Assistant Principal's Report

Term 1: Report

I am pleased to report that students have made a positive start to their programs and importantly do seem engaged in the learning process. Our focus this term has been re-establishing our positive climate for learning across the school, ensuring we are preparing our students to be ready to learn, to demonstrate our College values and to connect with their peers and teachers.

It is exciting times at South Oakleigh College and I look forward to continuing to develop and build a school environment that allows all students to flourish.

Swimming Carnival 

Our annual school Swimming Carnival was held at Oakleigh Aquatic Centre on Friday 10 February in very warm conditions.  Thankfully the pool provided some relief to the 500 plus students we had attend.  The carnival had a great atmosphere with staff and students dressed in their House colours, strong competition, numerous novelty events, dry land activities, and a raucous crowd supporting each other.  Students collected House points for participation and also for making the podium in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly events. Events like these are essential for school spirit, and the House spirit is very strong.

House leaders across the school did a marvellous job in mobilising their troops and providing enthusiastic role models for students to follow. All spectators showed great sportsmanship and cheered all competitors taking part. A massive thank you to Me Jason Knee – Sports Coordinator and his team for all their time in organising the day.

Year 7 & 9 NAPLAN – March 15-22, 2023 National Assessment Program 

Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy is a series of tests focused on basic skills that are administered annually to Australian students. These standardised tests assess students’ reading, writing, language and numeracy and are administered by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. NAPLAN tests will occur in Term 1, March 2023. 

Students will practice the online system in Term 1 in preparation for testing. All students participating in NAPLAN must have their laptops charged, headphones (not wireless) and pens during the testing period. Communication around the testing will occur via Compass News Feed, including events on student timetables, so students are aware of testing dates.

Year 8 camp is from 22nd - 24th March.

Students will participate in a range of fun and team building activities over the three days.  Year 8 camp is a great opportunity for students to solidify their friendships and develop their personal and social skills.  Coordinated by Mr Fernandez, this camp is sure to be a highlight of the school year.

Mobile Phone Policy

The State government's mobile telephone policy is entering its fourth year in 2023. I ask that you continue to support us to implement the policy in regards to use of mobile telephones, particularly ‘students who choose to bring mobile phones to school must have them switched off and securely stored during school hours’ and ‘where students bring a mobile phone to school, the school must provide secure storage’. Our secure storage is our student lockers so please support your child to always use their combination lock.

Parent Parking and Student Drop-Off

For the safety of all students, please be reminded that when dropping your children at school in the morning, or collecting them in the afternoon, enter via Gate 3 and turn right into the designated Parent Carpark/ Student Drop Off and Pick Up zone. It is important that all parents and carers follow this to allow for traffic flow and to minimise the risk of accident. Disabled parking is located close to the main building entry.

Bicycle Helmets and Scooters

All students who ride a bicycle to school must wear a helmet. Parents will be contacted immediately if a student is riding a bicycle without a helmet. For the safety of all students, parental support of this policy is essential.

While the school provides bike racks for students to store their bikes, students are responsible for securing their bike with their own lock.

Sun Smart, Hay Fever and Asthma

UV radiation is at its highest in Victoria from mid-August to April, peaking during school hours. Students should always wear their College cap and sunscreen when participating in outdoor activities - including PE classes - to minimize the risk of skin cancer.

Students need to be in the right headspace to focus on their studies—itchy eyes, constant sneezing and a dry throat makes it difficult for students to work to the best of their ability and maximise their learning. If your child suffers from hay fever, please help them by providing an anti-histamine.

During grass pollen season there is an increase in asthma and hay-fever symptoms and the chance of an epidemic thunderstorm asthma event. Those at increased risk of epidemic thunderstorm asthma include people with: asthma, a past history of asthma, undiagnosed asthma (those who have asthma symptoms but have not yet been diagnosed) and people with hay fever who may or may not have asthma. Having both asthma and hay fever, as well as poor control and self-management of asthma, increases the risk.

If your child suffers from asthma, it is important that a current asthma action-plan be developed with your medical team and that this information is forwarded to the College.

Student Accident Insurance, Ambulance Cover Arrangements and Private Property brought to schools

Parents and guardians of students who do not have student accident insurance/ambulance cover, are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance/transport and any other transport costs.

In occasional circumstances, medical or other expenses will be paid by the Department where it is assessed to be likely that the Department is liable for negligent (careless) acts or omissions of its staff/volunteers.

Student accident insurance/ambulance cover policies are available from commercial insurers and can be obtained by parents/guardians for individual students.

A reminder to all parents/guardians and staff that the Department does not hold insurance for personal property brought to school and it has no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such property.

South Oakleigh College Student Uniform Policy/Dress Code

The uniform is supplied by Primary School Wear (PSW) who carry a list detailing all aspects of the uniform requirements (uniform price list cab be collected at front office of School). The School Council asks that you support the school uniform policy from the time your child leaves home to their return.

RATIONALE

To assist with providing a safe environment for students both within the school as well as on excursions, all students must wear the approved College uniform. The reason for this is that it makes it possible to readily identify our students as well as those who are not part of our community and to enable them to safely participate in College activities.

The correct wearing of uniform also adds to the students’ sense of belonging to the college community and encourages the students to develop a sense of pride in the school.

When all students wear the College uniform it promotes the development of a sense of egalitarianism, so that all students can feel equal within the College. The provision of a College uniform also makes it cheaper for parents to provide appropriate and durable clothing for their children to wear to school.

JEWELLERY

In line with the rationale outlined above, the only items of jewellery which may be worn with the College uniform are:

• a watch
• College badges of office
•  a maximum of two small plain studs or small sleepers per ear for students with pierced ears
•  no visible body piercing (including facial piercings). Due to health and safety issues, we strongly encourage parents to support the College rule in this matter. Recent piercings may be covered by a bandaid until healed and then must be removed while in attendance at the College.

The College reserves the right to require students to remove watches, badges or studs in circumstances where there is a perceived health or safety risk. Where jewellery has been confiscated, students will be required to retrieve it from the Student Services Office at the end of the school day.

COSMETICS

Cosmetic make-up including nail polish and acrylic nails are not part of College uniform. Students wearing cosmetic make-up will be required to remove it.

HAIR

Hair styles and colouring must be as natural as possible.

Students with extreme hair styles, cuts and colouring will be instructed to alter them immediately. In consultation with parents/guardians, students will not return to school until an accepted alteration has been completed. Students are required to be clean shaven.

Mark Picone & Anthony Katsianos

Assistant Principals