Assistant Principal's Report 

Term 1: Report

The 2022 school year has started extremely well and our students are to be congratulated on the way they have settled into their classes and engaged with their studies.

In our return to school assembly, our College Captains introduced our student leadership team to our school community and asked students to reflect on their personal growth as they navigated their way through a pandemic and continued to learn and connect differently to the world around them.

Following our return to school assembly, students broke into sub school assemblies where students were introduced to their new Year Level and Sub School Leaders and high expectations surrounding behaviour for learning, work effort, and relationships were communicated prior to students returning to class to prepare for their first lesson of the academic year.

Our Year 7’s met together as a group in the Theatre where Ms Pelitidis re-introduced them to key staff who will be helping to support their transition into SOC and begin their tailored Induction program, setting them up for success. 

Mobile Phone Policy

A reminder to new and returning families that student mobile phones are required to be stored securely in their personal locker from the time they arrive at school until the end of the school day. It is pleasing that the cooperation of students regarding this policy is extremely high.

Parent Parking and Student Drop-Off

For the safety of all students, please be reminded that when dropping your children at school in the morning, or collecting them in the afternoon, enter via Gate 3 and turn right into the designated Parent Carpark/ Student Drop Off and Pick Up zone. It is important that all parents and carers follow this to allow for traffic flow and to minimise the risk of accident. Disabled parking is located close to the main building entry.

Bicycle Helmets and Scooters

All students who ride a bicycle to school must wear a helmet. Parents will be contacted immediately if a student is riding a bicycle without a helmet. For the safety of all students, parental support of this policy is essential.

While the school provides bike racks for students to store their bikes, students are responsible for securing their bike with their own lock.

Sun Smart, Hay Fever and Asthma

UV radiation is at its highest in Victoria from mid-August to April, peaking during school hours. Students should always wear their College cap and sunscreen when participating in outdoor activities - including PE classes - to minimize the risk of skin cancer.

Students need to be in the right headspace to focus on their studies—itchy eyes, constant sneezing and a dry throat makes it difficult for students to work to the best of their ability and maximise their learning. If your child suffers from hay fever, please help them by providing an anti-histamine.

During grass pollen season there is an increase in asthma and hay-fever symptoms and the chance of an epidemic thunderstorm asthma event. Those at increased risk of epidemic thunderstorm asthma include people with: asthma, a past history of asthma, undiagnosed asthma (those who have asthma symptoms but have not yet been diagnosed) and people with hay fever who may or may not have asthma. Having both asthma and hay fever, as well as poor control and self-management of asthma, increases the risk.

If your child suffers from asthma, it is important that a current asthma action-plan be developed with your medical team and that this information is forwarded to the College.

Student Accident Insurance, Ambulance Cover Arrangements and Private Property brought to schools

Parents and guardians of students who do not have student accident insurance/ambulance cover, are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance/transport and any other transport costs.

In occasional circumstances, medical or other expenses will be paid by the Department where it is assessed to be likely that the Department is liable for negligent (careless) acts or omissions of its staff/volunteers.

Student accident insurance/ambulance cover policies are available from commercial insurers and can be obtained by parents/guardians for individual students.

A reminder to all parents/guardians and staff that the Department does not hold insurance for personal property brought to school and it has no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such property.

Mark Picone 

Assistant Principal 

South Oakleigh College Student Uniform Policy/Dress Code

The uniform is supplied by Primary School Wear (PSW) who carry a list detailing all aspects of the uniform requirements (uniform price list cab be collected at front office of School). The School Council asks that you support the school uniform policy from the time your child leaves home to their return.

RATIONALE

To assist with providing a safe environment for students both within the school as well as on excursions, all students must wear the approved College uniform. The reason for this is that it makes it possible to readily identify our students as well as those who are not part of our community and to enable them to safely participate in College activities.

The correct wearing of uniform also adds to the students’ sense of belonging to the college community and encourages the students to develop a sense of pride in the school.

When all students wear the College uniform it promotes the development of a sense of egalitarianism, so that all students can feel equal within the College. The provision of a College uniform also makes it cheaper for parents to provide appropriate and durable clothing for their children to wear to school.

JEWELLERY

In line with the rationale outlined above, the only items of jewellery which may be worn with the College uniform are:

• a watch
• College badges of office
•  a maximum of two small plain studs or small sleepers per ear for students with pierced ears
•  no visible body piercing (including facial piercings). Due to health and safety issues, we strongly encourage parents to support the College rule in this matter. Recent piercings may be covered by a bandaid until healed and then must be removed while in attendance at the College.

The College reserves the right to require students to remove watches, badges or studs in circumstances where there is a perceived health or safety risk. Where jewellery has been confiscated, students will be required to retrieve it from the Student Services Office at the end of the school day.

COSMETICS

Cosmetic make-up including nail polish and acrylic nails are not part of College uniform. Students wearing cosmetic make-up will be required to remove it.

HAIR

Hair styles and colouring must be as natural as possible.

Students with extreme hair styles, cuts and colouring will be instructed to alter them immediately. In consultation with parents/guardians, students will not return to school until an accepted alteration has been completed. Students are required to be clean shaven.

Anthony Katsianos

Assistant Principal