From the Assistant Principal Students

From the Assistant Principal-Students

Welcome back to a new term. I hope families spent some special time together and the students are ready for a great finish to 2020.

Uniforms

Please be aware of your child’s uniform. I noticed last week some students were growing out of their uniform. Some of our students had a growth spurt during the holidays and their uniform is a little small. Please check the length of the boys pants which should go down to the shoes and the length of the girls kilt which should go down to the knees.

Some students had pierced their ears and some their nose. Just to remind students and families the only piercing accepted at the College is for the girls only. One silver or gold sleeper or stud or a small jewel in each ear. No nose, lip or any other facial piercing is acceptable. No plastic piercings should be worn and no band-aids covering a piercing. Students will be asked to remove any piercings while at school- this is not negotiable.

Students are expected to have the College bag every day while at school. If there is a problem with the bag a note must be presented to the Learning advisor.

Boys should be clean shaven every day and Girls should have their hair tied back.

On Thursday, if a student does not have full sports uniform they must wear their summer uniform to school, they can change for sport and get changed back into their uniform before they leave. 

Cyber safety

Social media is part of all of our lives. There are some real positive aspects of social media but there are also some real problems with social media. 

There are age limits on social media for safety reasons but also because immature young people can misuse social media. It is very easy for people to write mean and inappropriate things online because they feel safe behind a computer screen. Many comments are made to people that would never be said face to face. Online bullying can occur because the person thinks that they are anonymous. 

The person who pays the bills for the phone and the internet is the person responsible for what happens on the registered device. A parent or guardian should be aware of all online activity of anyone using their device or internet. Regular checks of content and social media use are essential to prevent harm online. 

The College has information available to help families deal with online behaviour and if they contact their Leader of Learning- Pastoral for the child’s year group, they can assist in helping with issues. 

Blocking sites

The Government support site esafety.gov.au has some helpful tips for blocking sites and safety online

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice/taming-technology

Examinations

Year 7-10 will be having examinations over the next 2 weeks. This can be a stressful time for students. I would like to remind students and parents that we have support structures in the school to help students that feel anxious and overwhelmed. Please contact your child’s Leader of Learning if you feel they require support.

It is an expectation that all examination rules are followed during this time. Smart watches and phones are not permitted in the examination rooms and would best be left at home on those days. All students are expected to have pens, pencils, calculators etc for their examinations.

What is in the Planner?

When we are with others, we need to use CARE

C= Communication: be open and honest

A= Achieve: aim for win-win conversations

R= Respect: believe and show that others matter

E= Expect: give more of yourself to grow

Being connected and accepted by teachers, peers and other people will allow you to thrive and flourish. Academic growth, wellbeing and resilience will increase when you have a sense of belonging. Seeking to understand others and not judging them will increase your social connectedness. Communities thrive when they accept each other's differences, this could include culture, disabilities, skills, shapes, sizes and abilities.  

It is important to take every opportunity that is presented to you. Positive engagement in life is a key to building your identity. It is a risk sometimes to take on a new challenge and sometimes your challenges may not be successful but the most important thing is to give it a go. 

It is the time of year we are looking for our Leaders in the College. One key characteristic of a leader is GRIT. Grit is the long-term persistence to achieve something and make a positive difference. Leaders also believe that others matter and so do their opinions, that actions are better than intentions, and they follow through with what they say.

LEADERSHIP WEEK is coming up. Every student is a leader of the College. You don’t need a badge to be a leader; you show leadership in your actions. Being cooperative with other students and teachers, trying your best in you work, treating others with respect and behaving well at school and while in the community is the best way to show leadership.

God bless

Mr. Nick Thrum

Assistant Principal- Students