Junior School Report

What a fantastic start our students have made to the 2023 school year. The first day of school saw the arrival of almost three hundred and fifty new Year 7 students into the College community. It was such a pleasure to see all the Year 7’s dressed so smart in their new uniforms and eager to begin their learning journey within our secondary college.

As usual, the first few weeks in Junior school have been a whirlwind, with students working hard to build new connections with peers, learn their way around the campus, begin instrumental music try-outs, participate in their first house activities, posing for school photos and of course the commencement of their academic classes. In the coming week Year 7 parents and students will have the opportunity to attend the Year 7 Meet and Greet session, where we encourage parents to connect with their child’s teacher and ask any questions or share any concerns or triumphs your child has encountered so far.

Year 7 students from across the college came together at Banksia campus to participate in House activities. Students participated for house points in a variety of sports, games and team challenges.

This term we have also welcomed back our returning Year 8 and 9 students into their respective year levels. After a solid start to classes during Headstart last year and a well-deserved break, the students have settled back into their classes with renewed energy and focus. Our students have many things to look forward to this term with excursions being planned for English and Humanities, incursions arranged to support respectful and safe relationships along with a variety of sports carnivals and Year 8 Camp, planned to maximise student engagement.

Year 7 and 8 students attended Backflips Against Bullying, an education incursion that incorporates parkour and stunts to engage students while educating them on anti-bullying and how to be an ‘upstander’ in the community.

Now that all students have had time to settle into their classes we hope that they have started to focus on maxing their learning during class time. The College’s 5P’s Student Learning Framework sets out the behaviours we expect students to display in class to be effective learners, and we ask that all our Junior school students strive to be Prepared, Present, Proactive, Productive and Persistent in all their academic endeavours.

Each new school year provides students with an opportunity to grow and develop their academic and personal capabilities. Establishing healthy routines is fundamental to success, especially for ensuring that the pressures of school work do not become too much. To help your child achieve this we encourage parents to actively engage with their child’s learning, so they can help their child achieve their highest standard.

To assist with this, we would like to share some tips:

Access Compass - Parents can access their child’s Compass profile. This will allow parents to monitor attendance, view upcoming due dates for assessment tasks and your child’s progress and semester reports. An email was sent to all families with Compass login details, if you are unsure how to access your child’s Compass account please contact the Junior school office.
Student diaries - All Junior school students have been provided with a college diary to assist them with planning out their week, communicating messages to and from home, as well as recording important information such as excursions, sport and due dates for assignments. These diaries also provide students with a series of reflective and relaxation activities to use during the week as we focus upon developing resilience amongst students.
Make sure students come to school each day, on time - Students that are late to school often miss the important instructions that are given out at the start of the lesson and many students that miss whole periods, do not catch up on their learning.
Talk with your child - The teenage years can be tricky and we want all our children to be happy, so that they can thrive. Finding just 5-10 mins each day to talk with your child about their day keeps the lines of communication open, which is important for making your child feel safe and supported. Remember if your child raises issues that leave you concerned, we have an amazing Wellbeing team at school who can provide support, so please contact the college for assistance.
Encourage your child to speak up - Our aim is to develop proactive, resilient students at Keysborough Secondary College. Encourage your child to seek help from their teachers before the problem gets too big, if they are not sure what to do, then please encourage them to ask, if they are finding making friends difficult, speak to their Teacher Team Leader, Teacher Team Manager or our Wellbeing team.
Monitor sleep - We all need sleep and teenagers need between 8-10 hours’ sleep every night, in order for their brains to be ready to learn each day. Many students come to school tired due to gaming or using social media during the night. Parents can set parental controls on their child’s iPad or phone to limit usage during the night.

We hope you find this information helpful, as we work together with you and your child to help each and every student reach their full potential.

Melissa Williams and Matthew Sloan

Junior School Assistant Principals