Year 7/8

Key Dates (Term 2)

From the Assistant Principal

It was with great pleasure we welcomed students to the 2023 School Year. Into the Junior School were our new Year 7 students (Class of 2028) who have settled in very quickly, along with returning Year 8 students, already having a taste of the year to come during the Step-Up Program to finish 2022.

For Year 7, term 1 was jam packed! Experiences included Welcome Week, Welcome BBQ, Camp, NAPLAN, Immunisations, Reach Foundation workshops, the Athletics Carnival, and generally settling into their new environment. I take this opportunity to congratulate all of our Year 7 students for their amazing start, and challenge them to continue trying new things, ask questions, and build relationships.

A huge thanks goes out to the Year 7 Leaders (Mr Struth, Ms Fallon and Ms Wilkinson) for all of their hard work organising such an amazing first term. Of course none of this is possible without our Home Group teachers, classroom teachers and amazing support staff. The wider team has provided your students with a great start.

For Year 8, things do look a little different. Straight into the rigours of teaching and learning for most, continuing with learning from Step-Up, meeting newly appointed teachers, and reacquainting themselves with their peers and surroundings in the other end of the Green Building. They are no longer the youngest in the College, rather role models and mentors for our new year 7 students.

Students have been flexible and adapted to the addition of a two new double-story portable buildings, containing 8 new classrooms. Whilst not as busy as our newest cohort, Year 8 have experienced Reach Foundation workshops, the Athletics Carnival, a speaker from the Victorian Electoral Commission, and new Art/Technology subjects.

Year 8 welcomed many new students to the College, with a few more to commence in term 2. It is great to have them join the CESC community and I am confident you will not only enjoy all we have to offer, but make some amazing connections in their new year level. Thanks to our Year 8 Leaders (Ms McLean, Mr Johnson and Ms Andjelkov) for your leadership supporting the seamless return to school and the next step in our students journey at CESC.

Alongside the everyday rigours and high expectations at CESC, Mr Gould, our Connectedness and Engagement Leader has been busy at work supporting the development and implementation of a wide range of extra- and co-curricular opportunities. Such initiatives include:

• Clubs and Activities Launch
• Breakfast Club
• C4S (Connect for Success)
• HOL (Hands on Learning)
• Blue Edge Program
• Study Club (Wednesday after-school)
• 4Cs Program

There has been incredible engagement by our students in these initiatives along with other opportunities such as inter-school sport and the College Production (Shrek: The Musical). I encourage all students to investigate more widely what the College has to offer outside of the classroom.

Wishing all community members a safe and relaxing Easter break and school holiday period. Take care and see you in term 2.

Russell Lee

Assistant Principal - Year 7 & 8

Shrek: The Musical

Rehearsals have commenced and the show is coming along. Well done to all students that have been cast in the Production. Congrats to Ms Jemmeson and Ms Whitteveen for all your work with our students to date. Tickets will soon be on sale. Do keep an eye out!

Term 1 Positive Assemblies

At the conclusion of each term, Year Level Leaders host an assembly to acknowledge the positive contributions and achievements of students. This includes:

• 100% attendance
• Community service
• Extra-curricular participation
• RGAR Points
• Growth, effort & achievement

Students are presented with certificates and recognised in front of staff and their peers. Congratulations to all students on their accomplishments in term 1, and we look forward to celebrating further students during term 2.

100% Attendance

Daily school attendance is important for young people to succeed in education and to ensure they don’t fall behind both socially and developmentally. Young people who regularly attend school and complete Year 12 or an equivalent qualification have better health outcomes, better employment outcomes, and higher incomes across their lives.

School participation is important as it maximises life opportunities for young people, by providing them with education and support networks. School helps people to develop important skills, knowledge and values which set them up for further learning and participation in their community. 

The school places great importance in all students being at school on time, every day the school is open for instruction.

At the end of Term 1, close to 70 year 7 students and 50 year 8 students have attended school everyday. This is an amazing achievement and worth recognising. Congratulations to these students. Definitely something for every student to strive towards achieving.

Interim Report Top Performers

With interim reports published for term 1, it is pertinent to acknowledge the top performing students in each year level in relation to their learning behaviours, effort and growth. On behalf of all staff at the College, we wish to congratulate the following Year 7 and 8 students. Keep up the great work.

Year of the Rabbit

This year is the Year of the Rabbit. Other Rabbit years include 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999 and 2011. To celebrate the festival, students visited our annual Chinese New Year pop-up stall, with lots of questions answered and lots of prizes won! We wish you all the best, health and happiness, wealth and prosperity in the Year of the Rabbit!

The LOTE team