Wellbeing 

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Welcome back to Term 2. I do hope that during the break you were all able to find some time to rest, relax and catch up with friends and family, whilst also reflecting on the significance of the Easter Liturgical Season. I am very pleased to say that Term 2 has commenced well with a feeling of calmness and extreme positivity amongst the student cohort. It is a busy term with several key events scheduled to take place. I have outlined a couple of these below and will outline others in the College News as the term progresses.

Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences

As you are aware, Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences will be available for all year levels on Friday 12 May (8:30am – 4:00pm) and Wednesday 17 May (4:00pm – 8:30pm). Parents/guardians will be able to participate in a conference with a subject teacher via the online Google Meets platform. Students are strongly encouraged to be part of these conferences wherever possible. Parents/guardians have been making bookings through the Compass Learning Management System. Bookings will close at 9:00am on Wednesday May 10 and will re-open in between the two conference days. If parents/guardians have not yet had the opportunity to make a booking, you are strongly encouraged to do so.

The procedure to make a booking and to participate in a conference has been outlined in an email sent to all families on Monday 1 May. In the event that you have any trouble making bookings or experience difficulties accessing the conferences, please do not hesitate to contact our IT Helpdesk. The feedback that we have received from families has been an overwhelming desire to continue with online conferences. This has meant more families booking conferences than ever before. Unfortunately, this does sometimes mean that families cannot book to see a teacher who is already fully booked. If this is the case, please do not hesitate to email the relevant teacher for an update as to your daughter’s progress.

Please note that Friday 12 May is a student-free day whilst teachers conduct the conferences. On Wednesday 17 May, we will be running six shortened lessons with classes concluding at 1.35pm and conferences commencing at 4:00pm. And Thursday 18 May is a ‘Time in Lieu’ day for staff for the conferences.

Susan McLean – Cyber Safety

Susan McLean will be coming to the Academy on Tuesday 9 May to run Cyber Safety sessions with all Year 9 students. She will also be running a compulsory evening session for all Year 7 students and their parents commencing at 7:00pm. Susan is Australia’s foremost expert in the area of Cyber Safety and was a member of Victoria Police for 27 years. She is widely known as the ‘Cyber Cop’ and was the first Victoria Police Officer appointed to a position involving Cyber Safety and young people.  With the explosion of cyber technology, issues such as cyberbullying and ‘sexting’, have emerged as the number one issue confronting the safety and wellbeing of young people and the wider community. Together with associated technology including 4G and 5G mobile telephones, Instant Messaging (MSN), online games and the popularity of social networking sites today’s youth have access to and are accessible by many millions of people worldwide. Susan’s sessions will focus on what students and parents really need to know about staying safe online.  

Thank you to our Health Sciences Learning Leader (Curriculum) Ms. Tanya Vajda for facilitating and overseeing Susan’s visit to the College.

Uniform - Piercings

While most of our students follow the required protocols and only have one earring in each ear lobe of their ear, a few students have been presenting at school with multiple earrings in each ear as well as nose piercings. Students are generally given an initial opportunity to remove extra earrings or a nose piercing without too much fuss, they may also be given an infringement on Compass, but in recent times a few students have indicated that these piercings are ‘fresh’ and therefore cannot be removed for 4 – 6 weeks as there is a risk of infection and the hole closing over. 

The school policy around earrings and piercings is clearly articulated in many places, including the Student Planners. Students also sign a Statement of Acknowledgement each year. We ask for parental support in this matter as we would definitely prefer not to send students home until extra earrings or piercings are removed.

Changeover to winter uniform

A reminder to parents/guardians of the uniform requirements for Term 2.

Due to the variable weather conditions, students have been able to wear either the summer or winter uniform in the first two weeks, of Term 2. However, the winter uniform is compulsory for all students from Monday 8 May. Navy tights have now been part of the winter uniform for those students wearing a skirt for the last two years. Students do have the option of wearing navy pants instead. We ask that all students be respectful of the College expectations around this and wear their uniform correctly but also with pride. 

As always, please remember never hesitate to be in touch should you have any queries or concerns.

Mr Sam Di Camillo

Deputy Principal, Wellbeing & Operations