Need to know 

Welcome back everyone!  

I have enjoyed long service leave visiting my family in North Wales and England over the past four weeks,  and I'm feeling recharged and ready to take on whatever Term 2 may bring us - hopefully a more settled term than Term 1!

I have family who teach in schools in Wales and England and it was interesting to hear that they are facing the same issues regarding staff shortages, unsettled student behaviour and an increase in mental health issues in staff and students.   It was strangely gratifying to hear of three schools who have to regularly close student toilets due to vandalism and antisocial behaviours - not pleasing, but at least comforting to know the issue is not limited to our school and network.   

You will find some of my photos of the breathtaking vistas of North Wales (my birthplace) in this Bulletin.   I just had to share some of the beautiful images!   

A big thank you to Simon Braknys, Vittoria Saliba and Shaun Isbister for their work in the Acting Principal role while I was on leave.  

Upcoming dates

Tuesday 3rd May:   7.30 pm.  Meeting for Year 10 students who have expressed interest in participating in the 2023 Debutante Ball.   Theatre.  

Thursday 5th May:   STRIVE interviews for Years 7-10, 12.00 - 8.00 pm.    No students at school apart from attending interviews.  These interviews will be held face to face.  Bookings via Compass.  

Wednesday 11th May:  VCE/VET/VCAL interviews for students undertaking Year 11 or 12 subjects,  via Webex.   Students will finish at 1.00 pm to facilitate teacher release to run these interviews.  Interviews will run between 1.40 pm and 5.00 pm.  Bookings via Compass.  

Thursday 12th May:  Opening night of "Then There Were None" (2022 College Play).   Celebrate the return of the performing arts to our community and purchase tickets - information at the end of this bulletin.  

Friday 13th May:   VIP night "Then There Were None"

Monday 16th May:  Parent forum - Addiction (Unplug and Untangle)  Details at the end of this bulletin.  

Pupil Free Day 

As you know the first day of term was a pupil free day.    Teaching staff undertook professional learning regarding improving literacy outcomes for students, in particular how to support students with reading for meaning in different subject disciplines.

Approximately one third of staff also started their Resilience training with Dr Maria Ruberto.   It was a busy but very worthwhile day, with teachers gaining many practical strategies for supporting student reading in their subjects.

Staffing changes

I would like to thank Ms Lucy Lynch for supporting our new Year 7 students in their first term at secondary school.   Ms Lynch is returning to the classroom, and her role will be filled by Ms Teghan Noble who will work in partnership with Mr Kieran McNair as Year 7 Year Level Managers.

We have a number of staffing changes affecting timetables in Term 2.   You are probably aware that there is a global shortage of teachers, and St Helena is not alone in having difficulty in filling vacancies caused by leave, promotion or resignation.   I ask for your understanding that we will always put the teaching and learning of our students first, and do our very best to fill vacancies with qualified and suitable applicants.

Toilet Access

New Compass cards have been distributed to most students by now and toilets can be accessed with the new cards from Monday.

If a student misplaces their card, they will need to purchase a new one.   You are able to order a new card via your student's Compass page.

Uniform and other policies

Students have had a full term back at school now and the expectation is that all students will uphold the high standards of behaviour and attitude we expect at the College.   With a wide range of uniform items for students to select from, there is really no reason for a student to be out of uniform.   For unavoidable occurrences, students need to visit their mini school BEFORE SCHOOL with a note explaining their inability to follow the uniform policy for the day.

I also remind students and parents that mobile phones must not be accessed between 8.30 am and 2.50 pm.  

Family Forum:  "Addiction"

Facilitated by The Hope Instutute

$15 per family

6pm

Monday 16 May 2022

St Helena Theatre

Light Refreshments Provided(1 seat = 1 ticket, 1 "seat" per FAMILY no need to purchase multiple tickets, seats are not allocated)

BOOKING LINK: https://www.trybooking.com/BYURA

CONTEXT

Addiction can affect any one of us – in a number of ways. From substance abuse to social media, young people today need conscious awareness about how addiction works and be empowered to make healthy choices. 

THE SHIFT

An interactive, relevant and contemporary presentation on the nature and process of addiction including examples of vaping, computer usage, video games, smartphones, toxic relationships and many more. Because we all have the potential to be addicted to something, Addiction addresses the psychological effects of addiction rather than just the physical attributes of chemical substances. 

The seminar educates students on the four psychological effects of addiction; experimentation, misuse, fixation and dependency. Students are shown the emotional states associated with each stage and the behaviour characteristics that accompany them. This gives students a realistic and ‘everyday’ understanding on how easily addiction can progress from one stage to the next. 

Students are then empowered to critically think about their core values that will and do drive them when confronted with risk taking choices. At the conclusion of the module, Glen prompts participants to make a decision in relation to their future behaviours. This leaves them with a real-life plan for approaching risky situations.

https://www.thehopefullinstitute.com/seminar/addiction/

For more information please contact: CG@sthelena.vic.edu.au