Dear families

I hope everyone enjoyed the recent long weekend and managed to spend some well-deserved family time in the glorious sunshine. It was certainly wonderful to see our city alive again with Moomba returning for our entertainment. April 8th will mark the first full term of on-site learning in over two years of education at Altona College. The stamina of students and staff alike has grown markedly over the term and most children and our young adults have thrived both socially and academically as they have returned to predictable routines. Our current Year 2’s and Year 9’s who had never experienced a full term of onsite learning since they commenced their primary or secondary education will no doubt welcome this milestone. The Prep and Year 7 students are to be commended for the smooth transition they have made to the college and the way in which they have embraced this new chapter in their young lives.

Our camping programs have been vital in reconnecting our students and staff this term, supporting their health and wellbeing with the return onsite. Our Year 7s, 8s and 9s have all been offered a camp this term, with our final program for the upper primary students to be held at Camp Rumbug in Foster in the last week of term. Year three students will be offered an overnight experience at urban camp later in the year. The engagement in our camping programs has in most instances been impressive with most students choosing to attend. On return we have received exceptional feedback from staff regarding the participants behaviour and engagement. I also commend our staff, some of whom have already attended two camps this year, missing precious family time to enable these valuable learning opportunities for our students. Teachers do not get paid any extra for this enormous responsibility they undertake in supervising, caring and keeping our students safe during these extracurricular activities.

In relation to these extra-curricular activities, parents have asked about the possible impact of the ‘in-principal’ VGSA (industrial agreement) following reading the recent article ‘Warning teachers’ win on time in lieu will endanger school camps’ (The Age). I am also fearful of the potential impact of elements of the ‘agreement’ having met and discussed it with my colleagues. Teachers are an incredibly committed and professional team who go way beyond the ‘standard requirements’ and do deserve to be adequately compensated. With the way the new ‘Time In Lieu’ is being proposed in the agreement however, programs that are not a part of the standard Victorian Curriculum (open evenings, camps, Soirees, formals, Information sessions, concerts etc.) are at risk. Events that are not extra-curricular (parent-teacher meetings for example), will likely in future need to be brought inside the standard work hours. There appears to be an unimaginable cost to the school to provide time in lieu for these activities or for our students to experience disruptions to learning programs due to casual relief teachers releasing their regular teachers due to time in lieu.

College Council 2022.

The new Altona College Council met for the first-time last Tuesday evening with the election of office bearers for the coming year. Leadership positions are as follows:

President Sarah Brooker

Vice President Kade Dillon

Treasurer Andrew Waugh

Subcommittee (Fundraising) Michael Sperling

Subcommittee (Policy) Mathew Kelly

Minute Taker Debra Dorgan

Co-opted Member Casey Aldridge (Altona Early Years Hub)

If parents would like to become a part of the fundraising subcommittee please contact Michael Sperling. michael.sperling@education.vic.gov.au

Altona College Primary School Athletics Carnival

The annual primary school athletics carnival was certainly a fabulous community day on Wednesday and I was impressed to see so many parents, carers and grandparents in attendance. I hope you know how much this means to our children even when you are sometimes only able to pop by the event for a few minutes. They had a fabulous day, with smiles visible as they participated in the events and enthusiastically represented their allocated ‘House” team. There was definitely team spirit on display throughout the day with our seniors and staff encouraging the children in their own houses, adding to the fun. Our seniors stepped up to support the event, facilitating events and the barbecue lunch. They are to be commended for the way in which they actively supported the primary students, speaking to them with care, displaying patience but most importantly our college values of innovation, integrity and respect. I heard nothing but praise from the spectators and staff regarding their efforts, I was certainly proud of them all, they were nothing short of exceptional.

Early Finish Secondary Parent Teacher Interviews Wednesday 6th April

Secondary Parent Teacher Interviews are scheduled for Wednesday 6th April from 1:00pm until 7:30pm. College Council have endorsed that secondary students ONLY will be dismissed at the earlier time of 12:31pm on that day. (End of session 3). The regular bus will depart the college at 12:45pm. Primary classes will continue as already scheduled. Bookings for interviews are available on COMPASS.

Changes to Bus Times on Wednesday 6th and Friday 8th April

Secondary Parent Teacher Interviews Wednesday 6th April DEPARTURE Civic Parade: 12:45PM

Early finish end of term 1 Friday 8th April DEPARTURE Civic Parade: 2:30PM

End of Term Early Finish 2:15pm

School concludes on Friday 8th of April for term 1. Students will be dismissed at the earlier time of 2:15pm. The exception will be students in Years 4 to 6 who will be returning from Camp Rumbug in Foster.

Ramadan

On behalf of the college community I acknowledge families that are commencing the period of Ramadan. In 2022 this starts on the evening of Saturday, April 2nd lasting 30 days and ending at sundown on Sunday, May 1.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is a month of fasting, prayer, giving and self-evaluation observed by Muslims. The month lasts 29-30 days depending on the sightings of the crescent moon.

At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr, The Feast of Fast-Breaking, one of the two major holidays in the Muslim calendar. The other is Eid al-Adha, which marks the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Happy 90th Birthday to our Crossing Supervisor Bill

We extended warm congratulations to our School Crossing Supervisor Bill on Wednesday to acknowledge his 90th birthday. I pass on my appreciation to the children who contributed a gold coin donation for the gift for Bill. We purchased his favourite drink as a Scotsman, some gift vouchers and a few scratchies with the funds donated. Bill was truly touched by the kind gesture and the lovely cards he received from our early years’ students. There were a few tears shed when the primary students and our student leaders sang ‘happy birthday.’ Please know your kindness and the many birthday well wishes at the gate made his day truly special. We can only hope we are all as fit and active as our Bill when we reach the huge milestone of 90!

Inaugural Senior Formal Friday 1st April

Last year our long anticipated Senior Formal was rescheduled on numerous occasions due to COVID lockdowns. We have finally confirmed the formal for Friday 1st April at Grand Star Receptions and Conventions in Altona. I have no doubt it will be a very special evening for our seniors and staff in attendance and the first of many in the future for our student community.

Wishing all our families a relaxing weekend

Julie Krause

COVID-19 News