Can you believe that we have passed the mid-way mark of Term 1? Where did that time go? Yes, last week was week five and it signified our college Feedback week. On Friday, we shared with you your student's Personal Learning Quality Feedback (PLQ’s) via Compass highlighting your student's outcomes and growth against our college values of Learning, Respect and Working Together. The PLQ feedback is presented in an easy-to-read graphical representation and will be repeated on four occasions across Semester 1 allowing you to observe and identify any trends in your students’ outcomes. In addition to the PLQ feedback, remember to keep up-to-date and informed of your students’ achievements via their Learning Task results on Compass. Newcomb Secondary College staff also share observations and achievements against our Positive Futures Framework (PFF) via our Positive Acknowledgements on Compass- these can occur at any time when observed so it is important that you continue to stay connected to Compass. We encourage you to have frequent discussions about with your student about their progress at school and encourage you to reach out to our awesome staff (wellbeing, learning mentors, teachers) should we be able to further inform and support you and your student.
School Council Elections 2025
The process for the election of the new College Council is about to commence. Soon, nominations for the four parent, one student, one staff employee and four community representative positions will be open and called for via Compass.
Of course, nominations can be received from any parents and students, and we would encourage parents and students to consider being part of our wonderful and supportive College Council.
The Newcomb Secondary College Council can also co-opt four people into the Community Members category of Council with the College Student Leaders or additional Parents traditionally filling some of these positions.
We would like to thank our 2024 college council members for their contributions to Newcomb Secondary College and look forward to establishing the new 2025 council later this month.
Community Partnerships, Feeder Schools & Information Evening
This week, I have had the privilege of visiting our local feeder schools. For those of you who are wondering, we have six feeder schools that directly align with enrolments to Newcomb Secondary College, those being Leopold Primary School, Moolap Primary School, Whittington Primary School, Newcomb Primary School, Geelong East Primary School and Tate St Primary School. Each of these school settings have a great relationship with Newcomb Secondary College. Our partnerships are built on mutual respect, support, and collaboration. As many of our students would know, Newcomb Secondary College runs several Primary school programs such as-
· Primary school experience visits (food, technology, STEM, Art etc.)
In 2025, we will be offering further opportunities to collaborate with our feeder schools, given our desire to build the capacity of all within our great community and ensure our connections as a community are strong and supportive. We encourage Newcomb Secondary College students, and those in our feeder schools to keep an eye out for the following events and opportunities planned for this year-
· Leadership Day
· Koorie Connection events
· Literacy Program activities
· Sport events & supports.
A further opportunity that we are very excited about is our college Information Evening and Parent Tours. Newcomb Secondary College values our community relationships and look for many opportunities to welcome our community into the college to participate in our events and our programs. We encourage those who have yet to visit Newcomb Secondary College to hear, see and experience our wonderful college to ‘come and see for yourself’. Our college Information Evening is a great starting point- this year it is held on Monday March 24th. Further to this, we will conduct two School Day Tours in weeks 8- 10 of this term. Details on how you can reserve a spot will be circulated shortly. Finally, we are more than happy to schedule a personal tour- to arrange one, please contact the Administration office.
Vehicle Access and Safety at Newcomb Secondary College
Can I ask that all members of our community exercise care when moving around the college site. Schools are vibrant and busy environments, and thus the safety of all who co-exist in, or visit our school setting must be paramount. Safety on the school site is the responsibility of all Newcomb Secondary College community members- staff, students, parents/ carers, and all other key stakeholders. It is important, for the safety of all, to ensure that-
· When entering the school grounds, students must walk with their choice of transport (bicycle etc.)
· Students are expected to wear all protective equipment when travelling to and from school (helmets etc.)
· All community members should exercise care at school vehicle entries, the bus pick-up and drop-off, when moving through the Woolworths carpark or passing by its entrances, and when crossing or walking along the Bellarine Hwy.
· Vehicles drop-off and pick-up students outside of the school boundaries
· Those visiting the college should park in the designated parking bays outside, or alongside the Administration office.
· Visitors to the college should not pass through the school grounds in their vehicle- that is visitors must not pass from the front to the back of the college grounds in their vehicle.
All these measures are for the safety of our community- something we all care about. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
Term One is well underway and (for the most part) as a student body we are all back into routine.
In terms of leadership around the school, we are seeing plenty of positives to look forward to:
With our new house leadership teams working together to create excitement around the sporting carnivals, as well as planning upcoming opportunities for school wide house points activities.
The members of the Student Leadership Action Meeting (SLAM) committee for this year have been finalized, with approximately four representatives selected from each year level. This team will meet on Mondays to engage in discussions focused on potential improvements, fundraising initiatives, and the implementation of positive changes aimed at benefiting the Newcomb Secondary College community throughout 2025.
Additionally, five students are currently participating in the Gnurad Gundidj School for Student Leadership. This term-long program is designed to foster both personal and social development, with the primary goal of equipping students with valuable leadership skills, lifelong learning experiences, and lasting memories.
As the college captains, our primary objective this year is to foster leadership opportunities and amplify student voice within the college community. We aim to cultivate the development of future leaders at Newcomb Secondary College while encouraging greater student engagement and agency in school-wide decision-making processes. We look forward to the outcomes this year will bring, both in terms of the growth of the school and our personal leadership development.
I hope the start of Term 1 for 2025 has been positive for you and your family.
I kindly remind you of the attendance policy and requirements held by Newcomb Secondary College and the Department of Education.
Above all, we are committed to facilitating the attainment of high academic, social, behavioural and emotional success for all students. We believe regular attendance and high engagement in our school community is a critical part of that success, and we endeavour to increase the attendance rate in our school to ensure the best outcomes are accomplished for our students’ growth in all areas. Working together in close partnership with you through the maintenance of regular and open communication is an essential component of our ethos at Newcomb Secondary College, and we strive to maintain our close relationships with all families in our school community.
If your student must be absent, please contact the school as soon as possible to prevent unexplained absences that may hinder your student’s progress. If a reason is not provided for your student’s absence, the school is required to contact you on the same day. This is to ensure the safety of your student and maintain open communication to ensure you and your student are supported and successful in our school community.
If you have any questions regarding attendance or require any support or assistance, please contact the school on 5248 1400.
Hi! I'm Jack Drought. I'm passionate about both sport and teaching. I play footy at the Newcomb Football Club, which keeps me active and connected to the sport I love. I'm also a Maths and P.E. teacher, and I'm really excited to begin my teaching career. I’m looking forward to connecting with, and inspiring students to help them grow through their academics.
‘The Nest Youth Hub is now open Monday to Friday 3:30-6pm! There is FREE FOOD, gaming on PS5, Pool, Table Tennis, and Art Activities. All programs are FREE for young people aged 12-25. Come in and check out our new space at 17 Gheringhap Street, Geelong. For more information, visit https://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/youth .’
What’s On
Starting from 10 February 2025, drop-in programs will be available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3:30pm until 6pm. During drop in times, you can:
Grab a meal and chill out with your mates
Access information and referrals to support services
Play a game of pool, table tennis or video games
Access a computer, a printer, charging stations and free Wi-Fi
Check out the local jobs board and community noticeboard
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Hub will be running closed group activities. Keep an eye on our socials @GeelongYouth early next year for more information including how to register.
The Hub is staffed by members of the City’s Youth Development team, and they will be wearing a lanyard and name tag so you can easily find them.
The Nest Youth Club 17 Gheringhap Street, Geelong.
