The year is moving quickly, as it always does, and we find ourselves in mid-May.
This week students received their Term 2 progress reports. I was delighted to be stopped in the yard by a senior student who had just opened his report on Compass and found his Grade Point Average (GPA) had improved since last term. He was so pleased with his progress and shared that he had really concentrated on improving his work habits for this cycle. It was a great illustration of how affirming it is to take control of our learning and use the opportunities that are afforded to us. I always reflect on how fortunate we are in Australia to have a government education system that, while never perfect, allows every young person to access a comprehensive education. I encourage all students to continue to make the most of the educational opportunities provided at Rosehill, set ambitious goals for themselves and work hard to achieve them.
This week I conducted my final school tour for families seeking a Year 7 placement for next year. We now begin the process of reviewing applications and offering placements, following the protocols and timeline set down by the Department of Education. I am pleased to report that the feedback from families joining our tours has been very positive and while they are of course impressed by our lovely new buildings, they also notice the calm and orderly nature of the school, that students are in class and on task. This does not happen by accident and is due to the consistent, dedicated work of all staff who help us provide clear school-wide routines and expectations for students, reinforced by our values of respect, initiative and learning.
A wonderful surprise on this final tour was the participation of three lovely and (very) former students of the school who joined the group of prospective parents. Robert Preston (1963 – 1967), former house captain of ‘Ulm’ House, Chris Jamieson (1961 – 1964) and Geoff Kinniburgh (1965 – 1969), former house captain of ‘Kingsford Smith’ House and 1969 prefect all attended the school when it was Niddrie Technical College.
Former students (L to R): Robert Preston, Chris Jamieson and Geoff Kinniburgh
They were blown away by how the school had changed since their time, and the facilities, programs and opportunities we provide to students at Rosehill.
A few examples of such opportunities this term include:
- Year 8 students listening to visiting author Will Kostakis and joining him for a writing workshop.
- Students from all year levels competing in a range of interschool sports competitions including AFL, soccer, netball, tennis and cross country.
- Year 11 students visiting the Mt Rothwell Biodiversity Conservation Centre on a long-day excursion this week.
- Year 7 and 10 students working with cyber safety expert Susan McLean to learn about online safety.
- Year 9 students attending the adventure camp at The Summit in Trafalgar.
- Year 10 students embarking on two weeks of work experience.
These are just some of the additional things that enrich the lives of our students. On Friday, we were proud to celebrate IDAHOBIT day with lunchtime activities and an invitation for staff and students to pledge respect and support for our LGBTQIA+ community.
I thank our dedicated staff who organise this great variety of experiences for our students. Their work ensures that our young people feel noticed and valued for the individuals they are, both within and beyond the classroom.
Seeking student feedback through the Attitudes to School Survey
In the coming weeks all students will be invited to provide us with feedback by completing the Department of Education’s Attitudes to School Survey. Our school will use this data to understand the current school climate and set goals for our continual improvement in areas such as student voice and agency, student sense of confidence, student sense of connectedness, student perseverance and students’ sense of teacher concern. Please refer to the Compass post issued with further information about the surveys. Students will need to bring their charged laptops to complete the surveys.
Victorian Curriculum 2.0
Our teachers are currently working on the implementation of the Victorian Curriculum version 2.0. Transition to the new curriculum requires a great deal of work and we are pleased to be able to provide some protected time for learning teams to devote to this, through extended afterschool meetings and the pupil-free curriculum day scheduled for the first day of third term. We thank our community for your support.
Keeping our young people safe online
I strongly encourage parents to sign up for our upcoming evening with cyber safety expert Susan McLean on 19th June. Further details are provided in this newsletter.
Celebrating our Education Support Staff
Friday 16th May is Education Support Day and I take this opportunity to acknowledge the essential role our wonderful education support staff play in our school, be it in administration office, in classrooms and the inclusion hub, in the library, science laboratory, IT office or maintaining the school grounds. Their commitment to our students and the smooth running of the school is very much appreciated by us all.
Frances Snow
ACTING PRINCIPAL
