PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Nicholas Adamou

Principal

2022 Key Dates

28 MarchAthletics Day
29 MarchYear 7 Immunisations
4 to 8 AprYear 10 Leadership Camp
5 AprilP/T Conferences 11:30 am to 6:30 pm Student free day
8 April

Last Day of Term 1

Students finish at 1:24 pm

25 April

ANZAC Public Holiday

Student Free Day

26 AprilTerm 2 Commences

Grade 6 Parent Information Evening, Open Night: Prospective parents for 2023 

The Parent/Carer/Student Information Evening, Open Night for our 2023 Year 7 intake was held very successfully, on Thursday 10 March. A large number of parents/carers and prospective students visited the school and experienced the teaching and learning programs and all that NGSC has to offer. 

The Information Evening provided prospective parents/carers/students the opportunity to visit our school, talk to teachers, students and current parents about our community, our close-knit family and what it has to offer to their children in relation to curricular, extra-curricular, individualised and specialised programs. 

In my welcoming speech, I spoke about the school’s high expectations from students, staff, parents and the wider community and the fact that the school is a “School of Choice”. The Victorian government has made it abundantly clear that parents can choose any school for their children, provided the school has capacity. I also stressed the importance of parents/carers matching the educational needs of their children with the educational programs a school has to offer. We all know, and research informs us, how important the decision in choosing the right high school is to the future success of the child.

 

Highlights of the evening:

  • Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM program; Nowbot robot, Robotics, Drones, VR goggles, Makerbot robots, 3-D printers) 
  • Select Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) Program
  • Scholarship Program
  • STAR Literacy & Numeracy Intervention Program 
  • ACE Literacy & Numeracy Intervention Program 
  • Digital Technologies (Chromebooks Year 7 – 9 and Year 10 -11 BYWD) Programs
  • iLeaders Program 
  • Significant Teacher Program
  • AVID Program 
  • Excellence in Sports Program (Football and Soccer)
  • Performing Arts Program/School productions 
  • Instrumental Music Program 
  • International student Program 
  • EAL Programs
  • VCE, VET and VCAL Programs 

Since the beginning of this term Ms Eales, Transition/Pathways Leader, and her team have conducted many feeder primary school visits, personalised tours and information sessions for prospective students and their families. There is much interest in these visits and if parents of current students with a sibling attending next year are interested, or if you know of others potentially new to NGSC that would like to take this opportunity, I encourage you and others to contact the school on 5240 5800 to book a visit/tour with a Principal Class Officer.

It was a pleasure to meet so many new and also current families during this evening. I take this opportunity to thank all our staff and, in particular, our students who supported the evening, presenting to parents or just by answering parent questions about their experiences and what they have been learning at the school. Our students are great ambassadors to our wider community and our greatest asset. As their Principal, together with the whole school community, we are very proud of them.

Also, a special thank you to Ms Isabel Andrews, past student, and Ms Marika Mercer, current Year 7 parent, who spoke about their experiences at the school during the evening. Our School Council President, Mr Dirk Heitmann, was also in attendance meeting many prospective parents.  

2022 Harmony celebrations at NGSC 

The newly named “Harmony Tree” in the front school yard, with many student friendship and harmony messages hanging off its branches. (Hairil Hazad, Nick Adamou & Martin Salazar)

 

Our School Captains together with several SRC representatives organised and ran Harmony Day Celebration activities to mark the 2022 Harmony Week on Monday 21 March. These activities aimed at building on the strengths of the school’s diversity and inclusion.  

Harmony Week is celebrated during the week (Monday to Sunday) that ​includes 21 March, which is the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Since 1999, more than 80,000 Harmony Week events have been held in childcare centres, schools, community groups, churches, businesses and federal, state and local government agencies across Australia.

The NGSC community is a very diverse community and is proud to have “Diversity” as one of its four values. We live, breath and celebrate Australian multiculturalism in our school community. Our school is a very successful inclusive, multicultural school community that ensures everyone belongs and is respected regardless of cultural or linguistic backgrounds, united by our core school values. 

One of the Harmony celebrations activities this year was the “harmony Tree”. The students identified a tree in the front yard of the school, and they nameD it the “Harmony Tree” and they wrote friendship messages and hung them off the tree branches. 

Thank you to all students who organised and ran Harmony Day activities in coordination with the Wellbeing Team. In particular, I acknowledge the efforts and leadership of our school captains; Martin, Darcy, Ae Tablay, Molly, Leah and Patrick who made this year’s Harmony Day celebrations a great success.

Annual Report 2021

Annual reporting is an important tool for effective governance within schools and across the government school system. Reporting to the school community adds value in a number of ways:

  1. Keeping the school community informed: The annual report provides a means for the school council to inform the community of what has been achieved and how the school is performing. Providing information about schools helps the community hold schools, the system and government accountable for improving student outcomes.
  2. Contributing to system accountability and meeting legislative requirements:  Public accountability for improving student outcomes and for the use of public money is mandated in the Education and Training Reform Act (2006), where school councils are required to prepare and publish an annual report.
  3. Relationship between the planning and annual reporting processes: The development of the annual report is an opportunity to reflect on the school’s achievements and use this as a basis for future planning. 
  4. The 2021 Annual Report was presented to the school community at the Annual General School Council Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday 15 March at 5:30 pm. The Annual Report has also been published on the school website following the AGM. 

Please take time to read through and familiarise yourselves with the Annual Report. A copy of the Annual Report is published on the school’s website www.ngsc.vic.edu.au . 

2022 Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) 

The 2022 AIP is based on the 2020 – 2024 School Strategic Plan. The new Strategic Plan is the product of the school review process which took place in term Four 2020.

The Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) describes how the key improvement strategies in the school strategic plan, and other significant projects, will be put into operation during the year and how they will be monitored. It assists schools to:

  • plan and communicate their work for the coming year and how this will lead to achieving their identified goals and targets 
  • ensure efficient and effective allocation of resources to complete the work
  • monitor progress and success. 

The 2022 AIP is also published on the school’s website.

International Women’s Day Celebration, 8 March 2022

The global theme for International Women’s Day in 2022 is Changing Climates: Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow’. This year’s theme is all about recognising and amplifying the important role women and girls around the world play in addressing climate change.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, NGSC hosted a morning tea on Tuesday 8 March, for all female staff members and Year 12 female students. Our female student captains spoke about the significance and the meaning of the day. 

Personal Property brought to school

Personal property is often brought to school by students and visitors.  This can include mobile phones, electronic games, calculators, toys, sporting equipment and cars parked on school premises. I wish to remind you that DET does not hold insurance (excluding the school’s iPad program) for personal property brought to schools and it has no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such property. Students that choose to bring their mobile phones to school must store them safely in their lockers during the school day as per the Department’s rule.

I wish to discourage students and visitors from bringing any personal property, in particular, valuable items to school and if you choose to do so it is entirely at your own risk. 

Student Appearance 

All students at North Geelong Secondary College are expected to take pride in their personal appearance. Jewellery, make-up, hair colour and style must be discreet as per the school expectations and policies. Earrings must consist only of sleepers or studs in the ears.

It is the school’s preferred position that students do not have facial piercing i.e. any facial piercing other than the ears. However, for students who already have facial piercing they have the following options:

  • the facial piercings are removed during the school day, to and from school
  • the facial piercing is discreet and clear plastic
  • a band aide is applied on the piercing during the school day, including to and from school. 

Under no circumstances will metal facial piercings be accepted. 

Therefore, new facial piercings cannot be obtained during the year due to the healing time which requires the piercing to be metal.

Privacy Reminder to all Parents/Carers

North Geelong Secondary College 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: Privacy Collection Statement

For more information about privacy, see: Schools’ Privacy Policy – information for parents. This information is also available in a number of community languages.

School Zone Speed Limits

Just to remind parents/careers and friends of the school community of the importance of road safety around schools. 

  • School Speed Zones are enforced from the commencement of the school year and parents/carers are reminded to adhere to all VicRoads School Speed Zones rules. 
  • Also parents/carers are reminded to take care and obey these parking signs and observe the Road Rules when picking up or dropping off students around schools. The City of Greater Geelong Parking and Information Officers monitor all supervised school crossings on a regular roster and issue infringements to drivers who stop in unsafe areas, such as “No Stopping” zones, within 20 metres of a school crossing, parallel to a yellow edge line, or if double parked, even for a moment to drop off or collect a student. 
  • Queuing to enter a pickup/drop off zone can often lead to traffic congestion with vehicles being stationary in prohibited areas. Should the pickup/drop off zone be occupied with vehicles, to avoid the possibility of receiving an infringement it is advised to drive around the block and return when legal parking is available.
  • Statistics show that illegal parking around schools is greatly reduced due to an Officer’s presence and Council prefers to achieve these results though education and awareness. 

Designated school speed zones: Specified times (8:00 – 9:30 am and 2:30 – 4:00 pm).   

Further information, in regards to VicRoads speed limits around schools, can be found at: VicRoads School Speed Zones.

Also, please note that the school car park is out of bounds for all parents/carers. The car park is for staff only. It is imperative that parents DO NOT enter the carpark during pick up/drop off as they are placing students and staff at grave risk. 

I wish to thank all parents/carers who always adhere to all traffic rules re: school zones and also the school carpark rules. The safety of all children, staff and parents is paramount.

Last Day of Term 1, Friday 8 April 

The last day of Term 1 is on Friday 8 April. Just a reminder to parents/carers that students will finish school at 1:24 pm as per End of Term arrangements published in previous years. 

Students must attend school on the last day of the term and if for some legitimate reason they are going to be away, parents/carers are required to notify the school as per our school attendance policy. 

Term 2 begins on Tuesday 26 April 2022