From the Principals' Desk 

We are currently in Week 5 of a nine-week term. It is great to have been able to get back to some of the Term two events without any significant interruptions.  We are very much aware that the COVID situation in Victoria, and across the nation, continues to impact many families. We are grateful that our infections and illness have been minimal.  We will be working to ensure that the school continues to follow all recommended guidelines, and when students and staff are impacted, they are fully supported by their teachers, Heads of House, and our Wellbeing Team. 

Autumn Concert 

Last week music students performed in the Autumn concert. Since the start of the year, they worked tirelessly to prepare for this performance. The evening included a diverse array of instrumental ensembles, and the students (ably guided by their talented instrumental music teachers) raised the spirits of an appreciative audience with their equally diverse program. From the Wind Symphony’s version of J Powell”s “How to Train Your Dragon”  to the String Orchestra’s Music from Frozen, there was something for everyone. Congratulations to Mrs. Budd, our Director of Music, and her team. 

ABC Q&A   

With just days to go before the Federal election, Nossal students were invited to join the audience of the ABC Q&A program. Fifteen students from our SRC attended the live broadcast on Thursday May 19th, at the ABC studios in Southbank. The panel consisted of Cathy McGowan, James Paterson, Josh Burns, Gigi Foster, and Peter Hartcher. The panel complemented our students on their thought-provoking questions. Year 9 student Wilbur Machado asked the panel, “The Prime Minister claims that raising the minimum wage will cause economic damages and worsen inflationary pressures. As an economist, what are your thoughts on this?” Similarly, Yomith Jayasingh was curious about “As a young Australian, I ask - why is the Labor proposal for an increase in government spending to solve the housing crisis, only furthering our national debt, the wise choice?”  

If you would like to read the news summary by ABC journalist Paul Johnson. The full story can be foundhere 

You can watch the program or stream future episodes oniview.  

NAPLAN: Year 9 

Week 4 also saw the return of another annual event: the annual NAPLAN testing period for our Year 9 students. For Nossal, this test doesn't tell us much about our own teaching and learning program since our students have been with us for quite a short time. Instead, the results are mainly an endorsement of the effective work which our students have done in previous years, under the tutelage of the dedicated teachers at their previous schools. While it is impossible to make firm predictions about individual outcomes, I expect the results of this testing period to be a useful reminder for our students of how strongly they typically perform against state norms.  

We would also like to congratulate our Year 9 cohort on the mature and careful approach they took to the NAPLAN testing period overall. They were, in general, punctual and well-prepared for each test and took the process seriously. 

Morrisby Interviews 

Our Year 9s have had a particularly busy time in recent days. In addition to their other commitments, each Year 9 student had a short online interview with a careers counsellor to discuss the results of the Morrisby Test, which they undertook earlier in the year. The aim of this test, and the interviews, is to launch the discussion about possible future pathways with each student. Every student's pathway is likely to change as their aspirations and skillsets develop, so it's important to remember that this is just a guide to support your decisions about possible careers. Despite this, it can be useful for our students to think about what they enjoy and are good at during Term 2 since we will ask them to select their Year 10 subjects quite early in Term 3. 

All Year 9 students will be involved in dedicated lessons devoted to pathways planning as part of this timeline. The school will also be offering an information session for the parents of our Year 9 students in which the processes followed by the school during the course selection and confirmation process are well understood by all. 

Year 9 Wellbeing Day 

These days are designed to help our students reflect on their mental health and wellbeing and improve their interactions and connections with their peers. This year's program was run by the organisations Mancave and Flourish Girl, and members of the Wellbeing team assisted them. The evidence-based workshops provide our students with the critical emotional and social skills they need to thrive in our environment and improve their relationships within their communities. Students spend the day in their House groups exploring how to support others, 

empathy, conflict resolution, expressing needs, and integrity. They worked together as a team to explore what defines a respectful relationship in a diverse community such as ours. They were asked to consider the quality of their relationships and take responsibility for the impact of their words and action on others. Year 9s were reminded again that the Wellbeing team at Nossal High School is always available to chat about anything. If they needed some additional support, they could see their Tutorial teacher or Head of House, who will refer them to someone who can support them. 

Curriculum Day - Monday 16 May 

Our families will know that curriculum days allow teachers to work collaboratively to improve their teaching and learning practice. Our most recent curriculum day focused on one of our Strategic initiatives, the evidence-based practice of Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR), which is a pedagogical model that establishes a shared language for the analysis and improvement of teaching practice. This powerful tool enables focused and collaborative conversations within a high-impact professional learning environment. These conversations will continue throughout the year through our Professional Learning Program. We acknowledge the work of members of our Curriculum and pedagogies committee, particularly the work of Ms Warriner and Mr Woon, who organised the day. 

Student Attendance 

Schools need to know when and why a student is absent, and families need to know if their child is not at school. All Victorian government schools are required to contact parents/carers as soon as practicable on the same day of an unexplained student absence.  

Parents should let the school know in advance of any upcoming absences or let them know in the morning if the child will not be at school. Parents should phone the school on 03 8762 4625 or email the attendance officer at absence@nossalhs.vic.edu.au and provide relevant details and/or a medical certificate. The attendance officer will pass on the details to the student’s Head of House. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.  

Fiona De Zylva

Assistant Principal