Newsletter- Term 4 Week 3 2024

Year 12 Celebrations

This week we celebrated the journey of our Year 12 students, the class of 2024. On Monday we staged a celebration assembly as a whole school and today we took the Year 12 students offsite for a day together as a cohort. The assembly was a fitting recognition of the impact this cohort of students had on the college community, and a fitting acknowledgement of who they are as young adults ready to take on the world. We know that the journey is not yet over, but we do look forward to hearing what the next chapter has installed for you all!

2025 School Captains

On Friday, a number of Year 11 students presented to their peers as prospective 2025 School Captains. I have to say that the presentation speeches were of high quality and the decision posed to their peers, and the school community will be a very difficult one. What I will say is that Newcomb Secondary College is so very privileged to be represented by such amazing students with great aspiration and already competency in leadership. We can’t wait to be able to announce the successful 2025 School Captains and begin working closely with you all.

OED Camp- Otway’s Bushwalk Adventure (Oct 16-18)

Last Friday our Year 9/10 Outdoor Education students and staff returned from their Otway’s Bushwalk Adventure. They returned tired and in need of a good shower, however with big smiles on their faces about their achievement and the experience itself. Thanks goes to Mr Goward, Mr Relouw, and Ms Branson for leading the group.

Geelong Cup Public Holiday (Oct 23)

Just a reminder that tomorrow, Wednesday, October 23 is the Geelong Cup public holiday, and the school will be closed.

Annual Music Concert (Oct 24)

One of the highlight nights on the Newcomb Secondary College calendar is the Annual Music Concert, this year being held on Thursday October 24 in the Newcomb Secondary College Hall. The night will be filled with outstanding talent by our students and their respective bands or ensembles. The event always draws a big audience, so I suggest that you get there early to secure your seat- see you all there!

New Basketball Courts

We are pleased to be able to announce that our new Basketball Courts have finally been opened- and what a hit they have been. To see so many students enjoying the facility each day has been amazing- no doubt we will now have high hopes in our inter-school basketball competitions moving forward!

Once again, welcome back and have a great week!

Mr Scott McLeod

Principal

Newcomb Secondary College

Today, in light of Celebration Day our Year 12’s went to General Republic for Ten-pin Bowling and Arcade Games. We then ventured off to Next Level Skirmish for some Outdoor Laser Tag and some Subway for lunch. We also played a game of “Guess the Year 12 Baby” and gave out some “Year 12 Fun Awards.” Such a great way to celebrate our wonderful Year 12’s last day of their high school journey!!!

Ms Jolly

Year 12 Coordinator

Welcome Mrs Jamie Donohoe! Newcomb Secondary College Community Liaison Officer.

With a background in administration, I have spent most of my working career in business support roles with a strong focus on diary management, scheduling and coordination, and client relationship development. In 2017, I took a step away from these duties to concentrate on raising my growing family which now consists of three incredible girls. In 2021 whilst locked inside during the pandemic, I took a giant leap and purchased an event business that specialises in the curation and coordination of milestone events such as weddings, hens' parties and birthdays. This business has allowed my creativity to bloom and has honed my planning and organisational skills. It is incredibly rewarding and something that I enjoy greatly.

In my downtime, I love being creative and you will frequently find me crafting up a storm with my girls (and making piles of mess, much to my husband’s dismay). You will frequently find me binging fashion editorials, especially around major fashion events. I live for the Met Gala! I am a lover of art and culture and love attending the theatre, ballet or seeing live music.

We deeply appreciate the efforts of our parents who consistently support their children in attending school and engaging with their education. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in helping us create a positive and productive learning environment for all our students, ensuring the best possible outcomes for your children and for our school community. Your commitment makes a significant difference!

If you have any questions regarding attendance or require any support or assistance, please contact the school on 5248 1400.

Thank you!

Hannah

Hannah Demopoulos

Attendance Officer

Newcomb Secondary College

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.

Jane can either be reached by contacting the school office, or via email at jane.osborne@education.vic.gov.au

Jane Osborne

Newcomb Secondary College

Student Wellbeing & Engagement

Ph: 5248 1400 | 

E: Jane.Osborne@education.vic.gov.au

Whooping cough

Whooping cough cases are continuing to increase across Victoria, particularly among school-aged children. Whooping cough is a very contagious infection, mostly spread through coughing or sneezing. Symptoms include:

· blocked or runny nose

· tiredness

· mild fever

· severe bouts of coughing, often followed by a ‘whooping’ sound on breathing.

Whooping cough can lead to life threatening infections in babies.

If your child is unwell, they should not attend school. Please see a doctor if you or your child develops whooping cough symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment will help reduce the spread of the infection.

Students diagnosed with whooping cough must not attend school.

To reduce the spread of infection and to protect others within the school community, students diagnosed with whooping cough are recommended not to attend school for 21 days after their cough was first present, or until they have taken a full course of antibiotics prescribed by a doctor (usually a 5-day course).

If your child is diagnosed with whooping cough, please contact the school to let us know.

I hope we can work together to protect the whole school community by following the recommended advice.

For more information about whooping cough, refer to Whooping cough on the Better Health Channel – see link below.

Vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk of whooping cough. The Department of Health recommends staying up to date with immunisations, including booster doses. A free booster dose of the pertussis vaccine is covered under the national immunisation program for students aged 12 to 13. If you are unsure about your child’s vaccination status for whooping cough, please discuss with an immunisation provider, such as your doctor.

We really appreciate your support in keeping our students safe and well.

For more information, refer to:

• Better Health Channel, for information about whooping cough symptoms, prevention and Victorian eligibility for free booster immunisations
• Increasing pertussis (whooping cough) cases in Victoria
• Local Public Health Units.

On the 17th and 18th of October a group of students from year 10 had the opportunity to have a look behind the scenes of workplaces showing hospitality, technology, and engineering this was all provided by the Smith Family.

We went to a various places including The Torquay Resort, Thornton Engineering, CDC Victoria and CSIRO.

It was an amazing set of experiences to have. We got to make mocktails and make up an American-styled bed at The Torquay Resort, have a look at one-of-a-kind engineering tools at Thornton Engineering and we were able to look into science labs and see the different viruses and diseases in the world at CSIRO!

What an amazing opportunity to see into the world of work in vastly different workplaces.

Thank you so much to the Smith Family for providing this experience for us.

Written By Zoey Davis and Emily Dunn Year 10.

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!! 

Mr Curnick

The Newcomb Secondary College Library opens at 8.30 a.m. every weekday morning before school and is open every recess and lunchtime (2nd half) throughout the year. 

We have a wealth of board and card games and a number of Clubs running weekly - Monday Clubs include Chess Club and Book Club. Tuesday Clubs include City of Greater Geelong Gaming and Board Games Club, Craft Club runs on both Thursdays and Fridays throughout the year (Term 4: Polymer clay jewellery making and Zart Art Paper Magiclay Miniatures). Geelong Regional Library Corporation Young Adult Librarians run special workshops fortnightly throughout the year with themed book and craft sessions with (Valentines Day, Halloween and Christmas for example).

Students are currently creating Spring and Halloween Displays for our school library, and we look forward to sharing our photos of these in the coming weeks!

Library Opening Hours

Monday to Friday

*Open from 8.30 - 3.30 p.m.

*Open at Recess

*Open 2nd half lunchtimes (reading/board and card games/clubs).

Term 4 Regional Parenting Calendar