Castlemaine Secondary College News

Principal's message

Term One Reflection

Turn One was a very positive start to the year for CSC, with positive learning routines being established by staff and students, which contributed to consistent and rigorous teaching and learning in all subject areas and all year levels. As the principal of CSC one of my main duties is to have awareness of what is occurring in all classrooms across the school. Whilst feedback is regularly provided by teaching and support staff, the most effective way to develop awareness is by making regular classroom visits. Throughout the first term the principal class maintained a consistent visitation schedule to classrooms.  This is explained in more detail under the School-Wide Instructional Model section.

 

During Term One students engaged in a variety of extracurricular activities including incursions, excursions, sporting events and camps. Participation in such events is a great way to build positive relationships between students, and between students and staff.  These learning activities also extend students' knowledge, often allowing them to apply theory components in a practical setting. I extend my sincere gratitude to all staff members who planned and conducted extracurricular activities.

 

Whole college assembly - Dux and Dux Proximus Presentations

An absolute highlight of Term One was the celebration assembly which was held in the college's gymnasium on Wednesday 5 April.  This gathering demonstrated the cultural and academic diversity that exists amongst the CSC community. 

 

This was the first college assembly where we utilised the recently purchased carpet flooring and seats, allowing all students to be seated in comfort for the duration of proceedings. In my 6 years at CSC, I have often spoken about developing a culture based on high expectations, and yet during assemblies we made all students sit on the hard wooden floor. In the first assembly of the 2023 school year, I explained this to students, and I acknowledged that as the principal of CSC, it was my duty to deliver better outcomes for students. This was a small and symbolic gesture of how we will continue to build our positive learning culture. The students responded accordingly, by commencing the assembly with an unprovoked round of applause. 

 

It was a privilege to have Uncle Rick Nelson complete a Welcome to Country, which was extremely well received by the audience, who listened in absolute silence throughout his presentation.  Students and staff also participated in a smoking ceremony at the completion of the assembly. 

The following musical items were performed during the assembly.

  • Kreisler Strings performed ‘Little Critters’ by Eugenie Teychenne
  • Castlemaine Symphony Orchestra performed ‘Dance of the Hours’ by Amilcare Ponchielli

Thanks to Ben Nieuwkerk and the musical staff for their ongoing professionalism, providing our students with access to high quality instruction. 

 

Many student achievements were acknowledged throughout this assembly, which included Art awards from 2022, sporting achievements from Term One, and the official presentation of our 2022 VCE Dux and Dux Proximus award. The Dux Proximus for 2022, with a ranking score of 95.65, which was in the top 5% across the state, was awarded to Rita Fortune. The Dux of 2022, with a ranking score of 98.4, the top 2% across the state, was awarded to Obie Adam.

 

School-Wide Instructional Model (SWIM)

A specific focus at CSC this year is embedding our SWIM, which aims to improve the quality and consistency of teaching and learning. Every week the principal class conducts structured visits to all precincts and collates data relating to the implementation of our SWIM. During these visits we also gain a detailed understanding of the great learning opportunities being provided, and have an awareness of specific challenges that staff, students or specific classes may be experiencing. 

 

As mentioned in the previous newsletter, we will soon have SWIM displays visible in all learning spaces across the college. During Term One the final draft of the SWIM display was shared with student focus groups and is now ready for printing. We are just awaiting the finalisation of the new College values for the posters to be printed.

Performance and Development Process for Teachers (PDP)

Each term all teachers are required to complete at least one round of the Class Survey, which are questions that relate to effective teaching practices. Teachers provide these questions to a class that they will teach for the entire year, allowing students to provide feedback on areas of strength and those that require some improvement. Teachers shared their first-round survey responses with their reviewer and review team during the last week of term. The entire Performance and Development process is designed to continually improve teacher practice, through deep reflection techniques and sharing ideas with colleagues. 

 

School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS)

Consultation with staff, students, and families in relation to redefining the college values has occurred during Term One. This work will continue next term. There will also be consultation with all stakeholders to develop a new school vision. Thanks to all who contributed through this process. 

 

Literacy and numeracy focus

Thanks to Sharon Rossiter and Steven Samuel for organising and conducting the NAPLAN tests for year 7 and 9 students during Term One. NAPLAN provides the school with important literacy and numeracy data that is used for future planning. We have not received notification of when this year’s data will be available for students and families. 

 

Our Numeracy Homework program was initiated for Year 7 and 8 students, using the Education Perfect platform. The rationale behind this program is twofold; (1) for junior students to establish good homework habits, slowly building rigour in their efforts as they progress towards VCE and (2) to improve numeracy skills, which are crucial for many subjects and essential for many parts of life after school. 

 

The reading program has started in some Year 7 and 8 classes, this will be shared through English classes, with mentors providing regular reminders to students about the importance of engaging in this program.

 

College Council Update

Term One marked the end of Beth Mellick’s direct association with our College Council. Beth has been involved in the Council for 10 years and was President for 8 years. Beth led the council with passion, knowledge, and tenacity, always advocating for public education. During her time as president, Beth played significant roles in the building redevelopment, leading numerous support groups and the successful application of many grants, which included the solar panels on the gymnasium and the Queen’s Jubilee Tree planting grant. CSC was extremely lucky to have a president that was very invested in the overall improvement of the College. 

On behalf of the College Council and all CSC staff I extend my sincere and highest gratitude to Beth for her amazing contributions over an extended period. 

 

At our Annual General Meeting conducted in March we elected the following new office bearers.

  • Jess Howard – Acting President
  • Jodi Oakman – Vice President
  • Liz Grainger – Treasurer

The following policies were also ratified during Term One and are available on the College’s website.

  • Asthma
  • Anaphylaxis
  • Sexual Harassment 
  • Yard Duty