Alba Newsletter – February 2023

 

Dear Parents and Families

It is a pleasure to welcome you back to the 2023 school year.  I hope your children have experienced a positive start.  We certainly have been very happy with the way the year and classes have begun, and with students’ readiness and enthusiasm for learning.

We extend a very warm welcome to our new Year 7 students, who were officially welcomed into the school community at our school assembly last week, and to their families.  284 students are new to the school across Years 8 to 12.  We wish all these students a successful and enjoyable time at St Albans Secondary College.

We also welcome 14 new teachers and 3 Education Support staff to the college this year.  Melissa Tamraz, Katie O’Connell, Patrick Burke, Thanasi Theoharopoulos, and Katelyn Smith are joining the Humanities/English Learning Areas.  Melissa also takes up a leadership position in the Junior School, and Katie is the new Learning Area Leader for Humanities.

Yi-ting Zhu and Alex Chan are teaching in the Commerce fields.  Andrei Alexandrescu joins us as a Maths teacher and also as Assistant Sub School Leader in the Middle School.  Gloria Yi has similarly been appointed to a Maths position and to the Assistant Staff Development Coordinator role.  Della Butler commences as a Visual Communications and Design and Art teacher; Ali Yamin joins the English Department; Ethan Loo joins the Science team; and Chiemi Shepherd is teaching Japanese.

Maddie Matheson joins the Wellbeing Team as a social worker; Serkan Bertan and Emily Zdravevski take up positions as Teacher Assistants in the Individual Needs Department.

We wish our new staff members all the very best for their time at St Albans Secondary College.

And just to complete the welcomes to new members of our community………

Congratulations to Ashley O’Dowd on the birth of her baby boy, Lucas.

And to Dane Stammers on the arrival of Ali.

Both families and babies are well and thrilled to welcome little brothers.

Staffing Shortages

You would be aware from the media that many schools are facing significant shortages in both teaching and Education Support staff.

We are in the extremely fortunate position of having only two unfilled vacancies at this stage.  These are currently being covered by experienced teachers who have worked at the College over a period of time.  Our thanks to Liston Williams and Patrick Agius for their ongoing support of out students.

Year of Self Evaluation and Review

2023 is the final year of our current Strategic Plan.  As such, it is a year of self-evaluation, followed by a review in Term 3.

School reviews are managed by the Department of Education who appoints an external reviewer to conduct the analysis of the school’s performance in all areas of its operations.  The school selects two external challenge partners to be part of the review team.

The review provides a valuable opportunity for the whole school – staff, students and parents – to have input into identifying the achievements, and the areas where there could be further improvement.  We will be inviting parent input via a Compass survey later this term.

In the meantime, we continue with our work on differentiating teaching curriculum and assessment; building literacy and numeracy; and effort and goal setting to improve student learning outcomes and growth.

Alumni Morning Tea

If you are a former student, and many of our families are, or you know former students, you are invited to our Alumni Morning Tea on 22 March from 9:30am to 11:00am.

We would love to see you there and to show you around.

Contact our Alumni Coordinator, Nicole Gurd, at the school (9366 2555) for more information, or to register your interest.

Year 12 Study Camp

During the second week of this term, all Year 12 students attended a residential camp at University College, a residential College at the University of Melbourne.  The study camp focused on providing students with a better understanding of university life and supported them to develop the skills and strategies needed to be successful this year and beyond. Students received information on study skills, career pathways, and their wellbeing, and heard from a range of guest speakers. They participated in sporting and social activities and also had the opportunity to tour the physical campus of the University of Melbourne or RMIT during this two-day camp.

The camp was a tremendous success with students taking advantage of the opportunities to prepare for the year ahead as well as engage socially in an environment other than a classroom, enhancing their interpersonal skills and the overall cohesiveness of the year level.

Valentine’s Day

Congratulations to our VCE- VM students for hosting a fantastic Valentine’s Day lunchtime market on the 13 February. Students ran a range of activities and sold Valentine’s Day themed food and merchandise as part of their personal development projects. Live music, as well as house team activities, created a positive atmosphere enabling all students to participate in the day.

The Valentine’s Day market will be the first of many lunchtime events run by our VCAL and Wellbeing Team to build connectedness at the College and to create a positive and engaging school environment.

Prepared for Learning

A focus of our work with students this year has been supporting them to be Prepared for Learning (PfL)

Prepared for Learning is based on the 5 fundamentals:

• establishing good routines at school
• being organised with books, equipment, uniform, a tidy locker, and punctuality
• having positive relationships with teachers and classmates
• behaving safely and respectfully in accordance with the College value and policies
• making sure that we are physically and mentally prepared for learning – food, sleep, seeking help from teachers, Coordinators and Wellbeing staff.

To further support each student to be prepared to learn, and to enable you to support your child better, our teachers have developed record of work guidelines for each subject at each year level.  This tells you very clearly what books and equipment are required, and exactly how work should be organised. It is an excellent way for you to know what your child should be doing in each subject.

The record of work is available on Compass for each year level.

Curriculum Day

Our Curriculum Day on Wednesday 15 February provided teaching staff with an opportunity to continue the development of their differentiation practices. Staff participated in a number of workshops, and then set a goal to enhance their practice in this area. We hope that students continue to see improved differentiation in their classes.

Whole School Assembly

It wonderful that we were able to hold our first whole school assembly so early in the year to welcome our 2023 Year 7 cohort.  The morning celebration took place in the covered outdoor tlearning area 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, and provide an opportunity for us all be together to build connections.

The assembly began with Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elder Aunty Julianne Axford, who welcomed us to country and gave an overview of the history of traditional culture for our area and surrounds. 

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, including a lovely rendition of the National Anthem by Paul Fatai.  An overview of the excellent 2022 VCE and VCAL achievements was provided by the Leader of the Senior Sub School, Ms Marlene Cassar. Our school Captains, Kathleen Phan and Karli Keskin welcomed our newest students and Srish Naidu and Sophia Luc of Year 7 responded on behalf of the Year 7 Cohort.  Students were provided an overview of the scholarships, awards and prizes available.  The 2023 Year 7 scholarship recipients were introduced and presented with a certificate by the College Principal, Ms Kerrie Dowsley, and our School Council President, Doctor Tracy Nero.

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 2023 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.

School Photos make up day

We have a photo make up day on Friday 24 February to enable students who were absent on the first day to be photographed.  All students are required to have a school photo taken.  They are necessary for the school ID card and are available for purchase in a variety of formats.  Photos can be ordered online via Compass.

Parent Opinion Survey – Results for the 2022 survey

We 62 responses to the Parent, guardian and caregiver survey in 2022 from a sample of 474 families. This was a greater response than we had in 2021 when we opened the survey to all parents.   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 modules and most factors
• We maintained a high level of satisfaction across all domains
• We rated highly in the whole Safety Domain and either improved or maintained our positive endorsement in all the factors, the most pleasing result was the rise in positive endorsement from 67% to 84% for response to not experiencing bullying with a 3% rise also in managing bullying.
• We also rated highly in the Connection and Progression Module, having 82% positive endorsement for positive transitions and 86% positive endorsement for student connectedness. Comparing to the State of 72% and 81% respectively.
• In the Student Development Domain, for Student Agency and Voice factor, we rose 7% to 81% compared to the State with 70% endorsement.
• Although we rated highly in the School Communication factor (80% vs State 74%), the factor of Teacher Communication will be further investigated having positive endorsement the same as the State on 57%.

Thank you to all those who completed the survey in 2022. A more detailed summary is below for those interested in the individual factors:

We would welcome all our families having 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 2023 survey is open.

 

 

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 

Parents and guardians are now able to leave student absence messages directly with the relevant Sub School.

Follow the telephone prompts to be connected to the Sub School needed.

• 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 Health Care Card and require assistance to purchase school uniform and/or school shoes; you may be eligible for SSR. Health Care Card holders with students enrolled in the VCAL program may also be eligible for assistance with the purchase of personal protective gear. Please enquire at the General Office.

Student Lunches

The office is unable to hold on to food for student collection.  If your child has forgotten their lunch at home, parents can leave money in an envelope for their student to collect at the office.  The canteen has an array of choices for your child to purchase their lunch.

 

 

Thursday, 16 February 2023

All Day Resilient Youth Survery – all students will complete in 1 session across the week

08:45AM – 03:10PM Yr 7F Strathbogie Camp

11:00AM – 11:50AM S.T.O.M.P

Friday, 17 February 2023 

All Day Resilient Youth Survery – all students will complete in 1 session across the week

08:45AM – 03:10PM Yr 7F Strathbogie Camp

Monday, 20 February 2023

08:45AM – 03:10PM Yr 7D Strathbogie Camp

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 9 Morrisby Careers Program Stage 2 – Testing double Maths period

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 8B & 8I Organ Pipes National Park

Tuesday, 21 February 2023

08:45AM – 03:10PM Yr 7D Strathbogie Camp

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 9 Morrisby Careers Program Stage 2 – Testing double Maths period

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 8G & 8J Organ Pipes National Park

12:40PM – 01:30PM Senior School New Student Luncheon

Wednesday, 22 February 2023

08:45AM – 03:10PM Yr 7D Strathbogie Camp

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 9 Morrisby Careers Program Stage 2 – Testing double Maths period

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 8K & 8M Organ Pipes National Park

11:00AM – 03:10PM Yr 7A, 7B & 7F St Albans Walking Field Trip

06:00PM – 08:00PM Yr 11 VCE & VCE VM Parent Information Evening (Gym)

Thursday, 23 February 2023

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 9 Morrisby Careers Program Stage 2 – Testing double Maths period

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 8C & 8H Organ Pipes National Park

08:55AM – 11:00AM Yr 7H St Albans Walking Field Trip

11:00AM – 12:40PM Yr 10 Proactive Policing Presentation

11:00AM – 11:50AM S.T.O.M.P

01:05PM – 03:10PM Yr 7D St Albans Walking Field Trip

01:30PM – 03:10PM Yr 9 – Let’s End the Coward Punch (Pat Cronin Foundation)

Friday, 24 February 2023

All Day School Photos (Follow Up Day)

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 9 Morrisby Careers Program Stage 2 – Testing double Maths period

01:30PM – 03:10PM Yr 7G St Albans Walking Field Trip

Monday, 27 February 2023

All Day Year Level Assemblies

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 9 Morrisby Careers Program Stage 3 – Testing in English Class (1 Period)

Tuesday, 28 February 2023

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 9 Morrisby Careers Program Stage 3 – Testing in English Class (1 Period)

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 8A, 8D, 8G, 8L Organ Pipes National Park

01:30PM – 03:10PM Yr 7C St Albans Walking Field Trip

Wednesday, 1 March 2023

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 9 Morrisby Careers Program Stage 3 – Testing in English Class (1 Period)

08:30AM – 03:00PM Unit 3 Biology – Applying Biotechnologies to Produce Human Insulin

08:45AM – 03:10PM Yr 7A Strathbogie Camp

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 9 Quantum Victoria Excursion

Thursday, 2 March 2023

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 9 Morrisby Careers Program Stage 3 – Testing in English Class (1 Period)

08:45AM – 03:10PM Yr 7A Strathbogie Camp

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 8E & 8F Organ Pipes National Park

11:00AM – 11:50AM S.T.O.M.P

Friday, 3 March 2023

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 9 Morrisby Careers Program Stage 3 – Testing in English Class (1 Period)

08:45AM – 03:10PM Yr 7A Strathbogie Camp

Tuesday, 7 March 2023

All Day Swimming Carnival (Oak Park)

08:35AM – 03:30PM Yr9 U16’s NRL Rugby

Wednesday, 8 March 2023

08:45AM – 03:10PM Yr 7B Strathbogie Camp

Thursday, 9 March 2023

08:45AM – 03:10PM Yr 7B Strathbogie Camp

11:00AM – 11:50AM S.T.O.M.P

Friday, 10 March 2023

08:45AM – 03:10PM Yr 7B Strathbogie Camp

Monday, 13 March 2023

All Day Labour Day Public Holiday (Student Free)

Tuesday, 14 March 2023

All Day Yrs 7 & 9 NAPLAN

Wednesday, 15 March 2023

All Day Yrs 7 & 9 NAPLAN

Thursday, 16 March 2023

All Day Yrs 7 & 9 NAPLAN

11:00AM – 11:50AM S.T.O.M.P

Friday, 17 March 2023

All Day Yrs 7 & 9 NAPLAN

Monday, 20 March 2023

All Day Yrs 7 & 9 NAPLAN

Tuesday, 21 March 2023

All Day Yrs 7 & 9 NAPLAN

05:00PM – 07:00PM Grade 6 Parent Information Evening

Wednesday, 22 March 2023

All Day Yrs 7 & 9 NAPLAN

Thursday, 23 March 2023

All Day Yrs 7 & 9 NAPLAN

11:00AM – 11:50AM S.T.O.M.P

Friday, 24 March 2023

All Day Yrs 7 & 9 NAPLAN

8:45AM – 03:10PM Yr 11 Lady Northcote Teaqm Building Day

Monday, 27 March 2023

All Day Yrs 7 & 9 NAPLAN

                                             

Gloria Yi

Hi everyone, my name is Gloria Yi. I’m very honoured to become a staff member of SASC and I’m really excited about starting my new adventure here.

I am a foundation Yr12 teacher graduated from the University of Melbourne (Master’s degree) and Victoria University (Bachelor’s degree) and will be teaching mathematics at SASC. In addition to being an enthusiastic teacher and a book worm, I also enjoy watching movies (especially Marvel!!!), travelling, fashion, and trying different cuisines.

Since the very beginning of my days here at SASC, I have already felt extremely welcomed and well-supported by the whole school community. I have enjoyed every single day here working at SASC and I can’t wait to see how amazing 2023 will be!

 

 

 

Yiting (Riley) Zhu

Hello everyone, my name is Yiting (Riley). I am very excited to begin my teaching journey at St Albans SC and to join this lovely community as a graduate teacher. I completed my Master’s degree at the University of Melbourne where I learned the theoretical frameworks and practical teaching strategies to create a positive and safe classroom environment. I have a solid background in economics and finance that qualifies me to be a business teacher.

The values of St Albans Secondary College resonate with my teaching philosophy, so I believe that I will enjoy my time here. It is my pleasure to have the opportunity to demonstrate my passion for teaching and develop my own skills.

In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my friends, finding and trying different foods in Melbourne. I also enjoy traveling and photographing every little thing that makes up my wholesome life. I am happy to be a part of this community and I can’t wait to meet and work with you all.

 

Alex Chan

Hi, I’m very excited and welcome the opportunity to be teaching at St Albans Secondary College. I loved the place the moment I walked through the door!

This year I’m teaching Humanities and Legal Studies. I have taught at a range of schools (Alkira Secondary College was my most recent school over the last five years) as well as raising two boys, Basil and Felix. I am blessed with having a very supportive husband, Tim and a labradoodle called Florry. We have a couple of beehives but don’t call me a busy bee! Lol. 

I regard myself as a lifelong learner and have a variety of interests. I enjoy the theatre, movies, Iyengar yoga and book reading. Also the occasional bushwalk and riding my bike. My current interest lies in closely watching the debate unfold with the upcoming referendum about enshrining an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the Constitution. I love the fact that I may be part of history in the making – from little things big things grow….

 

 

 

Patrick Burke

As a new teacher of English and Humanities to St.Albans Secondary College and a child of the Western Suburbs, I am so pleased to join this great learning community.

I spent 17 years working in Vietnam for the US Department of Labor, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, UNICEF, the World Bank and the Red Cross and in 2019 worked with Caritas Australia evaluating their work on the integration of children with disabilities into mainstream schooling in Vietnam.

I have taught History, Politics and English at a number of secondary schools in the northern and western suburbs, taught adult migrant English and undertaken commercial consulting work.

I enjoy playing and listening to music, reading and getting to the beach and the bush as often as I can. I look forward to working with everyone in the SASC community to draw out the best from all of the students here.

 

 

Athanasios  Theoharopoulos

Hi my name is Athanasios and I am very excited to be part of the St Albans Secondary College team and community. During my time in education I have taught Humanities, English, VCE History and VCE Legal Studies.

I have had a number of roles over the years, from being the year 7 student manager (Sub-school leader), Transition Coordinator and have been the Head of the Humanities faculty.

I enjoy spending time with my wife and two children. I am very passionate about sports (basketball, tennis, soccer, and AFL), fitness, music and watching anime.

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

 

 

Andrei Alexandrescu

Hi, my name is Andrei and I am the new Assistant Middle School Leader at St. Albans Secondary College. I have previously worked at Pascoe Vale Girls College and Mount Ridley College teaching Maths and Science, and I have experience as a Year Level Co-ordinator, Timetabler and Head of Middle School.  

When I am not playing restaurants or dress-ups with my 4-year-old twin girls, I enjoy gardening and cooking.

I look forward to working with you all.  

 

 

 

Katie  O’Connell

Hello, my name is Katie O’Connell and I’m the new Humanities Learning Area Leader here at St Albans Secondary College. I have spent the last six years teaching Humanities and English at Sunshine College; prior to that I worked in the publishing industry for eight years, mainly in travel publishing, both in Melbourne and London. As well as living in London I have also spent time living and studying in Ireland. 

My interests include travel, music, history and politics and I love spending time with friends, family and my dog and exploring all the wonderful aspects of life in Melbourne. 

I really love teaching in the western suburbs and consider myself very lucky to have joined such a high-achieving team here at St Albans.

I look forward to working with you all in 2023!

 

Madeleine Matheson

Hello!  My name is Madeleine, however everybody calls me Maddy.

I am the new Wellbeing Officer for Year 9’s and 10’s at St Albans Secondary College. I am a Social Worker by trade and my experience is mostly within the Hospital setting and the family violence field.

I am passionate about diversity and inclusion and am very excited about getting to know all the students and their families over the next 12 months!

 

 

Ethan Loo

My name is Ethan and it is a pleasure to be able to join St Albans Secondary College and the greater community supporting the school. I will be joining as a science teacher, teaching year 8-10 this year. I have previous experience working as a pharmacist, working in Barwon Health University Hospital Geelong previously, and assisted in the COVID-19 vaccination program.

I enjoy spending time with family and friends, and love cooking and eating all types of food. I spend a lot of my spare time playing musical instruments and have recently picked up learning the bass guitar. I am an avid video and board game player, and love playing badminton.

I am incredibly excited to be joining you all for this year ahead. I look forward to meeting you all.

 

Katelyn Smith

My name is Katelyn and I am very excited to be apart of this school community as a humanities classroom teacher. I have recently moved from Sydney to start working here and I could not feel more welcomed by the staff and students.

I have previously worked in medical administration and am already enjoying the career change. In my spare time I enjoy hiking and I am looking forward to exploring the wonderful hikes Victoria has to offer. 

I am looking forward to an exciting year here at St Albans Secondary College. 

 

 

Ali  Yamin

Hi my name Ali, and I am excited to be part of the St Albans school community! I have recently graduated from the Masters of Teaching at Melbourne University. My teaching methods are in English and EAL, and have enjoyed getting into the classroom and refining my skills.

I have previously worked in the university industry both at Melbourne University and RMIT. 

I enjoy practicing and teaching Yoga in my spare time, as well as playing basketball with my friends. I look forward to getting to know you all!

 

 

Della  Butler

Hi, my name is Della and I am excited to be joining the team at St Albans Secondary College this year where I am teaching VCE Visual Communications and Art. I previously worked at South Oakleigh College.

 In my spare time I enjoy listening to music and catching up with friends and family.  I am looking forward to meeting and working with you all.

 

 

The Junior Sub School has started 2023 with a flurry of activity.  Most importantly we welcomed approximately 250 new Year 7 students to our school.  Whilst many of the students were nervous about their new school, the vast majority have settled in quickly.  We have been pleased to see students making new friends, meeting their teachers, working out how to use their locks and lockers and of course, finding their way around the school.  In no time at all our students will look back on these nervous few days as just a distant memory.

 

 

An important date on our calendar is the Whole School Assembly, on 8 February.  This event took place in the Covered Outdoor Learning Area (COLA) and each class of Year 7 students were welcomed with a round of applause.  In addition, we were honoured to have Wurundjeri elder Aunty Julieanne Axford provide a Welcome to Country.  Aunty Julieanne provided some history of the indigenous people of the land on which St Albans Secondary resides and the significance of providing a Welcome to Country. 

 

 

Each Year 7 class will have the opportunity to attend a camp at Strathbogie during Semester 1.  This camp is owned by our school and provides a great opportunity to cement new friendships as well as develop relationships with staff outside of the normal classroom environment.  Please ensure that you stay alert to permission slips and Compass details about the camp and respond promptly.

 

Mr Craig Moore – Junior Sub School Assistant Leader

As we begin a brand new year, the Middle School would like to welcome back all students, especially those who are moving up from Junior School. A warm welcome also to all new students and families to the St Albans Secondary College community.

Middle School students have started the year prepared for learning. Co-ordinators have been impressed by students’ organisation, effort and enthusiasm towards their learning. Year 9 students are in the process of meeting with their co-ordinators to ensure any questions or concerns are addressed early and Year 10 students are enjoying the opportunity to study an increased number of elective subjects, compared to 2022.

Throughout week 4 and 5, Year 9 students will be completing the Morrisby Career Guidance Counselling assessment. The program supports student career pathways, identifies student strengths and encourages students to think about their interests. 

This term, Year 9 students will participate in an informative session presented by the Pat Cronin Foundation. This session will support students with conflict management and provide strategies on how to prevent senseless violence, while Year 10 students will participate in the Proactive Policing presentation.

The Middle School would like to congratulate all Year 9 and 10 students on a strong start to 2023, and wish them a successful year.

 

Mr Andrei Alexandrescu – Middle Sub School Assistant Leader

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 Mr John Coulson, Assistant Principal, who has moved from overseeing the Junior Sub School to the Senior Sub School, and Ms Rahme Hasan from the Wellbeing team, who will be working with our senior students this year.

Our students have had an excellent start to the new school year and our new VCE and VCE VM students have had a smooth transition to 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 Wednesday 1 February 2023. 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, on Wednesday 22 February, starting at 6:00pm.

The Year 12 Study Camp was held on Thursday 9 and Friday 10  February at University College on the grounds of the University of Melbourne, Parkville. VCE and VCE VM 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 visit. 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: Karli Keskin and Kathleen Phan. Vice Captains are: Kelly Chen, Crystal Nguyen and Jennifer To. 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 24 March 2023, where they will be involved in a variety of activities lead by experienced staff. We will also be hosting our traditional ‘Soccer Challenge’ on Monday 3 April 2023. This is an event that connects the Year 11 student through fun outdoor activities.

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 the Parent Portal on Compass.

Parents will also have the opportunity to speak to teachers on Wednesday the 5 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:

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

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.

Australia Day Reception at Parliament House

On Wednesday 4 January 2023, I received an invitation from the Honourable Linda Dessau AC CVO, Governor of Victoria and Anthony Howard AM KC to attend a reception at Government House Victoria to celebrate Australia Day on Monday 23 January 2023.

It was an honour to be invited along with accomplished doctors and others working in healthcare, leaders and innovators from various industries (construction, engineering, etc.), decorated ADF personnel and of course, some of the brightest young students of our generation.

Guests were told to arrive at 5:00pm, which is when the gates opened and everyone was allowed into the main ballroom, where staff were serving food and drink. At 6:00pm, a speech was given by the Governor and the acting Premier, which lasted for about 15 minutes. Then they invited everyone to sing the first verst of the National Anthem. There were also plans for an Indigenous Australian Elder to make a speech, however she had to attend another event, but sent her regards.

Following this, the door to an outdoor area was opened, where they continued to offer live music, food and drink until the event’s conclusion at approximately 8:00pm.

It was a good experience attending such a prestigious event, and government house was a charming building to visit. 

Written by Anthony Tran (2022 Dux)

 

VCE VM Report

This is the first year the new VCE VM will be running at the College. Year 11 VCE VM students will be the first students to experience the new Study Design.

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 VCE VM students delighted the school community with a Valentine’s Day lunchtime activities on Monday the 13 February. Students worked extremely hard over a short time frame to entertain and feed students with a barbeque, cupcakes, fruit cups, biscuits and more.

Fresh and chocolate roses were also available for sale. Students participated in a raffle to win a Valentine’s Day hamper, listened to music and enjoyed the activities.

The proceeds from the Valentines’ Day event will go towards the VCE VM program to fund project resources.

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

 

Ms Marlene Cassar – Senior Sub School Leader

Tips for using and caring for your device

• Charging your device – Make it a habit to regularly charge your device, perhaps before you go to sleep to you will be able to use it during the school day.
• Carrying & storing your device safely – make sure you are not carrying or holding your device by the screen. It should be closed and in a protective screen or positioned in the middle of your school bag when moving around the school.
• Passwords – When you have been given an initial password by the techies, you need to change it and select your own unique password. You can keep this password, and you only ever need to change it if you believe someone has found out what it is.
• Notifications – if you receive a message from Google notifying you that your account has been compromised, or any other message you are not sure about, please contact Support@stalbanssc.vic.edu.au
• Device set up – The techies initially set up your device with all the systems that you will need. Please do not: Change or remove the users, or uninstall any programs that are there for your use eg : Office applications like Word.
• School emails – a reminder that each student has their own school email. You can use this school email to communicate with co-ordinators and teachers at any time

 

 

Ms Piera Biondi – Digital Learning Specialist

 

 

 

‘The Wellbeing team supported the VCE VM students Valentines day stall by celebrating the theme of ‘Radical Self Love’.

What is Radical Self Love?

“Radical self-love is treating yourself the way you would treat your very best, most treasured friend.”
― Gala Darling

Engaging in radical self-love involves loving and accepting your entire self, even the parts you may consider flaws. Once you choose radical self-love, your entire perspective and attitude can change. You can begin to give yourself the care you deserve and feel better about yourself. It may sound silly or over-the-top, but it will make more sense when you start to let go of limiting beliefs and embrace yourself fully.

Here are some tips on how to practice radical self-love:

• Love every part of you: This includes loving your perceived flaws—which may not even be actual flaws. It means loving every part of your body and your personality. It means loving your quirks and your neuroses.
• Be your own very best friend: This means treating yourself how you would treat your best friend in the world and practicing forgiveness, kindness, and grace. 
• Listen to yourself over others: It can be easy to let the overwhelming voices of others drown out your own voice, but set an intention to listen to yourself above everyone else. You are the expert on your body, your mind, and your heart, and you know who you are and that no one can take your worth from you.
• Write down and recite affirmations: Write down a list of affirmations that resonate with you and put them somewhere where you will see them every day, such as above your desk. Commit to reciting them several times a day, not just saying the words, but really tuning into them.
• Question your negative self-beliefs when they arise: If you find yourself thinking negatively about yourself, whether it’s about the type of treatment you deserve or criticism about your body, you need to challenge these thoughts, where they came from, and why you’re thinking them, so you can then replace them with more loving and generous thoughts.
• Do things that bring you joy: Doing things you love can help you feel better about yourself. If you love to play guitar, carve time out every day to play it and really be in the moment.
• Practice gratitude: Creating a gratitude practice can help you to keep things in perspective and to acknowledge all of the wonderful things in your life. You can try writing down three things you’re grateful for when you wake up in the morning or at night. 
• Source: Taylor, S.R. (2021). The Body is Not an Apology, Second Edition: The Power of Radical Self-Love. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

 

 

Madeleine Matheson – Yr 9 & 10 Wellbeing Officer

 

 

 

Nadia Diaco – School Nurse

 

Year 9 ADVANCE Camp at Lady Northcote

On the February 6, the Advance class of year 9 went to YMCA  Lady Northcote Recreation camp. We spent two days (one night) at the camp site. Although it was short, I’m pretty sure that everyone had a fun experience getting to know each other and being able to build their leadership and teamwork skills. We did fun activities such as canoeing, yabbying, playing sports, pizza making and strolling across the whole campsite. I enjoyed meeting Ryan (our camp activities leader) and his talks were very educational.

I was really nervous that I might not interact with other students and that I will just talk with my friends, but in fact I got to talk to some of them. I really like our Advance group because everyone is nice and also a bit quiet. We were joined by nice and cool teachers, Miss Papagianopoulos and Mr. Marinelli. I’m glad that everyone in our class is responsible, cooperative and very kind. When we were canoeing we had so much fun getting wet in our jeans and having to learn how to row with three people in one canoe. When we were on our breaks and chilling, we shared laughs in our cabin and got to talk about some of our experiences throughout the camp. I really like our moments in our cabin (number 9). On the second day we were really tired in the morning and it was cold. We did sports and pizza making. While we were in sports I really tried playing sports like foosball, nerf rocket and a bit of basketball. In summary I will cherish the moments that we created on this camp.

 

Written by – Sahri Lopez 9B