Weekly Planner checks are conducted by the Home Room Teacher for the previous full school week every Thursday during the timetabled Pastoral Care lesson.
course Year 7, happy new beginnings and every success in all your endeavours, as you begin your education with us here at the Senior School. While the first few days of High School gave rise to a mixture of emotions for all students, I am pleased to report that the year has began well, showing a positive attitude and a desire to build on strengths.
PREMIERS READING CHALLENGE All Middle School students will once again be encouraged to read widely and regularly through Pastoral Care as part of the Premiers Reading Challenge (PRC). This activity requires students to read 15 books from a set PRC list & 5 of their own choice, from now until September. For the second year in a row St Spyridon students from Year 9 had the honour to be awarded the PRC Gold Medal. This is an acknowledgement of their consistent reading efforts since Year 3 !!! Only a very small number of students across the state (less than 20 in total) are awarded this medal. Studies have shown that regular reading, a minimum of ½ hour each day, perhaps before bed, greatly assists students in their literacy development and furthers their understanding of curriculum across all learning areas. In our school library we have an entire section of reading material (PRC books) for students to choose from. Students must bring their current PRC novel to each Pastoral Care lesson, as time is dedicated at the start of this lesson to this activity.
REMINDER TO PARENTS Appearance and Grooming i. Pride in personal appearance and regard for the good name of the College should lead to care by parents and students that the uniform is clean, pressed and tidy. The full and proper uniform is to be worn at all times, i.e.: * When students are travelling to and from College. * At College functions except when otherwise stated. * At ISA games and other Sports events. * After sports training, students are permitted to wear the official College track suit in place of the uniform to go home. ii. Length of Girls Uniform should be to the knee or below. iii. Girls – socks must fully cover the ankle. iv. Boys must be clean-shaven at all times. v. The only badges to be worn are approved College badges. vi. Hairstyles are to be kept neat and wellgroomed according to the College standards set down from time to time. * Boys hair must be kept reasonably short. NO extreme styles are acceptable. * Girls’ hair, if long, must be tied back away from their faces with blue ribbon. * Extreme hair colouration is not permitted. vii. The only acceptable adornments for boys are a watch and a cross which is worn inside the shirt. Strictly no piercings. viii. The only acceptable adornments for girls are a watch, a cross, which is worn inside the shirt or dress and stud or sleeper earrings, one in each earlobe. ix. No coloured nails or extreme length.
YEAR 7 & YEAR 10 OUTDOOR /PEER SUPPORT CAMP, AND YEAR 8 OUTDOOR EDUCATION CAMP In Week 3 from Wednesday 15th February until Friday16th February, Year 7 and Year 10 Peer Support Leaders, along with Year 8, will be travelling to Gosford as part of our annual camp program. All students must be at school no later than 8 am, as buses need to depart promptly by 8.30am. This week students were provided with a check list of what they must pack, along with the camp program. We ask all parents to check this list in order to ensure students have everything they need. Electronic devices such as mobile phones, ipods, hand-held game devices should not be brought to camp. Teachers will not be responsible for loss or damage to these. If any student needs to be contacted for emergency purposes please call the school and a message will be relayed to attending staff members. Alternately, in extreme circumstances, call the camp directly using the contact details provided in the camp information pack. It is anticipated that all students will return to school between 2.30pm and 3pm. Parents must make arrangements to pick children up from the front of the school at this
STUDY PLANNERS All students were issued with their school planners on Day 1. These are to be used for recording homework and other school activities ONLY, and not as a personal diary. It is expected that parents check their child’s planner on a weekly basis, and sign it in the designated area.
16