From the Principal

Trivia Night

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the recent Trivia Night.  It was a really wonderful evening and lots of fun.  Thank you to our fabulous parents and friends for all the work involved, led superbly by Svetlana and Juliet.

Instrumental Music Gala Evening

Our instrumental music students recently played to a packed Performing Arts Centre and were amazing.  I was so proud of the effort students put in to their performances – many of the pieces having a high degree of difficulty.  I greatly appreciate the work of our Instrumental Music Teachers and our Performing Arts Leader, Laura Baker-Goldsmith.     

Year 7 2019

It was wonderful to officially welcome our 2019 Year 7 families to Glen Eira College at our welcome afternoon.  We are expecting approximately 175 students in Year 7 next year.  Parents had the opportunity to listen to a range of staff and learn about the many wonderful program and opportunities.  

 Student and Community Awards

This week we welcomed Steve Dimopoulos, State Member for Oakleigh, to our VCE assembly. Steve presented the Community Builder Award to Eliza Sharpe in Year 12 – a very worthy recipient.  Well done Eliza.

I was delighted to be able to award our Pierre De Coubertin Award Recipient at this assembly also.  You will have read about this in the last newsletter. As part of the nomination, each student submitted a literary, artistic or digital piece to this year’s theme: 'Which Olympic Athlete has been a role model to you and how?'

Congratulations to Zoe Markopoulos who won the Most Outstanding Digital Award - an outstanding achievement.

Earlier in the term we welcomed David Southwick, State Member for Caulfield to a Year 10 assembly.  David presented the 2018 Caulfield Volunteer Award to our School Council President, Ruth Gordon.  Ruth does an amazing amount of work for our community and very much deserves this award.  Well done Ruth.

School Review

We are continuing to prepare for our school review which will be in term 4.  We have completed the self – evaluation and have almost completed the review of our school policies/documentation for the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) Minimum Standards check. 

The Department of Education and Training now provides a suite of policy templates for schools and we have utilised these templates in reviewing our policies.  Below is the link to our Bullying Prevention Policy.  Your feedback is welcome.

Professional Practice Days for Teachers

As part of the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2017, teachers will receive one day per term when they are out of the classroom to focus on the improved delivery of high quality teaching and learning.  These are not student free days.  Casual Replacement Teachers (CRTs) will be employed to cover classes. We are scheduling the days ahead of time and have planned them so that there is minimal impact.

Several staff have opted for the day prior to Cup Day.  We believe this will minimise disruption to students.  Also, the Year 12 exams will have commenced.

We will run a combination of timetabled classes and alternative activities on this day for all students Year 7 – 11.   Further details will be provided next term.

Many families choose to go on a holiday over this time. If you intend to for your child not to attend on this day please let the office know as soon as possible.

Finally

State Schools Spectacular: I am looking forward to seeing our students perform in the State school Spectacular this Saturday.  Students have been working hard in preparation. 

Japan trip: 17 excited students will be participating in our inaugural Science and Culture trip to Japan in the holidays, accompanied by Mr Tsarpalas and Ms Maniatis.  Thank you to Karen Muramatsu for all the work involved in organising such a trip – it is a huge job.

Landscaping: The landscaping in the area in front of the main building between the General Office and the canteen is almost complete.  A focal point in this area is a stage for student performances.  There is also seating and grassed areas.

During the holidays we will be concreting an area along the front of the gym parallel to Booran Road in readiness to install more bike racks.  Students are reminded that they will need to bring a suitable device to lock their bike to the bike rack.

Lockers:  All students are required to have a lock for their lockers.  Combination locks are available at the General Office ($15).  Any lockers without locks will not be available for student use.  I ask for parent support in providing a lock for their son or daughter.

Lost property: We have a growing mountain of unnamed lost property including jumpers, jackets and shoes.  I ask parents and carers to ensure all items of clothing and books are named so that they can be returned to students.

I wish all students and their families a safe and relaxing holiday.  To the Year 12 students - I trust you will make the most of the opportunity to complete the practice exams to the best of your ability.  This will inform you as to where your energy and time needs to be spent in the final weeks of study.

Our enthusiastic staff will again be competing in the annual Teacher’s Games in Ballarat and I wish them all the best – and bring back a medal!

Sheereen Kindler

Principal