Principal
From Mr Phillips
In many ways Term 1 2020 has been quite unusual as communities grapple with new and unexpected events, not the least of which is the corona virus. I would encourage all families to regularly check Compass for any latest updates from the college. Compass is also the place to go to and book in for the Parent Teacher Student Interviews to be held on Thursday, March 26th.
School Review
Every four years the College undertakes a review to determine opportunities for improvement and to develop a new strategic plan that sets the directions for improving student learning outcomes. RSC is currently undertaking this process with our independent reviewer, Mr Barry Soraghan.
One of the delights is the opportunity to visit classes as part of the fieldwork component of the review. There was lots of evidence of orderly and structured learning environments and students who were focused on the task(s) that needed to be completed.
In many classes there was positive engagement with the learning process - not just compliance. Students knew and could express the intent of the learning and the nature of the activities. In some instances, there was individual and group choice relating to the learning activities. Many students expressed that they had different avenues to seek assistance and feedback if needed. Overall, it was obvious from the fieldwork that, students were invested in the teaching and learning process with the activities of the lesson being clear. Teachers were working hard to maximise student participation and I really valued the opportunity to engage directly with the students.
Inspiring Australians Oration
In the past fortnight, I had the opportunity to accompany some of our student leaders to an event staged at the Melbourne Town Hall, the Inspiring Australians Orations.
Our Head Prefect Kate Hine provides her insights and reflections:
“On Wednesday the 26th of February, year 12 prefects and year 11 leaders were given the prestigious opportunity to attend the Inspiring Australians Oration, where the order of Australia (AC) recipient, Kevin Sheedy, provided words of advice.
We travelled altogether into the city to the town hall, where we joined other guests in the audience including former Prime Minister Julia Gillard. Listening to Kevin Sheedy and his life experiences provided the opportunity to engage with his message of leadership, never living a boring life, and taking all advantages to follow your dreams and help others along the way, which resonated with many of the student leaders.
We then had the opportunity to spend some time with Kevin, where he continued to inspire us to keep having fun whilst being at school and dreaming big. That was soon followed with another enthusing conversation with Julia Gillard, who shared the work she was doing in education today and her journey in politics from a student to prime minister to now mentoring other university students.
The inspirational day was concluded with delicious pastries and a fun trip back to school, leaving the student leaders encouraged to get planning all of their ideas for the remainder of the year. “
RSC Council Elections
Following the close of nominations for college council, the number of nominations for the Parent and DET member categories equalled the number of vacancies.
The following nominees are therefore declared elected:
Parent: Adam Bryant, Kim Johnson, Helen Parker.
DET: Agatha Fedrizzi, Joseph Gleeson.
Privacy Notice
Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy . Please take time to remind yourself of the school’s collection statement, found on our website www.ringwoodsc.vic.edu.au . For more information about privacy, please see: Schools’ Privacy Policy – information for parents. This information also available in nine community languages.
Year 9 Certificate
Earlier this week, the Minister for Education James Merlino announced that certificates will be awarded to Year 9 students who excel in NAPLAN or significantly improve their results, to recognise excellence and keep students engaged. The aim of this initiative is to give equal importance to student learning gain, as well as the level of learning achieved. Year 9 students will receive a certificate for achieving a result in Reading and/or Numeracy that places them in the very top band of NAPLAN, as well as certificates for those who significantly improve on their Year 7 results.
Michael Phillips
Principal