Alba News

From the Principal Class Team 

Lady Northcote Team building Day

On Friday 12 March our Year 11 VCAL and VCE students, participated in a team building day at Lady Northcote Camp near Bacchus March. They participated in activities such as problem solving, Frisbee,  golf and archery in small teams to comete for the overall prize. It was a great day, and students worked very cooperatively together to build a stronger team. Thank you to the Senior sub School for orgainising this event.

 

Curriculum Day

The focus of our Curriculum day on Friday 26 February was Differentiation. We worked with educational consultant, Glenn Pearsall, to support teaching staff to try new techniques to engage all learners with their learning at their point of need. This work on Differentiation was followed up at a Professional Learning session where staff shared their learnings and successes. Thanks to the School Improvement Team – Student Learning for their work in leading this professional development. 

 

International Women's Day

International Women’s Day is held every year on March 8. It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. The theme for the 2021 International Women's Day was “#ChooseToChallenge."

 

A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day. We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge.”

 

How did the College doing to mark this occasion?

  • An announcement was made in the morning to let students and staff know about the day, and the events.
  • We hosted a morning tea for all staff on Friday March 8 to celebrate women’s achievements at our school.
  • Teachers shared two videos with students to promote key themes regarding ending gender-based discrimination and celebrating the achievements of women. Teachers also spent time unpacking these themes with students to help them understand their importance.
  • We changed the bell music to songs that champion female artists and positive messages.
  • A large #ChooseToChallenge poster wall was developed to draw attention to the achievements of women and to campaign gender equality.
  • We hosted a #ChooseToChallenge photo day. Students and staff could have a #ChooseToChallenge photo taken to show their support in challenging and calling out inequality.
  • A student information guide on calling out gender-based discrimination was developed and distributed. It provides information on gender inequality and how to call out bias, question stereotypes, and help forge an inclusive world.

We acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of all women at the College, and we remain resolute in our commitment to supporting gender equality in our school.

 

National Day of Action against Bullying

Another important day for our College is the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence. This day was held on Friday March 29 and is a day in our school calendar where we reflect on how we can raise awareness and commit to eradicating bullying and violence across our school community. 

 

We all have a role to play to ensure our school stays free from bullying and violence. This includes treating others with respect, and supporting diversity and inclusion each and every day. At the College, we teach students to do this by supporting each other by being active bystanders. We also encourage students to not ignore bullying, report it to teachers and make sure victims are supported.

This year we held a range of activities to spread awareness of this important issue:

  • Students spoke out at assemblies with information on what bullying is, how to combat it and how to support victims.
  • At lunchtime, outside the Performing Arts building, the VCAL team held a market day, with pizza and drinks, and a range of activities and external agencies to raise awareness of this important day.
  • Students spent time learning about bullying in the Year 7-9 Learning Manager Program to ensure they are equipped with the knowledge and the skills to know how to respond to these problems if they arise.
  • Announcements were made on the day to students, and posters were also displayed to continue to raise awareness.

As a school, we say NO to bullying. If you know anyone who is experiencing bullying and needs support please reach out to a Coordinator or a member of our Wellbeing Team for support.