Welcome Back to Term 2

Term 2 is always a very important time as it brings together much of the learning undertaken throughout Term 1 as teachers test for student understanding and application in major assessment tasks and in the case of our senior students prepare them for their mid-year examinations. It is also the term in which NAPLAN is conducted in all schools across Australia. It is therefore paramount that as a College we balance our learning values of rigour, responsibility and relevance in addition to student wellbeing. This can only be achieved if our families keep our student services team informed of any concerns that may arise.

This term our Year 10 students will be finalising their arrangements for their week of Work Experience and there are a large number of music, leadership, lunchtime activities and sporting events that will involve many of our students across all Year Levels.

As parents you should be proud of your children as they are showing great pride and continue to work hard as they prepare for their final assessments prior to the end of semester. Teachers are also consistently modelling our core learning values. They are being responsive to globalisation and using latest research and innovation in what they teach, they are incorporating relevance for the acquisition of skills, knowledge and attributes for the student’s futures and are being rigorous by setting high expectations.

Open Day

Wednesday April 26 was our Open Day and Night and what an outstanding success it was. The school facilities, programs, staff and students were showcased to hundreds of visitors. We were very pleased to hear the number of comments about how impressive our students are, how proud our staff were working at Scoresby, the quality of every teaching program, and the positive energy in our College. A special thank you to all staff and students who contributed to producing such a dynamic evening and to our student leaders who led the evening welcome and tours.

It is an exciting time for our College as the growth in community confidence continues. This is shown in the multiple tours for prospective students that have taken place from the start of the year with further bookings continuing.

ANZAC Day

Anzac Day is a significant event set aside for remembrance of those Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought and died at Gallipoli in 1915. It is important as a school to continue to educate our future generations about our Nation’s history.

To commemorate on the day, Frazer Spence, one of our Year 12 captains, represented the College at the Anzac Day Commemorative Service at Waterford Park Village in Knoxfield. Frazer was very inspiring as he read a special Anzac Day poem to the large gathering of residents and family members present.

Waterford Park each year invites a student leader from our College to participate in the service. I was pleased to gain feedback on the value of our involvement and the importance the residents place on having a member of our younger generation paying tribute to this day.

Respectful Relationships Presentation at Principals Conference

On Friday 28 April we presented to a full audience in a workshop on the Respectful Relationships Education in Schools Program. Respectful Relationships is a holistic approach to school based primary prevention of gender based violence. It uses the education system as a catalyst for generational and cultural change by engaging schools, as both education institution and workplaces to comprehensively address the drivers of gender-based violence and create a future free from such violence.

Scoresby has been one of nineteen schools from three regions who participated in the 2015 – 2016 Respectful Relationships Education in Schools Program pilot which was aimed at building school and community partnerships to embed a culture of gender equity and respectful relationships in schools. A team of our staff were initially provided professional learning for delivering the Building Respectful Relationships: Stepping Out Against Gender Based Violence curriculum by Our Watch and introduced the program at Years 8 and 9 in 2015 and 2016 through our Challenge Program. This year, further staff have been trained and the program expands into year 10 after the mid-year exams.

The Respectful Relationships Education in Schools Program is not to be confused with the Safe Schools Program which has been under scrutiny in the media. The Respectful Relationships Education in Schools Program is an excellent program and our College has been instrumental in ensuring the content and delivery is consistent with our core values and community expectations. The integrity of the program has been monitored through an expert team who have conducted staff surveys, student evaluations and gained parent and other feedback, which contributed to the final report and recommendations for the final program being rolled out in all Victorian schools from this year. The program aligns with the general capabilities within the Victorian Curriculum and forms part of student assessment.

Last term we were notified that Scoresby Secondary College has been selected to be a lead school for this program. This will mean our College will receive additional resourcing to support other schools to introduce the program so it becomes a whole school approach. We have insisted on this approach so the program is not only what happens in the classroom. It’s about school cultural change and creating equal and respectful cultures not only for students at our College, but for staff at work as well. In a society where respect is valued we know that this program aligns with our goal to prepare all of our students, not just for further study, but also for the world of work and their role as global citizens.

New Uniform

Compliments continue to flow from sources within and outside of the school for the new Scoresby Secondary College uniform. The full uniform is available from PSW and all items are in stock. Students in Years 7 and 10 who were required to be in the new uniform are wearing it with pride and look superb, making them fine ambassadors of the College’s philosophy and values. As well as the compulsory year levels, there has been an uptake of the new uniform by other students and I applaud their keenness to transition and embrace what we stand for. From 2018 all students will be required to be in our new uniform. A reminder that all dresses and skirts must be of a modest length.

Gail Major

Principal

The Score

Issue 4 · 08 May 2017

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