Assistant Principals
From Mrs Stathatos
Welcome to all our new and returning students and their families to the 2018 school year.
The energetic buzz and the enthusiastic start to the year heralds a real sense of optimism about what can be achieved in and out of the classroom. I encourage each student to make the most of class time, build a positive working relationship with his or her teachers and make the commitment to perform at his or her best.
A few of the pre-conditions for learning in a school setting have to do with the environment and a great deal of work has been done over the holidays to improve facilities while the Junior School building is showing its flexibility as a fantastic teaching and learning space. Our school pride is also displayed through the wearing correctly of the school uniform and this year our Year 7 girls are introducing the new summer dress which is refreshingly modern and comfortable.
For parents the notifications of the events that the college offers can be accessed via Compass and seen on the Compass calendar. The whole school Swimming carnival and the Year 11 Debutante ball rehearsals kick start the opportunity this week for students to show off their swimming and dancing skills and to have a good time.
The college is implementing its Instructional model this year and we are following the GANAG lesson schema incorporating high yield strategies and the Department of Education’s High Impact Strategies. It is an exciting period of implementation as we invite students to join with us as learners to maximise the teaching and learning environment. Students will be increasingly accessing the Learning Intention for their lessons through the Compass Class page which will explain what they will know and understand having had the lesson. Continuous feedback will be provided throughout the semester in order to maximise performance while a new progress report format in time for the Parent Teacher interviews at the end of the term has been developed and will be outlined in this newsletter. We are shifting our focus from Work Habits to Learning Behaviours which reflect the necessary skills students need to have in this day and age.
It is a busy yet optimistic time and we wish everyone a happy start to the year.
Eleni Stathatos
Assistant Principal
From Mr Barut
It is with great pleasure, as the Assistant Principal that oversees all the sub schools, that I welcome back all students for the start of the 2018 school year. I also extend greetings to all our parents and all our partners that make up this magnificent Ringwood Secondary College community.
Certainly, I can only envisage the night before where there would have been great excitement and a few nerves about the start of the school year. We were delighted to welcome our newest cohort into the school, the Year Seven class of 2018, all the way to our Year 12 class of 2018.
I would like to congratulate all our students for the terrific start, where the main focus has been settling into classes with their teachers. It is imperative that to continue this excellent start, students must attend all their lessons and get to school every day. Of course, if there are extenuating circumstances, we ask that parents approve any absence on Compass.
The Year 7s have settled into their classes and are developing positive relationships with all their teachers, notwithstanding familiarity with the entire operations of a secondary school college. Their confidence grows every day.
Congratulations to Mrs Menz and the entire Senior School team for organising and supervising the two day study symposium at Box Hill TAFE in Lilydale. A fantastic undertaking that set the tone for the Year 12 cohort. Thank you to the teachers that offered their time to run lectures on best practice through English, English Language, Literature and EAL.
The other Sub Schools have all come back refreshed, enthusiastic and ready to achieve their personal best and engage fully in the programs that Ringwood Secondary College has to offer.
The Heads of Sub Schools, the House Co-ordinators and I are all committed to delivering the best possible support for all our students and we ask for your support in building a partnership together. Interactions for all of us have to respectful and solution focused. To that end, allow me to introduce this year’s team:
Head of Sub School Years 7 and 8 – Ms Anna Urbano
Frazer – Ms Marissa Lee
Freeman – Ms Jess Friend
Mabo – Ms Kim Watson
Jackman – Mrs Faith Stepniewski
Head of Sub School Years 9 and 10 – Mr Matthew Tucker
Frazer – Ms Krissi Friedli
Freeman – Mr Benn Jamieson
Mabo – Ms Alyce Bailey
Jackman – Mr Peter Vlahos
Head of Sub School Years 11 and 12 – Mrs Cathy Menz
Frazer – Ms Caitlin May
Freeman – Ms Emma Lim
Mabo – Mr Matt Saunders
Jackman – Ms Lucy Moore
Please read this newsletter carefully to familiarise yourself with the best contact that can help you with any issues that may arise with your son or daughter. In case you are not familiar with the new college structure, each student is aligned to a House, thus, they are also aligned to a co-ordinator who is in the same House.
Parents and carers, we ask that you log onto Compass to connect with the work that your son/daughter is doing under Learning Tasks so that the learning journey becomes a shared responsibility. Also, at times, Compass notices that are relevant to a specific year level will be posted, that may require parental action.
Before I sign off, a reminder to all students that photo day is the 20th of February. EVERY student must have their photo taken.
We look forward to a sensational 2018. Again, welcome.
James Barut
Assistant Principal
From Mrs Allison
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” John Quincy Adams
Welcome back!
This quote is one of my favourite, and very apt for this week’s whole school assembly that focussed on celebrating leadership, success, teamwork, collaboration and support for the College and local community. Our Year 12 Prefects, together with our lead teachers, encouraged all students to participate in Sports, House activities, Performing Arts, and work positively to be the best person they can be and to aim for a productive, positive year ahead.
Maroondah City Council recognised and celebrated the achievements of our Wellbeing team awarding the RSC team, Community Event of the Year (Bounce into Mental Health) and most significantly Georgia Read (Year 12) was recognised as Maroondah’s Young Citizen of the Year. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to our Wellbeing team and Georgia for their wonderful achievements. A special mention and thank you to Phoebe Roach (Yr 11), who was also nominated for an award as recognition of her voluntary work with Maroondah City Council Youth SWAT team and community projects involvement.
Next Wednesday, student leaders from Years 7-12 will attend their leadership training at Sage Hotel, in Ringwood. The morning training will commence with a ‘Plus 10 Schools’ collaborative event for Year 7 students, together with Maroondah City Council, Heathmont College, Melba College, Norwood Secondary College and Ringwood Secondary College (RSC). RSC Students in Years 8-11 will be trained by Sport and Life Training (SALT) followed by our College Prefects attending to co facilitate team building exercises. This is a great opportunity for all students to build our student leadership teams.
Positive Education focus
Character Strength: Leadership
Wellbeing Fitness Challenge: Looking Forward
Wellbeing Reflection Activity: Active Constructive Responding
With the increase in the use of electronic devices, there has been a significant decline in face to face conversations over the last decade with students’ skills in interpreting and sending appropriate body language messages reduced. This can lead to a key social-emotional resilience skill, showing empathy, being adversely affected. Consequently, the building of high quality relationships suffers. Showing empathy has been the social glue that has enabled communities to thrive and flourish for centuries.
To develop students’ self-awareness of how to overcome this they need learn how touse active constructive responding in the face to face conversations they have.
Active Constructive Response: Enthusiastic support, genuine interest
It is the only proven way of listening and responding which builds relationships. With key elements in positive psychology and education being positive relationships and positive emotions, it is important that we encourage young people to enthusiastically encourage others to share their stories and asking them to tell you more by doing this. The end result is that it fills both parties with uplifting spirals of positive emotions.
Other ways of listening and responding which have an adverse effect on relationships include:
passive constructive: such as listening respectfully, but without any interest, energy or enthusiasm; passive destructive: showing little interest in listening to them to learn their story, active destructive: dismissing their story with disrespectful body language and changing the subject.
What you can do to nurture your relationships
Practice Active Constructive responding. When people share something with you about which they’re excited, help them savour that moment – even if only briefly, and even if you don’t care about the event as much as they do. Cultivate a sense of genuine interest and curiosity. Some things you can say or ask:
- I’m so happy for you! I want to hear all the details.
- Tell me more!
- What is the most exciting part of this for you?
The challenge is to look forward and to aim to have five positives for every one negative (5:1).
I wish you a very positive year ahead. Remember ‘your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more’.
Maria Allison
Assistant Principal