Aspire News | July 2024

Newly Appointed Assistant Principals

As our school grows and our needs evolve, we are regularly evaluating our teaching, learning and leadership needs. Recently we reviewed our leadership structure and organisation of responsibilities and made the decision to add two new Assistant Principal positions to our Executive Team.

I am very excited to announce that the successful candidates were Ms. Natalie Conboy and Mr. Liam McKenna.

Ms. Conboy has been appointed to the Assistant Principal position of Wellbeing & Inclusion and has begun her duties this term. Ms. Conboy is well known to our community for her work in leading this area as a Leading Teacher in recent years.

Mr. Liam McKenna has been successful in gaining the position of Assistant Principal for Middle School. Mr. Mckenna will begin his duties in term 1 of 2025. Currently Mr. Mckenna is a Deputy Headmaster in a school in London.

Congratulations to both Mr. McKenna and Ms. Conboy as they join our other Assistant Principals Ms. Loudon, Ms. Lane, Mr. Schutz & Mr. Stock! 

David Williamson Writing Competition

Our inaugural David Williamson Writing Competition has been completed. On last Thursday the 25^th of July we had a celebratory night with our 13 shortlisted writers and their families and crowned our first overall winner of the prize.

The writing competition saw our students enter a broad range of pieces in our three genres of Poetry, short story and scriptwriting. Our judges were mightily impressed by the quality of the entries and our students ability to navigate the different genres.

David Williamson himself sent a video message congratulating all entrants and the winners as well as contributing a large donation for the competition prizes.

Congratulations to:

Year Level Winners- Highly Commended

Year 7	Year 8	Year 9	Year 10	Year 11
No place like home by Melody Yang	Our second life by Asra Aden	Short story by Ammar Mahmoud	Play by Natalie Orsida	No place like home by Feyza Demir

Outstanding Poem Finalists and Winner

Outstanding Poem shortlist

Hiraeth by Shannon Jot Kaur No place like home by Akshiv Mittal No place like home! by Saviru Kalansuriya

Winner: Hiraeth by Shannon Jot Kaur

Outstanding Short Story Finalists and Winners

Outstanding Short story shortlist

Déjà vu by Danika McNaught The time we had missed by Paveneet Kaur Born to Die by Navreet Mall

Winner: Déjà vu by Danika McNaught

Outstanding Script/Play Finalists and Winners

Outstanding Script/Play shortlist

Conversations on Homes and Houses by Jasnoor Brar Play by Natalie Orsida

Winner: Conversations on Homes and Houses by Jasnoor Brar

Overall Finalists and Winners

Williamson Prize Shortlist

Hireath by Shannon Jot Kaur Conversations on Homes and Houses by Jasnoor Brar Déjà vu by Danika McNaught

Winner: Hiraeth by Shannon Jot Kaur

A huge congratulations to all of our finalists and overall winner Shannon Jot Kaur.

Thankyou to our Williamson Writing Competition Committee including, Joshua Fielding, Luke Hanlon, Katrina Zuk, George Poulakis, Ella Francis, Georgia Wheaton and Ellen Stephens.

And of course thanks to David Williamson for supporting this inaugural version of the competition and his patronage.

Reminder- Student Learning Conferences and Subject Selection Days

A reminder that as outlined in the last newsletter, we will be undertaking the combined Student Learning Conferences and Subject Selection Conferences – on the 1st and 2nd of August.

Our Term 3 Students Learning Conferences operate across the two days, and allow students to conference with their parents and teachers regarding progress across the year, goals for second semester and their Aim High, Work Hard, Be Good scores. All students must attend at least one Student learning Conference.

The Subject Selection Conferences will be focused on Year 9 and 10 students as they choose their senior school programs for Year 10 and 11. The Subject Selection Conferences will be led by members of our careers and pathways teams and other members of the leadership team.

Bookings are open on Compass now.

Colin Burke

Welcome back to a new term at Elevation Secondary College! We’re excited to see you all back at school and ready to continue our journey of growth, learning and achievement together. As we start this term, let’s focus on making it our best one yet by embracing our Behavioural Expectations: Aim High, Work Hard and Be Good.

Aim High– by setting ambitious goals for yourself and striving to reach them.

Work Hard- by dedicating yourself to your studies and supporting each other in our efforts.

Be Good- by showing respect, kindness, and integrity in all that you do.

By committing to these principles, we will not only achieve great things but also build a positive and supportive community.

Health and Winter Wellness

As Winter is here, it’s crucial for us all to stay vigilant about our health and help prevent the spread of illnesses. With COVID-19, flu, and other viruses circulating widely in our community, we ask that you keep your child at home if they’re unwell and conduct a COVID test. When your child is healthy, we look forward to their daily attendance at school.

School Arrival Time

Please remember that our designated school arrival time is 8:30am. This allows students sufficient time to access their lockers, catch up with friends, and prepare for class. The bell for the start of lessons rings at 8:43am.

To support this schedule, we suggest getting uniforms and bags ready the night before and aiming for a screen-free bedtime by 9:30pm. Additionally, we request that families adjust their morning routines to ensure that all students arrive by 8:30am.

Student Equipment

As we dive into this new term, we want to emphasise the importance of students coming to class fully prepared with all the necessary equipment. Bringing the right materials to each lesson is crucial for your child’s success and ensures they can fully participate in their learning experiences.

Having the correct supplies helps students stay organised, engage their lessons, and complete their tasks effectively. Essential items include but are not limited to:

• Stationary: Pencil case, pens, pencils, erasers, ruler and a sharpener.
• Exercise books and Folders: Separate exercise books for each individual subject
• Diary: To keep track of assignments and due dates
• Laptops
• Textbooks

To support your child in being prepared for class, we encourage families to check that they have all the required equipment and to purchase any additional items that might be needed. A well stocked pencil case and organised folders can make a significant difference in a student’s ability to focus and succeed in their studies.

If you need a list of recommended supplies, please contact the front office for the booklist. If you have any questions relating to your child, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s Mentor Group teacher. We appreciate your cooperation in helping your child come to school ready to learn and thrive!

Uniform Guidelines

We appreciate the effort that families put into ensuring students are in proper uniform each day. With Winter now upon us, it’s important to check that your child has all the necessary warm uniform items, including the jumper and black jacket. Please keep the following uniform guidelines in mind:

• The grey academic jumper is not to be worn with the PE uniform.
• Thermal tops are allowed under the uniform, provided they are completely hidden and do not alter the appearance of the Elevation Secondary uniform.

Staff will enforce the uniform policy to address any non-compliance with these guidelines.

Angela Lane, Sonia Loudon, Kyle Schutz & Andrew Stock

Assistant Principals

Dear Year 7 & Year 8 students and families,

Welcome back to an exciting third term in Junior School! We hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable break. Our students have returned with enthusiasm, ready to dive into new learning adventures. It’s fantastic to see them settled back into their routines, eager to learn and grow.

Timetable Changes

With the start of Term 3 comes the change in some of our electives, particularly in Art & Technology. Please ensure your child has the correct equipment for their new electives. Having the right tools will help them fully engage in these enriching classes. With the new electives come changes in the timetable. Please assist your child by ensuring they have a printed copy of their timetable in both their diary and locker. It’s also important to check Compass each morning for any updates or changes. Staying organised will help our students transition smoothly and make the most of their learning time.

Lost Property

We have a large collection of lost property in the Year 7 office. If your child has misplaced any items, please remind them to come by and check. We encourage everyone to label their belongings clearly to avoid mix-ups in the future.

Aim High, Work Hard, Be good

As we embark on this new semester, we have high expectations for our students. We encourage everyone to aim high, work hard, and be good. With dedication and effort, we can achieve great things together.

Courtney Gorham & Gulsen Tankir

Year 7 & Year 8 Level Leaders

Welcome to Semester 2! We hope that students are ready and prepared for a busy term ahead.

School for Student Leadership

As mentioned in the previous newsletter, five of our Year 9 students will depart for the School for Leadership camp next week. This is an exciting term long program where students will engage in a variety of activities and reside offside at one of the camp bases for nine weeks.

The curriculum offered at the School for Student Leadership focuses on personal development and team learning projects sourced from students’ home regions, particularly in the areas of self-awareness, social engagement, community connection and environmental stewardship. We hope our students will find this program rewarding and apply the skills learnt in both their academic and personal journeys. 

Sexual Health Victoria

Our Year 9 students will be continuing their work with Sexual Health Victoria during their Personal Development sessions this term. The topics students will be focusing on healthy and unhealthy relationships and the importance of consent. These topics will be further supported through the Health and Physical Education curriculum.

VCE & Careers Expo

Thank you to all the Year 9 and 10 students and families for attending the VCE and Careers Expo on Monday. This provided an opportunity for our students to engage and become informed with subject selection process and various pathway options from Year 10 and beyond. We hope that students, with the support of their families, are able to begin exploring pathways that align with their future aspirations in preparation for subject selection interviews on August 1st & 2nd.

Please also find attached Year 10 2025 and VCE and VCE VM 2025 subject handbooks on this newsletter for your reference. The handbooks can also be found on the College website as well.

VCE & VCE VM Subject Handbook

Year 10 Subject Handbook

Subject Selection Interviews & Student Learning Conferences

Subject Selection Interviews & Student Learning Conference will be occurring on Thursday 1st August and Friday 2nd of August. All Year 9 & 10 students and families are required to book a Subject Selection interview in conjunction with Student Learning Conferences. This is an important part of the subject selection process to discuss and confirm subject selections in preparation for VCE or VCE VM pathways. 

Bookings are now open for families on Compass.

Nikita Richardson

Year 9 Acting Leading Teacher

Senior School

Welcome back to Term 3! We’re very excited to see this term through with our students. A number of things will be happening this term in preparation for Year 12.

Formal Committee

The Senior School would like to thank all the students who expressed interest in joining the Elevation Formal Committee for 2025. We have a number of dedicated students who will be working closely with the Senior School Team in planning and implementing the Year 12 Formal in 2025. Watch this space for more information.

Students completing a Year 12 Subject

Students who are currently completing either Year 12 Psychology or Media are reminded that the Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (VCAA) has published the exam timetable for the end of year. This can be accessed here.

As a reminder, the following exams are:

Year 12 Psychology

• 4th of November from 9:00 am until 11:45 am

Year 12 Media

•  13th of November from 11:45 am until 2:00 pm

Uniform

We are most definitely feeling the cooler weather- especially in Craigieburn. I wanted to remind families that it is important that students are wearing the correct uniform to school. In order to keep warm, students are encouraged to wear: v-neck thermals, the ESC long sleeve, pants, jumper and/or jacket. The College has scarves and beanies which

End of Year Planning

The Senior School would like to publish the following dates for our students and families:

DATE	WEEK	EVENT
Monday 11th November- Friday 15th November	6	Last week of Year 11 classes
Monday 18th November- Friday 22nd November	7	Year 11 Exam Period (no classes will be running)
Monday 25th November- Thursday 28th November	8	Year 12 classes commence (4 days) Last day for current Year 11 students is Thursday 28th of November

Asli Dulger

Senior School Leader

Careers & Pathways

Elevation SC Careers Website

Hello, from the Careers Team at Elevation Secondary College.

We have a school Careers website which students and families can use to explore future pathways after secondary school. Click the link below to access the site.

It is hard to believe that we are halfway through 2024 already! Many students have used the beginning of the semester to make sure that they are beginning fresh and making the most of every minute of learning. We have had some great focus in class with students at all levels displaying the Behaviours of Aim High, Work Hard and Be Good every lesson.

A reminder about learning behaviours.

Learning behaviours are measured several times a term at Elevation Secondary College. This means that teachers assess students as;

0 = Never

1= Rarely

2 = Sometimes

3 = Often

4 = Always

These learning behaviours are measured for each subject.

This is the learning behaviour report for a student in one subject. Report from the first three weeks of Term 1 (1 T1 24) to the final learning behaviour report just before the break at the end of Semester 1.

The orange shows the “Aim High”.

The blue shows how well the student was able to “Work Hard” during the period indicated.

The grey shows the students overall performance in “Being Good”.

Together these three measures can tell the story of a student’s ability to push themselves, and behave in ways that benefit them and fellow students.

In the example above,  the student has shown a decline in the behaviours that will lead to positive outcomes. 

Family talking openly about these results can have a powerful impact on students.

So how should I interpret these scores?

Firstly, focusing on the behaviours that we know lead to outcomes can sometimes be much more helpful that focussing on “results”. The good news is that most teenagers undergo leaps in maturity during this time, and reflecting on what the learning behaviours are, and discussing the impact on the student, other students and the school community, can lead to the types of reflection that can impact positive change.

It is also useful to have regular discussions around the results. Teachers will pick up patterns of behaviour and looking at the “overall trend” can be a powerful way of tracking progress.

By scrolling down, families can see the overall averages from all classes. This is a very powerful measure because many teachers have independently fed in these results.

In this example, the student had a series of lower results, but powerful built black up to an average of 3.61 after a low of 2.75.

This is a fantastic effort over one term, showing a significant turnaround that will impact on all aspects of the students outcomes.

Please take some time to visit the REPORTING page in compass, and explore these results.

Matt Williamson

Performance & Pedagogy Learning Specialist

Library News

Year 7 Wider Reading Program

The Year 7 Wider Reading program has now commenced and will continue throughout Terms 3 and 4. The program is designed to foster a love for reading and to expand the literary horizons of our students. In this program, students will read a fiction book and complete journal entries where they answer comprehension questions. This approach aims to develop their reading focus and analysis skills, helping them become more thoughtful and engaged readers.

By immersing themselves in different literary worlds and reflecting on their reading, students are developing excellent habits for the future. So far, Year 7 students have impressed staff with their enthusiasm and work ethic, with all students already applying themselves and aiming high. Parents and guardians are also invited to support their children’s reading efforts by discussing books at home and fostering a reading-friendly environment.

Bookmark Design Competition: Reading is Magic

In celebration of Book Week 2024, we will hold our third annual bookmark design competition. This year students are invited to create a design that responds to the prompt ‘Reading is Magic’.

The competition is open to all students, and we encourage participants to let their creativity shine. Whether it’s through illustrations, digital art, or mixed media, students are free to express their unique interpretation of the theme. The winning designs will be professionally printed and made available in the library, and the winning designers will receive Readings Book vouchers. Entries for the competition are due by 4pm August 30, and winners will be announced in the first week of September. We can’t wait to see the amazing designs our talented students come up with. For more information, head to the library website or speak to Ellen in the library.

Premier’s Reading Challenge

We are pleased to report that over 100 students are participating in this year’s Premiers’ Reading Challenge. This initiative is designed to encourage students to engage with a variety of books, helping them to develop their reading skills and enjoy literature. 

The Premiers’ Reading Challenge requires students to read a set number of books within a specific timeframe, recording their progress as they go. The program aims to motivate students to read regularly and explore different genres and authors.

Register your reading goal to be in the running for the main prizes.

Students who wish to be in the running for one of the main prizes, must ensure that they have registered their individual reading goal with Collections and Reader Services Librarian Kate Richardson. To do this, they can either fill out this form, or attend the PRC goal registration session in the library on Tuesday 30th of August at recess.

Kate Richardson, Collections and Reader Services Librarian

Chess Club Tournament Results

Congratulations to Eren 11E for his victory in the first Chess Club Tournament of the year. It was a strong showing by Eren to advance through 6 rounds of double-elimination chess games to finally defeat Abhijot 7C in the final.

The pool of 14 players showed great fairness, consideration and talent in their matches. Well done Chess Captain Zakariya 8A for his organisation and promotion of the event. The Chess Club has now designed a league table to run through Term 3, with even more entrants set to compete for house points and glory!

Chris Anderson, Literacy Officer

Early Leaving Policy

School attendance is very important.
Students are required to attend school for the entire day. If there is an unavoidable reason for a student to leave school early on a particular day (such as for a medical appointment) a signed note from home must be provided.
Pickup times should coincide with recess and lunch.
 
Process: 

• Student brings a note from home explaining the absence and the intended departure time (recess or lunch). The note must be signed and dated by a parent/guardian
• Student presents the note from home to the Mini School Admin Office before Mentor Group.
• Student receives a signed Early Leaver note from the mini school.
• At recess or lunch – the student brings the early Leaver note to the Administration Office and signs out.
• Student is picked up

If a pickup time can only be during a timetabled period, the student must show their signed Early Leaver note to their classroom teacher at the designated time and then present to the office to be picked up.
 
School staff will not be collecting students from classes during timetabled periods.
 
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they arrive at the office for pickup at the designated time.
 
Learning is extremely important at Elevation Secondary College. Please note that staff cannot collect your child or put an announcement over speakers during class time.

Recess and Lunch Times
Recess –  10:56 – 11:24am
Lunch – 1:20 – 2:02pm

Student Learning Conferences

• Thursday 1st August & Friday 2nd August

Curriculum & Student Free Days

• Monday 12th August
• Friday 29th November
• Tuesday 10th December

Public Holidays

• Melbourne Cup Day- Tuesday 5th November

Events in Term 3

• Year 7 Immunisation- Monday 5th August
• Morrisby Counselling- 25-30th August

2024 Term Dates

Term 1	Tuesday 30th January (Year 7), Wednesday 31st January (Year 8-11) – Thursday 28th March (1.20pm Finish)
Term 2	Monday 15th April – Friday 28th June (1.20pm Finish)
Term 3	Monday 15th July – Friday 20th September (1.20pm Finish)
Term 4	Monday 7th October – Friday 20th December (12:22pm Finish)