Newsletter- Term 2 Week 2 2024

Parent/ Teacher/ Student Conferences

“We should do these more often” was the resounding theme of conversations had at last Thursday evening and Friday morning’s Parent/ Teacher/ Student Conferences. The opportunity to come together as a community to discuss the progress and identify areas for further growth of students was one that is always well-received and of high value. Afterall, we all appreciate the responsibility upon us each one of us to work together in partnership so we can ensure our students can achieve their very best outcomes in education, and in life.

Our Parent/ Teacher/ Student Conferences realised over 600 bookings which was amazing. If you were not able to make it to the conferences last week, you can reach out to any teacher and request a phone call- that goes to all members of our college community at any time throughout the school year. Our staff are always willing to share progress updates, learning growth and recommend improvement areas with you and your student.

Building Works have commenced.

As I write this article, temporary construction fence lines are being installed around sections of the school in preparation for the construction of our new facilities. The construction works are due to take place throughout the entirety of Term 2, and pleasingly expected to be completed for the start of Semester 2.

The facility upgrade works include a new Bicycle Shed next to the existing Bus Shed, two new Basketball courts at the back of C3 and C4, 350 new lockers with USB power sources for the charging of laptops and a perimeter fence line around the main campus buildings and student oval spaces. We are excited to have the opportunity to further upgrade our facilities for students. It has, and is, always a clear agenda of Leadership at Newcomb Secondary College to be innovative with our facility designs, and to maximise the value of each college improvement opportunity for the benefit of our community- our students deserve nothing less.

During the construction of these new and amazing facilities, we appreciate that movement around the college will look a little different. We ask that all students, staff, parents/ carers, and community members respect the construction areas, temporary fence lines and signage so that everyone on site can remain safe. The latest map of the construction zone is shared with you below.

ANZAC Day

On Wednesday we will come together for a commemorative ceremony to pay our ANZAC Day respects to those who served our wonderful country. We know that this day is an important day of reflection for many in our community, and for those of you who had relatives serve in conflict, and those of you who have family members currently involved in the Australian Defence Force. We encourage you to take the opportunity to support your student in their understanding of the significance of the day, and the sacrifices made by the service men and women who served our country and enabled us to live the lives that we value and appreciate in our lucky country today. We will commemorate ANZAC Day at Newcomb Secondary College on Wednesday given Thursday is a public holiday for ANZAC Day itself.

Introducing Mr Grabowski (Assistant Principal)

At our Term 2 Whole School Assembly last Monday, we had the privilege to officially introduce and welcome Mr Joshua Grabowski to Newcomb Secondary College as our new Assistant Principal. Mr Grabowski is a wonderful person, educator and leader and we are very fortunate to have him join the Newcomb Secondary College family.

Mr Grabowski

Over the course of the Term, Mr Grabowski will make every effort to introduce himself to the college community and in doing so get to know a little about every one of you. His primary role will be supporting the program at Years 7- 9 as well as leading the college wellbeing and intervention program areas. We have been very impressed with the way Mr Grabowski has hit the ground running since transitioning to the college and we know that you too will be very impressed by Mr Grabowski when you cross paths with him. We look forward to a positive and impactful journey together.

Have a great week!

Regards,

Scott McLeod

Principal

Newcomb Secondary College

81-85 Bellarine Highway | Newcomb 3219

T: (03) 5248 1400 | F: (03) 5248352

Creating Positive Futures

Dear parents and caregivers,

Welcome back to Term 2! I hope that you had a great Easter break.

In Term 1 of 2024, across all year levels, 64% of absences remain unexplained – something that we hope our college community can assist us with by accessing Compass and attending to your student’s absence reason.

Of the absences provided with a reason, 20% are due to Medical, 10% listed as Parent Choice (unapproved) and a combined 6% noted as Truancy, Refusal or Family Holiday.

At Newcomb Secondary College, we strive for high attendance to support your child’s learning, and social, emotional and mental wellbeing. We endeavour to work with and support all families in our community; we all want and need to do better for our students.

We can provide the best supports for students and families when absences are explained. Protecting the safety and well-being of students through the reporting and monitoring of absenteeism is the responsibility of both parents/carers and Newcomb Secondary College.

Communication is a critical component in ensuring all students can maximise their learning and engagement. If your student is struggling with attendance due to anxiety, health, truancy, refusal or another barrier, please let us know so we can work together to support your student. We understand that there are barriers preventing attendance and prioritise support for those families. There are a range of resources available to support you with helping students to re-engage and improve school attendance.

• 95% attendance rate is the equivalent of missing 10 days per year.
• 90% = 1 day per fortnight or 20 days per year.
• 85% = 30 days per year (chronically absent)
• 80% = one day per week or 40 days per year.

Research has shown that consistent student attendance at school is directly linked to better health, social and employment outcomes.

We have 30 students with perfect attendance of 100% and 130 students above 95%; a huge congratulations and thank you to these students and their families.

A few friendly reminders:

• If your student has any outstanding unexplained absences for Term 1, please access the Compass portal to view and enter reasons for these absences.
• If your student must be absent, please contact the office as soon as possible on the same day.
• Please avoid booking family holidays during the school term.
• Please aim to only keep students home if they are too unwell to attend.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your student’s attendance, or if you or your student requires any support with school refusal, please contact the school on (03) 5248 1400 or the school’s attendance officer.

Hello Newcomb Secondary College community!

As a newcomer to the school community, I am honoured to now be officially a part of the Newcomb Secondary College team. My name is Joshua Grabowski, and I am filled with immense gratitude for the warm welcomes I have received from you all since the announcement of my appointment as Assistant Principal. As someone who was born just up the road in Whittington and grew up in the Geelong West, I feel extremely fortunate and privileged to give back to the community I was raised in and be a part of the next chapter in Newcomb Secondary’s history. No doubt this future will include many successes and positive moments in time, however it's the journey that I’m most looking forward to. As we know it’s not only just the destination that matters, it’s the voyage, the struggles, the ups and downs, and the embracing of the daily grind that builds great resilience, strength and grit. Which develops from performing high expectations consistently and having a school-wide growth mindset culture. In terms of my professional journey, I’ve been fortunate to have experienced a range of roles in education. Over the years, I've had the privilege of serving in various diverse school communities. These experiences have equipped me with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that arise in school’s today. I am committed to leveraging this expertise to support our collective mission of fostering high expectations, whilst modelling and embedding our school values of respect, working together and learning. 

Beyond my professional life, I am also deeply rooted in my personal passions and commitments. Outside of school, you'll often find me spending time with my family, surfing, playing local sport or diving into a podcast or audiobook. These experiences not only enrich my life but also inform my approach to education. I firmly believe in the importance of balance, wellness, and lifelong learning, and I am dedicated to supporting a school culture that prioritises the learning, well-being and growth of all community members. As I step into this new role, I am eager to collaborate with each and every one of you to continue building an environment where we all continue to learn, grow, and thrive. I am committed to listening to your ideas, supporting your initiatives, and working tirelessly to ensure that Newcomb Secondary College remains a place where everyone has a sense of belonging, and excellence is not only encouraged, but celebrated. In closing, I want to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of Newcomb Secondary. Over the early stages of my time here, I will be trying to be as present and visible as possible. This means supporting in classrooms and spending many recesses and lunch times out in the yard, meeting as many of you as I can, as quickly as I can. I am excited to see what the future holds for the school and I’m looking forward to contributing to the evolving legacy of excellence at Newcomb Secondary College. Thank you for your warm welcome, and I look forward to the journey ahead. 

Mr Joshua Grabowski

Assistant Principal

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 | M: 0409 960 129

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

How to support a family member. Please click on the link below or scan the QR code to access the information sheets.

GoShare Healthcare (realtimehealth.com)

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. 

Mr Curnick

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.

DOWNLOAD CONDITIONS OF ENTRY AND SUBMISSION FORM

COMPETITION KEY DATES

Entries open: 18 March 2024
Entries close: 1 September 2024
Longlist announcement: 18 October 2024
Shortlist announcement: 1 November 2024
Awards ceremony: TBA

We’re looking forward to hearing about your stories soon! Good Luck!

Here are some more contact details for the Insight Team

INSIGHT PUBLICATIONS

3/350 Charman Road, Cheltenham 3192 VIC AUSTRALIA

p. +61 3 8571 4950 | m. 0413 131 842 | w. www.insightpublications.com.au

We know access to high-speed broadband is a necessity in the 21^st Century. Yet sadly many families and school students are still unable to access the internet at home and that this can place students at a significant disadvantage.

The Albanese Government is providing up to 30,000 families with free broadband for one year, as part of their plan for a better National Broadband Network (NBN). Already, 1,000 families now have home internet thanks to the School Student Broadband Initiative.

This helps ensure that students can reach their full potential, by helping them to stay connected at home so they don’t fall behind.

To check your eligibility please refer to the contact details below:

We are very fortunate to have strong links with our neighbouring Geelong Regional Library Corporation branch at Newcomb. The Children's and Youth Services Librarian, Ms Laura Farrington, joins us fortnightly to run engaging and interactive sessions promoting genres and doing related craft activities! Laura has a merry band of students who regularly come to her sessions and we invite other students to join us in the school library at 1 p.m. on the dates below! Special activities happen at Easter, Halloween and Christmas with the odd Literature Trivia game throughout the year to spice things up. 

This term we have a focus on Manga and Anime.

Manga VS Anime theme:  4 sessions this term

24/04 – Manga Chat, Rank your Favourite Manga,

08/05 – Manga Drawing

05/06 – Chibi Paper Craft

19/06 – Manga Trivia: Manga VS Anime