Principal's Report
Carwatha College
From The Principal
Dear Families, Students and Community Members,
As I reflect on the start of Term 3, it becomes clear how much time and effort is committed to Carwatha College P-12 by staff, students and parents.
This term already, our students have had opportunities to experience many great learning activities.
Year 10 and 11 students attended sessions provide by Elevate Education. These sessions are designed to help boost student achievement, improve learning outcomes and assist students to achieve their best possible outcomes. Our Football Academy students attended the Real Madrid World of Football experience, an interactive exhibition at the Melbourne Museum. Year 10 students participated in the Road Smart experience at Sandown racetrack where they had the experience of driving a car. Bell Shakespeare Theatre Company performed for our primary and secondary students. Year 9 students started their Community Leadership Program with The Salvation Army. I was fortunate enough to attend the Grade 5 and 6 camp to Malmsbury. Thank you to all staff who have put in the time and effort to organise these experiences.
Careers Expo
It was great to see so many of our parents and students attend this event at the beginning of Term 3. Choosing pathways can be a challenging time for many young people as decisions about the future need to be made. VCE or VCAL? University or TAFE? Science or Arts? Prerequisites or not? The questions are numerous, but with the guidance of experienced and knowledgeable course counsellors, they are questions that can be explored and answered. Attendance at all course counselling days was excellent, indicating the interest and engagement of students and parents at Carwatha College P-12. Families will receive confirmation of the courses in the coming weeks.
Student Attendance and Educational Outcomes
Regular attendance is important for all children and young people to succeed in education and to ensure they do not fall behind both socially and developmentally. Studies show that absence does affect learning growth and that there is no safe number of days to be absent. A child missing one day a fortnight will miss four weeks in a year, and more than a year of school by the time they are in Year 10. It is important that children develop regular attendance habits at an early age. In addition, a student who is half an hour late each day misses the equivalent of 16.6 days of learning each year. This is not acceptable. It is not okay to be away or late without a medical certificate. School participation maximizes life opportunities for our young people by providing them with education and support networks. School helps children to develop important skills, knowledge and values that set them up for further learning and participation in their community. If you are having difficulty getting your child to school, please contact your Year Level Co-ordinator or the Wellbeing Team at the College to discuss strategies that may assist you.
Parent Survey 2018
The use of opinion data to monitor school performance is a very important step towards making our school the best it can possibly be. Annual and anonymous opinion surveys for staff, students and parents are conducted and the information collected is used to drive school improvements and shape the future direction of the College. Over the next month, parents have the opportunity to tell us what you think. Randomly selected families (about 30% of parents) should have already received information about the online parent opinion survey and we ask that these families please take the time to complete the survey. The survey is conducted online by ORIMA Research Pty Ltd and only takes 15 minutes to complete. It can be accessed from Monday 23rd July to Sunday 26th August. The survey will help our school gain an understanding of how you view our school climate, student engagement, and relationships. Results will be available to the school by the end of September.
Upcoming events
In the coming weeks, we have the Presentation Ball, a great family night out and very exciting for the 30 students participating this year. The dance instructors have again chosen some fabulous music and are working with the students to ensure a great night for all.
On Tuesday September 11th, the College will hold its Multi-Cultural Assembly at 8.45am in the main gym. Students are encouraged to wear their national costumes and many students and a handful of brave staff will perform. Parents are very welcome at this assembly. It promises to be a great day.
Year 12
For Year 12 students in particular, who are in the final 12 weeks of their school life, there is not only the very immediate challenge of investigating future career prospects, but also the need to ensure that they satisfy educational standards that qualify them for entry into their career choice. It is important that students use their time appropriately and productively in order to achieve to a level which reflects their abilities and talents. I encourage all of our year 12 students to continue to strive to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Pat Mulcahy.