to begin the transition processes.

Mobile Phones

Students are not to be using mobile phones in schools in Victoria according to the Ministerial policy formally issued by the Minister for Education under section 5.2.1(2)(b) of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic).

Students are reminded that they must hand over their mobile phone during morning mentor meetings and it will be returned to them at the end of the day in the afternoon mentor meeting. There are no exceptions to this rule unless you have a formal medical reason to have this phone on you during the school day.

Congratulations

A big congratulations to all our soccer, AFL, netball, table tennis and badminton teams who recently represented our college at a variety of local and regional levels. I encourage you to read the in-depth reports in the sporting section of the newsletter. 

2023 Attitudes to School Survey Results

Our 2023 Attitudes to School Survey results have been supplied to schools. We are generally pleased with the results which have shown an overall trend in year 7-12 data increase positively.

South Korean Visitors

This week we have enjoyed having 11 student visitors from the South Korean School Buseil Foreign Language School in Busan. The students were Yr.10 and Yr.11 students who integrated into our classrooms for 4 days this week. It was a lovely opportunity to integrate our students in the cultural immersion experience. A big thank-you to Alvin Ang for coordinating this experience for our community.

Have a great weekend,

Fiona Taylor

Principal

Child Safety at WHC

Western Heights 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

Annual privacy policy reminder for 2023

Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy.(found on the college's webpage)

Please take time to remind yourself of our school’s collection notice, found on our website. For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents and carers on the webpage. This information is also available in 10 community languages:

* Amharic

* Arabic

* Dari

* Gujarati

* Mandarin

* Somali

* Sudanese

* Turkish

* Urdu

* Vietnamese.