Principal's Report

Welcome to this edition of our newsletter

It is mid-term already with engagement and learning at the forefront. I am exceptionally pleased with the culture of learning which commenced at the start of the year, through a lockdown and continues. Students should be commended for their application and I thank parents who have supported the continuity of learning when students were learning remotely and continue to engage with their child’s education.

Communication between school and home

Keeping parents and carers informed is a year-long responsibility and one that has huge potential to make a positive difference in your child's educational experience. Home group teachers and year level coordinators are the first point of contact for important concerns. Where required, they make referrals to our Student Services Leader, Ms Casey Lawson. Staff are not always readily available as they may be in class, therefore emailing for a call back is usually the best unless an emergency. When sending emails, please ensure you are familiar with our policies for email and other communications (these are available on our website). James Comer from Yale University School of Medicine stated in his research findings “when children observe that home and schools are engaged in a respectful partnership for their benefit, they are likely to develop more positive attitudes about school and achieve more, compared to situations in which school and home are seen as being worlds apart”

Communication is especially important at this stage of the term as students will have commenced or completed assessments in each of their subjects. At Scoresby Secondary College we want to ensure all students extend their skills and knowledge, therefore it is an expectation that each day all students will review what they have learned and complete all homework set. Parents / carers can log onto Compass to engage in immediate and frequent communication between school and the home. We use our School Management System, Compass to:

Inform students, parents and guardians of the intended learning for each lesson and due dates for set tasks
Notify parents and guardians of overdue work and / or academic concern
Assessment updates
Provide online attendance
Updates (i.e. recent information about school closures for COVID last month)
Notification of publication of our newsletter

If you require any guidance in relation to using Compass please collect another Compass booklet from the General Office or contact Mr Chris Knight to seek assistance to be shown how to access the program.

Independence and Responsibility

Adolescence is an important time for students to develop independence and responsibility. Yes, there will be times when they may not complete their homework, leave their lunch at home or miss an activity because they did not return the permission forms by the due date. The best learning for our students can come from making mistakes, problem solving and even learning from the consequences. You can support your child by connecting with them through positive communication to reinforce the habits and behaviours that will help them to succeed.

Council Elections - Annual General Meeting

A reminder parent nominations for school council close on Friday 19 March at 4:00 pm.

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday 23 March at 7:00 pm.

Being a parent on school council not only helps parents to develop a greater understanding of education but also gain skills which have assisted them in their personal and professional lives. Over the years, I have had many parents who have taken on the role and thanked us for the opportunity. In one letter I received several years ago a parent wrote “I never felt I could contribute much to school council however I was welcomed and my contributions valued. I believe the confidence I gained helped me to develop personally and professionally.”

There are three parent vacancies of a two year tenure and we would welcome representation from some of our new Year 7 parents with the retirement of parents of students who completed Year 12 last year.

Information Evenings

Since our last newsletter, we have held two information evenings, the first was for Year 7 parents / carers and last night was for our VCE parents. It is always excellent to see parents / carers attend and engage in children’s education. An evening for parents / carers of students in Years 8, 9 and 10 has been planned and the date will be confirmed once we have confirmation from the guest speakers.

Activities and Events

Year 7 Camp

On Friday afternoon, Year 7 students returned from their time at Camp Rumbug with reports of lots of fun, friendships and positive experiences. Thank you to students for the excellent behaviours and engagement in each of the activities throughout the camp. Thank you also to staff who gave up time with their families to attend the camp and Mr Sam Eddy for his leadership.

House Athletics Day

The College athletics sports were held at Knox Athletics Centre on Tuesday with the weather being kind. It was especially pleasing to see so many students putting their hands up to participate. Student behaviour was excellent and the sportsmanship and support for each other throughout the day was exceptional. Well done to Mr Jake Barnett our sports coordinator for his organisation, Mrs Tracey Carpenter (parent of Melissa Butler, Year 11) who was the race starter and staff for making the day a success. Congratulations to all competitors, and of course well done to members of Chisholm House who are this year’s champions.

Other events which have taken place the last few weeks are, school photos, Year 11 Elevate Study Skills Session, Senior Interschool Sport, Year 9 Morrisby Career Testing, and staff Level 2 First Aid update.

Student Uniform

I would like to remind parents and guardians to refer to the College Uniform Policy. Most students represent the College proudly with less student’s parents having to be contacted for breaches this year. Term 2 is the change to the winter uniform for all students. All students are expected to be in this uniform on day one next term. If extreme weather results in warmer weather, a compass message will inform parents of any changes.

A reminder to girls who will be wearing the skirt to adjust hem length to top of the knee or purchase a new skirt if you have grown taller since last year. Winter trousers must be the College approved trousers and the option of plain black tracksuit pants for physical education (no leggings, stripes or non-school shorts are permitted for physical education and sport). The Uniform Policy was developed with significant community input and is compulsory. School uniform must be worn to and from school.

From Monday March 22 students who continue to bring the incorrect school bag will have their bags removed for parents to collect at the end of the day.

Safety First

Following a number cars exceeding the 40km speed limits, stopping in the middle of the road to pick up children, near misses, parking in bus stops and inappropriate comments made by some drivers to other drivers, I have spoken to the Council to ask for them to patrol the area at the start and end of the day. Please help us to maintain a safe secure and supportive community and be respectful of road laws and each other.

Mrs Gail Major

Principal