Year 7/8

Courage to Care Program

At the end of term 3 and start of term 4, our Year 7 and 8 students all experienced the Courage to Care Upstander Program. In our community we are surrounded by people of diverse faiths, cultures and beliefs. The Upstander Programs equips teens with the ability to navigate our diverse society with insight for deeper understanding, acceptance and inclusion.

The aims of the Program are to promote acceptance of diversity across society by

• Creating awareness of the dangers of prejudice, racism and discrimination
• Educating to challenge attitudes and behaviours
• Demonstrating that every individual can make a difference
• Transforming “bystander” behaviour to “upstander” action

The interactive presentations included:

• a brief documentary about the historical background of the Holocaust and other genocides as examples of the consequences of racism and discrimination
• a survivor speaker providing their own experience of being rescued by people with the moral strength and courage to stand up in the most challenging of circumstances
• real-life cases from both a historical lens and present-day lens, demonstrating how ordinary people can become extraordinary Upstanders
• a facilitated discussion of personal perceptions and circumstances along with how to make a difference in the own community through Upstander behaviour

Students at CESC engaged in these sessions with the utmost respect, interest, and compassion. We are proud to have been able to offer such a program to our students, assisting them to develop values and morals, helping them to be Upstanding young citizens.

For more information on Courage to Care, please click here.

End of Year Dates and Program

School Council has approved the end of year dates, activities, and attendance requirements.

Step Up is the commencement of the 2024 academic year (Weeks 9 & 10). All students are expected and required to attend Step Up. Students are placed in their new classes and follow their 2024 timetable. This allows the students to meet their new teachers and get to know their classmates.

In Step Up, teachers will also work with students to establish clear expectations and learning routines and assess students’ abilities prior to the beginning of the next year. In the senior years of schooling, the provision of a purposeful holiday homework program will also be included.

Students are required to continue attending classes on time and in full school uniform. Their new timetable will appear on Compass in the week leading up to Step Up. Laptops (fully charged), pencilcase and an exercise book are required for every class.

After Step Up, CESC students in years 7 and 8 (2023) will participate in a Cohort Activity on Monday 11 December. There is no cost. Families will need to provide consent as activities are offsite. Consent can be provided through the Compass Parent Portal now. 

Students invited to the annual CESC Awards Night will be required to attend a rehearsal for this event. No other students will be required to attend school on this day. The rehearsal is on the same day as the Awards Night, Monday 18 December. Specific details will be provided to relevant students and families.

Academic Review Panels (ARPs) will occur across the final two weeks of Term 4 (Week 11 & 12). Students will NOT be required to attend school on these days, unless invited to an appointment by the relevant Year Level Leader or Assistant Principal.

ARPs are a collaborative conversation involving a student, parent/guardian, and a school leader regarding reaching and exceeding potential. ARPs may include discussions and reflections on effort, engagement, attendance, and learning behaviours. Goals are set and continued connection across the subsequent academic year promotes growth and acknowledges achievement.Thanks for your understanding and support. Please contact the relevant Year Level Leader with any questions.

2024 Transition Program - Student Leaders

The Transition Team has been working comprehensively with our feeder Primary Schools to ready our incoming Year 7 cohort for 2024. Some of this work has involved high school experience days for Grade 6 students at both Cranbourne East and Wilandra Rise Primary School.

Supporting the Grade 6 students on these days have been our amazing Home Group Leaders from Year 7. Feedback on their work has been nothing short of incredible, as they connect with the students, assist with facilitating activities, promote the wonderful aspects of being in high school and at CESC, and alleviating anxieties about transition.

Congratulations to our leaders for your work and efforts. We are very proud of you and thank you for not only supporting these young people, but for representing the College with pride.

Concluding the 2023 Academic Year

As the 2023 Academic Year draws to a close, I wish to thank all of our students, parents/guardians, and staff for a wonderful year. Our Year 7 students should be proud of their first year as members of the Cranbourne East Secondary College community, navigating the excitement and challenges of the next phase of their education. This cohort becomes the role models for incoming students, and I am confident they will do a fantastic job, alongside new opportunities for learning and growth in Year 8.

Year 8 students have come to the end of their Junior School journey, about to leave the Green Building, entering the Middle Years Sub-School and Orange Building. Significant growth has been seen from the cohort in terms of their maturity, commitment to achievements in and out of the classroom, and peer relationships. This will hold them in good stead as they commence their personalised learning journey, having recently received their electives for 2024. We wish all of our Year 8 students the very best in Middle School.

To our Year Level Teams, I thank you for all of your hard work, support, and dedication to our students. They have been incredibly luck to have such caring, kind, and accountable leaders and teachers, supporting all students to reach and exceed their potential, and learn from the the challenges faced across this year.

Thank you Mr Struth, Ms Fallon, Ms Wilkinson, Mr Greaves, Ms McLean, Mr Lyons, Ms Andjelkov, Mr Johnson, and Mr Gould for a great 2023!

-Mr Lee (Assistant Principal)