From the Principals' Desk

Almost there...

There are now just a handful of weeks left in what, as everyone knows, has been a totally different year. In 2020, our school motto (Embrace the Challenge) has been startlingly apt when we think about the many deviations and obstacles that students, their families and staff have faced and successfully dealt with.

As you read this newsletter, the vast majority of the examinations for Years 11 and 12 have been completed, with only a small number yet to be done. It has been testimony to the approach of our students that, talking to them going into their exams or on the way out, their attitudes and confidence have remained high. It would have been so easy for them to be entering the period with a heightened anxiety given the extended periods of remote learning. The same confidence is also a recognition of the strong support that they have received from their dedicated teachers and equally supportive families.

For the Year 12s, there is now the period of waiting for their final results which will be released from 7:00am, Wednesday 30 December. Members of the Principal Team as well as other Student Support staff will be present at the school on that day to help students understand their options and offer advice.

As their year draws very close to an end, we sincerely thank all members of the Class of 2020 for their strong leadership and dedication to Nossal High School over the past four years, but especially in the past 12 months. This has been a character building year and throughout the periods of remote learning, the students in this cohort have shown themselves to be resilient young adults who have become a wonderful support to each other. Nossal High School is very proud of all you have achieved and we look forward with great confidence to see what you all collectively and individually go on to achieve in the future.

For those students in Years 10 and 11, this week features two very important programs. The first is the Commencement program when students get a 'heads up' on the studies they have been enrolled in for 2021. They are important sessions and ones that clearly help students establish a better understanding of their courses, and allow them to hit the ground running in the new school year. The second important program is the Exam Feedback sessions. These short classes allow students to gain a better understanding of the responses and assessments made from this year's examinations, which again provide valuable guidance for students as they move into their next year of study.

Recently we had the privilege of viewing and judging the final entries in the Year 9 'City Week' videos. As Mr Page said to the students at the time, it was impressive work considering the projects were done during lockdown and so the research skills and collaborative work done by the students could only be described as outstanding. With this as an indicator, we are looking forward to the outcomes the Year 9 students will achieve in the traditional Monash Challenge which will be held over the last days of their year.

2021 Intake

 After a number of cancelled dates as a result of the COVID restrictions, the entrance exams for the Select Entry Schools Network finally took place at the Melbourne Showgrounds, a fortnight ago. The very much delayed test will mean that the first offers for places at Nossal in 2021, will not be made until the last days of the school year and remainder of December. One of the outcomes of this will be that Orientation Day for the new cohort will not be held until just before the start of the school year on Thursday 28 January, with Foundation Assembly Day, for Years 9 and 12 being held the following day. Students in Years 10 and 11 will commence school on Monday 1 February. 

Outstanding Achievements

Congratulations to Yash Patel (Year 11) who successfully competed in the Biology Olympiad earlier in the year and now will be taking part in the next level of the competition in January. The event will be held at the University of Melbourne where students will also be competing for a place to represent Victoria in the National Championships to be held in Canberra.

We also congratulate Siddhanth Girish (Year 9) who was a member of a small collaborative group who have been announced as winners in the 2020 Australian TiE Youth Entrepreneurial Competition. Siddhanth's group was recognised for their outstanding work designing a bottle recycling program. Siddhanth and his team will be representing Australia in the TiE world entrepreneurship championships, to be held in the USA later next year.

See the General News page of this newsletter for more information about this exciting news.

Speech Night

One of the last programs or events at Nossal to be directly impacted by COVID is our Annual Speech Night. As a result of the restrictions in place, the event will be held online and will be streamed from 7:30pm on Wednesday 16 December. 

Speech Night is another important element of the Nossal fabric that contributes to the culture of our school. It is a chance for us to acknowledge our students both individually and collectively, in their academic studies and co-curricular programs. It is also an opportunity to recognise the work done by staff throughout the year and honour our graduating Year 12 students.

A link to Speech Night will be sent to all families via Compass prior to the event.

Year 10 Camp

Thanks to some swift work by Ms Loel and Mr LaBrooy, the current group of Year 9 students will get their long overdue year level camp early in their Year 10 program. The Year 9 camp is a much anticipated and important element of the introduction to Nossal High School and this year, because of COVID restrictions, had to be abandoned. The camp will be held in the second full week of the school year and will take place at Alexandra Adventure Resort.

Goodbye

Finally, I would like to say 'Goodbye and Thank You' to the wonderful community that is Nossal High School. This is my last year of employment in schools, after having commenced my teaching career in the western suburbs of Melbourne in 1980. Since then I have only taught in two other schools before arriving at Nossal in July 2015.

It has been an honour and a pleasure to work in State Education my entire career and I am proud to say I have also been affiliated with two other state schools, (one primary and one secondary) that my own children attended.

When I think back to my first classroom, it was a metal portable building, sited on the side of the school's oval. Periodically my lessons were interrupted as, depending on the sport taking place, the room was struck by either a cricket or football, while from the window of the room we could see (and smell) the animal hides in the tannery next door. The learning environment was tough and poor, and as staff members we were all regularly involved more in social work than in teaching (in my case) Graphic Communication (later to become VCD) or Woodwork (later to become Technology Studies). 

From there I transferred to the eastern suburbs of Melbourne where I taught in two very different types of school communities. I continued to teach the same subjects, but was given the opportunity to take up an Assistant Principal's role in 1993. Since then,  apart from a few occasions, I have worked exclusively in school leadership.

Undoubtedly, an absolute highlight of my career has been my appointment to Nossal High School. It has been an absolute privilege to be a part of the professional team of staff who teach, mentor and support our students' learning. Likewise, it has been wonderful to be a part of the broader community of parents, friends of Nossal (such as past parents in PFA and the Rotary Club of Berwick) and other key stakeholders. These people and groups are just another reason why Nossal is a great place to be a part of. 

Finally of course, there are the students. I have no idea how many young people I have taught or worked with during my career. Apart from being a classroom teacher, in addition to being an Assistant Principal, I have been a Year level Coordinator and worked in numerous sport roles and on other activities such as productions. Seeing the development of young people as they grow and mature is the greatest reward I have had, and I can honestly say that experiencing the outstanding drive, commitment and outcomes of the students at Nossal will be something I long remember and treasure.

Thank you Nossal for all you have given me. I hope to be able to continue to be a part of the wider school community in a voluntary way from 2021.

I wish all students and their families well both for the upcoming Festive Season and the future beyond.

Keith Butler

Assistant Principal