Principal's Message
A Return To Onsite Teaching and Learning
Term Four has seen a return of all of our students to Onsite Teaching and Learning and we are thrilled to have them back in the classroom. All year levels returned to onsite Teaching and Learning as of October 26, and we have been working with families to make the transition back into the classroom as smooth as we can. Our students are really getting back into the swing of things this term and we wish them well with their end of year assessments.
Despite the significant easing of restrictions in recent times, we are still in the grip of a worldwide pandemic. As a result, we will continue to view wellbeing of students, families, staff and the broader community as our number one priority.
It is important to note that our work aligns with the priorities of The Department of Education and Training:
- Support student mental health and wellbeing.
- Support students with their learning.
- Prepare for successful transitions.
These areas will continue to guide us in our work for the remainder of 2020, and influence our planning for 2021.
Good Luck to the Class of 2020!
The Class of 2020 enjoyed a Celebration Extravaganza earlier this term (October 30). As reported on Compass, our Year 12 Students celebrated their final year in style with a picnic style lunch, together with some formal presentations and speeches. Our Year 12 Celebration Extravaganza went incredibly well with students really enjoying the format provided.
In the absence of us not being able to hold traditional events such as our normal Valedictory Dinner and Whole School Assembly to farewell our Year 12 students, we were able to provide a number of activities and events culminating in our 'Year 12 Celebration Extravaganza' today. As a College Community, we should be very proud of our efforts here.
The Year 12 exam period has begun with the English Exam earlier in the week. We impress on our Year 12 students to continue to work hard, and to reach out to their teachers as required as they continue to move through the remainder of their exams. Not only do we wish our Year 12 students all the very best for their exams but also for the future. Good luck to the Class of 2020.
Year 6 into 7 Transition
As reported earlier in the year, our Year 7 enrolment has increased by 30% for 2021. We are very pleased with this enrolment figure, especially given the impact of the pandemic on primary school visits and College Tours affecting our ability to best share aspects of our great school.
As a College, we have been creative with the way that we have supported our new Year 7 students and their transition from primary school. Our approach includes remote Information Nights and ‘Q&A’ sessions with primary schools, together with an online Transition Portal to further support transition process. Furthermore, we are planning a remote Family Transition Program at the end of the year. We welcome our new Year 7 students and their families to Wheelers Hill Secondary College.
College Captains 2021
After a rigorous application process, we are very pleased to announce our new College Captains for 2021:
- College Captains: Rabi Zaman and Amelia Paterson
- College Vice Captains: Chloe Fleming and Jack Steele
We look forward to working with our new College Captains and we wish them all the very best with their leadership in 2021.
Thank You to Our 2020 College Captains
Outstanding! That is the best way to describe their contribution and leadership this year. They really have lead the way in so many areas. The College appreciates their hard work throughout the year and the way they have supported students and staff. They have been instrumental in keeping spirits high amongst students, and their positive impact about the College can not be underestimated. We congratulate our College Captains on their wonderful contribution to Wheelers Hill Secondary College.
Welcome to New Staff, 2021
We are thrilled to welcome the following new staff to Wheelers Hill Secondary College in 2021:
- Nery Soto: Numeracy Learning Specialist and Mathematics Domain Leader
- Felicity Graham-Prowse: Literacy Learning Specialist and English Domain Leader
- David Gill: Leading Teacher, Performing Arts
- Daniel Chuong: Maths and Science
- Nick Gramatakos: Maths and Science
Further appointments are pending.
Annual Planning
We are in the process of finalising our 2020 Annual Implementation Plan (or AIP). COVID- 19 has made it difficult for schools to meet the goals and targets they set out to achieve this year. Nevertheless, we have made progress in a number of areas and planning for 2021 has already commenced.
If you would like to know more about our planning for next year, or share some ideas concerning the development of our 2021 AIP, please contact the General Office.
College Production
2020 has presented so many challenges for the Performing Arts Team. Nevertheless, they have found a way to keep our students interested and engaged throughout the year.
For example, Genelle Lentini and her team have been able to develop a College Production in 2020, and it will be released to our College Community at the end of the year. We congratulate Genelle and her team for this truly wonderful achievement. Please read on in this Newsletter to find out more about our College Production.
2020 Reflection & Awards Event
Given the pandemic, we can not hold our regular Presentation Evening at the end of the year. As a result, we have had to come up with a creative plan to best acknowledge and celebrate student achievement.
In lieu of a Presentation Evening, planning is underway to record and then make available a 2020 Reflection & Awards Event. We are very excited about this initiative as it allows us to continue to acknowledge student achievement in a number of areas throughout the College.
We are planning to release a record of our 2020 Reflection & Awards Event towards the end of the year. We will update our College Community with developments as they come to hand.
Thank You and Well Done!
We again thank our College Community for your wonderful support of our great school. Our staff continue to be outstanding in the way that they are supporting student wellbeing and learning, and we look forward to working with families for the remainder of the year.
We wish our students all the very best with their exams and impending transition programs, and we look forward to sharing more with you when our last Newsletter is made available later in the year.
Stay safe and connected everyone,
Mr. Aaron Smith
Principal, Wheelers Hill Secondary College
Contact Us
Ph: (03) 9561 5811
Email: wheelers.hill.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au
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