Newsletter- Term 2 Week 2 2025

Welcome back to Term 2! We hope that the holiday break offered all members of the Newcomb Secondary College community an opportunity to relax and refresh in preparation for another busy school term. Equally, I trust that the holiday break offered many highlights shared with those close to you.

ANZAC Day Ceremony

Last Thursday we will come together as a school 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. All students showed high respect during the ceremony which was led by our college captains. 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.

It should also be noted that our college captains and several of our students actively participated in or led ANZAC Day services within the community last Friday. It was an honour for our students to contribute towards the ANZAC Day service conducted by the Leopold RSL at their memorial site. Our college captains laid a wreath, and one of our students Chase Phillips (Year 11) performed The Last Post. IT was humbling to see how well our students represented the college and themselves. Of further note, the ADF solider who provided the keynote address at the service was a Newcomb Secondary College Alumni, whilst the service was also attended by Alison Marchant (State Member for Bellarine) who is also a Newcomb Secondary College Alumni and great supporter of our school. Their attendance at the service, and role in leadership confirmed to me what our students are capable of in their futures, and how impactful their contributions are to our community, communities afar and throughout their lives.

Primary School Program, School Tours & Information Evening

It is fair to say that the holidays came at a good time for us all- we certainly had a big end to Term 1! Throughout Term 1, we welcomed grade 4, 5 and 6 students from far and wide, from our fantastic feeder schools and those further beyond into the college to experience life as a Newcomb Secondary College student. Our brilliant staff conducted classes in Food, STEM, Science, Technology, PE and more during these sessions, showcasing our fantastic learning programs and facilities. The feedback from our visiting Primary School students was overwhelmingly positive- the engagement and smiles on their faces said it all!

Further to this, we opened the college doors for our Information evening and School tours. Once again, these tours were extremely successful with high attendance numbers witnessing the college in action during a regular school day. It was pleasing to have conversations with those in attendance who took note of the calm learning environments, supports from staff, and the overall welcoming atmosphere of Newcomb Secondary College.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved with the Primary school programs, school tours and Information evening planning and facilitation. It is very humbling to see so many students volunteer to stay back and support these community events. They do so simply because they are proud of their school. Thank you.

Attendance Records- Term 1

Did you know that we celebrate students with 100% attendance and those at or above 95% attendance at school? It is an amazing achievement that we highlight and celebrate as a Compass Chronicle and via a soon to be distributed letter home to families. Whilst we appreciate that there are times within a school year where circumstances lead to an absence from school, it is well documented in research that disruptions to learning through absence does have a detrimental impact on a student’s learning and wellbeing outcomes. If you were one of the students in either the 100% or 95% category- congratulations! If you missed out in Term 1, I challenge you to be one of the students for Term 2- over to you!

School Council 2025

Following the conclusion of the election process in Term 1, I am pleased to announce the following representatives for the 2025 NSC School Council:

School members

• · Scott McLeod- Principal

• · Kelly Montano- Assistant Principal

• · Joshua Grabowski- Assistant Principal

• · Kerry Hanrahan- Business Manager

Parent members

• · Geraldine Dafter- School Council President

• · Kristy McCallum- School Council Vice President

• · Hayley Jones

• · Kara Forssman

• · Jason Forssman

• · Liam O’Hagan

• · Maria Palmateer

Student members

• · Mia Lynch

• · Scarlett Johannesen

• · Riley Cameron

There remain two vacancies for the 2025 Newcomb Secondary College School Council in the category of Community Representatives.

The next meeting of the Newcomb Secondary College school council is May 15.

Reconnecting with our ‘High Expectations’ Focus 2025

It was important at the start of Term 2 to reconnect our entire school community with our goals and targets for 2025, that being our ‘High Expectations’ culture. As was shared at the start of the school year, and was re-enforced at Monday’s assembly, we can all be quite proud of Newcomb Secondary College’s dedication towards and success in Creating Positive Outcomes for all students. Our Positive Futures Framework offers guidance for the skills and attributes necessary for success in any chosen career pathway, we have a system wide recognised Wellbeing program utilising Berry St resources and professional learning to guide and feature highly on all student growth tables for Literacy and Numeracy. Student Voice and Agency is celebrated, and our commitment to School Wide Positive Behaviour allows Newcomb Secondary College to have a safe and orderly environment for learning together.

To compliment these areas of success, and in support our work in Berry St, in 2025 staff will continue to focus on supporting students with ‘High Expectation’ and ‘Good Oder’ practices. Research tells us that students who display consistent behaviours, have high expectations and predictable routines are more organised, maximise learning opportunities and achieve the greatest success. Aligned with our college values of ‘Learning, Respect & Working together’ as assessed in our positive learning qualities report cycle every five-weeks, ’Good Order’ practices will enable our classroom learning environments to be spaces that are calm and orderly, where positive learning interactions are a feature and remain the focus.

The ‘Good Order’ Focus areas that are expected and reinforced with students our assembly today are-

• Students will line up outside the classroom before each class with all learning materials.
• Students will enter the room in an orderly manner, sit & remain seated, and keep devices shut until instructed to open by the teacher.
• Students will respect the learning equipment- and leave the room in a neat, tidy state.
• There will be opportunities in class for structured movement directed only by the teacher- at all other times, students will remain seated for learning.
• Only one student will be granted permission by the teacher to leave the classroom at any time using the College Organiser or the teacher ‘Pass-out’ card.

As you can appreciate, these ‘Good Order’ expectations, under our ‘High Expectations’ foci are quite simple and not hard for students to adhere to but will allow each and every class to begin in a positive fashion and remain conducive to best practice learning outcomes. We have seen our students action these expectations really well over the last two years. We encourage you to take the time to speak about these measures with your student at home and set about determining what High Expectation outcomes look like with your student and in your family. We appreciate your support of our endeavour to provide organisational guidance, predictability, and high expectations to our student community in 2025. Today is our starting platform- our base level expectations so to speak. Please do keep an eye out for further ‘Good Order’ & ‘High Expectations’ foci over the coming weeks.

Student Uniform & Presentation

Yep, summer seems to have passed us by for now- we were certainly fortunate to experience such great weather this summer season. As you can appreciate, the weather is now starting to get colder and the days shorter. Whilst we acknowledge that this time of year becomes one of the most challenging times for our students to meet their High Expectations standards on uniform, the weather is not an excuse to lower our standards. Our college uniform is designed to cater for and provide warmth to students during the colder months of a school year. Items such as the Rugby jumper and Jacket provide adequate warmth that complements our heated classroom environments and available spaces such as the Library and Canteen during break times. The main culprit with students who fail to meet the uniform expectations seems is the ‘hoodie’. It is simply not a Newcomb Secondary College uniform item and will not be permitted for students to wear.

It was great to see the efforts made by most students regarding presentation within our Newcomb Secondary College community. We receive many positive comments from our community about the way students present. It is also noted how great our college uniform looks. Each student is a role model for the college, and we ask that they always represent the college well, as well as representing themselves and their families also.

Leadership, Student Support and Home Group teachers will be making a concerted effort to ensure all students are dressed in correct uniform in 2025. We too ask for your unwavering support with this focus also. Students who present in the incorrect uniform will be asked to provide a reason and a plan to address the situation with their Home Group teachers and Student Support coordinators. Should a positive outcome not be possible, Leadership will contact respective guardians to discuss the matter and determine an outcome.

More information on uniform will be shared in the coming weeks- including details on the uniform bank where replacement items will be provided to students to wear for the day when they present to school out-of-uniform.

The Newcomb Secondary College uniform provider is PSW and if support is needed with uniforms, don’t hesitate to contact our Wellbeing team who are more than willing to assist.

Scott McLeod

Principal

Newcomb Secondary College

Prioritizing Dental Health at Newcomb Secondary College

We are excited to announce that this week, students at Newcomb Secondary College will receive FREE dental kits! Each kit includes a water bottle, toothbrush, and toothpaste to encourage good dental hygiene among our students. 🦷

Dental health is a crucial aspect of overall well-being, particularly for teenagers who are at a higher risk for dental issues. Statistics show that between 40% and 57% of 12–15-year-olds have experienced decay in their permanent teeth, according to the Child Dental Health Survey 2010.

While we are still waiting for the dental van to visit our school next year, we hope these kits will help students establish healthy habits. Parents / guardians are encouraged to remind their children to brush their teeth twice a day, use dental floss regularly, and choose water instead of sugary drinks.

The school holidays present a great opportunity for dental check-ups. If cost is a concern, there are public dental care options available for eligible students. For more information, please contact Barwon Health Community Dentist at 4215 7620.

Let’s work together to prioritize dental health and ensure our students maintain bright, healthy smiles! 🌟

Amanda Patterson. Adolescent Health Promotions Nurse.

| HW&SS | SRS SWVR Barwon Area

Department of Education.

My time at Gnurad Gundidj was filled with so many new experiences and new opportunities. While there I was faced with many challenges that I soon overcame with confidence and encouragement from not only myself but others too. The program itself is quite an experience and it is led by the greatest people, they teach you how to lead and shortly after you develop skills to help you lead. Within weeks the walls that were once so plain, the people you didn’t know, and the fear of the unknown experiences, became filled with memories and the community formed quickly becomes a home. My biggest challenge was thinking I wasn’t going to fit in but within days that changed. 

Throughout the term we had numerous classes focused on creating and actioning our CLP plan. Our (Community Learning Project) is focused on helping the furry friends that need nurturing and a loving home. Out of everything this idea stuck out to us, it’s something that needs to be recognized in Geelong. Hundreds of animals go stray, end up at animal shelters and in some cases end up even worse. Our plan is to raise awareness at school and to get animal accessories so we can help the animals in need. I think about all the laughter that spread within the community like a contagious infection, all the moments even the little ones. 

Gnurad Gundidj will become a place you never want to leave; it’s a place where you feel safe and centred. If I had to choose a favourite memory, I wouldn’t be able to and that’s because every single minute I spent there (whether it be playing table tennis, canoeing, surfing, and reading) was something I will miss for eternity. I would recommend this experience to anyone and if you ever encounter a similar once in a lifetime opportunity take it - otherwise you will regret it.

- Maddy Barry (Year 9)

Congratulations to Mia Pfarrer and Mitch Duncan for being selected for the Zoos Victoria’s Youth Conservation Leaders program. The students participating in this magnificent program will develop tangible and usable Science skills while growing as a leader in a group environment. They will learn from Zoos Victoria mentors and be supported to undertake a Science research project to inform a wildlife conservation project. Along the way, students will learn about First Peoples connections to the land and how to care for wildlife to ensure a sustainable future.

Students will gain a deep understanding of their capabilities as Science leaders, tap into a sense of purpose and develop knowledge and skills that they will use beyond the program:

• Leadership skills
• Science knowledge and skills
• Communication skills
• Animal and wildlife conservation experience
• Mentoring and positive role models
• Project work to solve a real-world problem

At the end of last term many of our Indonesian students had the opportunity to watch a Wayang Kulit performance by Puppet Master Sumardi with the @culturalinfusion program. 

Students got to watch the story of Ramayana unfold, with gamelan music and beautiful shadow puppets.

Miriam Ramsay

Teacher Indonesian, Learning Area Leader Languages

Newcomb Secondary College

About The 2025 insight Creative Writing Competition

This competition is open to high school students around Australia as we aim to ignite a passion for creative writing and inspire the voices of the future.

Entering the competition is free and all entrants will have the chance to share in over $3000 worth of cash prizes!

All shortlisted entries will also be judged by acclaimed Australian authors. Past judges have included Alice Pung, Nam Le, Cath Moore, Michael Pryor, Will Kostakis and Jack Henseleit. This year’s shortlist judges will be announced in the coming months, so make sure you follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see the official announcement!

The optional theme for 2025 is: Soulmates.

Over the past seven years, we have had the pleasure of reading more than 2000 creative pieces from high school students around the country. If you’re a budding writer in high school, we’d love to see your work.

2025 Important Dates

• Competition Opens: 20 March
• Competition Closes: 1September
• Longlist Announcement: 1October
• Shortlist Announcement: 22 October
• Awards Ceremony: TBA

For details about how to enter, please click here to download the Conditions of Entry and Submission Form.

Amanda Davis

Mental Health Practitioner

Newcomb Secondary College

Sewing classes, movie sessions, Lego clubs, free membership! 

Newcomb Library will be running some interactive groups in the afternoons for children and young adults. (See dates on posters below)

• Game On! Ages 12-18 – get together to play board games.
• Lego Spike Prime. Ages 8+ - build and construct Lego Spike models – robotics and coding.
• Artists Assemble! Ages 5+ - come and create art together.

The Geelong Library and Heritage Centre is also running some great programs for youth. Events Calendar.

• Artists Assemble! Ages 5+
• The Mix! Ages 8+ - art, craft, games, tech activities, Lego and more.
• Game On! Ages 12-18.
• Sew What? Ages 12-18 – learn sewing skills or work on own projects using sewing machines or by hand.
• Friday Flicks. Ages 8-12. – Movies on big screen, BYO snacks.
• Dungeons and Dragons with GenU Gamer. Ages 12-18.

The Nest Youth Club

‘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 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.