PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Key Dates

3 to 7 June               Year 7 - 10 Exams

10 June                     Queen's Birthday

                                     (Public Holiday)

11, 13 & 14 June  Year 11 & 12 Exams

12 June                    GAT - Unit 4 Students

14 June                     Assessment & Reporting Day

                                     (Student Free Day)

17 June                    Semester 2 commences

28 June                    Last day Term 2

                                     (1:30 pm finish)

22 October              Year 12 Graduation

Mr Nicholas Adamou

Principal

Child Safe Standards: Creating a safe environment

North Geelong SC is a child safe school/organisation that aims to comply with Ministerial Order No. 870 - Child Safe Standards, which came into effect 1 August 2016.

The school is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people and this is the primary focus of our care and decision-making. We have a zero tolerance for child abuse. 

NGSC is committed to providing a child safe environment where children and young people are safe and feel safe, and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives. Particular attention is paid to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as the safety of children with a disability. 

Every person involved in NGSC has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role he/she plays individually and collectively to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make. 

In addition, the school has a Wellbeing Centre with a number of full time staff members working with the students ensuring they are building resilience skills and having their wellbeing needs addressed. Together with the Doctors in Schools program the school wellbeing team works with a number of external agencies and organisations utilising their expertise, improving our students’ wellbeing, ensuring they feel safe and able to be productive in a caring learning and teaching environment.      

Semester Exams

We are nearly halfway through Term 2 already and Semester Two is around the corner. Semester Two, will begin in Week 9 of Term Two (17 June). Semester exams for all Year 7 to 12 students will take place in Weeks 7 and 8 (3 June to 14 June). On 14 June students will not be required to attend classes (Student Free Day) as Teachers will be working on Assessment and Reporting, however, students who have a Year 11 or 12 exam are required to attend for their exam.

Also, all Year 12 students and Year 11 students who are currently undertaking a Unit 3 VCE subject will be expected to undertake the GAT (General Achievement Test) examination on Wednesday, 12 June.

Details about the exams timetable for all Year Levels will be distributed to all students via their Year Level Sub-School Leaders and Compass.

North Geelong SC has planned and implemented Semester exams for a number of years now and Semester examinations are well embedded in our school calendar and culture. The formal examination structure creates an opportunity to provide students with skills in examination preparation, practice and personal experience in the valuable life skill of undertaking formal testing. Regular opportunities must be provided through both formative and summative assessment for students to develop examination techniques and to receive feedback on their performance.

Our school community prides on our structure examinations, ensuring that;

• Students develop confidence and skill in exam techniques and settings
• Students gain experience in formal testing situations that may be useful in later life
• a home/school study culture of regular revision and test preparation is instilled
• subject specific exam skills are developed
• the learning and teaching culture of North Geelong secondary College amongst the students, parents and wider community is reinforced
• an additional assessment tool for teachers and students is provided

Wishing all students Good Luck with the upcoming exams.

The GAT Exam

Wednesday 12 June 2019

The General Achievement Test (GAT) is a three-hour test of general knowledge and skills in; 

•    Written communication 

•    Mathematics, Science and Technology

•    Humanities, the Arts and Social Sciences.

The GAT is an essential part of the VCE assessment process. While it is important that all students attempt the GAT, the test is not part of the graduation requirements and doesn't count towards VCE results. The GAT plays an important role in checking that school assessments and examinations have been accurately assessed.

Students enrolled in Units 3 and 4 of any VCE study – whether in Year 11 or Year 12 – must sit the GAT unless they are exempted by the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA).

Student’s GAT results are reported with their Statement of Results.

For more information, see: General Achievement Test

Close to the end of the first Semester

Please note that as we move closer to the conclusion of second term and the end of Semester One, the following will be occurring:

• Semester reports are currently being prepared and will be posted on line by the middle of June, (beginning of Semester 2)
• Teachers will be finalising assessment and reporting on Friday, 14 June and students are not required at school on this day (unless they are required to sit a Year 11 or Year 12 Exam)

Following the posting of semester reports, parents will have the opportunity to contact teachers on a needs basis to discuss progress and planning for the second half of the year.  Some of the parents have already met with school Key Stakeholders, such as; Home Group Teachers, Sub School Leaders, Careers Team, Year level Coordinators and Principal Class Officers in relation to planning and setting goals for Semester 2.

Show me how it’s done!

An interesting piece of research suggests that we learn very effectively when we have people show us how to perform a task and involve us directly in it. Anyone trying to connect their IPod or iPad to the flat touch screen TV set will also agree that it is often much more effective to have someone show you how to do that, than to decipher the manual yourself. 

Parents/Carers model this mode of teaching by showing their children how to do a myriad of things as they are growing up. 

At North Geelong SC, it is important to provide students with a range of “ways of learning” and to have outside experts, teachers and students act as mentors and role-models to help students see “how it’s done” – this is a great and powerful tool. 

In particular, opportunities for younger students to see older role models such as Year 11 and 12 students are a real feature of our school. Also the Excellence in Sports program, in partnership with the Geelong Football Club and Victoria Police, enhances self-discipline and confidence in our students, with the great role modelling of high level football players, AFL umpires and Victoria Police. This program places strong emphasis on “Show me how it’s done”. These Sports people and the Police Officers work with The Year 9 and 10 Excellence in Sports program students who learn more effectively by others showing them how. Our educational setting, our school culture and our mindset allow this to occur naturally and it is such an asset in developing confident, capable young adults who are ready to be useful, employable global citizens. 

Currently, our Student Leaders (School Captains & SRC) are enjoying the role of modelling to the rest of the student body through many extracurricular activities, such as; performing arts, song and dance, organising sporting events, coaching junior sporting teams, taking the lead in school environmental issues and a number of other academic activities. 

Picking Up and Dropping Off your children around schools

For the safety of children, parents/guardians are reminded and strongly encouraged to take care and obey parking signs when picking up or dropping off children around the school. Council’s parking and information officers regularly patrol school areas during start and finish times and motorists detected breaching parking regulations risk being issued with a Penalty Infringement Notice.

Remember, as soon as you stop to let your children in or out of the car, you are deemed to be parked. You do not have to leave your car or turn the engine off to receive a fine.

At children’s crossings, you must remain stationary at the stop line while any person (including an adult or the supervisor) is on the crossing or the stop sign is displayed. Do not let your child out at this time; ensure that they wait until you are safely and legally parked.

If you breach a parking regulation the parking and information officer assigned to monitor our school crossing will usually record your registration number and details, and the Penalty Infringement Notice will be posted to the registered owner of the vehicle within the next three days.

Also dropping off or picking up children in the staff car park is prohibited and no parents/carers should be parking in the staff car park at any point in time. This behaviour places our students at great risks as they are walking to school or riding their bicycles through the car park.

Please ensure you adhere to the parking regulations around schools and the school’s expectations, so that all children are safe and you avoid running the risk of a Parking Infringement.

Capital Works and Refurbishment

The 4.75 million dollars capital works project continues to progress satisfactorily and is within the scheduled timeline. The school community is very happy to be working in the newly refurbished or brand new facilities. Students I talk to, fully appreciate the modern teaching and outdoor spaces.

All new or refurbished teaching spaces are fully air-conditioned and include the latest ‘touch screen’ ICT technology, ensuring that our broad curriculum and extra-curriculum programs are complimented with the resources and cutting edge ICT technology.

The works are expected to be completed by early July. We can now truly say that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Semester 2 begins on 17 June

Semester 2 timetable begins on Monday, 17 June.