ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS’ REPORT

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS

Paul Dawson   Bradley Headlam   Sarah Bridges

SCHOOL PHOTOS

Our annual school photos have been taken and are now ready to order. Arthur Reed Photos uses an online ordering system where you can view your photos prior to ordering. On photo day all students received a flyer which includes a code unique to them. You will require this 2023 code to register online and view your photos. If you have already registered, you will receive an email or SMS from Arthur Reed Photos with a link to view your photos. If you have not yet registered, please go to order.arphotos.com.au and enter your code to complete your order. If you have misplaced your registration code, please contact the Arthur Reed Photos customer service team directly on 5243 4390 (option 1) or customerservice@arphotos.com.au. Please note that you will need to register online with your 2023 photo code to gain access to this year’s images. All photo packages will be sent directly to your nominated address, so please ensure that you enter the correct details and nominated shipping address upon checkout. If you require any assistance ordering your photos, please contact Arthur Reed Photos directly on 5243 4390 (option 1) or email customerservice@arphotos.com.au.

ACTIVE BYSTANDERS

We can all be bystanders. Every day events unfold around us. At some point, we will register someone in a difficult situation or danger. Sometimes, a situation just does not feel right. It might be comments made by a friend that you feel are inappropriate or you spot someone being harassed . When this happens, we will decide to do or say something (and become an active bystander), or to simply let it go (and remain a passive bystander).

When we intervene, we signal to the perpetrator that their behaviour is unacceptable. If such messages are constantly reinforced within our community, we can shift the boundaries of what is considered acceptable and problem behaviour can be stopped.

Whilst it sounds simple enough, we know being an active bystander can be challenging at times.

We can all get absorbed in our own world (or phone) from time to time and therefore you may not notice a situation occurring. And if you do notice, you may be unsure if you are judging it correctly. Or apprehensive whether it is your place to say or do something. And if you are sure you should do something...what should you do to safely intervene and de-escalate the situation?

The thing to remember is that looking out for someone is nothing to be embarrassed about. It demonstrates empathy and concern.

Being an active bystander does not always require you to confront the situation yourself. You can contribute to defusing the situation by informing someone in a position of authority that an incident might be occurring.

Some key steps to help:

1.Notice what is happening around you

2. Identify if it is a problem. Ask yourself -would you behave in the same way? Would this kind of behaviour be ok if it was occurring to a family member or friend? Does the situation make you uncomfortable?

3. Take responsibility. Perhaps the hardest step. But if we all assume someone else will step in, nothing will happen.

4. Make a plan. Every situation is different and what you do in one case may not be safe or suitable to do in another. Assess the situation and make a sensible plan, always keeping yourself safe.

5. Act. This may be directly by not participating in a conversation, calling out bad behaviour as it happens, show support to those affected and let someone know. At school, this can be teachers, Student Wellbeing, Principal Class.

 HOMEWORK /REVISION

As we approach the end of semester, with assessment tasks due and exams approaching, it is essential that students are supporting their learning outside the classroom. Teachers are supporting students to develop study skills and prepare. Homework can be:

• Completing exercises set in class
• Revising/ preparing for tests (making study notes/reviewing key terms)
• Reading over notes
• Making mind maps
• Practising key skills 
• Reading key texts and taking notes
• Reading for pleasure

The school also provides homework club opportunities during the week; there is a specific EAL student homework club running two nights and the library offers after school time and space for after school study.

At this time of the year, it should be clear to all that the items on the NGSC booklists are essential materials for each subject’s requirements. Students should have the required novels, texts, calculators and enough writing books and stationery for their learning programs. The Wellbeing Team can offer support if required.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Thank you to our school community for the support provided over the last few weeks in addressing concerns with social media posts. Thank you for having conversations about using the internet safely and respectfully. It is important to remind students that what is posted online becomes part of their digital footprint and deleting a post does not mean it’s permanently gone. Posting inappropriate content could potentially hurt students when they get older and enter the job market or further studies. Please continue to ensure students know how to protect their privacy and not place personal information on media sites.

END OF SEMESTER EXAMS, GAT for UNIT 3/4 SUBJECTS

End of semester exams will take place in weeks 8 and 9 of this term. Timetables have been published and students have been made aware of their exams and schedules. Students are reminded to have the correct equipment for all of their exams.

Included in the exam period is the Unit 3/4 GAT. This is a compulsory General Achievement Test for all students studying a Unit 3/4 VCE study.  All year 10 students will do a similar assessment called the AGAT, which will highlight the capacities of students in their future pursuits.

STUDENT ATTITUDE TO SCHOOL SURVEY

The Student Attitude to School survey was held a week ago.  This was done in conjunction with the Parent and Staff surveys. This information is used extensively to inform the school on what is working well and areas for development. The information is shared across the school community. Different teams throughout the school utilise this information in the development of initiatives, both current and new, to further improve the school.  

CELEBRATING EDUCATION WEEK:

Be Bold Be Heard 

Girls in the middle years of school celebrated voice and agency with the Be Bold Be Heard Forum at the Victorian Academy of Teaching. This Forum had several fantastic speakers, who were again from various backgrounds and shared with the students their actions to overcome challenges in their lives. It was a fantastic inspiration led by Respectful Relationships. Throughout the day the students worked through their action plans and spoke about the changes they would like to make at NGSC. They were mentored on how to set goals and ensure they developed a holistic view of leveraging change. 

Not only did our students structure an excellent action plan, but they also liaised and collaborated with students from other schools and presented confidently their intentions to be achieved by the end of the year. It was a fantastic example of student voice and agency at NGSC and more broadly into the wider community.

Below are some of the discussions held by students through the day:

Challenge:

• Public speaking
• Barriers
• Feelings of judgement from audience
• Intimidated by audience
• Solutions:
• Have a friend or teacher help you distress before speaking
• More prep time
• Focus on friends smiling face in crowd

Challenge: People not taking things seriously, especially boys

Solution: Reward boys with a different activity 

People in BBH making noise but not having a voice:

1. All goals are SMART goals
2. Going directly to people and asking what needs to be done

Students having different priorities and not agreeing on what to do next:

• Having everyone present their ideas so everyone is heard.
• Keep coming back to the original goal so everyone feels motivated and energized about the process, even if it’s not what they individually wanted originally.

Challenge: Getting your point across and being listened to

 Solution: Not just a single student but a group of students communicate

Morrisby Interviews

All Year 9 Students took part in their own interview with a department careers coach this week. These coaches are provided with the data taken from a survey completed earlier in the year and discuss each student's capabilities and potential pathways. Each student has about 30 minutes with the coach, and it prepares them well for a plan going into course selections in term 3. We feel that students have a far greater understanding of themselves and their own direction in education and employment.