Campus Principal Report
Welcome back to term 2. There was a flurry of activity over the term break when different trades were organised to finish some upgrades.
Unfortunately, not all were able to attend so they have just become part on the ongoing improvements to Banksia Campus. A small but very important change has been the installation of the three flagpoles at the Janine Rd entrance. This allows us to proudly fly the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags at what will be the main entrance to the school. We also had some signage done to highlight our fantastic sports and theatre area.
As always, real learning continues with a focus on developing the entire student, and in these
times that is extremely important. With things returning to relative normal we have had a lot
of excursions, incursions, events, sports and camps. Not to mention the excellent work of Mel Williams and her team in running Naplan last week. A huge effort co-ordinating staff,
the IT team and students.
A highlight from each year level
Year 7 – Returned from a great camp, recovered over the holidays and then last week sat their NAPLAN assessments. The year 7 Boys Volleyball team walked tall in a sport that they love, but literally just missed out on proceeding though to the next round.
Year 8 – Enjoyed a hugely successful cross college year 8 camp to Lord Somers that saw 141 students and 14 staff enjoy glorious weather (thank goodness) and build long lasting relationships.
Year 10 – Rite Man Mentoring program – a program developed by our former Pastor Jeff Andrews who works with our wellbeing staff and a number of year 10 boys to develop ‘pathways to healthy masculinity’. Rite Mentoring Org
Year 10/11 ABCN – Australian Business & Community Network visit for ‘future minds’ to Mondalez Australia - Mondelēz International is one of the largest food manufacturers in Australia, with a portfolio of iconic brands including Cadbury, The Natural Confectionery Co., Pascall. Philadelphia and OREO
Year 11 –Biology excursion to the zoo
Year 12 – SACs, SACs and more SACs as we quickly approach mid-year and the change from Unit 3 to Unit 4. They also attended the VCE and Careers Expo held at the Caulfield racecourse. All Universities, further learning institutions, trades, businesses and in fact, any career path you can think of is represented.
I would like to thank all the staff who organise activities such as these and the countless not mentioned for their work in making sure our students get the best opportunities available.
Richard Hastings – Banksia Campus Principal
Term two is only a 9 week term and we are already
halfway through! Things are moving quickly, with lots happening in each year level.
Our Year 11 and 12 VCE students attended the ‘VCE and Careers Expo’ at Caulfield Racecourse in Week 1 of Term 2. A very worthwhile afternoon out of the school to engage with many exhibitors who could provide information about various career pathways. Our VCAL students will be attending an alternate expo which has been rescheduled to Term 3. It’s been excellent to see our Year 10 students also thinking about their pathways too, with many already securing some exciting Work Experience placements! Work Experience is scheduled for Week 4, Term 3. I have been signing off on Work Experience forms and have been really impressed with many of the placements students have been able to obtain. Well done to all of the Year 10 students who are actively finding themselves suitable placements in a career area of interest.
Meanwhile, our Year 8 students had the opportunity to head off to Lord Somers Camp in Week 3. Students had a ball on camp, with lots of water-based activities and time connecting with their peers. A special thank you to all of the staff who attended, as well as Ms Phillips and Mr Rae for their organisation of the camp.
Our Year 7 and 9 students were busy engaging in the NAPLAN tests in Week 3. Four consecutive days of tests is quite a challenge, however our students ‘put their best foot forward’ and demonstrated the 5Ps (Present, Productive, Prepared, Persistent, Proactive). Well done everyone!!
Week 4 started with a buzz with Ms Yuong and Mr Alvarado along with the Year 9 and Senior House Captains running House Activities for all year levels. So many students put their hand up to compete in activities to win house points for their team. Well done to all students who competed and went out of their comfort zone. It was definitely a fun day with lots of enthusiasm and energy.
It’s been wonderful to see that excursions are in full swing, with many teachers organising a day out of the school to complement their learning program. Some recent excursions include; Year 8 Band students went to see the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra play, there was a Chinese Film Excursion for Year 9’s, Rock Climbing for our Year 10 Outdoor Education students, Escape Room challenge for our Year 10 Advanced Maths students, Business Management Excursions to the City (Year 11) and also to the Yakult Factory (Year 12), just to name a few! In addition to excursions, we’ve had lots of interschool sports teams compete against other local schools as well as the District Cross Country. Congratulations to our Year 8 girls netball team who won the Greater Dandenong District Interschool Sport day!
Throughout the next few weeks, students will be completing the Attitudes To School Survey. This survey will provide valuable feedback on areas of strength and also areas requiring some improvement. We thank all of the students for taking the time to provide us with their feedback.
As always, Keysborough College Acacia Campus is a lovely place to spend our days. Always a vibrant community with lots happening.
Natalie Fode- Acacia Campus Principal