From the Principal

It is hard to believe we are in Week 6 of Term 3. My first day feels like it was just yesterday – although in saying that, my knowledge of Northcote and my relationships with the community have progressed significantly, which I am, of course, grateful for, as I am sure you are. 

Last week we celebrated Education Support (ES) staff week – we took the time to show our vast appreciation for all ES staff, who support us in our work every day, making sure we can focus on core business – the students. I am sure parents and students also appreciate the enormous, behind the scenes and frontline services our highly professional team provide.

On Friday three teachers and 13 students from our Sister School Huaibei Number 1 High School in China, arrived to spend a week with us. I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with our visitors on Friday evening at dinner and again on Sunday, on a tour of the Great Ocean Road. The weather was wild and freezing, but the company was warm and enthusiastic.

We extend our sincere thanks to the families who are providing homestays for the students, and of course to Ms Lixia Wang and Ms Jocelyn Hill for their hard work in ensuring our guests are shown the best side of our school community and Victoria.

On the 20 September our Huaibei Sport and Cultural tour will depart to spend a reciprocal visit in Huaibei, and in the last week of this term we will visit Huaibei as part of their 60-year celebrations. Our 19-year partnership and strong relationship is one of the oldest sister-school partnerships of any Victorian government school, and is one that we treasure.

Ski Camp

The Ski Campers, arrived back safely late-ish last Friday evening. Almost everyone returned in the same physical state that they left in, which I am delighted about. By all accounts it was a fabulous trip, they were a fantastic bunch of students. We sincerely thank the staff who accompanied the students.

Student Voice

Over the past few weeks and in the coming weeks, members of the Leadership Team, including myself, are meeting with various small groups of students to examine teaching and learning and school culture, from a variety of perspectives. This qualitative data gathering forms part of the initial steps of our School Self Evaluation, which is done prior to our quadrennial School Review (scheduled for Term 1 2019) and the development of a new four-year Strategic Plan. Student perspectives on their learning experience is a key performance indicator for us, and their valuable insight is both inspiring and remarkable. The focus group information will be combined with the quantitative data surrounding school performance and will help us to plan the next steps in continuous progress.

Thank you to all those families who recently completed the Parent Opinion Survey – your feedback will also contribute to the School Self Evaluation. In addition, community members will be invited to contribute via focus groups later in the year.

In coming weeks, I will be inviting interested students in Years 7-12 to train in the principles of Merit and Equity selection processes, so that they can be members of our teacher recruitment selection panels. It is my plan to have two students join a panel of three-four teachers/principals when we interview prospective teachers. Their valuable insight will contribute to the decision-making of the panel. We are not alone in this practice, I have been doing this at my previous school for the past 6 years, and there are a number of other schools that have adopted similar practice.

Additionally, since the beginning of Term 2, staff have increasingly been seeking the feedback of students about the teaching and learning program they are experiencing, so that the staff can tailor the learning to best meet the needs of students.

This coming week is a full of enriching activities for students and staff:

On Wednesday – we have the State-wide International Students Public Speaking Competition hosted by none other than Northcote High School. A big thank you to Martin Ramsay for his tireless work on organising this event on behalf of the International Education Division of DET (and thank you to Carlene Wilson his assistant); it brings great credit to the school, and is a great opportunity for our International Students to shine.

On Thursday we have yet another music extravaganza with the Jazz Concert in Olver Hall. If the tunes greeting us during Wednesday afternoons, during rehearsal times are anything to go by, it will be another stellar evening. A big thank you to all the music staff for showcasing the talent, dedication and hard work of our students. We hope to see you there.

Congratulations – B-Grade Debaters through to the finals

Congratulations to Ella Baker, Edith Bush, Noah Sutherland and Matilda Brown of Year 11 who have made it through to the B-Grade Octofinals of the Debaters Association of Victoria competition. We will be enthusiastically cheering you along when you are next competing.  

Class of 1959 Alumni Lunch

Kate Challis and I had the pleasure of joining the gentlemen of the Class of 1959 for lunch at Il Gambero in Lygon Street a few weeks back. It was great to meet everyone and hear their stories of the Northcote High of old. They tell their stories as if it happened just yesterday. It is a testament to the significance of the enduring relationships and memories students make throughout school. We are extremely fortunate to have such an active Alumni who support and champion the school from a distance.

Letter to families about the Library Renovation

On Friday last week I sent out a letter, on behalf of School Council, to all families seeking their financial support to expand and renovate the Library.

I did notice a significant number of emails bounced back. It is a timely reminder for parents to check their email addresses on Compass and ensure they are correct. Staff rely on email to contact busy parents about their children’s progress.

The content of the letter is attached here for those who did not receive it.

Essentially, we are seeking supplementary donations to the Thrive – Inspire Fund to raise a further $95,000 to add to the $150,000 already raised, so that we can remove some walls and extend the space to house more students for study and classes, and provide larger parent/community workshops and information sessions. It is our most valuable community resource, and our increasing size means we have outgrown it.

Comedy Night

I hope you’re getting together a group of friends for the Comedy Night. The Events and Fundraising team have put together an outstanding line up of comedians for the evening on 13 September 2018. This is our major fundraiser for the year and all funds raised this year will go towards the Library renovation.

NHS Writers' Festival

Likewise, I hope you are considering the ways in which you, or your children can benefit from our very own NHS Writers' Festival.

The Writer’s Festival begins on Friday 7 September with a Poetry Slam from 7:00 – 9:00 pm: bookings at www.trybooking.com/XECT

And then a Writer’s Festival with well known authors on Saturday 8 September from 12:00 noon – 5:00pm: bookings at www.trybooking.com/XDZO

We hope to see the community out in force for this important event. Further details are within this Newsletter.

Until next time, stay well and stay warm.

Regards, Sue Harrap