81-85 Bellarine Highway Newcomb VIC 3219 Phone: 03 5248 1400 Fax: 03 5248 3523 Email: newcomb.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au Website: www.newcombsc.vic.edu.au SMS student absences: 0416 907 351
Coming Events Thursday 15th February Yr 11 Get Ahead Day at Deakin School Council Meeting Monday 19th February College Swimming Sports Wednesday 21st February School Photos Monday 26th February Interschool Sport - Lawn Bowls Outdoor Ed Snorkelling Thursday 1st March Interschool Sport - Golf School Photos - Catch up Thursday 8th March College Athletics Day Friday 9th March Senior Sport - Volleyball Monday 12th March STUDENT FREE DAY - PUBLIC HOLIDAY Tuesday 13th March Outdoor Ed Sailing Wednesday 14th March Outdoor Ed Sailing
2018 Term Dates Term 1 30th January – 29th March Term 2 16th April – 29th June Term 3 16th July – 21st September Term 4 8th October - 21st December
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Newsletter Issue 3 Tuesday 13th February 2018
FROM THE PRINCIPAL TEAM COLLEGE COUNCIL The February meeting of the College Council will take place in the Language Centre on Thursday evening. COLLEGE COUNCIL ELECTIONS The process for the election of the new College Council has now commenced. Nominations for the three parent and the two staff representative positions are now open and called for. Nominations will close on Tuesday 20th February at 4.00pm. The list of candidates, nominators and seconders will be displayed at the Newcomb Secondary College General Office by Thursday 22nd February 2018. If an election is necessary, I will distribute the appropriate documentation to parents and the ballots will close on Tuesday 6th March, 2018 at 4.00pm. The parents whose time on Council has expired are: Ms Yvette Ramsay (not eligible for nomination) Mr Michael Graham (eligible for nomination) Ms Cassie Clift (eligible for nomination) Of course, nominations are able to be received from any parents and we would encourage parents to consider being part of the College council. The Department of Education and Training members whose time on council has expired are: Mrs Lara Field (eligible for nomination) Mr Jeremy Sinclair (eligible for nomination) The Newcomb Secondary College Council can also co-opt four people into the Community Members category of Council with the College Student Leaders traditionally filling some of these positions. At a later date we expect to learn more about the creation of a new Council Member category, just for student members, and will adapt or respond to the relevant criteria or processes as required. Other information concerning the College Council elections can be found in this newsletter. Nomination forms can be obtained from the General Office, or ring the office and a form can be sent home. Therefore the February meeting of the College Council (this week) will be the last of the present Council and the Thursday 15th March meeting will be the first of the new College Council.
College Council: President: Yvette Ramsay Vice President: Mick Graham Exec. Office: Phil Honeywell
School Captains: Olive Bultman Zoe Bell
School Vice-Captains: Coby Eagle Emily Taylor
FROM THE PRINCIPAL TEAM CONTINUED... LOCKERS AND COMBINATION LOCKS All students have been allocated with a student planner and a locker. All students must have a lock on their locker – the school cannot take responsibility for the contents of student’s lockers. Year 7 students have been supplied with a MASTER combination lock which will be charged to the family account. If students at other levels wish to buy a combination lock they can be purchased directly from the General Office for $10.00. STUDENTS NOT RETURNING TO NEWCOMB If you know anyone not returning to Newcomb Secondary College this year, could you please ask them to contact the office on 5248 1400. 2017 MAGAZINE The 2017 magazine is now available to purchase from the General Office for $25. Only a limited number available. SWIMMING SPORTS Monday 19th February will see the Newcomb Secondary College sporting year kick off with the House Swimming Sports. The sports will be held at Kardinia Swimming Pool. Students are not required to be in school uniform and should dress up in their respective house colours to show support for their team. They should also ensure they have appropriate protection from the sun. Students can bring their own lunch or food can be purchased from the pool canteen. As the sports are a whole school activity there will be no classes operating on this day. STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHS All students will be photographed on Wednesday 21st February, with a catch up day on Thursday, 1st March. There is no charge to be photographed and all students will receive an Identification Card at no cost. The card will enable students to borrow books and use the photocopier. Replacement cards and students receiving cards later will incur a charge of $5. Students must be in correct school uniform and comply with the Uniform Policy to be photographed as each image will be used to produce class photos. PLEASE NOTE all money and forms to be handed in on the day to Arthur Reed Photographers. Mr Phil Honeywell, Principal Mr Shane Elevato, Assistant Principal Mr James Murphy, Acting Assistant Principal
WHAT SORT OF START IS YOUR CHILD GETTING? Just a little bit late doesn’t seem much but………………. Did you know your child’s best learning time is the start of the school day? That’s when every minute counts the most!! He/She is only missing just……
That equals……
Which is……
And over 13 years of schooling that’s……
10 minutes per day
50 minutes per week
Nearly 1.5 weeks per year
Nearly Half a year
20 minutes per day
1 hour 40 mins per week
Over 2.5 weeks per year
Nearly 1 year
Half hour per day
Half a day per week
4 weeks per Year
Nearly 1 and a half years
1 hour per day
1 day per week
8 weeks per year
Over 2 and a half years
CONVEYANCE ALLOWANCE 2017 (TRAVEL ALLOWANCE) To be eligible to receive a Conveyance Allowance, applicants must reside more than 4.8km by the shortest practicable route from their nearest school. Parents are responsible for the initial payment of the bus pass but will be reimbursed in July and December in the current year by the College. To apply for reimbursement students are required to complete two forms and return them to the school office. 1. Public Transport Travel Student Conveyance Allowance Application 2018. 2. 2018 Victorian Public Transport Student Concession Card and Student Pass Application Form (these forms can be obtained from the College General Office or V/Line stations). Please note that these forms have to be completed at the start of each school year for continued funding. Any queries please contact the College on 5248 1400.
START OF SCHOOL REMINDERS
Contact details - Please inform the office if any contact details have changed over the holidays. Padlocks - For the security of belongings please make sure a padlock is supplied. Naming and covering of books/supplies - Naming books/supplies and items of clothing will help with their return when lost so please attend to this as soon as possible.
Team Taylor! Amelia and her family has made team Taylor t-shirts. It started off just for family and friends but there has been so many requests that we have been taking orders from everyone. The profit we make from the tshirts is to go towards Taylor and her wonderful family. Taylor has caught a virus that has effected her heart, which has caused her to go to the Royal Children’s Hospital. Taylor has been in ICU since the 22nd of January and it’s been a roller coaster for Taylor and her family. Taylor is still fighting and we are doing all we can to help support Taylor and her family. If you would like to buy a t-shirt, please contact the team Taylor Facebook page, or the NSC Facebook/ instagram. We would like to thank everyone for all of the love & support. Taylor is a fighter and we are all hoping and praying that she will get through this. Presley J. and Amelia C.
SECONDARY SCHOOL PRIVACY INFORMATION for parents, guardians and carers During the ordinary course of your child’s attendance at our school, school staff will collect your child’s personal and health information when necessary to educate your child, or to support your child’s social and emotional wellbeing or health. Such information will also be collected when required to fulfil a legal obligation, including duty of care, anti-discrimination law and occupational health and safety law. If that information is not collected, the school may be unable to provide optimal education or support to your child, or fulfil those legal obligations. For example, health information may be collected through the school nurse, primary welfare officer or wellbeing staff member. If your child is referred to a specific health service at school, such as a Student Support Service officer, or school-engaged psychologist, the required consent will be obtained. Our school may use online tools, such as apps and other software, to collect and manage information about your child. When our school uses these online tools, we take steps to ensure that your child’s information is secure. These online tools enable our school to efficiently and effectively manage important information about your child and also to communicate with you. If you have any concerns about the use of these online tools, please contact us. School staff will only share your child’s personal or health information with other staff who need to know to enable the school to educate or support your child, or fulfil a legal obligation. When our students transfer to another Victorian government school, personal and health information about that student will be transferred to that next school. Transferring this information is in the best interests of our students and assists that next school to provide optimal education and support to students. In some limited circumstances, information may be disclosed outside of the school (and outside of the Department of Education and Training). The school will seek your consent for such disclosures unless the disclosure is allowed or mandated by law. Our school values the privacy of every person. When collecting and managing personal and health information, all school staff must comply with Victorian privacy law. For more information about privacy including about how to access personal and health information held by the school about you or your child, see our school’s privacy policy at: http:// www.newcombsc.vic.edu.au/about-us/publications-forms . Throughout this notice, ‘staff’ includes principals, teachers, Student Support Service officers, youth workers, social workers, nurses and any other allied health practitioners and all other staff at our school. This includes employees, agents and service providers (contractors) of the Department, whether paid or unpaid.
My Name is Bella Teakle and I have recently relocated from Echuca with my family. I am very excited to be joining the team at Newcomb Secondary College and look forward to becoming part of your community. I will be spending much of my time at the Old Courthouse with the ‘Nobody’s Fool’ program teaching a range of subjects to a range of year levels. I have been teaching for 12 years and have a passion for supporting students with additional needs and teaching literacy/literature to all year levels.
bulletin P-TECH IS BACK! WHAT AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR YEAR 10/11 STUDENTS! Over the last two weeks all of the P-TECH students have either  returned to complete their Certificate III in ICT, Business/ Finance or Laboratory Skills or  are new to the Program and have commenced study at the Gordon and started attending their designated industry partner mentoring sessions for the first time. Whether you are continuing on to complete your certificate or commencing in your first year - have a great time, work hard, learn a lot and make the most of this unique opportunity offered by the P-TECH Program.
This year we have welcomed several new industry partners.
Analytical MicroLabs (AML) is a diagnostic lab specializing in both food/water and veterinary testing. This week Jace and Jayda who are studying a Certificate III in Laboratory Skills commenced their mentoring opportunity with AML.
School Council Elections Information for Parents WHAT IS A SCHOOL COUNCIL AND WHAT DOES IT DO?
and acquire knowledge in areas that are unfamiliar to them. What you do need is an interest in your child's school and the desire to work in partnership with others to help shape the school's future.
HOW CAN YOU BECOME INVOLVED? The most obvious way is to vote in the elections, which are held in Term one each year. However, ballots are only held if more people nominate as candidates than there are positions vacant. In view of this, you might consider
standing for election as a member of the school council All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set the encouraging another person to stand for election. key directions of a school within statewide guidelines. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO STAND FOR WHO IS ON THE SCHOOL COUNCIL?
ELECTION?
The principal will issue a Notice of Election and Call for For most school councils, there are three possible categories of Nominations following the commencement of Term one each membership: year. All school council elections must be completed by the end of March unless the usual time line has been varied by A mandated elected Parent category – more than one- the Minister. third of the total members must be from this category. If you decide to stand for election, you can arrange for Department of Education and Training (DET) employees someone to nominate you as a candidate or you can can be Parent members at their child's school as long as nominate yourself in the Parent category. they are not engaged in work at the school.
A mandated elected DET employee category – members of this category may make up no more than one-third of the total membership of school council. The principal of the school is automatically one of these members. An optional Community member category – members are coopted by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests or experiences. Department employees are not eligible to be Community members.
Generally, the term of office for all members is two years. The term of office of half the members expires each year, creating vacancies for the annual school council elections.
WHY IS PARENT MEMBERSHIP SO IMPORTANT? Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help shape the direction of the school. Those parents who become active on a school council find their involvement satisfying and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.
DO I NEED SPECIAL EXPERIENCE TO BE ON SCHOOL COUNCIL? Each member brings their own valuable life skills and knowledge to the role. Councilors may need to develop skills
Department employees whose child is enrolled in a school in which they are not engaged in work are eligible to nominate for parent membership of the school council at that school. Once the nomination form is completed, return it to the principal within the time stated on the Notice of Election. You will receive a Nomination Form Receipt in the mail following the receipt of your completed nomination. Generally, if there are more nominations received than there are vacancies on council, a ballot will be conducted during the two weeks after the call for nominations has closed.
REMEMBER
Ask at the school for help if you would like to stand for election and are not sure what to do
Consider standing for election to council this year
Be sure to vote in the elections.
Contact the principal for further information.
Picking up & Dropping Off Children around schools For the safety of children, parents are reminded to take care and obey parking signs when picking up or dropping off children around schools. Council’s Parking & Information Officers regularly patrol school areas during start and finish times and motorists detected breaching parking regulations risk being issued with a Penalty Infringement Notice. Remember, as soon as you stop to let your children in or out of the car, you are deemed to be parked. You do not have to leave your car or turn the engine off to be fined so please ensure you are parked in a legal parking area. At children’s crossings, you must remain stationary at the stop line while any person (including an adult or the supervisor) is on the crossing or the stop sign is displayed. Do not let your child alight at this time, ensure that they wait until you are safely and legally parked. If you breach a parking regulation the Parking & Information Officer assigned to monitor the crossing will usually record your registration number and details, and the Penalty Infringement Notice will be posted to you within the next three days.
STAFF POSITIONS FOR 2018 Please contact the relevant staff member in regards to your students needs Year Level
Student Support Person
7
Antoni Cantone
8 9
Team Leader
Glenn Unmack
10 11
Wellbeing Joe Lewis
Rowan Klingberg
Karen Sherlock
12
Assistant Principal Shane Elevato
Chiara Ercoli & Jane Osborne
James Murphy
Jeremy Sinclair
SCHOOL EXCURSIONS AND REMINDERS Students who don’t attend an excursion are expected to attend school as normal. Parents are asked to not keep students at home. Year/Group
Excursion
Date
Cost
Permission Slips & Payment Due
Yr 11
Get Ahead Planning Day Deakin
Thursday 15th Feb
Nil
Now
Whole School
Swimming Carnival, Kardinia Aquatic Centre
Monday 19th February
$5
15th Feb
Yr 7 Beach Day
Ocean Grove Beach
Wednesday 28th February
Nil
23rd Feb
Whole School
Athletics Carnival
Thursday 8th March
$5
5th Mar
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