Leading Teachers Report
Leading Teacher: Junior School
The start of a new school year always brings a range of emotions for students, teachers and parents. At South Oakleigh College we pride ourselves on ensuring that our students have the smoothest and most enjoyable transition back into school life. It is always a great occasion welcoming our new Year 7s and this year was no different. The nervousness and trepidation soon disappeared as our newest students embarked on a four-day induction program to assist them in getting to know their new surroundings and, more importantly, getting to know their new classmates. A good measure of how well a student has settled in is their desire to partake in school activities so it was heartening to see so many of our Year 7s involved in the College’s first major event of the year, the House Swimming Carnival. A reminder that the Year 7 Camp is from Monday the 28th of February to Wednesday the 2nd of March. It promises to be another fun and memorable event.
In Week 2 we invited all of our Year 7 students and their families to our annual Year 7 BBQ. It was wonderful to see so many of our new parents and carers attend the evening, enjoying some well-cooked sausages and getting acquainted with their child's teachers. Our senior music students added to the atmosphere by performing several high-quality pieces.
Our Year 8 students have also positively begun the year. We understand that the first year of secondary school was severely disrupted for these students by the events of last year so we have focussed on ensuring our students build the skills required to achieve their learning goals.
All students have been given a school planner to assist them in their organisation and future planning. This year we have introduced a system to reward positive behaviours based on our school values of High Expectation, Respect, Responsibility, Resilience and Teamwork. Students can receive HRRRT points from their teachers when they live our values both in and out of the classroom. You can check your child’s compass portal to see how many points they have collected.
George Tzimourtas
Leading Teacher: Junior School
Leading Teacher: Senior School
I welcome our new and returning VCE students to 2022. We have hit the ground running in VCE with new subjects and a revitalised attitude towards school. With the spectre of COVID hopefully behind us, we look forward to a full year of onsite, face to face teaching.
Message from our School Captains:
The start of Year 12 for the Class of 2022 has been a great experience. After taking the holidays to regroup and prepare for the marathon of a year ahead, the whole cohort has settled in. With access to the Year 12 Common Room, we have been able to have an exclusive spot that allows us to study quietly during our study periods as well as hang out and eat during recess and lunch.
In week 2, we attended our last ever House Swimming Carnival and had a lot of fun. Many of us took the opportunity on the 30 degree day to hop in the pool and cool off, as well as represent and earn house points for our house. Overall, the day couldn’t have gone any better and it will definitely be one of the events we will remember for a while.
Looking forward, we are all excited for the upcoming House Athletics Carnival , as well as the upcoming formal. All students are eagerly discussing ideas for their outfits and anticipating the night of the event. Alongside this, we have all began studying and preparing for our upcoming outcomes, whilst enjoying our final year together as a cohort. We are looking forward to seeing how the rest of the year will turn out.
In the VCE Space we are proud to introduce the 40+ Study Club:
This program is designed to support students who are aiming for a 40+ Study Score in one or more subjects. As part of this program students are paired with the Mentor drawn from our Year 12 Teachers and will be placed in our Monash Tutoring Program to support their subjects.
The Monash Tutors will work closely with our VCE team to support our students academic goals, including SAC revisions, extension and exam revision.
All our Year 12s have also been assigned a mentor, these mentors are a friendly face that knows the VCE program and are here to support our year 12s during their final year of schooling.
SWPBS
The Student Services Team has been working on several new initiatives over the break. Families may have seen a new positive compass post “HRRRT Points”. This is part of SOC “School Wide Positive Behaviours Support” program. SWPBS is a program developed by the Department of Education to support student learning and group. We focus on positive behaviour and celebrate the success of our students. School-wide positive behaviour support (SWPBS) is a framework that brings together school communities to develop positive, safe, supportive learning cultures. SWPBS assists schools to improve social, emotional, behavioural and academic outcomes for children and young people.
We have developed a values matrix that supports SWPBS:
HRRRT Points allow students to be rewarded for demonstrating the values of the school, High Expectations, Respect, Resilience, Responsibility and Team Work. Success is not only academic but also behavioural. Point tallies for students are recorded and different rewards are given at different tiers.
Grace Terdich
Leading Teacher: Senior School