Principals' Report

Principal Team Report

Third term, the winter term, is always the toughest. The days are short, the weather is cold, our Middle school students are dragging their feet and our students undertaking Unit 3/4 subjects are on that seemingly never ending SAC treadmill. However, last week we stopped for a day, Koonung Day, and what a day it was. Friday the 13th, a day often feared by the superstitious but for us a day filled with sunshine, friendship and fun. Koonung Day has been on the college calendar since 2011. Initially the brain child of Allira Howe, the baton has now passed to Peter Hodkinson.

Peter worked tirelessly with the student leaders and a large group of staff volunteers to plan a day where students could relax, socialise and work together. I hope that you each took the time to visit the KD19 website and view the many activities that were on offer.

We commenced the day with a whole school assembly. Key events in the assembly were:

A presentation by Anne and Rob Teese from Mont Albert and Surrey Hills Rotary to Allira Howe for her work to build the Interact club at Koonung Secondary College
The presentation of a cheque from Rotary to match funds raised by our Interact group for Backpacks for Beds, a program designed to provide members of Melbourne’s homeless with a degree of comfort if they are sleeping rough
Our prospective 2020 College Leaders each gave impressive speeches on their vision for the College and their capacity and desire to lead and drive improvements in the school (results of the election will be announced soon)
House singing, another key event on the College calendar each year.

Straight after the assembly, students transitioned to a day of activities.

The Year 11 Business Management students were trying their hands at running a small business. From marketing, planning and then to delivery there has been much excitement in the build up to this day. Most of the “businesses” decided to provide food with two sessions scheduled. Many of our small businesses did not anticipate the demand for their products, but it is always a good idea to leave your customers wanting more! The profits made by each small business will be donated to a charity of the students’ choice.

While the food stalls are always a draw card, there were many other activities available including gnocchi making with Mr Guardiani’s Mum, cake decorating, portrait painting, earring making, zumba and lion dancing, qudditch playing, lego building, minecraft, chess, staff vs student matches, lots of music, singing, dancing and …. We hope that your son/daughter had a great day because staff definitely had fun running activities and getting involved.

Spring Music Concert

Last Wednesday was the annual Spring Concert. This event continues to grow and tickets are becoming increasingly difficult to secure. We had a full house and once again we watched and listened with awe at the amazing talent of our young people. The transformation that occurs over just 9 months for some of our emerging musicians is amazing and a true credit to the Instrumental Music staff who support them and the hard work and dedication to practise by the students themselves. We are truly fortunate to have such a range of talented vocalists, bands and individual musicians who can provide such high calibre entertainment.

Semester Two Parent/Student/Teacher Interviews

I hope that you were able to make the most of the opportunity to speak to teachers regarding your child’s progress this term. The interview program is an important component of our assessment and reporting cycle and provides each member of this three way partnership with an opportunity to set goals, celebrate success and realign priorities.

Unit 3/4 Trial Exams

The upcoming holidays are, for many, an opportunity to take a break and step away from school work. For our students undertaking Unit ¾ subjects it is a chance to recharge, get some sleep, refocus and plan for, and commence, a structured revision program. The coursework is now finished and SACs are complete. There is just one element remaining and it really pays to start planning now. To support our students to kick start this study regime we are running Trial exams in week two of the holidays. We believe that undertaking trial exams early provides students with an excellent understanding of the standard that will be expected in November and enables them to plan for the revision of concepts that will undoubtedly be needed. We also recognise that replicating the exam experience is a proven way to reduce normal anxiety which can play a significant role in performance. All students undertaking Unit ¾ exams are expected to attend the Trial exams, a timetable has been circulated to students. Teachers will provide feedback on these exams to help inform future study needs.

Summer Uniform

As the weather warms up, there is an expectation that students will transition from the winter uniform into the summer uniform. The first two weeks of term 4 is a transition period and all students are required to be in the summer uniform by the start of week 3. This includes wearing the blazer to and from school on days when the temperature is below 25C. Please check Compass or the College website for our Uniform Policy.

And finally, we wish you all a safe and relaxing holiday period, it looks like the weather may be kind to us.

Sandra Greenhill

Assistant Principal