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From the Principal Class Team

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Dear Parents and Guardians

I hope the 2022 school year has started well for you and for your children.  There is a very positive and calm atmosphere throughout the school.  Our focus has been on settling students back into routine of face to face learning; ensuring that they are aware of the College’s expectations of them as learners and members of the community, and that they are supported to feel connected, protected and respected. And, of course, engaging them in their learning.

A very warm welcome to our new Year 7 students and families, and to the students in Years 8 to 12 who are joining St Albans Secondary College for the first time in 2022.  We hope your time at our school is enjoyable and successful.

John Coulson, Assistant Principal for the Junior School, and I visited each Year 7 class over the last couple of weeks.  We wanted to welcome them to the school more personally, and to answer any questions or concerns they have about their new school.  By all accounts, they are settling in very well.

We also welcome 11 new teaching  and 4 Education Support staff this year.  Tung Ngo joins the Maths department and Jenny Luong is teaching Maths and Science.  Angus Adams and Taylor Decker are commencing as Commerce and Commerce/Humanities teachers; and Stella Dong joins the Arts team, specialising in Visual Communication and Design.  Ashleigh Huisman is teaching English, as is Graham Preston who will also lead our whole school Literacy strategy.  Annemarie Papaleo joins the Middle Year Literacy and Numeracy (MYLNS) team as a Literacy Improvement Teacher, and Heba Shone has been appointed to an English position.  Daniela Karner commences as a Food Studies and Textiles teacher, and Meyrem Ogutveren is teaching piano as part of our Instrumental Music program.  The following staff have joined the Education Support staff team: Tracy Alexopoulos as the administrative assistant in the Senior Sub School office; Nicola Le’Toille will head up our Individual Needs program; and Myers Nguyen is a numeracy tutor in the Tutor Learning Initiative program.

We wish each of these new members of the staff team all the very best for what we hope is a really rewarding time in your careers.

We have a number of staff on short term leave this term, and want to extend our best wishes to them, and sincere thanks to the replacement teachers who are taking their classes for these few weeks.

Further Improving Teaching & Learning at SASC – Our Strategic Direction for 2022

We are now in our third year of our Strategic Plan 2020 – 2023.  As such, the focus of our work is very much on deepening our knowledge and practice in each of the key strategic areas:

Differentiation – further developing the knowledge and skills of our teachers to meet each student’s learning needs by designing differentiated curriculum, assessment and teaching approaches.

Literacy – continuing to implement our whole School Literacy plan to strengthen each child’s reading, writing and speaking skills in all subject areas.

Numeracy – introducing our whole School Numeracy plan to promote an awareness of the numeracy skills required in all subject areas, and a common language for teaching them.

Effort & Goal Setting – supporting students to set SMART goals in order to increase their motivation and effort in their learning.  Students have seen the value of focusing on the effort they apply to their learning and having structured time to reflect on the impact of effort.  From early next week, your child’s Term 2 effort goals will be available on the Insights tab on their Compass homepage (see below for more detailed information).

Connect Protect Respect – building the resilience of students through using the language and strategies of resilient mind sets; and focusing especially on improving the learning experiences of girls.

As well as these priorities, all secondary schools are planning for the introduction of the new Senior Secondary Certificate.  From 2023, VCE and VCAL will become part of this certificate, with the Vocational Major replacing Intermediate and Senior VCAL.

Detailed information on these changes will be provided to students and parents as soon as it becomes available.

Regional Director Visit

Chris Thompson, Regional Director for the South West Victorian Region of the Department of Education, has requested a visit to our school on Thursday 3 March.  He has indicated his interest in learning about the work being done by  our staff, students and parents to support high quality learning and teaching.  Chris will meet with staff and students, and visit some classes.

Year 12 Camp

The annual Year 12 Camp was held last week at University College, University of Melbourne.  Nearly 200 students participated in a range of activities across the 2 days. These included sport and wellbeing sessions, study skills, English/EAL workshops, VCAL workshops, a session on consent, as well as viewing a movie at IMAX. It was a great opportunity for the students to bond together as a group, as well as to gain important information and learning for the year ahead. Thanks to the Senior Sub School team, particularly Laura Gough, for their organisation of the camp, and to all the Year 12 and support staff who attended the camp.

Tutor Learning Initiative

Once again in 2022, we are fortunate to have been allocated approximately 10 tutors to support students in Literacy, Numeracy and selected VCE subjects. This support is in recognition of the effects of remote learning in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid. Students have been selected based on their learning data from 2021. The tutoring in most cases commenced last week.

Learning data from 2021 indicated that students involved in the program showed increased learning growth, so we look forward to improved learning for the students involved this year.

If you have any questions about the program please contact your child’s Year Level Coordinator.

Effort Goals

Students in Years 7 to 12 are in the process of writing their effort goals. These goals are based on a student self-reflection tool, and demonstrate a commitment to what each student believes they can do to improve their effort, and therefore their learning.

For Years 7 to 9, goals will be set with their Learning Manager, and all teachers will touch base with students midway through the term to discuss progress. 

Learning Mangers will conference with students in Week 5, and then, in Week 10, lead the students to again self-assess their progress towards meeting their goal, and determine them for Term 2.

For Years 10 to 12, students self-reflected and set their goal on Friday 18 February. There will be time set aside to reflect on progress in Week 7 of Term 1 and Week 1 of Term 2. In Week 9 of Term 2 students will again self-assess against the Effort Rubric, and use this to set their Semester 2 goal.

All Effort Goals are available for parents to read on Compass in the Insights tab. We encourage you to discuss the goal with your child, and to regularly touch base with them about their progress towards meeting their goal.

2021 Parent Opinion Survey

There were 43 responses to the Parent, guardian and caregiver survey in 2021. We thank those families that responded and encourage more families to take part when the survey is available later this year.  

Highlights:

  • We had greater positive endorsement than the State in all but one factor, and our results are overall generally positive
  • We improved in positive endorsement for all the factors within the Parent Community Engagement module, in particular parent participation and involvement
  • We maintained a high level of satisfaction across all domains.

Areas for focus:

  • Increase the number of families who take part in the survey to give us more useful data
  • Investigate those factors where we noted decline from our previous levels of positive endorsement
  • Investigate the indicators linked to the non-experience of bullying factor (in the Safety Domain) which was the only factor in which we fared below the State level of positive endorsement having 67% compared to the State positive endorsement of 73%. However, in terms of Managing Bullying we were above the State in positive endorsement – 83% compared to 74% for the State. This shows that those parents who completed the survey generally feel we respond well to any bullying.

We would like all our families to have input into our survey to provide us with the most useful data to assist us to identify areas of focus and to plan for interventions to promote improvements where needed.  Please look out for notifications when the 2022 survey is open.  Unlike many schools, we make it available for our entire parent body to have input rather than identifying a sample of families and we encourage all families to have a say in shaping our school.

Thank you again to all those who completed the survey in 2021.

School Photos

We had our school photos on Wednesday this week (16 February).  All students were required to have their school photo taken as they are necessary for the school ID card.  Photos are available for purchase in a variety of formats. 

Photos can be ordered online via Compass and details of how to order can be found on Compass by going to the Photos page under the Communities tab.

Students absent on the day will have the opportunity to have a photo taken on Friday 18 March.

Whole School Assembly – Monday 28 February

We postponed the Whole School Assembly, where we welcome our new Year 7 cohort, and it will now take place on Monday 28 February.  This should enable us to come together as a whole school in the newly completed Covered Outdoor Learning Area.  This assembly is an important part of our school calendar and is one of our school traditions that we look forward to every year.  All new members of the school community, both staff and students, are officially welcomed during this event.

Valentine’s Day

Congratulations to the VCAL students and teachers for running a fantastic Valentine’s Day Event on February 14. Students organised a range of stalls and activities to raise money for the TONGA Relief Appeal and their Sunshine Hospital Community Project. It was a wonderful welcome back to school for many students and staff, who were able to listen to some live music, engage in the activities organised and purchase food, drinks and items from the stalls. We look forward to the next VCAL event at the College later in the term.  

Resilient Youth Survey.

The College has partnered with Resilient Youth and Brimbank Youth Services to roll out the Resilient Youth Survey in Week 5 of this term. The Resilient Youth Survey is a short survey completed by all students across the College to provide the school with valuable data regarding our students. Students will be supported to complete the survey in their classes, by teachers and staff from Brimbank Youth Services. The survey collects, analyses and reports the resilience of students at a cohort level in terms of their strengths, life satisfaction, hopefulness, anxiety and depression, coping style, and risk and protective behaviours. The school will then use this data to inform our wellbeing planning throughout the year ensuring we provide the support students need and that we deliver effective proactive programs and education regarding wellbeing.

Uniform
  • All students should be in full uniform by now, unless there are exceptional circumstances that  have been discussed with the Year Level Coordinator.
  • If this is not the case and your child is not in the correct uniform, you will be contacted and your child will be send home to change if someone is not able to bring their uniform to the school.
Punctuality
  • Classes begin at 8:55am and students should be at school no later than 8:45am to go to their lockers.
  • We expect and appreciate your support in ensuring that your child is ready for learning at that time.  If you need help to reinforce this with your child, please talk with their Year Level Coordinator who will be able to assist you.
And finally…..

Thank you for all you have done at home to support a positive start to the year.  We appreciate working in partnership with you, and know how fortunate we are to have such a dedicated parent community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Important Dates & Calendar

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Monday, 21 February 2022

1:30PM – 3:10PM Year 7C & 7G – St Albans Field Trip

 

Tuesday, 22 February 2022

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 9 Morrisby Program Stage 1.  One period per homegroup.

10:35AM – 12:40PM Year 7I – St Albans Field Trip 

12:40PM – 1:30PM The Long Walk – Art Therapy Program 

1:00PM – 3:10PM Year 7H, 7F, 7I, 7K, 7L & 7A – St Albans Field Trip

Wednesday, 23 February 2022

 8:30AM – 3:10PM Year 7I – Integrated Studies Overnight Strathbogie Camp 

11:50AM – 2:20PM Year 7K – St Albans Field Trip

1:30PM – 3:10PM Year 7B & 7E – St Albans Field Trip

6:00PM – 7:00PM Year 11 VCAL – Online Parent Information Night

6:00PM – 7:30PM Year 11 VCE – Online Parent Information Night

Thursday, 24 February 2022

8:30AM – 3:10PM Year 7I – Integrated Studies Overnight Strathbogie Camp 

8:55AM – 9:45AM The Long Walk – Art Therapy Program

10:35AM – 2:20PM Year 7D – St Albans Field Trip

3:20PM – 4:15PM Homework Club – Library

Friday, 25 February 2022

8:30AM – 3:10PM Year 7I – Integrated Studies Camp  (Return)

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 9 & 10 Game Changers

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 9 Quantum Victoria Excursion

Monday, 28 February 2022

9:00AM – 10:35AM Whole School Assembly or Year Level Assemblies throughout the day

8:55AM – 3:10PM All Year Levels – Resilient Youth Survey. One session across the week.

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 9 Morrisby Program Stage 2.  Double Session across the week.

11:00AM – 3:10PM Year 8C & 8F – Organ Pipes Excursion 

Tuesday, 1 March 2022

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 7H – Integrated Studies Strathbogie Camp 2021

8:35AM – 1:05PM Year 8D & 8E – Organ Pipes Excursion

11:00AM – 12:40PM Year 7J – St Albans Field Trip

12:40PM – 1:30PM The Long Walk – Art Therapy Program

Wednesday, 2 March 2022

Curriculum Day

Thursday, 3 March 2022

2:20PM – 3:10PM The Long Walk – Art Therapy Program

3:20PM – 4:15PM Homework Club – Library

Friday, 4 March 2022

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 8H & 8J – Organ Pipes Excursion

Monday, 7 March 2022

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 9 Morrisby Program Stage 2 (continued).  One period throughout the week.

8:55AM – 12:40PM Year 8A & 8B – Organ Pipes Excursion

8:55AM – 3:10PM Intermediate Boys Baseball, Intermediate Girls Softball, Senior Boys & Girls Tennis, Senior Boys Baseball and Senior Girls Softball 

Tuesday, 8 March 2022

All Day Swimming Carnival

Yrs 7 to 11 Term 1 Progress Reports – Available on Compass

Wednesday, 9 March 2022

8:55AM – 10:35AM Year 9 Advance Class – Clean Up Australia Day

8:55AM – 12:40PM Year 8I & 8K – Organ Pipes Excursion

8:55AM – 3:10PM Senior Boys & Girls Volleyball

1:30PM – 2:20PM Chill Skills Program

6:00PM – 8:00PM Year 7 Expo

Thursday, 10 March 2022

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 9I & 9L – Science Marine Discovery Centre Excursion

8:55AM – 12:40PM Year 8G & 8L – Organ Pipes Excursion

8:55AM – 4:00OPM Year 10 Geography – Altona Beach Excursion

9:45AM – 10:35AM The Long Walk – Art Therapy Program 

3:20PM – 4:15PM Homework Club – Library

Friday, 11 March 2022

8:55AM – 3:10PM Keilor Division Swimming Championships 2022

Monday, 14 March 2022

Public Holiday – Labour Day

Tuesday, 15 March 2022

12:40PM – 1:30PM The Long Walk – Art Therapy Program

Wednesday, 16 March 2022

8:30AM – 3:10PM Year 7J – Integrated Studies Overnight Strathbogie Camp

8:55AM – 9:45AM Chill Skills Program8:55AM – 10:45AM Year 9 Advance – First Aide Training

Thursday, 17 March 2022

8:30AM – 3:10PM Year 7J – Integrated Studies Overnight Strathbogie Camp

11:50AM – 12:40PM The Long Walk – Art Therapy Program

Friday, 18 March 2022

School Photos – Make Up Day 

8:30AM – 3:10PM Year 7J – Integrated Studies Strathbogie Camp (Return)

12:40PM – 1:30PM VCAL – National Day of Action Against Bullying & Violence

Monday, 21 March 2022

1:30PM – 3:10PM Year 11 VCAL – Young Workers Centre Workshops

Tuesday, 22 March 2022

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 9G & 9K – Science Marine Discovery Centre Excursion 

12:40PM – 1:30PM The Long Walk – Art Therapy Program

5:00PM – 7:00PM Prospective Year 7 – Parent Information Evening

Wednesday, 23 March 2022

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 9B & 9H – Science Marine Discovery Centre Excursion

8:30AM – 3:10PM Year 7F – Integrated Studies Overnight Strathbogie Camp

11:50AM – 12:40PM Chill Skills Program

Thursday, 24 March 2022

8:30AM – 3:10PM Year 7F – Integrated Studies Overnight Strathbogie Camp

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 9A & 9DD – Science Marine Discovery Centre Excursion

8:55AM – 9:45AM The Long Walk – Art Therapy Program

8:55AM – 3:10PM Intermediate Boys & Girls Volleyball

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 10 History – Jewish Holocaust Centre Excursion

11:00AM – 12:40PM Year 7 & 9 – NAPLAN Practice Test

Friday, 25 March 2022

Year 12 Term 1 Progress Reports – Available on Compass

 8:30AM – 3:10PM Year 7F – Integrated Studies Strathbogie Camp (Return)

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 9J & 9F – Science Marine Discovery Centre Excursion

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 11 Lady Northcote Team Building Day

Monday, 28 March 2022

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 9C & 9E – Science Marine Discovery Centre Excursion

1:30PM – 3:10PM Year 11 VCAL – Young Workers Centre Workshop

Tuesday 29 March 2022

Year 7 Immunisation – 1st Dose

12:40PM – 1:30PM The Long Walk – Art Therapy Program

Wednesday, 30 March 2022

8:30AM – 3:10PM Year 7B – Integrated Studies Overnight Strathbogie Camp

8:55AM – 3:10PM Senior Boys Futsal

9:20AM – 10:45AM Year 9 Advance – Northwest Communities for Climate Action Online School Summit

2:20PM – 3:10PM Chill Skills Program

Thursday, 31 March 2022

8:30AM – 3:10PM Year 7B – Integrated Studies Overnight Strathbogie Camp

8:55AM – 3:10PM West Metro Swimming Championships 2022

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 10 History – Jewish Holocaust Centre Excursion

2:20PM – 3:10PM The Long Walk – Art Therapy Program

Friday , 1 April 2022

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 7 Boys & Girls Soccer

Monday, 4 April 2022

8:55Am – 3:10PM Year 7 – Brimbank Field Trip

1:30PM – 3:10PM Year 11 VCAL – Young Workers Centre Workshop

Tuesday, 5 April 2022

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 8 Boys & Girls Soccer

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 7 – Brimbank Field Trip

Wednesday, 6 April 2022

1:00PM – 7:00PM Parent Teacher Interviews

Thursday, 7 April 2022

8:55AM – 9:45AM The Long Walk – Art Therapy Program

8:55am – 3:10PM Year 7 – Brimbank Field Trip

Friday, 8 April 2022

Last Day of Term 1

12:40PM – 2:30PM Year 11 & 12 Soccer Challenge

Monday, 25 April 2022

Public Holiday – Anzac Day

Tuesday, 26 April 2022

Curriculum Day

Wednesday, 27 April

Term 2 Begins

8:55AM – 3:10PM Year 9 Morrisby Program Stage 3 – All Week.  Individual Student Counselling – 30 Minute Sessions

11:00AM – 12:30PM Anzac Service

From the General Office

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General Office Hours 

8:15am to 4:15pm   

Compass Communication

Any important information will be sent to parents and families via the Compass News Feed.  Parents are asked to ensure that they have access to Compass.

 

 

 
 
General Office Payments

Preferred method of payment for School Events and Curriculum Contributions is via the Compass school management system.  Parents will log in to this system using their allocated unique User ID and a temporary password.  Payments can be made through the Action Centre from the home screen.  Please contact the General Office on 9366 2555 should you need further information. 

 

 

 

    

ID Cards

Students are reminded that they require their ID cards with them when they present to the front office.

Student Lunches at the General Office

Families are advised that the General Office is unable to accept lunches for student collection.  Please discuss and prepare for a different course of action with your child, should they forget to bring their lunch to school.

College Expectations 

Attendance, Uniform, Punctuality  

We greatly appreciate the support we receive from parents to make sure that your child attends school regularly and punctually, is in full uniform, and is well prepared for all classes with books and equipment.

 Attendance  

Students must have a minimum of 90% attendance in all classes at each year level.

Uniform  

Full uniform must be worn to and from school, at school and on all school excursions, including interschool sports.

Punctuality  

Students are expected to be punctual at the start of each day and for all classes. Any student who is late more than 4 times will have a Friday detention from 3:20pm to 5:20pm. 

Sustainable School Shop

The Sustainable School Shop website is available to purchase and/or sell second-hand uniforms and used textbooks.

 Parents can log in or register at any time at  www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au

When selling items, click the Sell Uniforms button and follow the prompts. Assistance is given to construct your “For Sale” ads including a pricing guide.

To see the ads for items currently on sale or to obtain the seller details, you will need to log-in to the Sustainable School Shop website, click the blue Stocktake button and then click the item you need. Buyers contact the seller directly.

 Sellers are asked to delist For Sale Ads as items sell.

Student Absence Line 

Parents are reminded when leaving message on the student absence line to:

  • Wait for the beep before leaving a message
  • State who you are, eg:  I am the parent of ……..  and clearly state your child’s name and home group
  • Clearly state the reason for your child’s absence and how long they will be absent for

Please ensure that your message is audible (not on speaker phone) and there is no background noise.  

Camps, Sports, Events Fund (CSEF)

Parents with a valid Health Care Card may be eligible to apply for the CSEF.  The CSEF is a yearly payment for each child in the family attending our College.  This payment is to assist with the cost of Camps, Sports and Excursions for your child to attend.  Applications for CSEF close on 22 June, 2022 and forms can be downloaded from our College website or obtained from reception.

State School Relief (SSR)

Should you have a valid HCC and a child in Year 7 in 2022, you may be eligible for the Year 7 Uniform Starter Pack.  Please enquire at the General Office.

 

New Staff at St Albans Secondary College

New Staff at St Albans Secondary College
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Adam Angus

Hi! My name is Angus, I am a first year teacher and thrilled to be starting at St Albans Secondary College. I have joined the Commerce teaching team and teach a range of Business related subjects across Year 10 and Year 11. Prior to teaching, I worked as an Accountant in assurance (audit) at Ernst and Young (EY) where I became a qualified Chartered Accountant. Outside of work I love sport. I am captain of my local cricket club back home in Horsham (Western Victoria) and continue to play football at a local level as well as being a passionate Essendon supporter. I look forward to meeting you all over the first few weeks of Term 1.

 

 

 

Ashleigh Huisman

Dear St Albans Secondary College Community,

My name is Ash, and I am excited to join St Albans this year as an English teacher. I graduated from Monash University at the end of 2021, and am looking forward to starting my career as a teacher here. In my spare time I enjoy playing music, and have been previously involved in community music programs in my hometown of Hamilton. I also enjoy spending time with friends and family, and enjoy reading and playing board games. I am looking forward to meeting and working with you all, and am grateful to start my career at St Albans.

 

 

 

Tung Ngo

My name is Tung, Maths Teacher, I am very excited to be joining St Albans Secondary College. I have been teaching secondary level Maths for more than 10 years. St Albans Secondary is very special school for me, in 2005 I had the opportunity to complete my first teaching work placement here and have very special memories as this was where I started my teaching career. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family and love camping, bushwalking and gardening. I am looking forward to working with and meeting you all.

 

 

 

 

Annemarie Papaleo

Hi everyone, my name is Annmarie, and I am one of the MYLNS Literacy Improvement Teacher’s at the college. I have a Bachelor of Teaching/Arts and a Masters in TESOL. I have worked as an English teacher and a Newly Arrivals Teacher, which gave me the opportunity to work with refugee and international students. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, travelling to new places and trying out new Italian recipes! Looking forward to working with you all.

 

 

 

 

Graham Preston

Dear St Albans Secondary College community,

I’m Graham and I am the new Learning Specialist in Literacy at the College.  I am so excited and honoured to join this community of learning in 2022 and beyond.  I am passionate about literature and literacy and I look forward to working with everyone here to maximise the outcomes of our students in a range of fields.  Over a decade ago, I started my career down the road at Victoria University Secondary College (Brimbank Campus) as an English teacher, before teaching Geography at an international school in Mongolia.  For the past 9 years, I was at Balwyn High School where I taught English, Literature and Humanities in Years 8 through 12 and served as part of the leadership team for the final 3 years.  Outside of the classroom, I have 2 children who are both now at primary school.  I also love to collect and listen to records, read novels and tend to my very large garden. 

 

 

 

Nicola Le’Toille

Hello, my name is Nicola. I am so excited to be joining the team at SASC. I have previously worked in the primary setting supporting students with additional needs, helping them be successful in the school environment. I love to travel and have been to America, China, India, Vietnam, Singapore, France, Italy, Monaco, and New Caledonia. I hope to get to the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Malta, Switzerland, and Belgium in the future. I have a Boston Terrier named Mateo who is 7 months old, extremely energetic and has a face that only a mother can love.

 

 

 

 

Jenny Luong

Hi my name is Jenny and I am excited to be joining St Albans Secondary College as a maths and science teacher. So far the staff and students at the college have been incredibly friendly and welcoming. As a teacher, I will aim to create an engaging and effective learning environment for all my students.  In my spare time, I love listening to music and engaging in creative hobbies, including drawing and embroidering. I look forward to meeting and working with you all. 

 

 

 

 

Myers Nguyen

My name is Myers. Six years ago, I graduated from St Albans SC. Today, I am very fortunate to be returning to the school as a numeracy tutor. My undergraduate background is in biomedical sciences in which I majored in immunology. Inspired by my teachers & lifelong mentors, I am now actively pursuing a career in the teaching profession. Currently, I’m in my final year as a pre-service teacher and will also be undertaking my final round of placements here. I hope to play my role in inspiring the up & coming youth of St Albans during their secondary school experience. In terms of my hobbies, I like to spend my free time with my family, watching sports & food videos, reading and

Taekwon-Do training. I look forward to working with everyone in the SASC community.

 

Tracy Alexopoulos

 

Hi, my name is Tracy. I am the new Senior Sub School assistant. Over the last few years, I have been involved in Education Support through volunteering and the ES Relief Program. I’m really enjoying my new role and am lucky to be working with a great team!

 

 

 

 

Stella Dang

Hi, I’m Stella and I just graduated last year from Monash University. I teach Visual Art, Multimedia, and Visual Communication! I’m interested in drawing, reading and taking photos. I’m trying to experiment with different mediums when I paint, because it seems fun to do. Also, learning how to cook a new dish every week. 

 

 

 

 

 

Taylor Decker

Hi St Albans Secondary College Community! 
My name is Taylor and I am a brand-new teacher to your school. I am extremely excited to be joining St Albans Secondary College as a Humanities and Legal Studies Teacher for this school year and can’t wait to get involved in what the school has to offer! This is my fifth year as a teacher and I spent the last four years at a school in Werribee, so I’m very happy to be making the switch and teaching a different group of students. 

Outside of being a teacher, I also love to try new hobbies like painting, snowboarding, boxing and Yoga. I am a Basketball coach for domestic and representative teams, as well as being the team manager for the School Sport Victoria State Basketball team. I enjoy all sports and love the outdoors, so feel free to chat to me about anything and everything sport related! 😊 

I am looking forward to meeting you all and working with you throughout the year.

 

 

Junior School Report

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Congratulations and Welcome to all the new students, all Year 7 students and returning Year 8 students. We are off to a busy but flying start in the Junior School this year with the largest cohort of students for a very long time.

The first day for Year 7 saw students enjoying meeting their Integrated Studies Teacher and Coordinators and enjoying a BBQ with sausages at lunchtime. The weather was perfect and after lunch they participated with great enthusiasm in their class groups in a sports afternoon in the Gymnasium and Trivia in Home rooms.  The Year 7 students have also completed a first day impression to go in a time capsule which will be opened in 2028.

Students are learning how to greet in their various LOTE’s and are starting an identity unit in Integrated Studies. In PE, students are doing fitness testing. They are enjoying woodwork, art and food technology also.

Year 8 students settled quickly and enthusiastically back into their classes, meeting new teachers and having an enjoyable first day. They are enjoying their start to the new year and are engaging well in their subjects. In Integrated Studies, students are learning about Geography and in Science, safety and experimentation and observation is the start of their course.

Year 7 and 8 Students are commencing Class Captain Elections and will presented some speeches to their classes. We look forward to working with the representatives of classes in their new roles this year.

It is very pleasing to see the students in the Junior School in full school uniform.  Most students have all their books and diaries which make for a very smooth beginning to the year. If you have any difficulties in getting any books or uniform please contact the Junior School. Could parents also advise the front office of any change of address and phone numbers as soon as possible. If your child is absent, a note or medical certificate needs to be brought to the coordinator upon the student’s return to school. Coordinators are interviewing the Year 7 students individually and getting to know each other.

All students have been issued with lockers and have locks for these.

Year 7 classes are starting to venture to the school camp at Strathbogie.  It is a brilliant 3 days away where students cook, explore, canoe and hike amongst other things. It is a chance for students to bond and get to know their classmates and teacher well. All students are encouraged to attend.

School photos took place on Wednesday, 17 February.

The Swimming Sports are on Tuesday, 8 March and it is compulsory for all students to attend. If your child is ill on this day they must have a Medical Certificate. Please remember to have sunscreen, lunch, hats and water bottles on this day. We look forward to all students participating in events.

The Junior School coordinators look forward to meeting parents and assisting them with any concerns they may have about their child.

 The Junior School Team is looking forward to working with students and their families in 2022.

 Student Reflections on the Start of the Year

“As soon as we saw our Primary school friends, we did not feel nervous anymore. We found our way to assembly and then around the school. We realised that the challenges that we thought were big got smaller and easier. The rest of the week was a huge success. “       Puneet Kaur and Spike Gillbee  7J

 “The first day at St Albans was fun!  We made new friends, learned about lockers, school rules, got our timetables and had the assembly. We played trivia and had some lessons and a nice BBQ and drinks and completed a school tour.”        Diti  7A

 “We played number soccer on our first day at school. It was a hot day but we did our best. At lunch we had a sausage sizzle.”           Ray  7A 

 “The most memorable part of the day for me was at the end when we played sports. I am looking forward to learning different things and spending time with my friends “   Vivian  7A

 “The locks at first were very complex, then we had a school tour. We had a sausage sizzle – they were very tasty! Overall, I am excited to learn new and exciting things!“   James  7A

 

 

Junior Sub School Team

 

Middle School Report

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Welcome back everyone, and a particularly warm welcome to all Year 9 students joining the Middle Sub School for the first time, and to all of our new students and their families.  We would also like to welcome Ms Ana Miskovic to the sub school as Year Level Coordinator for 9B, 9E and 10G. Ms Miskovic will be looking after all the Year 10 students who are joining the school this year. By now, you will have received a letter introducing the coordinators in the Middle School.  Please contact us if you have any concerns about your child or if you would like to discuss something with us.

We have had a very smooth start to the year and have been impressed by the students’ caring and respectful attitude towards one another.  A big thank you to all the Peer Mentors whose responsibility it was to meet and greet all the new students, lead tours of the school, and ensure that all questions and concerns were addressed.  Our Year 10 students have returned with a positive attitude and are working diligently in all of their classes.  Year 9 students are in the process of meeting their coordinators, and we have been very pleased by their enthusiasm, friendliness and commitment to making a good start to their learning this year.

Student curriculum planners will be available on Compass by Friday, 18 February for students and parents to access.  It would be helpful if parents and guardians checked diaries to see what work is being set by teachers.  Middle School students should be completing up to two hours of homework per night.  If no specific homework is set, then students should be revising class notes or engaging in independent reading.  The after school study group is available for students on Thursday evenings after school.

Year 9 Activities

In the first few weeks of term there are a number of excursions for Year 9 students: camps for those studying Advance, and Science excursions for each Year 9 home group. The first part of the Year 9 careers program also begins in a few weeks with students being given the opportunity to think about future careers and the pathways into them.

 Year 10 Activities

Year 10 students can look forward to a number of events organised by this year’s Peer Mentors working with Mr McCall as the Business and Community Partnerships Coordinator. We look forward to working with them over the course of the year in the planning of our key events.  The leadership skills of other Year 10 students have also been recognised in a number of students who have been elected as House Captains and SRC representatives.

At the end of Term 2, Year 10 students will also participate in a six days of work experience, and we encourage them to visit the Careers team early this term in order to collect the necessary forms so that they can organise their placements now.

On behalf of the Middle Sub School team, I’d like to welcome all of our students into 2022, and wish them all a happy and successful year.

 

The Middle Sub School Team

Senior School Report

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We would like to warmly welcome all new and returning Year 11 and 12 students and their parents/guardians to the Senior Sub School.

We would also like to officially welcome Ms Tracy Alexopoulos, our new sub school assistant to our Senior Sub School office.

Our students have had an excellent start to the new school year and our new VCE and VCAL students have had a smooth transition into the sub school.

Students are already showing excellent promise with the timely completion of their holiday homework, which had been set for all classes during the Orientation Program. There has been an impressive commitment from students and staff to get right down to business, setting the tone for a solid year’s work.

Our Year 12 Parent Information Evening was held on the Wednesday, 2 February 2022. Thank you to all parents and students who attended a very informative evening, which focused on strategies to support their child throughout Year 12. The Year 11 Parent Information evening will run next week online, on Wednesday, 23 February, starting at 6:00pm.

The Year 12 Study Camp was held on Thursday, 10 and Friday, 11 February at University College on the grounds of the University of Melbourne, Parkville. VCE and VCAL students experienced a variety of presentations from some prominent guest speakers.  Some of our own staff also presented a variety of workshops. Students attended a Melbourne University tour or RMIT University virtual tour. They had a great time working together and connecting outside of school.

We have a very active and committed group of students working with our SRC this year. The School Captains for this year are: Tina Duong and Sarah Liu. Vice Captains are: Linh Nguyen, Austin Masters Moungaafi and Elizabeth Catania. We are in the process of selecting Year 11 SRC representatives. We would like to congratulate our student leaders for representing our student body and look forward to working with them.

 

 

 

We have a team-building day planned for the Year 11 students this term. We are taking the cohort to Lady Northcote on Friday, 25 March 2022, where they will be involved in a variety of activities lead by experienced staff. We will also be hosting our traditional ‘Soccer Challenge’ on Friday, 8 April 2022. This is an activity that brings all the Senior School students together.

The Year 12 Enrichment programs will also run again this year, as will the compulsory mid-year and September holiday practice exams for all Year 12 VCE students intending to do their external exams.

Throughout the year, we will conduct our Case Management to ensure that the attendance, achievement and individual needs of all our students are monitored closely. Progress Reports for all Year 11 and Year 12 students will be available to parent through ‘Compass’.

Parents will also have the opportunity to speak to teachers on Wednesday, 6 of April during the Parent Teachers Interviews.

The Coordinators look forward to a fast-paced year in the Senior Sub-School and hope to meet many parents of our senior students as the year progresses.

Below are the Year Level Coordinators and homegroups they will be overseeing:

Laura Gough – 11A(A-G), 12A(A-G) & 11V (VCAL)
Marlene Cassar – 11B(H-K),12B(H-K) &11W (VCAL)
Kiran Pannu – 11C(L-M), 12C(L-M) &12V (VCAL)
Matthew Olthof – 11D(N-O), 12D(N-O) & 12X (VCAL)
Anna Woods – 11E(P-S),12E(P-S) & 11X (VCAL)
Robert Krysinski – 11F (T-Z), 12F(T-Z) &12W (VCAL)

We invite parents to contact us on 9366 2555 if they have any queries or concerns about the progress of their child or sub school events.

VCAL Report

The year has begun well with students eager to start their new VET courses and finalising work placements.

We have a range of industries being explored this year with students involved in a range of VET placements from Hospitality, Building and Construction, Fashion, Sport and Recreation, Community services, Hair and Beauty and Music to name a few.

Year 12 students delighted the school community with a Valentine’s Day lunchtime activities on Monday14 February. Students worked extremely hard over a short time frame to entertain and feed students with a barbeque, cupcakes, fruit cups, biscuits and more.

Handmade candles, soaps, fresh and chocolate roses were also available for sale. Students participated in some games to win prizes, listened to music and enjoyed the activities.

The proceeds from the Valentines’ Day event will go towards the Tonga tsunami relief effort and to the VCAL program.

Lots of community events are planned for our VCAL students this year and we will keep you informed as activities take place.

 

Senior Sub School Team

Alumni

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It could be considered a wobbly start, what with our first alumni speaker cancelled and all, but we will not be deterred!  There is much to be excited about in 2022.  There are many eager already-connected alumni waiting in the wings for the perfect session, and there are many new connections to be made.

Our full bloom theme of last year may have been a little premature as our buds are only still just opening, but they’re open enough to suggest that a full bloom is not far off.

It will be an absolute delight to invite alumni back onto campus for sessions, do we dare say that our alumni recordings are a thing of the past?  Perhaps the videos will serve another purpose for the year ahead but for now our sessions are planned for real life people, answering real life questions about their post-school experiences and career pathways.

I love a bit of going-off-track with the questions as they follow the organic path from study tips and subject selection to paying taxes and buying a car.  This only really happens when our sessions are before a group of students who can ask the alumni questions in real time and who keep the flow going with their wild ideas of the world.  These interactions are integral to the impact of the alumni sessions, and I look forward to an impactful year for our program in 2022.

 

Community News

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COVID-19 Third Dose

COVID-19 third-dose vaccinations are now available to 16-17 year olds who had their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine three or more months ago.

Supporting as many eligible students as we can to be vaccinated will help make our school as safe as possible.

Getting vaccinated is one of the most important steps we can all take to get direct protection against COVID-19.

How to book an appointment

There are many convenient and accessible options to access vaccinations. These include state-wide vaccination clinics, your local GP or pharmacy.

You can book your appointment in a few different ways, including: * online: coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccine * by phone: 1800 675 398 (Coronavirus Hotline) * using the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder – COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder | Australian Government Department of Health

* In person: talk to your local pharmacy, doctor, or attend one of the State Vaccination Centres.https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccination-information-children-and-teenagers

 

St Albans Football Club – Recruiting

The St Albans Football Club is a proud community football club located in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne and based at Errington Reserve St Albans and Kings Park Reserve, Gillespie Road St Albans. 

In addition to its core football roots, St Albans Football Club presents an open accessible face, welcoming members and guests into its sporting and social programs from the broad spectrum of cultures within its melting pot suburb.

Our “Vision” is to be the sporting club of choice for our community, encouraging all to participate with no barriers to entry and success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Albion Football Club – Recruiting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Changes to the Sunbury Line