FROM THE PRINCIPAL
TERM 3
Awards Assemblies
Congratulations to all of our students who received an award at the recent Awards Assemblies. We are very pleased with the numbers of students who were nominated for awards, a sign that they are working productively in class and completing excellent work.
We had a large number of parents, grandparents, family and friends in attendance too, thank you for taking the time to be part of the celebrations.
We look forward to all students setting goals for the end of year to be on the list of recipients.
A reminder that our awards are not only about excellence in learning, they are also about effort which is an important component in any achievement.
Holiday Happenings
Although the holidays seem a distance memory, I would like to acknowledge the teachers, students and parents who took part in a number of activities.
International Netball Competition
During the first week, 3 of our Netball teams took part in a 4 day tournament at Waverley Netball Centre. They played against school teams from across the country and overseas.
Our girls played exceptionally well against some excellent teams and although didn’t feature in the top 3, they fought hard in all of their matches and displayed excellent sportsmanship and team work.
A very big thank you to all of the parents who attended across the 4 days and helped out with organising the girls and coaching (Nikki Wallis). Thank you to Catherine Edwards and Cassie Knight for their coaching assistance and the biggest thanks to Melissa Crotty, who organised the whole experience, including coaching the girls from start to finish.
Reptile Re-housing
With the building program beginning shortly on the new Zoology Centre, the reptiles had to be relocated from their current home, to the new home that has been created in the Administration Building.
The move was a monumental effort with every animal needing to be settled into a new enclosure. This required the assistance of many of our Zoo Keepers over a number of days.
A big thank you to everyone who gave up their break to help out. To Marcus Whitby, Mike and Riley – thank you for a great job that was beautifully executed, despite a few minor setbacks.
Production Rehearsals
The entire cast attended rehearsals in the second week. Thanks to Jono Bleakley, Amy Cumming, Andrew Rogers and Jacki Goode for their time an commitment to the show. Thank you to the cast, for their energy and parents for ensuring the students made it on time.
The production is looking very professional and the choreography, thanks to Celeste and Amy, two past students, is of a high creative standard!
On Demand Testing
Last week, all Year 7 to 10 students have undergone the VELS on Demand testing that enables us to establish where they are with their learning in both literacy and numeracy.
This round of testing gives teachers and students an idea of what progress the students have made since the first round of testing in February. It also informs the future teaching program.
Teachers will discuss the results with students in class, with a view to setting future learning goals.
2020 VCE and Middle School Course Selection Information Evening
Thank you to everyone who attended the VCE and Middle School Information Evening on Wednesday 24 July. We combined the 2 Sub School nights, 10 years ago and it seems to work very well.
A big thanks to the Key Learning Area Coordinators, for their organisation and to the Year Level teams for their assistance. Thanks also to the Careers team and Office Staff.
Please ensure that your child submits their course selection on time and any other applications they need to submit.
The Sub School Coordination teams are happy to assist with any questions. Please don’t hesitate to call the school.
Road Safety
I am still receiving reports of our students crossing the roads around the school and Lilydale precinct, at inappropriate locations i.e.: where there is a crossing very close, but they choose to ignore it. There have been a number of 'close calls’ in relation to students being hit by a car and/or bus.
I again ask all parents to encourage students to use pedestrian crossings and for all students to be responsible and cross safely.
Year 9 Course Advice
Thank you to everyone involved in the Year 9 Course Selection Interviews, held last week.
The interviews have been organised by Tim Kogelman, one of our Careers Counsellors to give every Year 9 student an opportunity to sit with a course advisor, to consider what they would like to study in Year 10 and beyond.
The course advisors Craig Harris, Ava Nemat, Robyn Hall, Catherine Edwards, Brooke Addison, Liz Nevins and Daniel Toma have been able to provide advice and answer questions. I thank them for their important work and to Tim, for his excellent organisation of the sessions - a NEW initiative for us.
A big thanks to the students and those parents who were able to attend. Interviews continue, Monday 29 July.
Wendy Powson
Principal