Senior School

CELEBRATIONS and FAREWELLS

As you can see by the many photos that adorn this newsletter, the valedictory evening that was held at Melbourne Park was a huge success with over 600 members of the college community gathering as one to farewell the class of 2016.

The night was filled with warmth, affirmation, friendship and reflection. The College is so proud of the class of 2016 and they are to be wished all the best in the next phase of their life, whether that includes further study, employment, travel or a gap year.

The staff of Ringwood Secondary College are to be congratulated for their input into our students, thus preparing them to take their place in the world as global citizens.

Thanks must also go to the Senior School team for all the meticulous planning and organisation of the night. Thank you to the ladies in the office who prepared all the awards and thank you to all the staff who attended and supported the evening.

On another note, transition classes for Year 11 students going into Year 12 conclude today and students in year 10 starting their VCE journey next year, have their Year 10 into 11 tradition classes next week.

Every student, in every subject will have a task that will need to be completed over the summer holidays. The transition program establishes preparedness for the upcoming school year and allows all our students to start the year in a positive manner, willing and ready to take on the challenges that they will face.

James Barut

Assistant Principal

Middle School

Congratulations

Well done to our students in Year 10 who have now completed their Semester Two examinations. The exams were conducted in the core subjects of English, Maths, Science, History and Health, and were held this week from Monday November 21 and will conclude on Friday morning November 25.

The exams were conducted in the College Hall under the careful watch of external supervisors to provide students with an authentic experience in preparation for their VCE studies in 2017. The general approach of the students towards their studies and their behaviour during the examination period is to be commended. Students were attentive to instructions and displayed a mature approach to the exams, enabling the entire process to run smoothly.

Year 10 students will participate in the Year 10-11 Transition program next week, and will be required to attend school each day for the scheduled transition classes. Students will attend an assembly during period 1 on Monday morning, and will then follow a transition timetable where they will attend three lessons over the week in each of their Year 11 subjects. Students who will be entering VCAL next year will also complete a VCAL transition program during the week.

From December 5, many of the Year 10 students will be heading off on the Queensland trip, where they can celebrate the end of their school year.

I wish all of our Year 10 students every success in their exams, and for a safe and happy holiday period. It has been a pleasure working with this group of students over the last term.

Year 9 Assembly

At the Year 9 assembly this week, the girls and boys were addressed in separate assemblies to discuss a range of issues related to cybersafety and the serious issues and consequences for all concerned of participating in activities such as sharing photos/videos online, and ‘sexting’. The girls viewed a series of film clips to reinforce the message that it is not wise or safe to send photos/videos, or post photos/videos online of themselves or others that are of a very personal nature. The boys were also made aware of the same issues, and encouraged not to place pressure on others to participate in activities of this nature. All students were encouraged to think carefully before hitting send or publish. We constantly remind students that ‘if your parents or grandparents would be shocked if they saw a particular photo of you shared online, then don’t post it!’ Students were also reminded that they can seek advice and support from a supportive friend, parent, teacher or member of the wellbeing staff.

With a few weeks of school left, we encourage parents to support their child and the school by ensuring students complete their final assessment tasks in a timely manner.

Annette Niven

Acting Assistant Principal

Junior School

Around the schoolyard

The smiling fresh faces of Year 7 students exuding endless enthusiasm, reminds me of the reasons as to why I became a teacher. The joys of a day include watching students playing football, soccer, and downball or sitting quietly talking to each other. I hope this enthusiasm for learning and enjoying each others company continues well into Year 12 and this cohort of students enjoys the next five years ahead.

Stay focussed!

These two words ‘stay focussed’, are so important for all junior students to think carefully. At this business end of the year, with reports and assessments being finalised, students can often loose direction and not apply them to the task at hand. They are strongly encouraged to finish the year on a high and work solidly towards 2017.

Sun Smart

As the weather is warming up students must ensure they cover up with sunscreen and use a hat/cap.

http://www.sunsmart.com.au/

Cancer Council Victoria recommends using SPF30 or higher broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen. However sunscreen alone will not provide adequate protection against overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Cancer Council recommends five steps to protect against sun damage during the daily sun protection times (when the UV level is 3 and above):

1.Slip on sun-protective clothing.

2.Slop on SPF30 or higher sunscreen–make sure it is broad-spectrum and water-resistant. Put it on 20 minutes before you go outdoors and re-apply every two hours.

3.Slap on a hat –that protects your face, head, neck and ears.

4.Seek shade.

5.Slide on sunglasses –make sure they meet Australian Standards. UV levels are most intense during the middle of the day.

Check the daily sun protection times, available via the free Sun Smart app online at sunsmart.com.au or bom.gov.au/weather/uv or in the weather section of newspapers as a free website widget.

The sun protection time shows when the UV Index is forecast to be 3 or above.

Upcoming events for incoming Year 7’s 2017

Small Schools (invite only)-December 1st
Orientation Day-December 6th

High School Musical Jn

Rehearsals for the show are progressing well and it is definitely a show not to be missed. Refer to the rscproduction.com.au

for details on purchasing tickets. Congratulations to all students involved, either in the show or behind the scenes.

Resilience

Resilience is a key word that is often mentioned and I thought the following information is worthwhile reflecting on. You can access the information below from http://www.parentingideas.com.au

Some kids are resilient by nature – their temperament helps them to be mentally and psychologically tough. You know those kids. They get straight back up after a setback or disappointment. Rejection in the playground doesn’t faze them. Unfortunately, not every child has such natural resilience. The good news is that most of the research shows that resilience can be nurtured and developed, particularly when parents themselves are resilient and they actively foster it in their kids.

Resilient kids share four basic skill sets- independence, problem solving, optimism and social connection.

From a resilience perspective parents need to coach kids through some of the more challenging moments and reviewing what they may have learned for next time. Avoid solving all their problems for them.

You can promote a lasting sense of resilience in your kids by:

Having a positive attitude yourself. Your attitude as a parent impacts on their ability to bounce back from some of the difficulties they face. Make sure you model a ‘you can do it’ attitude for your child when he meets some of life’s curve balls.
Look for teachable moments. Many kids’ learning opportunities are disguised as problems. Make the most of these opportunities so that kids can grow and learn from some of the challenges they face.
Make kids active participants in the family. Active participation in a family develops the self-help, problem solving and independence skills of kids that are necessary for resilience.
Build kids coping skills. There are plenty of strategies you can pass on to kids to help them cope when life doesn’t go their way, including acceptance, getting away for awhile, and normalisation.

Promoting resilience in kids is a not a single event but a continuous process that requires adults to be supportive and empathetic when things don’t go their way. It also requires you as a parent to have an understanding of resilience, so you have faith in yourself, and your child’s ability to cope.

Maria Allison

Assistant Principal

Year 12 Validictory

A Night to Celebrate