Welcome Back

We hope that everyone in the Newcomb Secondary College community was able to have an enjoyable time over the last two weeks. 

Yesterday we had a College Assembly to start the term, to quickly reset the students into a school studying and learning mode after their holidays.

We also welcomed back Mr Goward from leave.

Students in Indonesia 

Selamat jalan ke Indonesia!

We are very proud of our students participating in the Victorian Young Leaders Exchange to Indonesia – congratulations Presley, Bella and Sam!

Mid-Semester Reports

The Mid-Semester Reports were made available on Xuno on Friday, September 20th. These reports give both parents/guardians and students a snapshot of their Term 3 work. Mid-semester reports are designed to indicate when things are going well or not so well. For those who are working and studying well it is a fillip to their hard work. For those students who have not worked as well as they might have, it will serve to make them aware that more effort is required.

Courtyard Redevelopment Works

During the Term 3 holidays, the redevelopment work began in the courtyard adjacent the LRC and C-Block. Over the break, and throughout the first half of Term 4, workers will be present in the area, removing the old and worn garden beds, paths and trees and replacing them with a fantastic new modern environment which will also include mobile interactive activity stations. This area will be an attractive space for students to enjoy their lunch, chat with their friends and be involved in a number of interactive stations to keep their minds active! 

Whilst the construction and redevelopment takes place, we ask students to stay clear of the construction workers and their equipment and encourage students to avoid gathering in the locker bays and walkways during recess and lunch.

College Council

The September meeting of the Newcomb Secondary College Council took place on the last Thursday of last term. Among the items discussed were the Pathways in Technology (P-TECH) program the College facilities developments and the work undertaken on the recent pupil free day.

Mr Phil Honeywell, Principal

Mr James Murphy, Assistant Principal

Mr Scott McLeod, Assistant Principal

 Victorian Young Leaders to Indonesia 2019.

Selamat jalan ke Indonesia!

We were treated to a sea of bright and excited, smiling faces at Melbourne International Airport at 5am this morning. Our NSC students Sam, Bella and Presley are seen here with Mr Honeywell and their accompanying teacher Pak Barnes from Oberon High School. 

The 40 strong team of young people gathered for this group shot before heading through customs with a number of enthusiastic teachers and organising staff. The students will be away for 6 weeks in Jogjakarta where they will attend a local high school, be immersed in learning the Indonesian language and culture whilst developing cross cultural friendships. 

We wish all the students and their respective families good luck and happiness and look forward to hearing all about their adventure on their return.

We are very proud of our students participating in the Victorian Young Leaders Exchange to Indonesia – congratulations Presley, Bella and Sam!

Staff Professional Learning Day 

Last Thursday, September 5, Newcomb SC staff undertook a Professional Learning Day. The focus of the day will was on continuing to upskill staff on our ongoing whole school approaches of Literacy Improvement, Student Inclusion and Respect as well as the pedagogical focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum and programs. As part of the day, staff headed to the CADET building at Deakin University Waurn Ponds to experience a world class STEM facility and gain an understanding on how curriculum programs can be best implemented within our classrooms to ensure students exiting NSC have the necessary skills and attributes to transfer successfully into a modern Tertiary setting or Industry Pathway (see photo attached). Whilst staff thoroughly enjoyed the entire Professional Learning Day experience, staff commented strongly on how they especially appreciated the opportunity to participate in much collegial sharing and celebration of some of the great Literacy and Connect activities that are done in our classrooms each and every day. 

Mr Phil Honeywell, Principal

Mr James Murphy, Assistant Principal

Mr Scott McLeod, Assistant Principal

Staff Professional Learning Day – Thursday Sep 5

This Thursday, September 5, staff will be undertaking a Professional Learning Day. As such, students are not required to attend school on this day. The focus for staff professional learning on the day will be continuing investigating and upskilling on the whole school approaches of Literacy Improvement, Student Inclusion and Respect as well as the pedagogical focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum and programs. For the STEM activity we will be visiting Deakin University to see and hear about their developments and ideas in this very important futures understanding.

Staff are looking forward to a very productive day of learning for which they can then continue to develop and deliver the best possible teaching and learning programs and practices with students of Newcomb SC.

Friday 6th September is a normal school day and all students are expected to attend.

Student Free Day

This Thursday will be a STUDENT FREE DAY. No classes will be running on this day

NAPLAN

We are expecting to receive the NAPLAN results shortly. Upon the arrival of the results, we will forward individual student outcomes to families via the mail. This information can assist families and guardians in having an understanding of the literacy and numeracy progress of their son/ daughter over the two year testing period. As a college, this data can assist and inform our teaching and learning programs to ensure that we are offering the most appropriate support to students in the areas that they need it most.

Parent/ Teacher/ Student Conferences

Last week, we conducted the semester two round of Parent/ Teacher/ Student Conferences. The night was a huge success with a large number of students and families/ guardians in attendance. The discussions had confirmed that education is a team effort and that to achieve the best outcomes a student needs to take on board the feedback and implement the necessary changes with support of teachers, parents/guardians and others who support their learning. Should you have not been able to attend, we encourage parents/guardians to make contact with staff here at NSC- we are always willing to discuss student progress with you!

Office Opening Hours This Thursday

Office staff will be involved in professional learning activities along with all staff this Thursday. The office will not be open until 9am. There will be times when particular office staff are unavailable throughout the day, but there will be someone able to take messages and we’ll get back to you when able.

Mr Phil Honeywell, Principal

Mr James Murphy, Assistant Principal

Mr Scott McLeod, Assistant Principal

Parent Student Teacher Interviews

This Thursday night we will be conducting our Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences for students in Year 7-11 from 4-7pm in our Language Centre.

These conferences offer the opportunity for Parents, Guardians, families and NSC students to share in discussions with their teachers on their progress in the classroom. Teachers will be able to provide information on each student’s academic achievements, progress against the Victorian Curriculum standards, areas of their strength and future areas that they can improve in. Furthermore, Teachers will be able to discuss student’s effort and work habits in class and share in discussions about how Parents and Guardians can assist their student in making the most of their schooling and ultimately ‘Create a positive future’.  

To make a booking to see a Newcomb SC teacher, simply log onto Xuno and follow the instructions. Should you require assistance in making a booking, or have any questions regarding the conferences, please contact NSC administration. We look forward to seeing you all there and congratulate you for investing in your son/daughters education!

Planet P-TECH

The P-TECH team have just arrived back after four very full days in New York attending the Planet P-TECH Conference, meeting with representatives from the City University of New York and also having discussions with a potential Geelong industry partner whose head office is located in New York City. 

The conference logo of "Learn, Connect, Innovate and Transform" certainly met expectations. Listening, learning and networking along with challenging our own thoughts and ideas with 350 delegates from 20 countries was very rewarding.  

The program for 34 students, mostly from the USA, 3 students from Taiwan and Jack T being the only Australian student firstly enjoyed a bus tour of NYC together and they then worked in their Reverse Mentoring session which they presented back to the main conference body on the second day.  

It was very easy to be proud of Jack throughout the conference with the manner in which he prepared and presented at his reverse mentoring session and his willing and approachable manner with his peers and general interaction with the adult delegates. He did both Australia and the Newcomb Secondary College community proud. 

Inaugural Principal Awards

Last week at Whole School Assembly the inaugural Principal Awards were given out.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL AWARD RECIPIENTS!

Outstanding Achievement

Hayley Armstrong

Ruby Bell

Luka Binks

Michael Case

Darcy Drever

Daina Graham

Jorja Guajardo

Tiara Hancocks

Amie Hudson

Kane Johnson

Amber Kenyon

Jayda McPhee

Tarni Muir

Michael Murdoch

Kaysha Pitman

Hayley Rickard

Emma Riordon

Brodie Roy

Stephenie Ruschin

Hamish Sentance

Liam Sentance

Jack Terrill

Skye Welch

Year 10 Excellence Award

Ella Heap

Year 11 Excellence Award

Charlotte Ludlow

Bianca Merlino

Year 12 Excellence Award

Kai Huang

Any student who missed out on collecting their award will be presented at the next Year Level Assembly this Thursday 29 August.

Somebody’s Daughter Theatre Performance 

On Tuesday, August 13th, students from the Nobody’s Fool Program performed for business leaders from across the community at the Give Where You Live conference. The event was hosted by the Novotel Hotel on the Geelong Waterfront, and the audience members were captivated by a compelling and sincere performance from our young thespians. 

James Ironside-Stroud (2018 Year 12 cohort) made a cameo appearance with the troupe and provided his peers with an update on his recent progress at the Victorian College of the Arts. Also in the performance was natural entertainer, Adrian Chessell, who took to the stage for the first time since joining the program earlier this year.

The Nobody’s Fool Program is a partnership between Newcomb Secondary College, Somebody’s Daughter Theatre and Barwon Child Youth and Family (BCYF). The Program uses the performing arts to support young people in reengaging with a structured learning pathway.

Victorian Young Leaders Exchange to Indonesia

On Thursday, August 22nd, Newcomb Secondary College hosted a briefing for all of the students and teachers involved with the Victorian Young Leaders Exchange to Indonesia Program. Also in attendance was the Indonesian Consul General,  Spica Tutuhatunewa, and the Executive Director for International Education within the Department of Education and Training (DET), Joel Backwell.

Representing Newcomb Secondary College in the Exchange Program is Bella Binks, Sam Gillard and Presley Johannesen, who will be travelling to Indonesia along with other young leaders from across the state. The young leaders will be representing Australia whilst developing their skills in Bahasa Indonesia and experiencing firsthand the magnificent diversity of the Indonesian nation.

Mr Phil Honeywell, Principal

Mr James Murphy, Assistant Principal

Mr Scott McLeod, Assistant Principal

Planet P-TECH

Planet P-TECH conference in New York is about to start.  Jack has registered and is about to present his story at the conference this week. Well done Jack. Representing Newcomb Secondary College P-TECH Program and doing a great job!

Pathways Update 

After a busy couple of weeks of research, planning and gathering information, our Year 9, 10 and 11 cohorts completed Course Counselling on Wednesday and Thursday last week. All students had a dedicated time to complete their subject selections and discuss the different pathway options available to them in 2020. Our P-TECH, VET and SBAT tables were regularly full as students sought further information and filled out applications. The number of VET applications commenced over the 2 days set a recent school record!

This coming week students will complete the next steps in their applications for VET subjects in 2020. This year the VET application process has moved from a paper form to online application, so workshops will be conducted to take our aspiring VET students through the Gordon’s online enrolment process. This will occur at various times during the week, with students being notified when they will complete this.

For SBAT applicants successful past the initial application, the next step will involve preparing resumes and being involved in an interview process. 

From here, the Year 8 cohort will investigate and select subjects in the coming week. These selections will be combined to create our Year 9 & 10 timetable in 2020.

At the senior end of the school, Year 12 students are commencing applications for tertiary studies in 2020. These applications need to be completed by 30th September to avoid a late fee. SEAS and Scholarship applications are now also open until October 11th. 

It has been a busy month for the pathways team with our students and this work will continue. We can’t, however, undersell the importance of this time. We encourage our students to continue to be proactive in planning their pathways and we will always support them on their career adventures as they trek towards their positive futures. 

Construction Induction Card – August 19th

On Monday 19th August, Liam from the CFMEU came to conduct the Construction Induction Card with 11 students interested in pursuing trade careers. 

“All people performing construction work require proof of having completed a general Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) construction induction training for the industry.” Work Safe Victoria.

In completing the course, students will be legally allowed to enter and complete work experience on a construction site. This will be particularly valuable for students as they make decisions regarding Year 10 Work Experience in Term 4 and VCAL SWL in 2019/2020.

Liam delivered the course in an informative and engaging way as students learnt about such things as hazard awareness, asbestos, fire safety, electrical issues, state and federal laws. 

A big thank you to the CFMEU for providing this valuable training to our students.

College Council

The August meeting of the Newcomb Secondary College Council took place last Thursday evening.  Among the items discussed were the P-TECH Conference in New York, the continuing planning process for Asset Management development and our move to new timetabling and Learning Management Systems.  Council also approved the third pupil free day for the year on Thursday 5 September for professional learning in literacy and STEM.

Mr Phil Honeywell, Principal

Mr James Murphy, Assistant Principal

Mr Scott McLeod, Assistant Principal

Pathways Information Evening

On Tuesday the 6th of August, the NSC Pathways team hosted our annual Pathways Planning Information Evening in the NSC library. Mr McLeod began the evening by drawing attention to Mr Honeywell’s birthday, but more importantly the opportunities that our Year 9 and 10’s have to explore in the coming years at Newcomb Secondary College. 

Following this, we heard from different representatives of the P-TECH, VET, SBAT and HeadStart programs. Year 10 students then had the chance to hear from our Senior School Leader, Mr Sinclair, who helped them navigate the differences between the VCE and VCAL certificates on offer in Year 11 & 12. At the same time, Mr George spoke to Year 9 students about VCE acceleration and how their Year 10 program might look in 2020.

Pathways leader, Mrs Boyanton, summarised the evening by highlighting the different programs on offer whilst also recognising that these programs are not a requirement for future success. The important thing is that students are thinking about their future, exploring pathways and having discussions. 

At the conclusion of the presentations, everyone was encouraged to stay for some food and the chance to chat about what lies ahead next year. Twenty-two pizzas were eagerly set upon and there was an enthusiastic buzz in the air as people took advantage of our program representative’s presence.

Thank you to all the families who attended and engaged in the evening, as well as our staff and special guests who made themselves available on the night. We look forward to speaking to you all in the coming week, as course counselling is undertaken.

The Pathways Team 

College Council

The August Meeting of the Newcomb Secondary College Council will take place this Thursday evening in C Block.

Mr Phil Honeywell, Principal

Mr James Murphy, Assistant Principal

Mr Scott McLeod, Assistant Principal

Planet P-TECH Conference – New York

Newcomb Secondary College have been invited to participate in the first global P-TECH conference to take place in New York this month.  IBM have offered to fund four participants to attend.  This will be an exciting opportunity to showcase our school on a world stage and this opportunity will feature our Certificate III in Business student Jack T.

Jack will be representing Australia and will join another 9 students from around the world where they will be presenting and sharing their individual success stories.

This conference will be the first time that P-TECH schools from multiple countries and jurisdictions within those countries have the opportunity to come together to further our knowledge in this important area and share ideas and strategies that will allow the spread of innovation across schools.

Planet P-TECH Conference = Learn – Connect – Innovate - Transform

Mrs Kris Hunter

P-TECH Team

2019 Parent Opinion Survey Is Now Due

Newcomb SC is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of randomly selected parents It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies. 

If you were one of the parents selected to complete the survey, you would have received notice of this already. If you are yet to already do so, we encourage you to complete the survey and have your say on the school.  

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. 

The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and the feedback will assist in future programs and improvement strategies.

Please complete the survey by Sunday 11th of August. Should you require assistance, or have any questions regarding the survey, please contact NSC administration. 

Year 12 Parent Teacher Student Conferences 25/7/19

As our Year 12s near the end of their Secondary School journey, many are seeking feedback on how to finish off the best way possible. For those with exams in October this was even more imperative. 

Most Year 12s brought their parents with them and their teachers were overjoyed to speak to parents. Some they have known through many years of interviews, information evenings and phonecalls, and some they were pleased to meet for the first time as they demonstrated their concern and interest in their child’s Year 12 progress.

The evening was a pleasant opportunity for students and staff to focus on the successes and potential improvements for our most senior students in the school and demonstrated the importance our school community places on Year 12 results.

Thank you to all the parents, students and teachers who attended.

If you were unable to attend the interviews, you are encouraged to contact your child’s teachers at the school by phone or Xuno to see how your child is progressing.

Mr Phil Honeywell, Principal

Mr James Murphy, Assistant Principal

Mr Scott McLeod, Assistant Principal

Parent Student Teacher Conferences

Year 12 students are now more than 2/3 of the way through the learning in their final year of school. They now have only 9 weeks of learning followed by a narrow window of revision and exams to go between the last day of classes and exiting NSC to continue on their pathway beyond school. With such a short timeline in place it is essential that these students are best informed about their schooling to ensure a positive finish and also informed about their next steps in their pathway beyond NSC.

To assist with this, these students and their parents/guardians have interviews with their teachers on Thursday from 4:00pm – 7:30pm.

In line with the significance which we place upon these interviews and to allow equitable access to teachers’ time for all students we have allocated times for these interviews and uploaded these times to Xuno. We understand that the times allocated may not suit all parties and parents and students are encouraged to reschedule if this is the case.

2019 Parent Opinion Survey 

WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK! 

Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Newcomb Secondary College will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies. 

Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22rd July to Sunday 11th August.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. 

The survey results will be reported back to the school at the end of September and used for planning moving forward into 2020.

For further information please speak to your child’s teacher or visit: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/management/improvement/Pages/performsurveyparent.aspx

Mr Phil Honeywell, Principal

Mr James Murphy, Assistant Principal

Mr Scott McLeod, Assistant Principal

Barista Training

On June 26th myself and 14 other student from the SRC and VCAL organised The Coffee School Bus at school to complete our Premier Barista Certificate. We learnt the history of coffee which included a few short clips during theory including the skills behind Harvesting, Roasting, Grinding and many interesting ways we get coffee. We learnt the importance of OHS and customer service while applying our skills in making the different coffee types and how to keep an organized coffee station. We all had a fun time whilst grinding coffee beans, and serving espressos to our teachers before ending our day with hot chocolates. We were all so grateful to have this opportunity that can open our future pathways. We are know all trained and able to serve up coffees, work in our school Kopi Shop two times a term and get a job in a cafe. We are stoked !!

Crystal Muir (School Captain 2019)

Welcome Back

We hope that everyone had an enjoyable mid-year break and are feeling refreshed and enthusiastic, ready for the challenges of Term 3, 2019. 

During this term most students will start making course selection decisions for 2020 and be thinking about their potential pathways beyond secondary schooling. 

Newcomb Secondary College will continue to be a leader in effective pathway development and I expect this to continue as we strengthen existing partnerships and develop new ones with both tertiary institutions and industry. For some of our students potentially selecting to be part of the PTECH initiative will be a consideration. 

For our Year 12 students, Term 3 will be their final ‘full term’ of secondary education - we encourage them to stick to a study plan and use their remaining study time productively. 

We started the term with a short whole school assembly to welcome everyone back and help to reset our minds into being organised and 'Ready to Learn'. 

The new timetables are available on Xuno already but if you need a replacement, speak to your year level support team.

“Year 12 Students are now more than 2/3 of the way through the learning in their final year of school. They have only 10 weeks of learning followed by a narrow window of revision and exams to go between the last day of classes and exiting NSC to continue on their pathway beyond school. With such a short timeline in place it is essential that these students are best informed about their schooling to ensure a positive finish and also informed about their next steps in their pathway beyond NSC.

To assist with this, these students and their parents have interviews with their teachers on Thursday of Week 2, 25/7/19 from 4:00pm – 7:00pm.

In line with the significance which we place upon these interviews and to allow equitable access to teachers’ time for all students we will be allocating times for these interviews and communicating these home by the end of Week 1. We understand that the times allocated may not suit all parties and parents and students are encouraged to reschedule if this is the case.

Reports Available

On the last day of Term 2, student reports were made available on Xuno. Teachers prepare these reports carefully with the aim of providing students and families with not only an appraisal of the semester’s classroom efforts, learning and outcomes, but equally provide an opportunity to reflect on what improvements can be made for growth in Semester 2.

I encourage you, if not already, to access or revisit the reports on Xuno and engage in a discussion with your son or daughter about their recent learning, life as a student at Newcomb SC, and set clear and achievable goals for growth and improvement for the remainder of 2019. I also offer you the opportunity to seek further clarity and information on your son or daughters progress in their classes by contacting our welcoming teaching staff and student support managers. After all, we strive to get the best out of all students here at Newcomb SC and to do so effectively we need all stakeholders, being teachers, parents, guardians and the student, to work together to make this a reality.      

2019 Parent Opinion Survey 

WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK! 

Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is conducted amongst a sample of randomly selected parents. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour and student engagement. Newcomb Secondary College will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies. 

Approximately 30 per cent of parents will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the survey are anonymous. This year the Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 22rd July to Sunday 11th August.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 10-15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. 

Mr Phil Honeywell, Principal

Mr James Murphy, Assistant Principal

Mr Scott McLeod, Assistant Principal