CONNECT – TERM 1, 2023

PRINCIPALS REPORT

Welcome to the first edition of our Connect Newsletter for 2023.

As the proud Principal of our school, it is exciting to be able to share with you many of the great things happening in our school. Being a new school, this also means we have welcomed a new cohort of students into year 7 – more than doubling the size of our learning community. The first 5 weeks of the year have gone very quickly, but it has been rewarding to see so how proud our students and parents are of our school. This was especially evident at our first Assembly of the year,.

It was especially pleasing to see so many of our new families attend our Welcome BBQ. These types of events are so important as we continue to establish our school community and it was great to hear so many positive stories from the families who attended.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

Recently we had the pleasure of shortlisting several students who applied for the roles of Year Level Captains for 2023 in Year 7. These students then were provided the opportunity to deliver a presentation to their group before all students voted for their preferred candidate in each role. Throughout this process, all applicants impressed us all with their commitment to the College as well as their maturity and professionalism.

As a result of this lengthy process, I am very pleased to be able to announce the following students and their roles in student leadership for 2023, where they will work with our College Leadership Team to ensure we have a successful foundation year. These students were presented with their Leadership Pins at assemblies this term.

2023 COLLEGE STAFFING

The College has been busy with recruitment, and in 2023 we have the following new staff:

–       Learning Specialist (Growth & Enhancement) – Miss. Laura Carland

–       Classroom Teacher (Mathematics / Science) – Mrs. Madeline Austin

–       Classroom Teacher (English / Humanities) – Ms. Diane Dixon

–       Classroom Teacher (English / Humanities) – Mrs. Grace Edis

–       Classroom Teacher (English / Humanities) – Mr. Justin Crane

–       Classroom Teacher (Health & PE) – Mr. James Tonna

–       Classroom Teacher (Italian) – Mr. Michaelle Tomolo

–       Mental Health Practitioner – Miss. Julia Bediaga

–       Integration Aide – Miss. Caisha Rodden

–       Integration Aide – Mrs. Jawaria Sumreen

–       Instrumental Music – Mrs. Terri McPhail

The College has also completed the process to appoint staff to positions of responsibility for 2023, these include:

–       Year Level Leaders (Year 7) – Mrs. Melinda Gibbons and Mr. James Tonna

–       Year Level Leaders (Year 8) – Mrs. Angela Alessandri & Mr. Davey Van’t Schip

–       SRC and House Leader – Mr. Justin Crane

–       College Sport Coordinator – Mr. Davey Van’t Schip

–       Mathematics Learning Leader – Mrs. Melinda Gibbons

–       Science Learning Leader – Mrs. Angela Alessandri

–       English and Humanities Learning Leader – Miss. Rene Van Rooyen

–       Health and PE Learning Leader – Mr. James Tonna

–       Arts and Technology Learning Leader – Mrs. Rana Bakdache

ATTENDANCE AND FAMILY HOLIDAY PLANS

Post COVID many members of our community are looking to take the opportunity for extended travel. The College would like to take this opportunity to remind families our expectation that holiday plans should be made during the term breaks – not during learning time. It is important for us all that our students are in class as much as possible and they can only do that if they are at school.

TRANSITION EVENTS

The College has now announced dates for both our 2024 Family Information Sessions and College Tours. The enrolment demand on our College continues to increase and we are looking forward to meeting future families to show them how great our school is.

Bookings for both the Information Sessions and College Tours are available by visiting our website – http://www.greenvalesc.vic.edu.au

MUSIC PROGRAM

Our College Music Program continues to go from strength to strength which has included performances at our recent Welcome BBQ. We do have a few remaining spots available for various instrumental lessons and anyone interested is encouraged to contact the College.

ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM

Greenvale Secondary College offers a number of academic enhancement programs for our students. At Greenvale, we provide opportunities for students to do things that reflect their passion or interest. This ensures students take leadership of their learning and promotes more rapid learning growth. It has been fabulous to see our Enhancement program commencing with all students being supported to achieve high levels of learning growth.

2023 ANNUAL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

The College Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) documents a sharp and narrow focus on school improvement priorities and provides clarity and purpose for all members of the school community as they work towards the Goals.

The plan for 2023 was developed based on parent, student and staff input and we are excited with the work we have agreed to deliver this year.

WELCOME YEAR 7 AND NEW STAFF!

We have all been excited to welcome the 2023 students and staff to Greenvale Secondary College. Some new areas have opened to students to use at recess and lunch such as the grassed playing field, basketball court and front courtyard and it certainly feels more like a school now! We are very fortunate also to have another batch of excellent teachers in our school, all excited to be working in the Greenvale community.

THE CLASSROOM

The Year 7 students are settling in and the focus for Term 1 is on establishing good learning routines. Every session of the day, students line up outside the classroom. The teacher checks that students have all their resources so that they are ready to learn. Once in the classroom, students stand behind designated seats and wait to be greeted by the teacher before sitting quietly. It is a priority for us that classrooms are safe, supportive, and productive. Some of our new students are still struggling with learning this routine which is resulting in lunchtime and after-school detentions.

It can take some year 7 students some time to transition into secondary school; for most it will take at least a term. There is a strong partnership between families and the school to enhance this; communication must be strong, and we must work together to establish positive learning habits.

It is our goal that the learning in every classroom is intentional, engaging, targeted and effective. Our teachers work in Professional Learning Communities each Monday afterschool to examine their practice using evidence in an improvement cycle.

STUDENT MANAGEMENT

The following are some simple guidelines that we speak about constantly and would appreciate your support with at home:

1. We demonstrate tolerance, respect and kindness to everyone
2. We keep our hands to ourselves and respect each other’s space
3. We let a teacher (Mentor Teacher or YLL) if we have a problem
4. In an argument or conflict, we tell someone to ‘stop’, then walk away and report it to a teacher
5. We follow instructions of teachers and staff members
6. Violence is not a solution and is not tolerated at Greenvale Secondary College

NAPLAN

The delivery of NAPLAN has been brought forward in Australian schools to run In March (rather than May), beginning Wednesday March 15, 2023. This will mean parents and schools have access to the results earlier in the calendar year to enable a more timely and targeted response. We will schedule one test each day for students Wednesday – Monday and allow for catch up sessions for those who are absent.

WHY DO STUDENTS DO NAPLAN?

From <https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers>

As students progress through their school years, it is important to check how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and numeracy.

NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national standards and over time.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress.

NAPLAN also provides schools, education authorities and governments with information about how education programs are working and whether young Australians are achieving important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy.

WHAT CAN I DO TO SUPPORT MY CHILD?

Students are not expected to study for NAPLAN. You can support your child by reassuring them that NAPLAN is a part of their school program and reminding them to simply do their best. Some familiarisation and explanation of NAPLAN is useful to help students understand and be comfortable with the format of the tests. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the types of questions in the tests and will provide appropriate support and guidance.

ACARA does not recommend excessive preparation for NAPLAN or the use of services by coaching providers.

See the types of questions and tools available in the online NAPLAN assessments at the public demonstration site https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/public-demonstration-site.

It is important that students are prepared and have their charged laptop each day and headphones. There are still a small number of students who do not have their own device (laptop). It is only possible to borrow a school device for short term. Please contact the Office to discuss options for purchasing a device.

UNDERSTANDING AND ENGAGING IN YOUR CHILD’S FEEDBACK

As the term progresses, feedback will be coming to both students and families in a range of ways about different aspects of your child’s progress. Before the end of Term 1 this will include progress reports, Parent Teacher Interviews and specific feedback on learner progress against the Victorian Curriculum levels through the GSC assessment cycle.

Although feedback has been established as one of the most powerful factors to make an impact on student learning, experts also assert that to be effective the feedback must be received- not just given (Hattie, 2013). This means that in order for students to be able to use feedback to progress and move forward with their learning, they need to look beyond ticks and crosses, numerical scores or curriculum levels, and truly understand what they have been successful in and what they need to do next to improve.

Families have an opportunity to be an important part of this process. Teacher expertise on skills and content for their subject areas, as well as pedagogical knowledge in providing feedback in a range of ways means that we at the GSC are at the centre of the provision and understanding of feedback. However, the powerful voices at home can play a part in helping students ‘receive’ what their teacher is saying. Your input can reinforce and give more meaning to our words.

Families and teachers form a vital team to support student success in learning. According to research (Clarke, 2022) when schools and families work together:

• student learning is enhanced
• students stay in school longer
• students are more engaged with their schoolwork
• students go to school more regularly
• students have better social skills.

Engaging in and unpacking teacher feedback with your child is a straightforward and impactful way to regularly support your child’s progress. Together we can continue to strengthen the team of GSC, your child and your family.

Clarke, M. (2022). Supporting Family-School-Community Partnerships for Learning – Department of Education, Australian Government. [online] Department of Education. Available at: https://www.education.gov.au/supporting-family-school-community-partnerships-learning

John Hattie: “Think of feedback that is received not given.” (2013, January 2). VISIBLE LEARNING. https://visible-learning.org/2013/01/john-hattie-visible-learning-interview/#:~:text=There%20are%20two%20things%20I

Term 1 has been a very exciting term of growth within the music program from new staff, new students, new instruments being offered to a new building. This theme of ‘new’ has excited all the staff and students preparing for a big year ahead full of events, learning and musical enjoyment that is all building to a head towards the end of term 1.

We have expanded our team with the introduction of Terri McPhail specializing in woodwind teaching students a variety of instruments, Greenvale is lucky to have such an experienced specialist in instrumental music and are excited for the new range of instruments being offered at the college. We have had classroom demonstrations where Ms McPhail has come around to different classes playing songs and demonstrating various instruments on offer at the college, which excited the students and received many applications for students to expand their horizons to new and interesting musical instruments.

Greenvale Secondary College welcomed Yamaha Music to the school with more demonstrations of instruments on offer thanks to the Yamaha grant the school received. A group of professional musicians joined together to form a band and played for the schools Year 7 BBQ Welcome Evening. It was an exciting time for students who brought their parents to the school and had the opportunity to sit down with a professional musician from Yamaha and try out different instruments that they may be interested in pursuing. The school thanks Yamaha for coming down and building the instrumental music program alongside the college.

Mr Hammond has continued the fantastic work on stringed instruments with the guitar being a very popular instrument amongst year 7s and the violin taking off as a very popular instrument as well. Benjamin, Blake and Wez are continuing their hard work from last year with their small trio learning, practicing and performing together different songs from different genres expanding their musical vocabulary as they work together collaboratively to create some amazing pieces to soon be performed. Music captains Leyla Saylik and Madison Murray have contributed a lot to the program this year helping out setting up and packing down assemblies using their prior knowledge of music technology, they have helped to create an amazing culture within the program leading from the front in addition to their own private practice and lessons with Leyla being a prominent role of the musical theatre enhancement helping both year 7s and year 8s become better musicians, singers and actors.

Mr Rocek has continued to develop the instrumental and classroom music programs at the college with students in year 7 learning to play the piano in the classroom and developing their theoretical and practical music skills. In instrumental drum lessons students have been learning basic beats and rhythms and applying them to the drumkit using their hands and feet to play various rhythms and notes. Osman has excelled in his lessons with some of the songs he’s working on, Caught Up by Usher which features multiple polyrhythms between hands and feet as well as hits throughout the song. We are very excited about the future of the drum students and hope to continue the hard work so that students can develop their skills and play with other musicians in ensemble groups as they learn new songs to play for audiences.

The instrumental music program is moving forward at a rapid pace and we are so grateful for our teachers who put in so much effort and work. We always welcome new students into the program and always are looking for students on Brass and Woodwind instruments to further excel our program to make it the best program in the area. If you would like to join the program feel free to speak to any of the music staff for a sign form for instrumental music and we would love to have you join us. Thank you to all the parents for all your support in helping the students practice and realize their dreams.

It has been an exciting start of the term for our Greenvale Secondary College students.

We had our swimming carnival on a beautiful sunny day at East Keilor Leisure Centre. Students participated in a variety of 50 metre races to earn points and ribbons for their house. Besides the participation in races students enjoyed a variety of novelty events on dry land and in the indoor pools. At the end of the day Waring house won the inaugural Greenvale Secondary College swimming carnival house cup.

Our year 7 students had their first experience representing Greenvale Secondary College in interschool sports. The year 7 boys cricket team had a great day out in which they competed against other schools in the Woodlands division. The finished just outside the top 2 after an extremely tight contest against Aitken College.

The year 7 boys and girls volleyball team narrowly missed out on a place at regionals after finishing 3^rd and 2^nd respectively. They represented the college extremely well on their first outing as a team and the college is extremely excited what the rest of the year will hold in store.

Hoping that the Summer break was one of new experiences, time with family and friends, that students are rejuvenated and ready for all that lies ahead. This year, we’re continuing to prioritize the mental and physical health of our students.

THIS YEAR WE LOOK FORWARD TO INVITING BACK

• Mancave
• Big Sister Experience
• Raise Mentoring
• Drumbeat
• Victoria Police
• With the introduction of:
  • Mpower
  • Love Bites
  • Paw Pals

NEW STAFF MEMBERS HAVE JOINED THE STUDENT SERVICES TEAM

Mental Health Practitioner – Julia Bediga, Tuesday only

Julia’s role as Mental Health Practitioner entails working one-on-one with students, facilitating group sessions, and discovering innovative ways to upskill the whole school on mental health literacy. Julia is very passionate about having important conversations that support young people to feel empowered to move through life with confidence and authenticity. Julia completed a Masters in Social Work and is continuing to study a Graduate Diploma of Psychology.

Jawaria Sumreen – Integration Aide

Jawaria has a Master’s Degree in Physics and Double Mathematics from overseas, and a strong background in teaching Maths and Science. Jawaria is passionate about supporting students to make their lives better and help them to achieve their goals. She believes in providing care and support with respect so we can transform students lives.

Caisha Rodden – Trainee Integration Aid

Caisha recently completed her Diploma of Educational Studies and is passionate about the students learning and experiences throughout their journey of high school. Caisha is looking forward to building confidence, knowledge and skills in our students.

HOMEWORK CLUB

All students have the option of attending homework on a Monday and Tuesday after school.

Consent needs to be provided by parents/ carers.  Please complete consent via COMPASS Homework club is a great time for students to receive support to complete their home.

Please note that students must have work to complete at homework rather than sitting around socializing with their friends.

BREAKFAST CLUB

Late last year Greenvale Secondary College were informed that they had been nominated to run breakfast club at the school.  For Breakfast Club to become a regular feature of the school a number of items need to be purchased: Fridge, toaster x 3, sandwich press x3, crockery, cutlery, utensils.  Currently school council members are seeking donations.

Whilst the final touches are organized for ongoing breakfast club occurrences you will receive COMPASS posts in relation to pop up Breakfast Club mornings.

Also, if you require food support for home or the odd lunch for your child please make contact with Tanya or Romy from Student Services.

VICTORIA POLICE STOPIT SERVICE

STOPIT is a new Victoria Police text notification service enabling commuters, including school students, to report any form of inappropriate behaviour that makes them feel uncomfortable, frightened or threatened on the public transport network.

How STOPIT works

The STOPIT service enables commuters to use their mobile phone to promptly, easily and discreetly report inappropriate behaviours.

To use the service, commuters simply text ‘STOPIT’ to 0499 455 455. This triggers an automated response that includes a link to where the commuter can provide more details about what’s just happened.

When people report these types of inappropriate behaviours, police can investigate and identify offenders to improve safety on public transport for everyone.

Parents and carers are encouraged to consider discussing the new service with students who travel on public transport. Students who use mobile phones outside of school hours are encouraged to save the STOPIT number in their mobile phone.

Please note, STOPIT is for reporting non-urgent incidents on public transport. Always phone 000 in an emergency.

For more information, refer to sexual and anti-social behaviour on public transport on the Victoria Police website.

PARENT/ CARER PROGRAMS

WELCOME 

Our Administration Team, Connie, Mikayla and Julian are always happy to assist and support all students and families at the front reception daily. Our Administration Office is open 8:00am – 4:00pm Monday to Friday. We are committed to doing our best and if you ever have any questions or queries, we are here to help.

KEY DATES

LATE ARRIVAL TO SCHOOL

Students who arrive late to school, after 8:50am, must sign in through the Compass Kiosk either using their student card or Compass Login details.

Parents/Guardians can either use the Compass Kiosk to sign their child late or contact the Office on 8393 0000, advising us why their child will be late.

EARLY DEPARTURE FROM SCHOOL

We realise that at times you need to pick up your child early from school. When your child needs to be picked up early from school, can you please either contact the Office on 8393 0000 or send your child with a note to bring into Office Administration letting us know, the time you will be picking up your child. This will ensure the class teacher will be notified your child needs to leave class. 

When picking up your child early, you are required to come into the Administration Office and sign your child out through the Compass Kiosk.

ATTENDANCE – IT’S NOT OK TO BE AWAY! 

Daily school attendance is important for all children and young people to succeed in education and to ensure they don’t fall behind both socially and developmentally. Children and young people who regularly attend school and complete Year 12 or an equivalent qualification have better health outcomes, better employment outcomes, and higher incomes across their lives. It is important that children develop habits of regular attendance at an early age. 

We realise some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. But we also know that when students miss too much school – regardless of the reason – it can cause them to fall behind academically.  

It is important that you contact the school as soon as possible on 8393 0000 or log onto the Compass Portal to inform us of your child’s absence.  

We also ask parents/guardians/carers to regularly monitor their child’s attendance through the Compass Parent Portal. 

EVERY DAY COUNTS 

A day here or there doesn’t seem like much but… 

UNIFORM – TERM 1

At the beginning of Term 1, all students should start wearing their Summer Full School Uniform. Students who are not in Full School Uniform, we ask that a note is brought the Administration Office, explaining why your child cannot wear their full school uniform, so a uniform pass can be issued for the day.

Please note, in Term 1 if wearing a Pullover or Cardigan to and from school, the Blazer is a requirement as an outer garment.

LOST PROPERTY

Students at times loose their clothing and personal items. We have a lost property cupboard.  If your child has lost clothing or school items, please come and check at the Administration Office.

It is important to put name tags on your child’s clothing/stationary, to ensure any lost items can be returned to the owner.

PURCHASE OF UNIFORMS

Uniform items can be purchased from Noone Imagewear.

New Craigieburn Store Open. Shop A2-E,  420-440 Craigieburn Rd, Craigieburn.  Shopping Precinct – Craigieburn Junction. Cnr Craigieburn Rd and Aitken Boulevard. Store is located next to Carpet Call.

Online orders call also be placed directly at https://www.noone.com.au