Welcome to 2021 and our new newsletter

Welcome to our first newsletter of 2021. As you can see, we've been busy this term and have plenty to celebrate in this update. You will also notice that this is a new format for the newsletter: we hope you enjoy it.

This year, one of our school goals is to increase our level of community engagement and connectedness across the school. Updating this newsletter to a more dynamic, online format is part of working towards this goal. This new format adapts more easily to mobile devices; is able to be updated and published quickly and more frequently; and lets us include more images of student activities. Importantly, the online format also integrates the Google Translate function, allowing users to translate the text to their preferred language. You will be able to access the newsletter through the usual ways: a link sent via Compass Newsfeed, and through the school website. You can also subscribe directly to the newsletter to have it land in your inbox as soon as it is published.

An unexpected - but positive - start

It's fair to say that 2021 brought our school some unexpected events! Despite this, staff and students have been positive and demonstrated a strong sense of community. We are delighted to be back learning in person, and to be able to hold many of the school events - sports, camps etc - that are such a joyful part of school life. It's been wonderful to see our Year 7s bond with each other and with their teachers, growing in confidence as they find their way around the school and settle into their classes. Our VCE students have got straight to business in their learning, and are working hard both in class and out, with first SACs already completed for many subjects. January's fire in the South Building has, of course, had a significant impact on our school operations. Our Year 8s and 9s have once again demonstrated their flexibility and resilience and are now settled at their temporary locations, which are each developing a very positive and unique culture. You'll see updates from the Year 9s further in this newsletter, and I've included some photos of our wonderful Year 8s and their site below. We feel very lucky that Trinity College and Carlton Primary School were able to provide us with such wonderful facilities at short notice. Congratulations must go also to Sue Prosenica, Aaron Coyle and the Galileo team (Trent Ogden, Ester Koelle, Matt Davidson and Sam Wasser) who have provided exemplary leadership of these sites. I can confirm that we will be remaining at these sites in to Term 2. I've provided a more detailed update on the building works further in this newsletter.

Outstanding Class of 2020 achievements

We were delighted with our 2020 VCE results. After a very tough year, outcomes were strong across the Year 12 cohort, with strong showings across a range of disciplines. 17 of our students achieved ATARs of 99 and above and our mean and median study scores and ATAR percentages across all categories held steady or improved from previous years. Most pleasing, of course, is that this success helps our students to undertake their pathway of choice following school. Our Careers and Pathways team of Corinne Sabatino and Maria Epifano worked very hard both prior to the release of results and over the summer holidays to make sure our students had appropriate plans in place.

2021 priorities: learning, wellbeing and connection

Our school priorities for 2021 are clear:

Learning catch up and extension
Supporting wellbeing
Connection to school and community

These priorities have been adopted by DET schools throughout the state, and will drive professional learning and school-based initiatives for the year. Some key work towards this that has already started includes:

The Tutor Program. UHS has received funding for 5-6 tutors, who will work with small groups of identified students through to the end of Term 3. Many of our tutors have been appointed, with a few more to come by the end of this term. Year 12 students have started in the program, with work starting with our younger year levels soon. This program is directly aimed at students who are in need of support, in one or more subjects, as a result of disengagement or other difficulties during 2020. Students have been identified by their sub-schools and teachers based on learning and wellbeing data from 2020.
New Student Services team. This year have introduced a new Leading Teacher position: Head of Student Services. We welcome Laura Marks to this position. We also welcome our new Mental Health Practitioner, Alicia Bond. Laura and Alicia will work with our existing student wellbeing counsellors, Tim and Caitlin, to expand the proactive and supportive wellbeing services our school offers.
Introduction of Berry Street Education Model. Another key plank of our work to support student wellbeing is the introduction of the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM). BSEM is a trauma-informed practice that aims at developing a consistent, school-wide approach to building positive teacher-student relationships and to helping all students to understand emotions, self-regulate and be ready to learn. All staff are undertaking this training, which will run over the next two years, and will be incorporated into school practices and processes during this time. This is a major professional learning focus for the year, and staff are finding the training extremely valuable.
Connection to school and community will continue to be developed through the return of the co-curricular program and an expansion of our student leadership opportunities. We are also seeking to appoint a Community Liaison Officer to work with our Student Services team; expanding the reach of our School Council sub-committees; and reinvigorating Uni High Families - see the information below for more detail around this.

School Council 2021

We were delighted to have 16 parents nominate for School Council this year. Results will be published via Compass Newsfeed.

In 2021, Council will have the following sub-committees:

Finance
Governance and Policy
Community and Engagement (plus parent group Uni High Families)
Buildings and Grounds

You do not need to be a member of School Council to be part of a sub-committee. These groups are a great way to volunteer your skills and knowledge and to participate in the life of the school. I invite all parents and carers to consider becoming a member of one of our sub-committees. If you are interested in these, or in the parent group Uni High Families, please email university.hs@education.vic.gov.au for more information.

Parents and carers are also welcome to be observers at School Council meetings. Meeting dates are published in this newsletter. If you wish to be an observer at a meeting, please email me at ciar.foster@education.vic.gov.au for meeting details and protocols.

Progress Reports and Parent-Student-Teacher Interviews

Coming up before the end of the term will be the release of the first round of Progress Reports and Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews. Both of these are a good opportunity to get an insight into your child's progress so far this year: what is going well and what the areas for improvement may be.

It's important to remember the focus of both of these is progress. They are not a summative, or final, statement of how your child is achieving. Rather, they are an opportunity to identify both strengths and challenges. I encourage you to use the reports and interviews as a chance to have an honest, open conversation with your child and their teachers about their learning so far this year.

As always, I invite you to get in contact with me if you have any questions, ideas or concerns about your child and our school.

Ciar Foster - Principal

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