Student Voice and Agency is a valued and priorities aspect of Newcomb Secondary College. We look to provide platforms and forums for students to share their voice on our college facilities, programs and activities. Such information and feedback is listened to and reviewed by college leadership and relevant teams to, in turn action suitable responses to enable growth as a school. Last week, the 2024 Attitudes to School survey was conducted by all students present. The preliminary data is in, and we have already begun the process of reflection and action as a response to the feedback. Shortly, our staff will undertake the Staff Opinion survey and then parent/ carers will have their turn- both in Term 3.
General Assessment Test
As I write this Newsletter article, our students undertaking a Senior VCE course are completing the General Assessment Test (GAT). The General Achievement Test (GAT) is a pen-and-paper test of general knowledge and skills taken by students while completing their senior secondary studies. The GAT plays an important role in the quality assurance of VCE assessments and provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate they meet the Victorian Literacy and Numeracy Standards expected at a senior secondary level. No special study is needed. Past study of subjects like English, Mathematics, Science and History prepares students for the GAT by building their general knowledge and skills in writing, numeracy and reasoning.
Mobile Phone Policy
A further reminder to our college community that in Semester two we will be strengthening our Mobile Phone policy. As has been shared throughout the Term in this Newsletter, with students at Assemblies and via messages on Compass, the premise of the Departments Mobile Phone policy is an important social and learning aid for students and schools.
It is important to note the Department’s policy guidelines-
Students who bring mobile phones to school must have them switched off and securely stored during school hours.
For the purpose of this policy, a mobile phone is a telephone with access to a cellular (telecommunication) system, with or without a physical connection to a network.
Exceptions to the policy may be applied if certain conditions are met. Exceptions can be granted by the principal, or by a teacher. Exceptions must be documented.
Schools must provide secure storage.
Schools are required to develop a local policy on students using mobile phones, which must include how this ministerial policy will be implemented and may include other personal devices in addition to mobile phones.
Schools will manage non-compliance with their local mobile phone policy in accordance with their existing student engagement policies.
Schools should review their local policy as part of their regular cycle of review for school policies.
In Semester two, Newcomb Secondary College will enforce a strengthening of our local Mobile Phone policy, in support of assisting students to follow the ministerial order as it is intended. Thus, students who fail to have their mobile phones switched off and securely stored (in locker) during the school day, and thus are caught using their device will be asked to relinquish it for the remainder of the school day. As noted in the Departments Mobile Phone policy, and to be reflected on the local Newcomb Secondary College policy in Semester two-
Schools will enforce the policy under their existing student engagement policies, for example, through detention or a loss of school-based privileges, where students fail to comply with the local school policy on mobile phones, including if they refuse to relinquish their phones to school staff when asked.
Where students have relinquished their mobile phones to school staff, schools are expected to return them to the student or parent/carer at the end of the school day. This is to support student safety when travelling to and from school, during which times carrying a mobile phone may help to manage risks of harm.
The purpose of our proactive transparency with this policy strengthening soon to be implemented is to provide opportunities for our college community (staff, students, and parents/ carers) to best prepare for a smooth transition. We appreciate that for some students changing existing dependencies or habits will be a challenge, but it is one that is for the right reasons, and one that together we will all (staff, students, and parents/ carers) provide support with.
Newcomb Secondary College is fortunate enough to have a Doctors in Schools Program running 2 days a week.
We have both a GP, and Mental Health Nurse that attend onsite to run a clinic on a Tuesday and Wednesday. This clinic is for any student in Years 7-12. The appointments are bulk billed, meaning that there is no cost to families.
Appointments can be made by either contacting the schools Wellbeing Team or calling Bellarine Community Health on 5253 0400.
Students may access this service to address any of the following:
Physical pain or issues
Health lifestyle (sleep, diet, nutrition, exercise)
Mental health
Sexual health and contraception
Sexuality and gender identity
Body image
Scripts
If you would like to know more, please contact Jane Osborne in our Wellbeing Team.
This health content is brought to you by Doctors in Secondary School.
Please find the selected resources from your healthcare team below. These resources offer a trusted source of relevant health information. We hope you find them helpful and informative.
This week's focus is on Body image tips for parents.
Butterfly endeavours to help people foster positive body image, strong self-esteem, resilience, media literacy and a healthy attitude towards food and exercise. Engaging in thought provoking conversation and exploring one’s own opinion and feelings towards certain issue is how we can all gain a better understanding of ourselves and what we value. This in turn can boost self-esteem and body image.
The After School Homework Club is in Room B2 every day except Thursdays. Students are welcome to attend to catch up on classwork, complete homework, receive individual tutoring or to work with classmates on a group project. They may attend for 15 minutes to sort out just one problem or they may attend right up to 5pm to accomplish a greater amount of learning. Those who attend will be awarded a positive learning chronicle (with reward token) and will be offered food and hot chocolates!!
Mattei Livy: Year 10 Work Experience at Geelong Rural.
Mattei was able to experience “a day in the life” of a Diesel Technician. He was able to go on several farm site visits to perform services and repairs on Tractors and general farm equipment.
Over the work experience period he was also able to go on a site visit to Barwon Prison and Cherry Creek Prison to assist in Tractor and Mower maintenance. He accompanied staff members on parts runs (driving to Geelong Rural suppliers to collect part orders), assisted the technicians in preparation for jobs onsite (packing and unpacking the field Utes) and joined the team to wash and prepare tractors for delivery to customers.
He was also given tasks that a normal 1st year apprentice would perform daily - emptying all of the rubbish bins into the skips, putting out the flags, locking up the shed doors, sweeping and soaking up oil spills in the workshop, keeping the crew's kitchen space clean and tidy, and assisting the parts department in unpacking part orders.
Natural Work Ethic
We always appreciate hearing of the many success stories of our students when in the community. It is always great to hear of how well Newcomb Secondary College students represent themselves, their families, and our school. Geelong Rural provided a glowing report (below) about Mattei and followed up with an exciting offer of an apprenticeship once Mattei has finished school. Well done Mattei!
"We have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside
Mattei, and we are all very impressed at the high level of maturity and
enthusiasm he has shown.
Geelong Rural always encourage our work
experience kids to stay in school as much as possible as you only get one
chance at School and we emphasize that School is actually easier than working
in the real word.
When Mattei is ready or even starts to
explore the option of a career as a Diesel Technician, Geelong Rural would be
more than happy to welcome him as part of our team.
Geelong Rural has never offered a “no time
limit” apprenticeship position to a work experience student, but we would like
to offer this to Mattei. (We have recommended finishing School first).
If Mattei chooses a different career path,
Geelong Rural would be more than happy to offer a letter of recommendation to
his future employer or offer him assistance in finding a position via our
farming contacts / customers.
Never before have I had a work experience
student engage with all staff members and customers with real interest and
respect as Mattei has, he has a fantastic natural work ethic
Having Mattei onboard with us for the week
was a real pleasure, what an outstanding young man!"
My job as a Science Laboratory Technician at Newcomb Secondary College is to prepare practical experiments, keep track of chemical and biological stocks, along with maintaining all other equipment in the science classrooms and laboratories. I have a double degree of Science and Engineering from Deakin University, and I have worked as a Sleep Technician for St John of God Hospital. I worked as a Science Laboratory Technician at Geelong Grammar School just before coming to Newcomb Secondary College.
In my spare time I am a self-published author of the fantasy series Geb War Chronicles which currently has two books in the series and a third on the way. I also enjoy video games, movies and especially reading books.
We’re excited to let you know that entries for the 2024 Insight Creative Writing Competition
are OPEN. If we have any budding writers from Years 7–12 at our school, please enter! We’d love to see your work.
Here is a quick reminder of the guidelines Insight have made to help students get even more creative with their entries.
All year levels have an upper limit of 1400 words. There is no minimum word limit.
We accept other creative writing forms in addition to short stories, including poems, scripts and more.
This year’s theme (Beauty in the unknown) is optional, giving entrants the freedom to write about anything that inspires them.
To download the submission form and view all conditions of entry, please click below.
Mondays (Weekly): Circle of Friends Book Club with Miss Marshall
Tuesdays (Weekly): Games Club - Board games, movies, karaoke and popcorn!
Ms Noor Al-Assafi and Vanessa (COGG)
Joining in and having fun is central to the success of Games Club. Run by Vanessa (City of Greater Geelong) and Ms Noor Al-Assafi (our Newcomb Secondary College Social Worker), we have an outstanding turnout of students enjoying the warmth, friendship and fun in the school library every Tuesday lunchtime.
Wednesdays (Fortnightly): Geelong Regional Library with Ms Laura Farrington and Ms Naomi Ford
Manga, mysteries, trivia games and craft are on the table when Laura and Naomi are visiting from Geelong Regional Library Corporation. Newcomb Secondary students particularly enjoy using their badge maker machine and special activities like Easter, Halloween, Christmas and Idahobit Day crafts. We are very fortunate to be right next door to Newcomb Library where Miss Laura Farrington is the Children's and Youth Services Librarian.
NEXT WEDNESDAY SESSION with Geelong Regional Library:
19/06 – Manga Trivia: Manga VS Anime with Laura!!!
On Thursday the 27th June (the last Thursday of Term 2) we will be having a Casual Dress Day with a touch of red for the Australian Red Cross. This is for our CLP Project which is our Community Learning Project that we had to come up with and complete as part of the leadership camp that I went on in Term 3 of 2023 (year 9). This will be a gold coin donation for anyone that wishes to come in Casual dress with a touch of red, the gold coins will be collected during period 1. There will also be a donation box set up so if you wish to donate more you can. The money raised from both this and the guess the lolly jar will be donated to the Australian Red Cross. We have chosen the Australian Red Cross to raise awareness for everything that they do, as they are big in the community and helping people to get to where they need after community disasters as well as a homelessness program to help people. The Red Cross is a volunteer program which is where the donations would be able to help them and provide them with more things if they need.
