Welcome Back!

Welcome to our  first newsletter for 2024.

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new Year 7 class of 2024. They have settled in really well, and have made a smooth transition into secondary school.

We would also like to welcome the 50 or so new students in other year levels and their families to the College. We hope you are making friends and enjoying your classes.

There are  also a number of new staff joining us this year. Welcome to all of them!  You will read their introductions later in this newsletter.

NAPLAN 13 – 25 March

The National Assessment Program (NAPLAN) is a literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. The tests assess 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.

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

NAPLAN tests are delivered in an online format which includes a ‘tailored test’ design that adapts to correct and incorrect student responses providing a more precise understanding of student achievement.

All eligible students are expected to participate in the NAPLAN tests. Catch up tests will be available for individual students who are absent on test days up to and including Monday 25 March 2024.

Support will be arranged for students with additional needs if the student regularly uses similar support for classroom assessment tasks.

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. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the types of questions in the tests and will provide appropriate support and guidance. 

For more information about the tests, please visit the VCAA website at: www.vcaa.vic.edu.au or the NAP website at: www.nap.edu.au.

We are Better Together

Every Semester our school has a wellbeing theme to help all our students feel more Connected Protected and Respected (CPR). This Semester our CPR theme is “We are better together”.  This theme focuses on the idea that by working together to support each other we can ensure everyone achieves strong learning and wellbeing outcomes. “We are better together” is also about taking pride in our school and community and living by our school values of Leadership, Respect, Integrity and Excellence every day.

 

Year 12 Study Camp

Congratulations to the Senior Sub School for running and very successful Year 12 Study Camp. The Year 12 students spent two days in the city staying at a University of Melbourne residential College. They had the opportunity to tour different universities and learnt important study skills and participate in lectures to set them up for success this year. They also spend time getting to know each other better and building strong bonds with each other and teachers to help them throughout this year. We wish our Year 12s every success as they embark on their final year of education.

Attendance and Punctuality

At St Albans Secondary College we value attendance and being on time. Students are expected to attend school every day and arrive by 8.45am. We would ask the support of parents and families to ensure their children attend school on time every day.

Being on time matters because:

1. When you are late it disrupts your learning, your teacher’s teaching and the learning of others. Being on time shows you have respect for other people and that you care as much about their time as your own
2. It demonstrates that you are diligent and dependable and care about your learning
3. It indicates that you honour your commitments and you can be trusted
4. It sets a good example to others
5. Its an important life skill

Being late just 10 minutes a day adds up to over 17 days of learning across 17 years of school. We understand that, at times, there will be things beyond your control that result in students being late. On these occasions, please talk with the relevant Coordinator.

 

Whole School Assembly

We held our first whole school assembly to welcome our 2024 Year 7 cohort on Friday 9 February.  The morning celebration took place in the covered outdoor teaching space with an audience of approximately 1800 students and staff. At this assembly, we not only welcomed our Year 7 cohort, but also all other new staff and students and their families into the St Albans School Community.  These assemblies are an important part of our school calendar and school traditions.  The assembly provided an opportunity for us all be together to make connections, especially with our new Year 7s.  The assembly began with Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elder Aunty Julieanne Axford, who welcomed us to country and gave an overview of the history of traditional culture for our area and surrounds.  Also in attendance was our local Member of Parliament, Natalie Suleyman.

During proceedings, we celebrated together and acknowledged examples of student leadership and excellence in a range of areas.  We were treated to student musical performances and an overview of the excellent 2023 VCE and VCE VM achievements. Our school Captains Sally Li and Kevin (Long) Nguyen welcomed our newest students and Elisha Chua and Jayden Truong of Year 7 responded on behalf of the Year 7 Cohort.  Students were provided an over view of the scholarships, awards and prizes available.  The 2024 Year 7 scholarship recipients were introduced and presented with a certificate by the College Principal Mr Craig Jennings and our School Council Vice President, Ms Natalija Nesvadba.

 

 

Students were reminded of the Student Recognition Prize, an iPad, awarded at the end of each year to a student from each sub school who exemplifies the school values of Respect, Integrity, Leadership and Excellence; this includes having over 90% attendance, always behaving in accordance with expectations and respectfully to both other students and staff, and wearing school uniform correctly.

This was the first of our whole school events for 2024 and we look forward to our next opportunity to come together.  These traditions are what helps to create a school community and certainly support our whole school commitment to Connect, Protect and Respect (CPR).

2024 Swimming Carnival

We will have our Swimming Carnival on Tuesday 5 March.  All Year 7 and 8 students and House Captains from other year levels will attend Oak Park Aquatic Centre for this whole day event. Activities will run throughout the day to complement the swimming program and students attending need to be in either school or sports uniform.  This is another of our school events that promotes CPR and, if the practice chanting is an indication of the enthusiasm, it should be a lively and competitive day of swimming and activities.  Notices will go out to parents to provide further information regarding the carnival closer to the date.

Teacher Writes Her Way into the Curriculum

Amra Pajalic, award winning author, editor and teacher at St Albans Secondary College, has had her article “I live in St Albans and we’re not all criminals” that was published in The Age in May 2023, being used as a new sample exam for VCE Sociology by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA). Amra says “As a writer and a teacher this is everything. It means so much that an article that I wrote has resonated with so many readers and is now being used as an educational resource. This article was very personal and led to me being a tiny celebrity in my local suburb of St Albans and it makes me so proud that it’s getting to be read by many more.”  Congratulation to Amra on this wonderful achievement.

The Age article can be read here.

Privacy Reminder for our School Community

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn.

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use [Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education] safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using [Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education], please contact the school.

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages:

• Amharic
• Arabic
• Dari
• Gujarati
• Mandarin
• Somali
• Sudanese
• Turkish
• Urdu
• Vietnamese