Principal - Jodie DobleCollege Council President - Heike ReichAssistant Principal - Jonathon RogersActing Assistant Principal - Janine McMahonBusiness Manager - Jayne Thompson

Emerald Secondary CollegeFortnightly NewsletterEmerald Secondary College is a Learning Community

Term 2 - 2019:31st May 2019 - Issue 8Important Dates:Every Wednesday: Homework Club - Help is on Your Way 3.20pm - 4.30pm in the Library

JUNE 2019Mon 3rd-Fri 7th: Yr 7 & 8 ExamsThu 6th- Thu 13th: Yrs 9, 10 & 11 ExamsMon 10th: Queen’s Birthday Public HolidayTue 12th: GAT ExamFri 14th: Curriculum Day - Students not required at schoolMon 17th: Semester 2 startsThu 20th: Yr 10 Course Selection Information Session & Work Experience Assembly

In this Issue:• From the Principal• Assistant Principals’ Report• Yr 10 Legal Studies Excursion• In Memorian - Dr Robert Hobbs• Senior School News• VCDE Physical Education Workshop at

Monash University• ESC Science Academy• Homework Club• How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online• Macclesfield Landcare - Bee Seminar• Pinnacle Upwey• Parenting Teens

From the PrincipalA Play the MusicalThis week under the careful direction and support from Mr Carnie, our VCE Theatre Studies students performed their own musical production. The VCE Theatre Studies syllabus required students to write, design, direct, perform and produce their own performance, and this year’s class chose a musical play. I would like to thank all our VCE Theatre Studies students, Mr Carnie, Mr Edwards, Ms Mikieciuk, Blaise and Rochelle for their support above and beyond the call of duty.

Outdoor EdOutdoor Education is a fantastic program and offers amazing experiences for our students, until the weather turns wet and cold. This week we had a number of our students brave the wet and cold camping conditions typical of our Victorian climate. It was fantastic to receive a letter from a member of the general public who commended our students and staff not only for their endeavour, but also for their politeness, good spirits and leave no trace skills.

We all know we have an amazing school and amazing students, but it is reassuring when members of the public also recognise what we see and know in our school and students.

BehaviourComing to school with a positive attitude helps students to focus and learn. Respecting yourself and your friend’s rights to learn, and the teachers right to teach, is of utmost importance.

Unfortunately, I am starting to hear and see that some of our students lack respect, and bring negative behaviours and attitudes to school and to the classroom.

This is disappointing to see and hear and will not be tolerated. Students failing to follow our expectations in the classroom will receive consequences. Parents will be notified should any student be found to lack respect in the learning environment.

On a positive note, many of our students are really engaging in their studies and in the classroom and this is being rewarded through our Green Chronicle system and Principals Green Chronicle Awards.

Attitudes to SchoolThis week the Department of Education conducted their annual Attitudes to School survey with the students. The information is passed back to the school, and informs Leadership decision for future improvements, based on student perceptions to their teachers, curriculum, behaviour and school. These surveys will be offered to a random DET selected group of families later this year as well as all our staff. The combined information will help the Leadership team of the school review our progress and plan our 2020 Strategic Plan.

Student Representative CouncilOur 2019 SRC team have begun their work taking positive action to support all our students and see the continuations of our school improvement journey.

Assistant Principal’s ReportRespectful Parent/Teacher interactions at ESCCo-ordinators and Sub-School Leaders are available to answer any query you might have that relates to the learning or welfare of your child/ren. Please be mindful that the College is working in a climate of respectful relationships. As such, these conversations must always be respectful, timely and cover off on three aspects – decision, action and accountability. The importance of being solution focussed must be at the forefront of every interaction, in a positive environment.

PhotosSchool photos have finally been delivered and handed out to students. This process took a lot longer than we would have liked. As such, we are currently investigating alternative companies to ensure that parents and guardians receive their children’s photos in a timely manner.

Phones in ClassStudents are consistently reminded about the College rules when it comes to having phones in class. Phones can cause distractions to students, especially if they are receiving calls or text messages. Some of these are from other students whilst some are from parents. Please remind your child/ren that phones are not permitted in any class unless explicitly instructed by the staff member that they can use them for an educational purpose. Phones will be confiscated by staff and returned to students later in the day.

Buildings Grounds and OHSWinter working bee – date to be announced. Unfortunately we were not recipients of any money in the budget for improving our school buildings. As such we will be putting some additional work into improving our G Block classrooms. The cleaning and painting of our walls is our goal and hopefully it will help to lift the spirits of students entering these spaces.

Litter continues to be a problem, can you please speak to your child/ren about the importance of the litter going into the bins provided. We appreciate your support with this.

Heating and cooling – We have attained quotes to improve the heating and cooling in a number of classrooms and are hoping to have new systems installed soon as we move towards a more economical system and comfortable learning environment.

Jonathon Rogers - Assistant Principal

Theatre Studies PerformanceOn Wednesday evening I had the opportunity to attend a performance by the Senior Theatre Studies students. It was wonderful to see students engaged and enjoying performing in front of their audience. The quality of the acting, music and vocal performances were exceptional, and I am sure that everyone who has attended would agree. I was impressed by the hard work and dedication showed by both students and David Carnie, Theatre Studies teacher.

Success of Online NAPLAN Online NAPLAN concluded last week. Apart from a few minor technical issues, Online NAPLAN proceeded without many complications. At the end of the last week, 5 separate catch up sessions were held for students who were absent during various tests, or for the few students who had experienced technical issues during any of their NAPLAN tests. I would like to thank our students for their patience while logging onto the NAPLAN site and for the exceptional behaviour displayed while the Year 7 and 9 cohort undertook the tests.

EXAM Preparation 7-12Students from Year 7-12 are currently finishing the last of their assessment tasks and are starting to prepare for exams in Years 7-11 and practice exam tasks in Year 12 classes.

• Year 7-8 classes will undertake an end of semester exam in English and Maths.

Led by the College Captains and Junior Captains, the ESC SRC have begun to discuss what actions they would like to take to support our students and College. The SRC also discuss student’s perceptions, and bring the students voice and opinions to the College Leadership team.

A recent discussion was on the warmth of the Jacket in our uniform. The Captains will be meeting with the uniform providers to look at samples of jackets available to see if there are any warmer options for our School Council to consider.

Students wishing to have a voice and say in our College are welcome to attend the SRC meeting. These are held every second Monday at lunchtime in A7.Jodie Doble - Principal

• Year 9 classes will undertake an end of year exam in English, Maths, Science and Humanities. The junior exams will occur during the students scheduled class time under the supervision of the regular class teacher. • Year 10 and 11 students will complete their exams at a specific exam time and should refer to their exam timetables that are posted on Compass. Year 10 and 11 students have access to an exam study and equipment guide for each subject that has been posted on their Compass portal as an amber chronicle, to guide their preparation. As well as the revision tasks completed during class time, students can discuss with their teachers different strategies for exam preparation. • Year 12 students will be completing practice exam tasks as their Unit 3 class concludes. This is a fantastic opportunity to practice exam techniques and gather feedback from their teacher in preparation for the end of year exam.

Practice GAT and GATAll students who are undertaking a Unit 3/4 sequence (Year 12 class) undertook a practice GAT task on Thursday morning. The purpose of the Practice Gat was to prepare students for the GAT, particularly, the type of questions that they may encounter. Students completed a shortened version of the GAT, and then undertook a reflection and feedback session with their teachers. There was a lot of chatter in the hallways concerning the practice GAT task among students after this task was completed.

The GAT is scheduled for June 12th.

Year 10 Work ExperienceOur Year 10 students are looking forward to a week of work experience in the last week of term. This is always an exciting time for our students. All students will be either visited by a teacher, or contacted by a teacher, throughout the week of work experience to hear how the experience is going. Often career paths are forged or changed as a result of the adventures undertaken during this time.

Janine McMahon - Acting Assistant Principal

Yr 10 Legal Studies ExcursionOur Year 10 Legal Eagles had a brilliant day at the Ringwood Magistrates' Court. This rich learning experience afforded our students the opportunity to witness justice in action, bringing to life many of the concepts that we have discussed in class.

Arriving early enabled us to take advantage of an offer by a police prosecutor to address the group, explaining the types of proceedings we expected to see across the day. She was generous with her time and expertise, responding to student questions and outlining her own pathway to becoming a police prosecutor.

Our cases across the day were varied: many driving offences, drug related offences and some civil matters of disputes between individuals. We saw witnesses sworn in, those held in remand escorted to the dock and lawyers submitting mitigating circumstances of their clients in attempts to minimise sanctions.

Our students were exemplary in their behaviour, enthusiasm and patience throughout the day... most excellent ambassadors for our College. Tanya Moran – Legal Studies Teacher

In MemoriumDr. Robert Hobbs 1941 - 2019

In October of 1983 the green light was given for the creation of a Post Primary school for Emerald.

Dr. Robert Hobbs was the chairman of the planning committee, his name being given to the house ‘Hobbs’ that students from the schools’ inception to today have been members of.

At the time Robert said of the future school it “would cater for the needs of all children and try to gear their policies and philosophies realistically for the 20th Century.”

Robert passed away on May 13th at the Alfred hospital aged 78 surrounded by family. Robert will be remembered as a hardworking, kind and loving family man, who loved to learn and support growth for the sciences whenever

he could. He received the Clunies Ross award for his work on Colorbond, a highlight of his career at BHP. Robert’s work to create what would become Emerald Secondary College is one of the many milestones of a career in science and technology that ended with his significant contribution to the Melbourne synchrotron - A major research facility a technology and innovation hub and is one of Australia's most significant pieces of scientific infrastructure. He is nationally and internationally known for his contribution to science and engineering and will be missed by all who were lucky enough to have known him.Jane Mauger (Alumni, wife of Benjamin Hobbs – Alumni and nephew of Robert)

Newspaper Article from ‘The Trader’ Vol 6, No. 18 Wednesday May 16th 1984

Senior School NewsAs the semester draws to a close, we have important information to share with students and families:

• 6th-13th June – Senior School Examination Period – Timetables for Year 11 and Year 10 Exams are available on Compass Newsfeed. Students with clashes should come to the Senior School Office to arrange an alternate time in the exam schedule to resolve the clash

• 12th June (10.00am-1.15pm) – GAT Day – The General Achievement Test is the first VCAA external examination for students completing Unit 3 & 4 VCE and VET subjects. Students should arrive at school by no later than 9.15am to sign in and ensure that they have all the permitted materials for the GAT. There will be no Year 10 or Year 11 exams or classes held on this day – the time can be used to study for remaining exams.

• 13th June – Coursework Due – all coursework for all subjects in Year 10-12 must be submitted/checked in with teachers. For VCE and VCAL classes, this is essential to attain a ‘Satisfactory’ for the Unit (for each subject). For Year 10 subjects, your coursework result appears on your report.

• 13th June – Attendance Rate deadline – for Year 11 and Year 12 VCE and VCAL students, a final determination of your attendance rates will be made on the last day of Semester One. Attendance rates must be at least 90% to ensure a ‘Satisfactory’ can be attained for the Semester. Any medical certificates that have not yet been submitted to adjust school approved absences should be forwarded to the Senior School ASAP.

• 17th June – Commencement of Semester Two – the whole school will commence Semester 2 studies in an effort to keep the number of weeks even per semester. Units 2 & 4 will commence for VCE studies, VCAL classes will continue as well.

• 24th-28th June - Year 10 Work Experience - all placements should now be confirmed and paperwork finalised with Mr Closter. Enjoy this unique learning opportunity, create a good impression and build upon your employability skills.

Studying for ExamsExaminations are a part of being a student, a rite of passage and a benchmark of the key knowledge and skills that have been taught throughout the semester. It is important for students to work on the study techniques that best help them retain and recall knowledge from across the semester.

Students can access the presentations from our Senior School Study Skills Week held at the end of Term One through their Home Group Resources tab on Compass. Students should also think about the following:

• Study Space – quiet, free from distractions, equipped with resources needed to revise• Motivation – don’t wait to feel motivated, just get on with it• Focus – once on task, stick with it, build in rewards, make to-do lists, finish what you start• Feedback – contact your teachers, have them read practice responses, act on their advice• Nutrition & Sleep – eat well, drink lots of water, get 8 hours sleep each night during exams• Exercise – improves brain function, increases retention of new information, reduces stress hormones• Hard work always pays off – reward for effort, mistakes are proof you are trying• Use resources – Compass, Texts, Powerpoints, Edrolo, Graphic Organisers, Quizlet, Timelines, Sample

Questions…. Your Teachers!!!We wish students all the best during the examination period and a fresh start for the new semester. From the Senior School TeamRitu Arora – Year 10 Learning & Engagement LeaderDavid Carnie - Year 11 Learning & Engagement LeaderTanya Moran - Year 12 Learning & Engagement LeaderManny Peresso – Senior School Education & Engagement LeaderShane Closter – Careers & Pathways CoordinatorMarion Donders – VCAL & VET Coordinator

VCE Physical Education workshop at Monash UniversityOn Tuesday 14th May the Unit 3 VCE P.E. class attended a practical workshop at Monash University - Peninsula Campus. The session involved students experiencing practical ways to monitor athlete performance via the use of GPS, Heart Rate Monitors and Accelerometers. This content will also be useful when undertaking their Unit 4 studies in P.E when students will be required to design and implement a training program. The class was also able to participate in conducting a VO2 max. test which involved measuring Wilson Jordan-Hill’s aerobic capacity. The students were fully engaged throughout the entire workshop and hopefully gained some vital skills and knowledge in the lead up to their Unit 3 Outcome 2 assessments. Manny Peresso – Senior School Education & Engagement Leader

ESC Science AcademyESC Science academy application date has been extended!!! This is a science and mathematics enrichment program available for all Year 6 students entering Year 7 in 2020. Application forms are available through the school or on the website. The new closing date is Friday 7th June. Completed forms must be returned to the Front Office by 4 pm. Testing will take place on Friday 14th June. For more information contact Brad Gibbs on 5968 5388.Brad Gibbs – Science Domain Leader

Macclesfield Landcare Group Bee Seminar

Monday 17 June 7:30pm to 9:30pm

Bees do you have them or are you thinking about getting some?

Local Bee Custodian, Greg Huggins, will conduct this session and inform us about: ➢ European Bees ➢ Advantages of keeping Bees ➢ Native Bees ➢ How native and European Bees interact ➢ Perceived threat to Honey Bees worldwide.

at Macclesfield Hall, Macclesfield Road, Macclesfield GPS coordinates Lat -37.8782 Long 145.4754

Cost: Free. Optional Gold Coiin donation to cover hall hire

Book via trybooking https://www.trybooking.com/BCULU

RSVP by 14 June. Queries? Contact ➢ Phone or text Cath Ellingworth on 0417 953 311 ➢ Or email macclesfieldlandcare@gmail.com

Bring a small supper plate to share. Tea and coffee provided.

Wednesdays for 6 weeks 8, 15, 22, 29 May, 5 & 12 June 2019 6.00pm - 8.30pm Emerald Secondary College 425 Belgrave-Gembrook Rd,  Emerald  Vic  3782

DATES:

TIME:WHERE:

COST:BOOKINGS: For bookings and enquiries contact:

ARE YOU TIRED OF YELLING?How to get your teenager to listen, without having to yellDEALING WITH ANGERRecognising the causes and triggers for anger

UNDERSTAND THE TEEN'S BRAINKnow about Ages and Stages of teenage learning

REALTIONSHIPSHow can parents build a better relationship with their teens?STRATEGIESDiscuss and share strategies that work

FREE: Bookings essential

Felicity Wooden - Well Being Leader - 5968 5388 Email: wooden.felicity.f@edumail.vic.gov.au  or Jasbir Singh at Parentzone on 0431 203 177,  Email: jasbir.suropada@anglicarevic.org.au