Principal's Update

Dear Families, Students and Community Members,

End of Semester – Reminder of Key Dates

A reminder of some of our key dates for students now that we are nearing the end of Semester One. 

Semester 1 ended or will be ending on:

• Friday 19 May for Years 10 and 11 
• Monday 22 May to Friday 26 May – revision week in all classes for Years 10-11 students 
• Friday 26 May end of Unit 3 (Year 12)
• Thursday 8 June for Years 7 – 9 students

All major assessments in the form of assignments and projects needed to be submitted by:

• Friday 19 May for Years 10 – 12 students
• Friday 26 May for Years 7 – 9 students

Semester One exams for Years 10-11 students are taking place from next week, Monday 29 May – Thursday 8 June. All students were provided a copy of their respective exam timetable last week. Year 10 and 11 students have classes cancelled for the two weeks week, however, are expected to remain at school if they have more than one exam on any one day, and the Hub and Senior School Centre have been provided as places to study in between exams. If students only have one exam on during the day, they are expected to be studying at home for the rest of the day, preparing for their next exam.

Our Year 12 students will be starting Unit 4 work from Monday 29 May and Semester 2 for all other year levels begins on Tuesday 13 June. Please note we have a pupil free day on Friday 9 June as our designated professional practice day for staff and they will be onsite finalising Semester One reports and preparing for the beginning of Semester Two. 

The General Achievement Test (GAT) for all students studying a Unit 3 and 4 sequence in Year 11 and 12; and all students studying Year 12 Vocational Major is scheduled across the state for 15 June. Students will receive further information about the arrangements for this from our Director of Senior School, Susan Cochrane. 

Facility Development – Balcony refurbishment

We have been through the tender process with the DET appointed architects Watson Young and the Victorian Schools Building Authority, and John Lyng Group have been appointed to complete the refurbishment of our balcony in the front two storey building. This includes the whole back wall and side walls of the front two storey building along with windows and the actual upstairs balcony. The new balcony will be enclosed, protecting students from the weather, and carpeted along the hallway providing classrooms upstairs with break out spaces. We will also have a more contemporary colour scheme with the removal of the yellow external and internal walls and windows, being replaced with monument windows, the outside wall will be grey and internally the new walls will be white. Most of this work will be completed in the June/July school holiday period. 

Literacy

Literacy underpins all learning and as such we cannot emphasise enough the importance of reading each night. This should be part of all students' homework plans if they are not already reading for pleasure. Twenty minutes a day can make a huge difference for a student in developing their use and understanding of vocabulary. See article via link:

Students can make requests at the Hub help desk for future purchases if there is a book, they would like to read in hardcopy that is not in our current collection, and we also have our e-book borrowing system with a wide variety of novels.

When it comes to reading, girls typically do better than boys. An article you may find interesting that includes some strategies to help parents encourage boys to read more is attached here for your reference. Boys and reading - "10 ways to help the boys in your life read for enjoyment (not just for school)" — https://theconversation.com/10-ways-to-help-the-boys-in-your-life-read-for-enjoyment-not-just-for-school-205997

Our whole school professional development sessions this year with staff continue to be focused on improving student writing. Meaningful writing should be happening in almost every lesson. Last year and this year staff and students have been focused on the 6+1 traits of writing framework, thus developing a common language around writing. The six traits are: Ideas, Organisation, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency and Conventions with the plus one being Presentation.

Vaping

Parents, carers, schools, and community all play an important role in protecting children and young people from, and educating them about, the harmful effects of smoking and vaping.

Research from the Royal Children’s Hospital shows many parents and carers are not aware of the harmful effects or how their views about smoking and vaping can impact the likelihood of a young person taking up smoking or vaping.

The Department of Education and Training has developed resources to help you learn more about the health risks of smoking and vaping, and some suggestions about how to talk to children and young people about vaping, and where to get support. To access the resources, go to https://www.vic.gov.au/smoking-and-vaping-advice-parents

You can also view this video on smoking and vaping from experts at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne for health advice and tips for starting a conversation with young people.

Smoking and Vaping: Advice for Parents fact sheet:

Our school policy is also attached here for your referral: Tobacco Smoking (including Electronic Cigarettes) Policy:

Traffic Management

To ease congestion at peak drop off and pick up times, the City of Kingston Traffic Management team last year put up signage for a Kiss and Go section at the front of the school in Attenborough Road. This area has taken over the previously signed 15 minute car parks for peak times and now cars are only allowed to pull in for a couple of minutes. Please follow this new signage and the new time limits that apply if you normally drop off and/or pick up your child/ren from here. I encourage parents to avoid this area if you can and organise to pick your child/ren up in the Governor Road carpark at the back of the school. Students can leave the school via the gate near the Discovery Centre, then walk across the bridge over the creek directly into this car park. In addition, there is the parking map that the City of Kingston developed for our families attached here, highlighting alternative places to park in our surrounding areas for drop off/pick up of your child/ren. See map here: 

Concerned members of our community have passed on information that there unfortunately appear to be some Mordialloc College families driving near other local schools without considering the additional safety measures required at the peak times of the school day - particularly driving dangerously along Mill Street with what appears to be little concern for the children who were crossing the road to the school there.

Please can we ask that our families help to increase the overall safety of all children in our community by observing due care and attention whilst driving at these peak times of the school day.

It is fantastic to see our bike enclosure so full of bikes every day. A reminder to all students who ride their bicycles to school, it is mandatory that helmets are worn for your own safety. Cyclists are required to obey the same road rules as car drivers plus some bicycle specific rules e.g., wearing a securely fitted and fastened helmet whether you are riding on the roads, bike paths or shared footpaths. As such, you can be fined for not complying and most importantly we value your safety and do not want to see any of our students end up with a major head injury. Please also be very careful as you exit the school onto Attenborough Road and Pine Crescent at the end of the school day when it is a busy time for cars driving along here to pick up students. 

Year 8 Camp

Last week our Year 8 students attended camp at Phillip Island over three days and experienced a typical mix of weather conditions. Students had the opportunity to participate in a range of adventure and team building activities including laser strike, twin flying fox, canoeing, initiative activities, archery, giant swing, raft building, high ropes, bushman’s breakfast and team rescue.  What a way to spend three days! 

Thanks to our Year 8 Level Coordinators, Claire Bruce and Andrew Potter, for organising and leading this camp for our students, and the Year 8 team of teachers and integration aides who joined them over the three days to support their students: Bella Barker, Ebony Powell, Angela Ziagas, Sarah Robinson, Jo Hannan, Miranda Wilson, Liz McConville, Julie Pretty, Michael Barbas, Kelly Scurrah, Simon Cummins, Brendan McFarland, Blake Murray, Hayley Gregory, Helen Liapis, Di Douglas, Liz Ireson, Sonia McAllister, Andrew Fisher and Aine Bennett.

Brainstorm Productions

On Monday students in Years 7 to 9 participated in an incursion by Brainstorm Productions called Wired. The presentation went for one lesson for each of these year levels over the day and focused on cyberbullying and mental health. It provided strategies for resilience, help-seeking and positive relationships. Thanks to Director of Middle School, Brendan McFarland, for organising this important incursion. 

Michelle Roberts

Principal