by Rosina Fotia, Principal
How quickly the term has passed! Once again there has been no end of activities that student have undertaken throughout the term, both in and out of the classroom. Students and staff have engaged in academic, sporting, artistic and social pursuits in a very busy term.
Learning Focus
Students in Years 7 and 8 have completed OnDemand testing. Teachers are now using this data in their planning sessions. Data allows teachers scaffold the learning for all students to ensure that students needing extension are identified and that their learning needs are met. In addition to this, students needing support with Literacy and Numeracy have also been identified and supports for their learning have been put in place.
Curriculum Day
Friday March 9 was our first curriculum day for the year. Teachers worked in faculties over three sessions during the day. The main objectives achieved on the day included:
- New Science, Maths and English subjects in Years 9 and 10
- New VCE Study Designs in Health & Human Development, Legal Studies, Media, Outdoor & Environmental Education, Physical Education, and Product Design & Technology
- Documenting Writing-to-Learn and Substantive Talk strategies that improve students’ subject knowledge as well as their writing and conversation skills
Educational Support staff also used this time to confirm their goals for the Performance and Development process. Thank you to Tracey Green and Tim Chapman for their work on this day.
Ota Daiichi Visit
Our sister school visitors (nine students and two teachers) arrived on March 9. They were kept very busy during their stay at the College: undertaking visits to Lilydale Primary School, meeting with the Mayor, visiting Phillip Island and participating in studies in an Australian school. None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of our College community. Thank you to those families who hosted our guests, staff who welcomed students into their classes and the organising committee led by Isabella Phillips and including: Kerry Barrett, Penne Evans and Michelle Pezzimenti.
Year 7 Camp
The Year 7 Transition Camp to Phillip Island is now completed. The camp was action filled and reports from staff and students indicate that it was a great success. Teachers’ jokes were poor. Activities were plentiful but most importantly, students have returned with newly developed and consolidated friendships. Peer Support students also joined the camp and lead a series of beach activities with students. Congratulations to the camp organisers, Mr Bryce Denny, Mr Henry Lees and all supporting teaching and ES staff who helped make this transition activity such a success.
Welcome Courtney Croxford (Adolescent Health Nurse)
Lilydale Heights College is pleased to welcome Courtney Croxford as the new Adolescent Health Nurse at Lilydale Heights College.
The Adolescent Health Nurse focuses on reducing negative health outcomes and risk taking behaviour of young people, through the implementation of health promotion activities and interventions. This may involve supporting health teachers deliver health curriculum, running student workshops in response to a health need within the school and assisting students in accessing local health providers.
Professionally, Courtney is a Registered Nurse and has a Masters of Health Promotion. She has spent the last five years working both clinically in hospitals and running health programs in primary schools, endeavouring to educate and empower people to make healthy life choices.
Whilst Courtney will work closely with teachers to identify and develop programs to support young children at risk, she is available to work with students one on one. Parents wishing their child to access support can do so by contacting Emily Gerson (Student Wellbeing Coordinator) on 9735 1133.
Attendance - Every Day Counts!!
We all want our students to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day.
Students develop good habits by going to school every day – habits that are necessary to succeed after school, whether in the workplace or in further study.
Missing school can have a big impact on students academically and socially. It can affect their test results, including VCE & VCAL, and, just as importantly, it can affect their relationships with other students, and lead to social isolation.
There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes.
Each missed day is associated with falling behind in subject topics and assessment tasks, and lead to fewer subject choices and may impact on achievement in Years 11 and 12 and post-school pathways.
Being away from school for 1 day a fortnight equals missing 1.5 years over 13 years of school.
It’s never too late to improve attendance. Even in the middle years, when school can seem the most challenging for students and when attendance rates can be at their lowest, going to school more often can make a big difference. Every day counts.
Harmony Day
This SRC ran its first free dress day for the year and celebrated Harmony Day. Harmony Day is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values. The College embraced the day and the SRC must be commended for its efforts. Well done!
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Practice Evacuation Drill
The Department of Education and Training (DET) is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all students and staff. In order to ensure that this is the case, each school develops an Emergency Management Plan. A critical part of that plan is the planning for and practice of evacuation and lockdown drills. The College undertook a practice evacuation drill this month. The drill went very smoothly and the students’ response to the situation was impeccable.
KidzMondo coming to Yarra Valley
KidzMondo is an international edutainment concept, designed to provide a complete solution for children in a unique indoor theme park. It is a kid-sized city that is created with the intention to impart knowledge through playful learning. KidzMondo Yarra Valley, located at the Tech School site, will play a pivotal role in adding value to the role of our existing educational institutions. This will occur through edutainment (that combines education with entertainment and fun), with the aim to deliver careers and financial literacy experiences for children aged 4-14. I was present at the official signing of the contract with the Minister for Education this month and look forward to its anticipated opening late this year.
