Welcome back to Term 1 of 2022.

Even though we are already coming into week 6, it feels as if Monday 28 February will be the fresh reset, we all need. As we come into week 6 we move into more typical school operations. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s faces again as masks are no longer required for students or staff in high schools. If people wish they may still wear masks. We will also be allowed to mix with each other again. As of next week we can have whole school assemblies and welcome visitors to our site again. Face to face parent teacher evenings are planned for later in the term and our first “Yarn Up” is being held next week.

Thank you families for keeping us updated on how you are travelling during the Covid Smart Start settings during our first five weeks. Self reporting for families to the Service NSW app and to the school will need to continue for the remainder of the term or until Health changes the requirements.

Programs and Goals.

With the start of the new year we have the opportunity to refocus on what is important to us here at ASC, “Our future, our learning”. At ASC we support our school motto in a community that promotes creativity, collaboration and success for every learner through a safe, inclusive environment and a personalised and relevant curriculum. To do this it takes a whole community and the Armidale community of public schools is working together to ensure our students have high expectations of this success from Kindergarten to Year 12. One of the ways that we ensure that we are all improving in our schools is through goal setting and reflection. 2022 is the second year in our cycle of school improvement where we use the Strategic Improvement Plan to help us set goals for student achievement and a better school in general.

Our three strategic goals are:

· Student growth and attainment

· High Challenge, High Support Teaching and Learning and

· Student voice

With these three goals in mind we are continuing with our successful programs, building on them and implementing some new whole school and targeted programs to support our high expectations of student learning and behaviour. A major program rolling out this term, that will change the way students learn, engage and collaborate at school will be the Yonder program. Learners and their families will be getting some specific information about this very soon. We are excited for what this program can do to enhance student learning and wellbeing.

With the opening up of some restrictions and hopefully a healthier community with lower covid infections, we will be able to restart our Covid Intensive Support Program. In semester 1, the program is focusing on study skills for our senior students and literacy and numeracy interventions for Year 9 and 7 students. Students in years 8 and 10 won’t miss out with semester two seeing a greater focus on them through the program.

Congratulations class of 2021.

Congratulations to our 2021 HSC students who achieved some excellent results following two very disrupted years of senior learning. Ten students achieved places on the state HSC distinguished achievers list. This indicated that these ten students achieved 19 band 6 results across upper level Mathematics courses, English Advanced and Extension 1, French Beginners, Music 1 and Music Extension, Visual Arts, Economics and Biology. The message that these students brought back to our current year 12s, during their Soaring for Success program was, the combination of passion and hard work are what helped them to achieve such impressive results.

Our 2021 Dux (based on ATAR) was Jordan King. Jordan was our school captain in 2021 and has accepted an extremely prestigious Tuckwell Scholarship and will be attending the Australian National University to study the Bachelor of Advanced Science. Congratulations Jordan. We feel as if the future of Science in Australia is in thoughtful, empathetic hands.

Community Links.

Our school continues to develop community links to give our students a variety of options and opportunities. We have been accepted into the Educational Pathways Program, a program designed to support students with career mentoring, vocational learning pathways and promotes school based apprenticeships and traineeships. ASC has also become a hub school for Professional Experience. This will see our teachers in STEM subjects working with pre-service teachers to guide them in their early careers and will hopefully lead to more expert STEM teachers choosing regional NSW to continue their careers.

As a Principal it is always wonderful to hear about our students soaring within our community and setting high standards for themselves and others. I recently received high praise in the form of several emails from community members for a group of our year 10 students who acted as officials at the Armidale PPSA swimming carnival. These students were applauded for their manners, efficiency and being great role models for the primary school students. Well done to these outstanding citizens.

P&C

Can I encourage you all to consider joining the Armidale Secondary College P&C. The AGM held 24 February saw the current executive committee step down and no nominations were forthcoming for the 2022 executive. The P&C run our very successful canteen, employing several staff. The profits made by the canteen are directed back into the school to support students in a variety of ways. Some further information will be coming letting you know how you can get involved.

Building Update

Our Multi Purpose Centre (MPC) is progressing as planned and we have the steel ‘stood’ for the covered walk way from D Block to the awning at the front of the MPC. Behind the fence things are going ahead quickly with windows in and the walls due to be finished in the next couple of weeks. Electrical and other amenities are underway. It is going to be very exciting to have our first assembly for the whole school inside this amazing structure.

Bree Harvey-Bice

Principal

Stage 5