PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Principals Newsletter Report 5 May 2022
It’s been a terrific start to term 2 for our Western Heights College Community. I was truly proud of our college community on day one of the term as we paused as a school to reflect and commemorate ANZAC Day. Our student leaders and College Captains led a very moving service on the front steps of the college as we reflected on what ANZAC spirit means to us as a school community. ANZAC spirit encompasses the values of courage, integrity, loyalty and teamwork – 4 values very closely aligned with our values here at Western Heights College - Community, Integrity and Courage. During the assembly the students were asked how they could show ANZAC spirit every day, here at WHC by trying to do their best at school, home and with their learning. By taking pride in everything they do and never giving up, even if the task is difficult or challenging. By showing courage and learning from mistakes and standing up for yourself and others by always saying no to bullying or from being a bystander. We asked our school community to have integrity. Know what is right and wrong and choose to do the right thing whilst committing to teamwork and working together at school, home and in our community. Show loyalty to ourselves and have belief that we can achieve all our dreams and goals.
ANZAC Day is an important day on our annual calendar and at Western Heights College and we will always stop to remember the significance of the day and the ANZAC spirit that embodies it so deeply.
Welcome to our community
At the start of term, we welcome several new students and their families to our college community who have recently relocated to Geelong, and we also welcome Jas Phillips and Nick Richardson to our school community. to our school. Nick and his wife have recently relocated to Geelong from Adelaide and will work in High Performance in the Specialist Sports Program after working extensively at the Geelong FC, Port Adelaide FC and most recently the Adelaide 36’s NBL Basketball Team. We welcome back to our education support community Jas Phillips who is a former school captain who is now teaching in our VCAL Numeracy Program in Year 11 and Year 12. Good luck to both gentlemen.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Kris Blicavs and his wife Steph, who along with Arlo welcomed a new little baby sister to their family last week. Etta we believe was born with a basketball in her hands!
NAPLAN Testing
Next week our Year 7 and 9 students will commence their NAPLAN testing. We hope that they enjoy the testing and participate fully, as the results give useful feedback to them, our teachers, our families, and the Department. If you have any questions on the NAPLAN testing process, please contact our Assistant Principal Warwick Lamb.
Professional Learning Day (Berry Street Education Model Day 2)
Our college will have our second whole staff professional learning day on Tuesday 24 May for our second day of the Berry St Education Model. This day will be pupil free day for students.
School Sport Victoria State Swimming Championships
Congratulations to Zac McInnes from Year 10 who won a bronze medal at the recent SSV State Swimming Championships in Melbourne in the U16 Boys 50m Backstroke event. We are very proud of Zac and thank his parents for transporting him to the championships last week.
State School Spectacular (SSS)
I had so much fun seeing over 100 students from the participating schools from Geelong for this year’s State School Spectacular (SSS) rehearsing at our Western Heights College SSS rehearsal hub last Friday. The SSS is such a wonderful celebration of collaboration, dance, performance, and movement for young people, and I am thrilled that the event is now confirmed to be a COVID safe in person live performance.
Last week was amazing. The students thoroughly enjoyed learning all of the routines and I thank Ms Dixon for her organisation in offering this program not just for our students but for our region.
COVID Safe Measures Term 2
We continue to see an easing of COVIDSafe measures in our school and in the community. With this easing, we may also continue to experience disruptions as staff and students are required to isolate. Thank you for your ongoing support in reminding your children about implementing COVIDSafe measures both at school and at other settings.
SSV Sporting Blue Award
Last week I was lucky enough to attend the Victorian School Sport Sporting Blues Awards for 2021 at the Glasshouse in Melbourne. Sienna Harvey received a prestigious Award in Basketball for her outstanding achievements in basketball in 2021 culminating in her being awarded a full 3-year scholarship to the AIS Centre of basketball Excellence in Canberra which she commenced early this year. Sienna was unable to attend the awards, but her mother and brother were able to attend the award ceremony to receive the award in her absence. We are certainly very proud of Sienna and her achievements and wish her eery success.
Take care, keep learning and happy Mother’s Day this weekend!
Fiona Taylor
Child Safety at WHC
Western Heights College is a child safe organisation committed to protecting students from all forms of abuse.
Our College has stringent protocols in place and endeavours at all times to be fully compliant with the Child Safe Standards set out under Ministerial Order 870.
Our College has the following documents and policies in place to achieve compliance with the Standards. All of these documents are available for downloading on our website or contact the school for a copy.
1. Commitment to Child Safety
2. Child Safety Policy
3. Child Safety Code of Conduct
4. Child Protection Policy and Procedures
Annual privacy policy reminder for 2022
Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy.(found on the colleges webpage)
Please take time to remind yourself of our school’s collection notice, found on our website. For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents and carers on the webpage. This information is also available in nine community languages:
* Amharic
* Arabic
* Dari
* Gujarati
* Mandarin
* Somali
* Sudanese
* Turkish
* Urdu
* Vietnamese.