SECONDARY NEWS 

From the Assistant Principal 

The Big Write & VCOP

Improving the writing skills of our students has been a long-term goal of Holy Trinity. This year students from K - 9 are undertaking the Big Write and VCOP program as a means of enhancing the standard of writing across the school.

Big Write and VCOP is a methodology for raising the standards in writing across all ages and ability levels. It seeks to address the reasons why there are falling standards in writing. Based on the premise that ‘if they can’t say it, they can’t write it’, learning is scaffolded to allow children to become articulate thinkers and speakers, who will then become articulate writers.

The program is designed to bring the enjoyment back into writing by engaging students in writing and continuously challenging them throughout their writing journey. Through games, activities, writing tasks, conversations and discussions, students will learn not only where their abilities lie in a fun and engaging way, but also the steps they need to take, in order to continue to improve.

In Years 7-9 ‘Big Writes’ are a component of assessment in English where the focus is on individual improvement and self-reflection; instead of marks and grades. Written tasks are done on a regular basis in the classroom during the course of a unit and work is then evaluated in a ‘Breakdown Buddy’ session. Students reflect on their performance in the task, celebrating achievements and then setting clear goals for future improvement.

What does VCOP stand for? 

Vocabulary: Ambitious vocabulary, WOW words.

Connectives: A wide range of words and phrases for connecting thoughts, ideas and sentences.

Openers: Effective opening words and phrases to begin a sentence.

Punctuation: A wide range of punctuation, including power punctuation.

Do students still have homework in English?

YES - students are required to prepare for their writing tasks by researching and practicing their writing, but most importantly, talking to others. By orally discussing their knowledge and understanding of a particular issue, they are preparing for their upcoming ‘Big Write’.

Is my child’s writing still marked by a teacher?

All written work is closely monitored by their classroom teacher on a regular basis. Relevant and meaningful feedback is used by students to improve their next written task. On five occasions each year students complete a ‘Cold Write’ (equivalent to an English writing exam) that is moderated by at least two English teachers. This determines a student’s grade and is tracked on a student progress wall.

The ‘Big Write’ is an exciting new project in the Secondary - already we are seeing significant improvements in student writing across all grades.

For further information please contact your child’s English teacher or Mrs Watchirs.

The Flipside

Today Brainstorm Productions presented their student wellbeing program ‘The Flipside' for Years 7 - 10.

Powerful, current, and thoroughly contemporary, The Flipside is an unflinching live theatre experience about our online behaviour and its potentially infinite ramifications.

The Flipside depicts two teen characters that are embedded in the online community including gaming, social networking and content creation. The sheer magnitude of online interactions, selfies, videos, memes and mash-ups uploaded every minute means that posts quickly disappear into the ether, but not always. As these characters find out, online posts last forever and some can come back to haunt you, even years later. The characters suddenly realise they can't just press the "undo" button to save their relationships, reputation or their dignity. The Flipside will encourage students to think carefully before they ‘post’, ‘snap’ or sign up.

The Flipside is part of our student wellbeing curriculum and the program has been developed in consultation with teachers, psychologists, as well as real-life student experiences. The methodology of the program is safe, supportive and nonjudgmental and designed to provide students with positive and useful tools that they can use in their everyday lives.

More than 350,000 Australian students have already benefited from Brainstorm Productions multi award-winning educational theatre programs over the past twelve months. Their programs cater to the specific wellbeing needs of students, helping to create a healthy and harmonious school environment.

If you would like to know more about Brainstorm Productions, visit their website at www.brainstormproductions.edu.au.

Boys Matter Too

 Students in Years 9 and 10 are participating in a #BoysMatterToo workshop and challenge day on May 31 in Inverell. The day will be held at both the Inverell RSM and Varley Oval. Students are required to wear their full school sports uniform and a BBQ lunch will be provided.

Ben McKenzie and Catherine Manning from SEED Workshops will conduct a 2.5 hour interactive workshop for teen boys in years 7-10 on Friday May 31. The workshops will focus on three main areas, the social construction of masculinity, maintaining healthy relationships and managing stress. When the boys are not in a workshop, they will be participating in team challenges hosted by Inverell’s Ministry of Personal Training at Varley Oval. These challenges will test the boys mental and physical skills whilst working as a team.  

SEED Workshops specialise in educating teens through interactive workshops to enhance self-esteem, positive body image and respectful relationships.

Presenter Ben McKenzie is not just an educator, he is also a successful comedian, actor and producer. Ben is passionate about helping young men deal with issues around self-identity, relationships and mental health.

Catherine Manning is the founder of SEED Workshops and her experiences in working with teens and involvement in children rights advocacy groups has led her to create workshops to provide teens with the tools to address pressures facing our teen boys.

The SEED Workshop program is a fun, inspiring and interactive workshop to help foster and enhance self-esteem, positive body-image and respectful relationships.  SEED aims to plant the seeds and provide the tools for teens to become critical consumers of advertising and media messaging, to foster healthy relationships with friends and peers, and to take the reins in their own lives. SEED Workshops use a holistic approach, utilising a range of teaching techniques to help people THRIVE. 

Permission notes are to be returned to the school by Thursday 30 May. Mr Koch and Mr Gils will be attending the Boys Matter Too event with our students.

Catherine Manning, CEO, SEED Workshops.

"Every child has such potential and deserves the opportunity to thrive, but many are feeling suffocated by the onslaught of media and advertising directed at them at every turn.  With the unprecedented increase in adolescent mental health issues, never before have I felt it so necessary for us to connect with young people and give them the tools to help decipher potentially harmful messages, and to help them realise they are not alone.  It is an absolute privilege to deliver these tools in a fun, inspiring and positive way through our SEED Workshops program."

Time management

As has been previously mentioned it is a busy term ahead. Students need to ensure that they are well prepared for all assessments. Regular application to homework and revision will assist students in all subject areas.

Secondary Assessments

This term there will be no formal semester exam week. Assessments will be on-going during the term and a number of formal in-class tasks will be undertaken. These may be in the form of tests, assignments, practical or group tasks to name a few. It is essential that they prepare adequately and complete tasks by the due date. Students are encouraged to use a diary to keep track of their individual assessments.

Students will be provided with the necessary information and revision guides. For students to achieve their best possible results it is essential that they adequately prepare for these assessments.

There will be exams in Week 6 for semester courses.

Winter Uniform

From the beginning of June all students are required to be in full winter uniform. Many students are already wearing the winter uniform and are to be congratulated for their efforts in being dressed according to the uniform code. If students are not correctly attired they are required to present a note to their Pastoral Care teacher and to remedy the situation as soon as practicable.

Please be aware that representative sports jackets, cattle team shirts and other sweaters are not acceptable uniform for day to day wear. The uniform shop has a list of requirements for all students. If there are any queries please contact the school.

Lost Property

There is a substantial amount of lost property in the staffroom. Students should check if they are missing any items of clothing, including shoes. It is advisable to clearly mark all items with names so that property can be easily and promptly returned to the correct owner.