Newsletter- Week 2 2025

Welcome to 2025

I wish to take this opportunity to welcome all Newcomb Secondary College community members to the 2025 Academic Year. I do hope that everyone had a safe and enjoyable summer break and for our students who returned to school last week, I trust you did so with a renewed level of enthusiasm, optimism, and determination for a successful year. It can be said that a new year offers ‘new opportunities’ and a ‘clean slate’. This is very true at Newcomb Secondary College. We encourage students to take advantage of the opportunity, this 'clean slate', and support them to make positive choices that will lead to positive growth and positive outcomes.

Last week I had the privilege of welcoming new staff and students to the Newcomb Secondary College community. Joining the staff in 2025 include- Ms Millie Holland, Mr Elijah Wall, Ms Hannah Riches, Ms Erin King and Mr Jack Drought. In coming editions of the Newsletter, we will feature a ‘Getting to know you’ profile feature on each of our new staff. One thing I can say for sure, we are blessed to have so many fine educators for our students!

It was a special moment at our ‘Welcome Back’ assembly on day one last week for those students new to Newcomb Secondary College. In particular our new Year 7 students who are embarking on their Secondary schooling journey with us. Upon completing their Year 12 studies and graduating from Newcomb Secondary College, these students will be known as the class of 2030 (scary thought hey!)! It was certainly great to see all their smiling faces and in conversations with many of them, it was clear that they felt welcomed, supported, and were having a great day.

To students who have joined us at different year levels across the college for the first time, we to very much welcome you to the college, our wonderful community and the Newcomb Secondary College family!

I couldn’t let this moment pass without recognising our wonderful 2025 Year 12 students. This is their final year of secondary schooling, and I can say with a fair degree of certainty, it will be a challenging year but one that will feature many supports to ensure it is a successful experience for all.

Newcomb Secondary College Leadership Structure 2025

We are pleased to announce that in 2025 we have expanded our Principal Class Team with the inclusion of Ms Eliza Hunt as an acting Assistant Principal. This role is to streamline the workflow and to sufficiently support and attend to the growing demands of leading a school, supporting students, and assisting our community. Further to this, Mr. Sebastian Relouw is now appointed as the acting Leading Teacher (Student Engagement 7-9).

If you have any matters that you wish to direct appropriately, but don’t know who to forward them to, I suggest you reach out to the Administration Office or to your student/s Home Group teacher/s.

‘High Expectations’…. a continued focus 2025

We can all be quite proud of Newcomb Secondary College’s dedication towards and success in Creating Positive Futures for all students. Our Positive Futures Framework (PFF) offers guidance for the skills and attributes necessary for success in any chosen career pathway. We have a widely recognised Wellbeing program - utilising Berry St resources and professional learning to guide and feature highly on all student growth tables for Literacy and Numeracy. Student Voice and Agency is celebrated, and our commitment to School Wide Positive Behaviour allows Newcomb Secondary College to have a safe and orderly environment for learning together.

In 2025, to complement these areas of success, and to support our work with the Berry St resources, staff will continue to focus on supporting students with ‘High Expectation’ and ‘Good Order’ practices. Research tells us that students who display consistent behaviours, have high expectations and predictable routines are more organised, maximise learning opportunities and achieve the greatest success. Aligned with our college values of ‘Learning, Respect & Working together’ as assessed in our positive learning qualities report cycle every five-weeks, ’Good Order’ practices will enable our classroom learning environments to be spaces that are calm and orderly, where positive learning interactions are a feature and remain the focus.

The ‘Good Order’ Focus areas that are expected (and were reinforced with students at our assembly today) are-

1. Students will line up outside the classroom before each class with all learning materials.
2. Students will enter the room in an orderly manner, sit & remain seated, and keep devices shut until instructed to open by the teacher.
3. Students will respect the learning equipment- and leave the room in a neat, tidy state.
4. There will be opportunities in class for structured movement directed only by the teacher- at all other times, students will remain seated for learning.
5. Only one student will be granted permission by the teacher to leave the classroom at any time using the ‘Pass-out’ card offered by the teacher or their signed student organiser.

As you can appreciate, these ‘Good Order’ expectations, under our ‘High Expectations’ theme are quite simple and not hard for students to adhere to but will allow each and every class to begin in a positive fashion and remain conducive to best practice learning outcomes. We encourage you to take the time to speak about these measures with your student at home and set about determining what High Expectation outcomes look like with your student and in your family. We appreciate your support of our endeavour to provide organisational guidance, predictability, and high expectations to our student community in 2025. Today is our starting platform- our base level expectations so to speak. Please do keep an eye out for further ‘Good Order’ & ‘High Expectations’ foci over the coming weeks.

Student Uniform & Presentation

It was great to see the efforts made by most students regarding presentation within our Newcomb Secondary College community. Each student is a role model for the college, and we ask that they always represent the college well, as well as representing themselves and their families also.

Leadership, Student Support and Home Group teachers will be making a concerted effort to ensure all students are dressed in correct uniform in 2025. We too ask for your unwavering support with this focus also. Students who present in the incorrect uniform will be asked to report to the ‘Uniform Bank’ to provide a reason and a plan to address the situation with their Home Group teachers and Student Support coordinators. As part of this process at the uniform bank, students will be provided with a replacement uniform item for the day. It is incumbent upon the student parent/ carer (with support of Newcomb Secondary College) to rectify any uniform issues, however in the event that a positive outcome is not possible, Leadership will contact respective guardians to discuss the matter and determine the next steps forward.

The Newcomb Secondary College uniform provider is PSW and if support is needed with uniforms, don’t hesitate to contact our Wellbeing team.

Positive School Attendance Rates

You may have noticed continuing media articles that data suggests improved attendance in schools in 2024. This is a very positive sign and recognition of the determined efforts schools, carers and support teams have put into value learning, value being at school and thus getting students to improve attendance rates accordingly. With connection to school and engagement in learning being considered the greatest influences on academic and social outcomes, it is imperative that together we work closely to support students attending school each day.

If we can assist you with attendance resources and supports, please be in contact with the Newcomb Secondary College Attendance Officer- Ms Hannah Demopoulos, our Student Support team, our Wellbeing team, and/or your students Home Group teacher.

There is further information about school attendance on our college website (NSC Attendance Policy).

Home Group 2025

It is important that students attend school ‘ready to learn’. To support students with being organised and prepared each day for classes, we have moved our Home Group sessions to the start of the day- commencing on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9 a.m.

Home Group is a vital part of the school day in which messages can be shared, equipment and learning resources checked, wellbeing supports triaged, Compass Chronicle notes can be referred to and discussed, and may positive conversations and activities can take place. Home Group will provide an opportunity for Student Voice, Leadership, Respectful Relationships and much more. It is expected that upon the conclusion of the Home Group session, students can move off to their subjects best prepared, in a centered state of mind for learning and thus able to achieve the best possible learning outcomes for the day.

Department Policy- Mobile Phone

I wish to take this opportunity to direct our community to a couple of key policies that schools are expected to action.

In 2024, the Department of Education has in place a mobile phone ban that requires students who bring mobiles phones to school to have them switched off and securely put away during school hours.

The department instructed all schools across the state to ensure this ban is in place and enforced from the start of the 2024 school year. As you are aware, Newcomb Secondary College implemented the NSC Mobile Phone policy in Term 3 with minimal concern and high success. This policy ensured that school is a learning environment free from unnecessary distractions and disruptions and offered students with the space to interact with each other face-to-face, without the distractions and social pressures that mobile phones can cause. I ask for the support of all our families, staff, and students in continuing to maintain and support the implementation of this policy in our school.

Further information:

Exceptions: For a small number of students with particular health needs, an exception to the policy may be granted. An official approval process is necessary so please contact the Administration Office if you would like to learn more.

Emergencies: In the event of an emergency or if you need to immediately contact your child, we ask that families contact the school office who will pass on a message as required.

Parent support: The Mobile phones in schools webpage provides links to resources for families to help them balance their children’s time using mobile phones.

For further information on the Department of Education’s Mobile Phone policy, please refer to this link- Mobile Phones – Student Use: Policy | education.vic.gov.au

Department Policy- Building a Positive Community Relationship

To help make sure that your child feels supported at school you must work with the school to create a supportive environment. This will also help meet your child's learning and wellbeing needs. Here at Newcomb Secondary College, we are proud of the relationships we foster with our community and look to work closely and collaboratively as a team together in the best interests of all students.

The Respectful Behaviours in the School Community Policy defines standards of behaviour for all adult members of the school community. It also defines unacceptable behaviours and consequences for such behaviours. This helps to ensure schools are safe, supportive, and respectful places for work and learning for all students, staff, and other adults. In line with our High Expectations agenda in 2025, please take a moment to review the Department’s policies and resources on this important part of our partnerships together- Building a positive relationship with your child’s school.

Have a great week!

Regards,

Mr Scott McLeod

Principal

Newcomb Secondary College