Newsletter- Week 2 2024

Can I start by commending staff and students on the way for which the school year has commenced. The collective commitment to our High Expectations focus has been a very positive and well-received one throughout the entire college community. The new structure to the day providing Ready to Learn preparation, continued focus on Good Order and predictable learning environments have produced a positive school climate where learning is maximised, and positive relationships are fostered. I don’t have to explain to you that the benefits of building positive relationships and creating an orderly and predictable classroom are many, but with student growth and outcomes at the centre of any intervention, this commitment has already proven to generate greater and more effective teaching and learning time, something we hold in high importance here at Newcomb Secondary College. I encourage, and challenge, all students, and members of our community to continue to have High Expectations of themselves and each other.

Great start for our new students!

I am pleased to say that our Year 7 students, and those new to the college across Year 8 - 12 have settled into the college community well. I have enjoyed meeting to our new students, learning more about each of them and hearing the positive feedback from staff on how they have commenced. Congratulations to you all and keep it up!

Home Group & Positive Futures Framework

In 2024, and as shared in last week’s newsletter, you will note that our Home Group program has moved to the start of the day. During this valuable pastoral and ready to learn program, students will be supported in learning about being their best self, positive members of their communities (home, school, local and other), how to manage challenging situations sensibly and responsibly, as well as how to attend to their own wellbeing and support the wellbeing of others. This learning is a feature of Newcomb Secondary College’s Respectful Relationships curriculum, our School Wide Positive Behaviour program, our Berry Street Education Model supports for students and the Newcomb Secondary College Positive Futures Framework (see below). Throughout the year, we will share resources with you at home and for all members of our college community to allow you at home to facilitate conversations with your student and participate in this very important life education program together with us.

Action packed Term 1!

Term 1 is always an exciting term full of new beginnings, opportunities, events, and of course warmer weather! Upcoming events and opportunities to keep an eye out include the College photos (February 14) and Summer Swimming Carnival (February 15), Athletics Carnival (February 29), and our Information Evening (March 25). Equally, we have excursions planned at each year level, SSG meetings, P/T/S Conferences, Elective Sport days and much more. We encourage you to keep an eye out on the College calendar and communications in the Newsletter and via Compass. It certainly is a busy time (which I think is great by the way)!

Positive Attendance

In last week’s Newsletter, you will have noticed articles focussed on Attendance. It goes without saying that at Newcomb Secondary College we are strong advocates for students to attend school. If we learnt nothing else from the recent years (lockdowns etc.), being at school is so important for the growth and development of students. Social skills development and learning progress through school education equal positive outcomes and successful pathways for all young people. We encourage you to have frequent discussions with your student about attendance and active engagement in the learning programs here at Newcomb Secondary College, especially during those times when students seek to have time away from school. We are here to support you in these discussions- please reach out if we can assist. We value and appreciate your support.

Compass Chronicle & Behaviour Incident notifications

Finally, we have made some improvements to our Compass communication system for 2024. The purpose of these changes was to ensure that parents and carers can be better informed of the progress of students. If a student engages in behaviours that go against Department or Newcomb Secondary College behaviour expectations, staff will record this as a Compass Chronicle notice visible to parents and carers so conversations can be entertained at home in support of Newcomb Secondary College. If, over the course of a fortnight, several behaviour incidents are lodged on Compass, parents and carers will receive an email from the school to indicate the continued patterns of behaviour. Again, this communication is a supportive prompt for parents and carers to engage in a restorative conversation with the student, contact the school for further details or support or to action a suitable response to correct the patterns of behaviour moving forward. We actively facilitate proactive collaborative approaches with students, parents, and carers to ensure that we attend to behaviour incidents in a responsible manner and shift back to positive behaviours quickly that are conducive for best practice learning outcomes. Afterall, and I have said this before, supporting a student with their learning is a collaborative partnership and a team effort!

Have a great week!

Regards,

Mr McLeod

Principal