Parent Bulletin 19

Friday 11 September
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Report from School Council September Meeting

Update on Building Project
Newpol Construction the appointed Contractor for Stage 2 took possession of the site on 17th August. Temporary services for construction are currently being installed and excavation down to the ground floor sub-base is underway. A temporary gravel path has been installed providing student access from the Moonee Ponds Creek and bike path.  This path will be concreted in the coming weeks to make sure it is an all-weather path.

General School Operations and Student Enrolment Trends
Planning is well underway for 2021. Positions of Responsibility have been confirmed and will be filled within the next few weeks. Subject numbers have been analysed and evaluated. Staffing will be confirmed early in term 4.
Continuing strong student enrolment trends were discussed by Council.

Strathmore Secondary College Remote and Flexible Student Survey
Every year students at the school complete an Attitudes to School Survey to gather feedback about different aspects of their school life. This year we have adapted the survey to suit our remote and flexible learning period, as well as mirroring some of the information collected in the parent survey already completed.  There are two parts to the survey:
Part A: COVID-19 Remote Learning Experience
Part B: Student Wellbeing

The survey will be conducted over the coming few weeks and results will be communicated in due course.

Student Excellence Program 
In late 2019 the Department of Education and Training (DET) launched the Student Excellence Program. This program has the purpose of; supporting the learning, engagement and wellbeing of High-Ability Students (HAS) to help them thrive now and into the future, whilst building teacher capability to cater for the needs of this cohort of students.
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Student Excellence Program Functions

Victorian High Ability Program (VHAP)
  • Program developed and facilitated by Virtual School Victoria. Students in Year 7 and 8 are selected by DET to be involved in this program that is scheduled to run until 2022. 
​Victorian Challenge and enrichment Series (VCES)
  • DET has funded over 20 organisations to develop free programs offered to HAS in schools. 
  • Program has begun late in term 3 and we have students attending from next week onward
  • The program offers sessions right across the curriculum, during school hours and some on weekends or out of school hours. 
  • Students for this program are chosen on recommendation from our own teaching staff. 
  • Programs will run into 2022 
  • Victorian Space Science Education Centre (VSSEC) are running two programs in the VCES program.
Other opportunities for HAS
  • As part of the student excellence program there is funding to develop new programs and initiatives at Strathmore Secondary College for HAS 
  • Most of this will be implemented in 2021
Building staff capacity
  • The High-Ability Practice Leader (HAPL – Michael Alexander) is a point of advice and support for staff in supporting teachers to support HAS in the classroom. 
  • Professional Development is being planned for term 4 to build staff capacity in differentiation to better be able to support HAS.

Jillian English
College Principal

Food Technology Guru Nancy

Strathmore Secondary College Food Tech guru Nancy gave up her spare time to make hats for medical staff. Medical staff wear the hats under their PPE to make life a bit more comfortable.
 
The photo below is some of the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory nurses wearing hats that Nancy made and delivered to the Austin Hospital.

The Doctors and nursing staff were rapt with the selection of colourful hats.

​Thanks Nancy.
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School Entrance - Moonee Ponds Creek Path

The school gate from Moonee Ponds Creek path has been closed due to the builders compound being fenced off.

A new gate has been opened approximately 100 metres South, between the Stirling locker bays and VSSEC.
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