Acting Principal - James BarutCollege Council President - Heike ReichAssistant Principal - Jonathon RogersAssistant Principal - Janine McMahonBusiness Manager - Jayne Thompson

Emerald Secondary CollegeFortnightly NewsletterEmerald Secondary College is a Learning Community

Term 2 - 2020:26th June 2020 - Issue No. 7Important Dates:Every Thursday: Homework Club - Help is on Your Way 3.20pm - 4.30pm in the Library

JUNEFri 26th: Last day of Term 2 Semester 1 Reports released

JULYMon 13th: First day of Term 3

In this Issue:• Principal’s Report• Assistant Principals’ Report• Yr 10 Art Bob Ross Tutorial• Yr 8 Humanities Renaissance Books• Just Wing It• Yr 12 Legal Studies• Yr 9 Patisserie• Senior School News• Science Academy - Applications Open

for Year 7s in 2021• 1st Cockatoo Scout Group

Principal’s ReportDear Parents/Carers,

Welcome to our last college newsletter for this term.

Let us all take a breather and reflect on the most astonishing, disruptive term of (possibly) all time!

Back in mid-March, the challenge for all schools in Victoria was to move classes into a remote learning in a small space of time. The massive learning curve was there for all to see as lessons moved onto Compass and Webex became the most highly sought after and utilised piece of technology. It was quite powerful to watch everyone stay in a heightened learning place.

It is fair to acknowledge that quite a few students really enjoyed the asynchronous timetable and were comfortable to work at their own pace. Other students needed the direct instruction from the teacher and found their motivation was somewhat low at times. Our internal data also told us that our students missed their friends and their teachers – an endorsement for our college that prides itself on community and caring for all.

The school reports that will be released late this afternoon via Compass, will reflect the learning behaviours of all our students, measuring engagement levels, during remote learning and back to on-site learning. Please take a moment to share these reports with your sons/daughters and work together to discuss improvement strategies and continued learning growth.

Please, please have a wonderful two week break! Whilst our movements are still restricted, we want our students to relax and switch off. Next term, we will hit the ground at full pace, as new curriculum content and skill building, new electives and new teachers mean more learning opportunities.

To that end, I wish to inform you all that this is my last newsletter for Emerald Secondary College. I am moving to another school to take on the role of Acting Principal, but I will never forget this wonderful community and all the support that our families gave (and continue to give) our amazing, caring, community focussed college.

Be well and take care.

James Barut - Acting Principal

Assistant Principals’ ReportCongratulations Year 7Our newest students have just completed their first 6 months of secondary school. There have been many success stories throughout the semester as each student tries to achieve their personal best. We look forward to their continued development now that they have settled into life as a ‘big kid’. Congratulations.

ReportsStudent reports will be published today. With adjustments to reflect Covid-19 and remote learning made, this gives us a valuable tool in assessing how our students are going at Emerald Secondary College. We encourage parents and carers to read the report with their child/ren and reflect on successes and where we can improve. It is this reflective process that helps focus students moving forwards.

Questions to ask and reflect upon:• Am I ‘present’ in the classroom?• Am I easily distracted?• Have I listened to teacher instruction?• Am I familiar with the assessment criteria?• Do I heed and act upon feedback?• Have I checked my Learning Tasks on Compass?

These parameters all involve the students being invested in their learning journey – there is no point in our students coming to school watching our teachers work hard without them reciprocating! It is a shared partnership. We are working towards each other’s success.

UniformUnfortunately, with the cold weather comes students wearing incorrect uniform items. We appreciate the support of students and parents/carers in ensuring that the uniform is worn correctly. As the recent conditions suggest, it is quite cold and students need to be mindful in making sure that their uniform is appropriate for school and the conditions. A few reminders;

• Track suit pants are not permitted to be worn at any stage• Hooded jumpers, other than the college hooded jumper, are not permitted to be worn• Trousers must be the approved navy pants• Students from 7 – 9 must wear the new uniform – available from PSW

Respectful Parent/Teacher Interactions at ESCCo-ordinators and Sub-School Leaders are available to answer any query you might have that relates to the learning or welfare of your child/ren. Please be mindful that the College is working in a climate of respectful relationships. As such, these conversations must always be respectful, timely and cover off on three aspects – decision, action and accountability. The importance of being solution focussed must be at the forefront of every interaction, in a positive environment.

AttendanceRegular attendance in school allows students to continue their growth and achieve their best results. It is important to remind parents that certain attendance requirements are expected at each year level, especially in the later years of school. Students falling below the expected levels will be followed up and potentially counselled into another pathway. If students are away for an illness, please provide a medical certificate to allow us to approve this absence. Please ensure that your child maintains healthy attendance to avoid these disappointing conversations.

Driving to schoolYear 12 students are reminded to follow the guidelines required to drive to and from school. Students must park in the allocated parking bays and not exceed the maximum number of approved travellers. Such breaches will result in a review on the student’s ability to drive to and from school. Students are also reminded to drive safely to and from school.

Thank you James BarutIt has been an absolute pleasure to have worked alongside James Barut during his time at Emerald Secondary College. We appreciate his ability to work with all staff, students and parents and wish him well.

Happy HolidaysFinally, we wish all families a safe and relaxing break from school. We hope you return refreshed in two weeks’ time. Take care.Jonathon Rogers - Assistant PrincipalJanine McMahon - Assistant Principal

Just Wing ItOn Saturday 13th June some of our VCE students performed for the Ignite Youth Festival. Their band "Just Wing It" played a selection of funky/jazzy popular classics. It was great to see them own the stage and perform live to social media. They performed amazingly despite not having a live audience. Ross Crowley – Music

YEAR 10 ART BOB ROSS TUTORIALWell thank goodness this Semester is finally nearly over. It has been a crazy year so far. My lovely Year 10 Art class have researched so much about art movements, artists, visited exhibitions and made a whole lot of art. The final few classes are dedicated to having a bit of fun with our art, so we decided to try out a Bob Ross tutorial. It’s funny how what was once considered ‘daggy’ is back in fashion. Everyone has been working on their happy trees and sunlight. It is a bit of fun, but actually the artworks aren’t half bad really.Cindy Mikieciuk - Arts Domain Leader

Yr 8 Humanities Renaissance BookletsYear 8 Humanities students have been researching the Renaissance and creating booklets that cover day to day life as well as advances in art, literature, science and technology that has impacted on our world today. Franca Mosca - Humanities Domain

Yr 12 Legal StudiesStudents in Yr 12 Legal Studies are currently studying the Australian Constitution, how it impacts on Australians and how it protects our rights. Students have gained an understanding of the role of the High Court of Australia in interpreting and protecting the Australian Constitution. Legal Studies is not just about crime but involves gaining an understanding of institutions that make and reform our laws, and the relationship of these institutions to us as citizens. As future voters these students understand how parliament works and how they can influence it to improve their world. Discussions and debates in class have helped us to listen to different points of view and form individual opinions based on research and facts. This group maintained a high work ethic during remote learning and they continue to impress with their dedication. Fly high Legal Eagles!Franca Mosca - Legal Studies

Year 10 Students who received Remote Learning Certificates

Year 9 PatisserieYear 9 Patisserie finished the semester with making a range of desserts. They also had the opportunities to compare the homemade to commercial products for the nutritional and cost analysis. Ritu Arora – Food Technology

Year 9 Students Science Experiment

Senior School NewsWell… we finally made it! What a term it has been. I would like to commend staff, students and family members for the work that has been done over the course of the term. The teachers were able to flip traditional education on its head in the space of two weeks. Students, often with support from family members, were able to learn by a completely new platform. The African proverb ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ has been truly evident over the past 11 weeks.

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage our senior students to use the holidays to refresh and recharge. The school has taken a proactive wellbeing measure of asking that no revision classes are run over the holiday period, as we want to give our staff and students a chance to mentally recharge.

Students that are wanting to complete extra work over the holidays should really be using this time to revisit and consolidate learning from earlier in the year. I recommend they do a bit of a ‘stock take’ on what they remember and simply target knowledge and skills that have not been retained.

Over the past couple of days, the end of year dates have been confirmed. Yr 12 (VCE & VCAL) last day of regular classes will be 27th October and their exam period will start on November 3rd. The Yr 11 VCE last day of classes will be 6th November and their exam period will run 9th to 20th November. During the exam period, Yr 11 students will also have a course counselling session to confirm their 2021 subjects. The Yr 11 VCAL last day will be 5th November and they won’t be required back at school until Kickstart begins. There will be information communicated at the beginning of next term about the Kickstart Program for 2020 and the last day the current Yr 11 will be required at school for this year.

Enjoy the well-earned break!Senior School Team

Yr 12 VCAL students celebrated the end of Semester 1 with a BBQ

Isabelle and Jorja’s cupcakes for sale. All proceeds are being donated to The Black Dog Institute

Science Academy - Applications Open for Yr 7’s in 2021Emerald Secondary College Science Academy is now open for applications for Year Sevens in 2021.

Students who are accepted into the Science Academy experience a program where they will have the chance to explore in-depth topics and indulge their curiosity. This will be done by exploring the depths of subjects like Science and Mathematics in greater detail. Students will also have access to special incursion and excursion programs with the aim of enriching their experiences within Science and Mathematics.

The program is aimed at students with an enthusiasm for the sciences and a joy of learning. As a result, greater emphasis is placed on the references and communications during the testing.

Applications to the program are due to Emerald Secondary College office by the 3rd August. Alternatively, you can email co-ordinator Brad Gibbs at gibbs.bradley.b@edumail.vic.gov.au

Any enquiries can also be addressed to the same email, or by contacting Emerald Secondary College on 5968 5388.

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