Principals Report

It is incredible to find ourselves at the end of another term. In recent days we have had indication that we will be able to run our Kindergarten Transition and Year 6 into Year 7 Transition during Term 4. We don’t have clear indication of dates when going to publication but I would like to assure our community that we will provide a clear picture of any changes that are possible during Week 1 Term 4.

Good Luck to our Year 12 Students

It is quite incredible to believe that we are again saying goodbye to another group of beautiful Year 12 Students. 2020 has been a year that we will all remember for a whole range of things, a tough year for our students and their parents, and particularly for our Year 12 students. They have managed their studies and themselves with great dignity, just got on with it really. I congratulate our Year 12 students for their demonstrated maturity and commitment. Current COVID-12 NSW Department of Education restrictions do not allow us to celebrate with Year 12 2020 just yet. There is promise that this will be possible after November 12th 2020. We anticipate that our new COLA will be completed by this time and that we will be able to host the Year 12 student and family breakfast and Valedictory Celebration on the same day. This will be, of course, following the HSC Exams 2020. We will keep everyone informed leading into these events.

Thank You to Departing Staff, Welcome to Incoming Staff

Scott Miller has been an integral part of our school team for 7 years. During this time Scott has endeared himself to students, staff and the wider community. Scott has become a well know figure in Guyra over these years and created amazing opportunities for our students and their families, in the Agriculture and Sporting areas. Scott and his students have lifted many trophies and ribbons in his time at the school and many of his students have achieved at the highest level across stage areas and including HSC. We wish Scott well on his new adventure at Glen Innes High School and thank him for his great work at our school. 

Rebecca Smith is returning to the school to take up the vacancy. We will provide a full staff profile on our new teachers in the next edition. Welcome back Rebecca.

Melissa Ping Kee stepped into Clea Townsend’s Visual Art positon at the beginning of Term 2 when Clea transferred to Inverell High School. Melissa has inspired our students to produce many wonderful artwork during her time with us at the school and supported our senior students during the creation of Major Projects and preparation for written exams. Melissa, we thank you for your commitment and the great skills that you have brought to our school these past two terms. 

Simon Hanly takes up the position of Visual Art Teacher at Guyra Central School. Simon is a very experienced teacher and was appointed to the position through the merit interview process. Simon is currently packing and preparing to make the journey from Hoxley Park High School. Welcome Simon.

Cordelia Lloyd, Youth Ambassador

Congratulations to Cordelia Lloyd, representing the Northern Tablelands as Rural Youth Ambassador 2020. Cordelia is a Year 11 student at Guyra Central School. More information can be found within this edition. I have attached a copy of the Hon. Sarah Mitchell’s address in Parliament.

The Hon. WES FANG (16:52:20): My question is addressed to the Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning. Will the Minister update the House on how the New South Wales Government is boosting leadership capabilities of young people in regional schools?

The Hon. SARAH MITCHELL (Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning) (16:52:39): I thank the Hon. Wes Fang for his question and his keen interest in regional education in New South Wales. It is absolutely critical that we give our regional students the opportunity to get involved and to raise their voice on issues in education that impact them directly, particularly students in regional parts of the State. That is why earlier this month in Armidale I was thrilled to announce the inaugural Rural Youth Ambassador pilot program, which will immerse 28 year 11 students from across the State—from Moree to Merriwa and Byron Bay to Bowral—in a six‑month program to develop their leadership, advocacy and learning skills. The Government, with the support of Aurora College, which does a fantastic job supporting regional students, has collaborated with the Country Education Project to introduce the program that will take place throughout the rest of this year and will consist of online forums, discussions and working groups.

Rural and regional communities offer a range of opportunities for young people to exercise leadership, which we see in the task force that the Hon. Bronnie Taylor referred to earlier in question time. The rural ambassador program adds to that by offering some of our young leaders the opportunity to share ideas, engage with successful business and thought leaders from their communities, explore opportunities with key decision‑makers and energise each other. Each of the 28 rural ambassadors will emerge from this program with enhanced leadership skills and knowledge, and stronger confidence in the future and a network of peers with whom they share interests and aspirations. The students will also have greater engagement in shaping rural and regional education by contributing their feedback and comments about their own education. This will serve as a positive role model for students in the years below them who can follow in their footsteps.

When I was recently in Armidale to announce this initiative, I was pleased to be joined by the local member, Adam Marshall. Together we met Cordelia Lloyd, a student from the Guyra Central School, who has been selected as a delegate as part of this program for 2020. She is an amazing young woman who told us that she planned to study medicine after school and hopes to return to the regions to be a doctor, which is what we want to hear. She told us that she and her fellow delegates of the program have explored issues affecting rural education, from teacher retention to the concept of additional learning pathways. She also told us that she was enjoying the program so far:

It is an amazing experience with a bunch of students who have a different, unique perspective but have similar goals.

It is crucial that we ensure students from across New South Wales, particularly those in regional areas—and being a regional member it is something I feel very strongly about—are empowered to use their voices to become thought leaders in their communities. It is exciting to deliver a program such as this and I look forward to watching it roll out next year. I told Cordelia that I was looking forward to hopefully meeting with her in person and some of the other ambassadors in a post‑COVID world to hear directly from them about their experiences in the program and their ideas on education, particularly in regional New South Wales.

Digital Detox at Guyra Central School

For some time now we have been exploring, with our Parents and Citizens group, the opportunities to move towards a K-12 No Phone Policy at Guyra Central School. We acknowledge the concerns of parents if their children are without their phones before and after school as this provides opportunity for families to contact their children in the case of an emergency e.g. a child misses the bus or parent wishes to give their child an update if they are held up out of town. We understand that mobiles have great utility, but mobile phone use has increasingly become a source of distraction, antisocial behaviour and conflict both at home and at school. 

I would like to share the exciting news that we are partnering with Yondr to make our school a phone-free space from Week 3 Term 4 2020. I have attached the Yondr information within this edition. 

Guyra Central School believes in maintaining a safe and effective educational environment for all of its students. Research shows that the mere presence of mobiles in the classroom can be detrimental to student performance. 

Yondr is currently used across the world in hundreds of classrooms and schools, at concerts, comedy shows, weddings and special events of all kinds. The goal of these spaces is to encourage people to engage with each other and their surroundings.

The Yondr program employs a simple, easy-to-use case that stores a mobile and requires an unlocking base to open. When students enter school grounds they will place their phone in a Yondr case which is then locked. Students maintain possession of their phones but will not be able to use them until they are unlocked at the end of the day. During lessons that require or would be enriched by the use of mobile phones, unlocking stations would be provided for an educational purposes. 

We believe this will allow our students to be:

• Engaged in classroom activities and assignments
• Less dependent on electronics to do classwork
• Less likely to engage in conversations around bullying
• Less likely to be distracted and procrastinate on assignments in class

In an effort to best serve your child, we will need your full support in adoption of the Yondr program at our school. We want to assure our families that you can reach your student at the front office on 67790844. Unlocking stations will be available at several locations across the school.

It is important that the students do not feel like their phone is trapped but some students will still struggle during the transition period. 

We thank you for your continued support in ensuring a safe and healthy learning environment for our students. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school directly. We will be hosting an information event for parents when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

Sincerely,

Michelle Nicholson, Principal on behalf of Executive and staff, Guyra Central School and the Guyra Central School Parents and Citizens Association.

Happy holidays everyone

Stay safe and see you next term

Michelle Nicholson

Proud Principal