Principal's News
Amy Porter, College Principal
We want our students to tell us what they think!
We value student voice as a means to improving student engagement, wellbeing, and quality instruction, and are conducting a survey to find out what your child thinks of our school.
The AtoSS is an annual student survey offered by the Department of Education and Training to assist our school to gain an understanding of students' perceptions and experience of school. Students will be asked about their thoughts and feelings in relation to their school, their learning, peer relationships, bullying and life in general. This year students will also be asked about their wellbeing post COVID and online learning in 2020.
Students from Year 7 to 12 at our school will participate in the survey. Your child will complete the survey online during school hours using a purpose built secure online survey tool. It is important to note that we are not in any way “testing” your child. Your child has the right to refuse or withdraw from the survey at any time.
Your child will be provided with a unique login to complete the survey. This ensures that each student completes the survey only once. All responses to the survey are kept anonymous in the response file. Personal identification data will not be recorded in the survey response file. This ensures that the confidentiality of your child’s responses is protected at all times.
This year the Attitudes to School survey will be conducted at our school over the period 31 May to Friday 11 June 2021. The survey takes around 20-45 minutes to complete and occurs during your child's class time. The survey results will be reported back to the school in an aggregate form throughout the survey period. All survey data that is made available in reports are for groups of students only so that no individual student can be identified. Data suppression rules are used for schools with low student numbers per year level.
In the past we have used the survey results to work with teachers on student engagement, introduce the School Wide Positive Behaviours Framework and to develop the Year 9 Djeembana program.
If you would like more information, please contact Assistant Principal Suzanne Trease or visit: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/data-collection-surveys/guidance/attitudes-school-survey
Consent Education - support for parents
We are currently running consent workshops for students. I asked our mental health Practitioner Gulzabeen to provide some further resources to support parents with any questions that your child/children may raise with you about consent. You will find some advice and links to supports for parents on the wellbeing page of the newsletter.
The JOY of live theatre
Thank you to teacher Laura Washington and our incredible Year 12 Theatre Studies students for reminding us of the joy of live theatre.
It has been well over 12 months since most of us have been able to attend a live cultural event in a theatre setting. What an absolute joy it was to be entertained by the cast and crew of the 39 Steps. The production was full of laughs and great performances and what was happening on stage was complemented by the sets, direction, costume, lighting and sound. Thank you Laura and thank you VCE Theatre Students for reminding us of the joy of theatre.
Review of Uniform
We are undertaking a review of our uniform guidelines and would appreciate parent and student feedback on some proposed changes. If you would like to contribute and to provide feedback, please complete our short survey via Microsoft forms.
I'm taking long service leave
After 22 years in the Department, 15 years of teaching, 10 school productions (directing, choreographing, costumes), 3 school magazines, 4 years as a house leader, 2 years as the coordinator of Rugby, 6 years as a student manager, and 9 years in the principal class, I have decided to take some extended long service leave.
I will be away from May 24 and returning at the start of Semester 3. In my absence Vivienne McElwee will be acting College Principal whilst continuing in her position as Campus Principal at Bluff Road. Melinda Gall will take over staffing, Suzanne Trease, DET and regional compliance and David Hall facilities and the masterplan/building program.
I look forward to seeing you all again when I return from my leave.