From the Principals' Desk

An "Ordinary" Time?

We have reached the middle of Term 2, and are now well into the "ordinary" life of the school. Our senior students are no longer stressing about their first assessments and are instead managing a calendar of them, and our junior students have moved on from understanding their new position in the school and started really navigating their learning for the year. Both groups will need to be aware of the importance of managing their time so as to ensure that they remain healthy during a season when illness tends to increase as the weather gets wintry.

For students in full year subjects, this term is an opportunity to refine and improve their learning habits to cater for the increasing depth of the material they are facing. It's also a chance to try out some revision strategies, remembering that this material is work they will be returning to when the end of year exams provide an opportunity for them to take a summative snapshot of their learning for 2019.

For students in semester length subjects, the second half of Term 2 is in some ways a "push to the end" when they will be working to draw their learning together and present it through some significant piece of work. In Year 10 Science, students will be creating a range of products which will go on show during a lunchtime Science Showcase on June 11. We expect to see things like Rube Goldberg machines, biodomes and model birds amongst other work that acknowledges the importance of applying scientific principles in the sort of transdisciplinary context that characterises so much of the research in the STEM fields. Students in a range of other subjects which highlight the importance of learning by doing will also be working towards a demonstration of their increased skill, and we look forward to seeing the fruits of their labours whether they be visual, performative or in the technological domain. Semester 2 will begin on Monday 17 June.  

As will become apparent as you read on, however, this "ordinary" time of the year remains diverse and exciting. Significant events in the academic and sporting arenas like NAPLAN for the Year 9s and the House Athletics Carnival have been complemented by our ongoing commitment to 21st century pedagogies in the form of our first synchronous Digital Delivery Day for the year. Just as importantly, the life of the school has continued to be enriched through a lively commitment to the Arts and Humanities in the form of the recent Autumn Concert and the House Debating competition. This diversity is a testament to the passion and dedication of both the staff and the students in the school, and demonstrates that willingness to "embrace the challenge" which remains a hallmark of Nossal's culture.

NAPLAN

Throughout Week 4 (13 - 17 May), the Year 9 students sat a series of nationally bench-marked tests in literacy and numeracy using an online platform. The first day involved some frustration for our students as the system struggled to cope with the load, but the group was ably supported by both IT and teaching staff members, and almost all students were able to log on and complete the test successfully within the allocated time period and get back to their regularly scheduled classes; two students did have to undertake the test a little later that same day. Online tests on subsequent days were uninterrupted. The students comported themselves well throughout the testing period, paying attention to the requirements for each day and arriving for each test punctually and well-prepared. They are to be commended for the maturity with which they approached the task.

The standard NAPLAN tests seldom represent a significant challenge to our students by comparison with their usual level of work, but it was interesting this year to note that the adaptive online numeracy test kept at least half of our students working for the full extent of the allocated time. This is different to previous years, when our students have typically finished this test quite early. It is to be hoped that the more challenging work that seems to have been presented might give us greater insight into our students' skill levels in this area; as a school, we will look forward with some interest to what the data has to tell us about our students' learning needs while recognising that their success on this test is largely a testament to their efforts in previous years.

House Athletics Carnival

On Thursday 16 May the Year 9s took a break from NAPLAN, and the rest of the school took a break from their usual schedule, to take part in the annual House Athletics Carnival at Casey Fields Regional Athletics Centre. In stark contrast to the House Swimming Carnival, this event was blessed with sunshine and blue skies, and our students took advantage of the opportunity to reinforce their commitment to their houses. Participation rates in the various events were very good, and the dedication which those students who are committed to athletic pursuits showed to their Houses was particularly impressive. As one of the lucky people distributing ribbons for both the track and field events, it soon became apparent that each House has some very talented sportspeople in it, and that these individuals were giving their all by enrolling in multiple events in support of their peers.

The day was also an excellent opportunity to appreciate the level of House Spirit which exists in the school. The weeks leading up to the event saw a flurry of banner-making sessions during lunchtimes, and I know that there was considerable pride in my own House about the speed with which the students signaled their readiness to attend by ensuring that they had consent for this event well before the day. The day itself saw, as it often does, a very high level of creativity being displayed by the students in terms of their costumes. Many groups of students had clearly coordinated their costume-making to explore a theme in order to signal both their unity with their House and their camaraderie with their peers in other Houses. At the end of the day, a staff-student relay was run which was symbolic of the way in which both of these groups come together to make the day a successful one. I will confess to a level of pride when the staff took the prize in that event, because they had been working hard behind the scenes to ensure the smooth and safe running of the day. I would like to acknowledge Ms Emma Dusting, in particular, for her excellent organisational work, and thank Mr Keith Butler, Mr Andrew Hamilton and the rest of the Health & PE staff for supporting her efforts. As is so often the case, the willingness of both staff and students (who contributed as volunteer organisers on the day as well as through their athletic contributions and their active support for each other from the stands) to step forward and offer their assistance for the greater good was very evident.

At the end of the day, the results were as follows:

House Results

Age level champions

Digital Delivery Day

This year's first synchronous Digital Delivery Day occurred on Wednesday 22 May and was, as we have come to expect, a successful day of engaged and interactive learning. Synchronous delivery means that the teachers were at school and logged on to a video-conference style meeting with the students in their class. Rolls were taken in real time, and the students undertook essentially the same sort of work that they would be expected to do during a normal class. Teachers were able to share their screens with their students to show them relevant content and instructions, and at times the students were able to share their screens with their teachers and peers or take over the microphone to demonstrate their approaches to solving problems or explain their thinking in response to different learning activities. These events remain an important part of training our students for life at university, which as a learning environment often relies heavily on digital technologies, but they also have specific benefits for our students' learning. Every time such an event is held, teachers comment on the way in which interacting through online chat empowers those students who might be hesitant to speak up in class to explore their ideas and contribute to the group's understanding.

This year, the school's platform for Digital Delivery Day was MS Teams rather than Collaborate Ultra (the platform we have used in the past). The inevitable concern that organisers (led by our Director of Digital Development and Innovation, Mr Stuart Fankhauser) experienced about moving this significant event to a new system proved unnecessary as both staff and students reported a minimum of issues related to connectivity or access. Nossal High School looks forward to future events being similarly smooth so that all of those involved can focus not on the technology, but on the learning which that technology enables. While Mr Fankhauser is continuing to collect feedback from both students and staff, early responses from the students make clear their endorsement of the day and their enthusiasm for an expansion of this program:

House Debating

Week 5 (20 - 24 May) has also been filled with the impassioned yet reasoned tones of our House Debating competitors. At the time of writing, the Grand Final had yet to occur, but I'm confident that we can look forward to a report from some of our most articulate students in the next newsletter. For now, I'd like to congratulate all of the participants for their willingness to take on what can be a daunting task for some, and their House peers for providing an avid and engaged audience for each of the heats. The topic for the final will be "That a mission to Mars is a waste of money" and will be contested by teams from Pegasus House and Griffin House. I look forward to being convinced, one way or the other!

Student Leadership - SRC Assembly

On Monday 20 May, one of a number of student-led whole school assemblies was held. This event was run by the school's Student Representative Council, the body which takes formal responsibility for conveying student ideas to the school's leadership team while pursuing its own agendas for improving the experience of being a Nossalonion for all students. SRC office bearers spoke to the whole student body, outlining their aims and celebrating the Council's successes for the year so far. There was a particular emphasis on the committed and effective philanthropic work of this group, some of which is described in Parallel, the Student News insert to our newsletter. The dedication of our SRC representatives to making a difference to the school at every level is an important part of our students' journey towards adulthood, and it is always impressive to see it in action.

Ongoing Staff Learning

In our last newsletter, Mr Keith Butler talked about the importance of professional learning in the lives of our teaching and educational support staff. The school strives for best practice in all areas, and the fact that it is not only the students, but also the staff, who are constantly "embracing the challenge" makes the school a true learning community and keeps every staff member aware of both the joy and the discomfort which deep learning engenders. In the past fortnight, staff have voluntarily undertaken professional learning in all areas of school life. Some teaching staff have attended workshops with a subject specific focus, or taken time out of their schedules to attend network meetings with colleagues in their areas of expertise. Others have undertaken masterclasses in pedagogy and instructional leadership. Both teaching and education support staff have been involved in courses to improve the organisational life of the school including skill development in timetabling and daily organisation processes, and focussed training in departmental software essential to the running of the school. This is quite apart from the regular reflection which our staff do during our Wednesday afternoon professional learning sessions on their practice, and the impact this practice has on our students. It is a pleasure to work with a community that sees such learning not as a chore but as a natural part of their professional lives, and which takes seriously the learning opportunities made available to it.

The Great Community Raffle

On the day this newsletter is published, staff all over the school will be reminding their students about the Annual Great Community Raffle which is run by the Rotary Club of Emerald & District. This is the major fundraiser for the school each year, as the Rotary Club generously donate every dollar raised back to Nossal High School. The money goes directly back into school programs, and supports the success of all of our students, so we have no hesitation in asking each of our students to support us by selling one book of 10 tickets. Since tickets are $2 each, this means that every book sold contributes $20 for our students.

This year, the school plans to direct the money raised towards one of our long term aims: the creation of more effective outdoor areas for our students to use. We have a vision of crafting spaces on campus where students can meet with their peers to study, or just to enjoy some fresh air during their break times without suffering the negative impact of strong sunlight or windy conditions. This is to be our first major focus on grounds development since the opening of the school's oval, and we expect to make an equally valuable contribution to the life of our students.

The prizes for the raffle (generously donated by Ferntree Gully Nissan) are outlined below. Please remember that all ticket stubs, money and any unsold tickets need to be returned to the school by Friday 28 June.

1st prize – Nissal Qashai ST Auto ($33,970 drive away) 

2nd prize – $1000 Westfield Voucher 

3rd prize – $500 Westfield Voucher 

Ms Tracey Mackin

Assistant Princpal