Issue 3, 16th February 2018 Gleneagles College Newsletter · Issue 3, 16th February 2018 Gleneagles College Newsletter School Council Elections This year two Parent Representative

Issue 3, 16th February 2018

Gleneagles College Newsletter

School Council Elections

This year two Parent Representative and three DET Employee Representative are vacant. The term of office is for two years and Council meets eight times each year. Council currently meet on a Monday night commencing at 7p.m. The first meeting of the new Council will be held on 19/3 and the current scheduled of meetings for the rest of 2018 are 14/5, 18/6, 20/8, 17/9, 22/10, 26/11/18.

The Council currently has a total of twelve members; five parents, three community members and four DET employees which includes the College Principal. Later this year, there will be an election process for two student representatives to join Council and total council membership will be fourteen.

Nominations are now open and close on 23rd February 2018. Nomination forms are attached to the newsletter post on Compass and are also available on the College website or can be collected from the office. Nominations will be assessed and if an election is required, the ballot will be held between 2nd and 9th March 2018.

Interested parents may like to contact the Principal, Sue Peddlesden to discuss the opportunity – Email [email protected] or phone 9708 1319.

Detailed information on the role of Council was published in the February 2nd newsletter and a copy of this is attached to the end of today’s edition as is the formal notice of election and call for nominations.

Year 11 Camp

With VCE well underway, year 11 students have now transitioned into senior school with a little more motivation and preparation behind them, found through our recent study camp hosted by ‘CYC The Island.’ As a compulsory aspect of our second last year of high school, this Phillip Island adventure ran from the 5th – 7th of February, covering various aspects of typical VCE life with the intent of learning how to deal with stressful and confronting situations in order to achieve the goals we want for ourselves in the near future.

Departing at 9:00am on Monday morning, students first enjoyed a morning ride up to the island, followed by lunch along the beach where many took pleasure in listening to music, playing sports or casual walks up the pier. As relaxing as it may sound however, organized workshops were soon underway upon our arrival at the camp. Covering a raft of social and academic areas needed to improve both ourselves and our learning, the activities offered were an integral part of the three-day event, with other fun experiences including morning walks, the Penguin march, trips into town and most excitingly, trivia night. From boys dressed as women to girls releasing their inner geek, trivia night brought out the best in everyone, filling the evening with fun, joy and laughs.

Just as all good things come to an end, so did our break from the natural pressures of VCE on Wednesday. Mr. Young rounded out the occasion with news and insight regarding Edrolo before we headed onto buses for a tiresome, yet sweltering return trip back to Gleneagles… where the harsh reality of 2018 was made to feel a little less daunting thanks to the help of our teachers, their workshops and the memories we year 11’s made on the Island that will be cherished for years to come. Written by Rowan Maher

Year 12 Study Conference The year 12 VCE Study Conference was a great opportunity for the Year 12’s to refresh their knowledge of VCE policies and procedures and learn some new study and time management skills, all whilst experiencing what it would be like to study at RMIT, Deakin and Monash Universities. The students learnt a lot about the ways they can survive VCE and gained many key skills in the way they can cope with the school work and challenges they will face this year. They also were lucky enough to be inspired by Australian Tough Mudder Champion, Luke Atkins, who shared with them his journey to success and encouraged them to ‘HAVE NO REGRETS’ at the end of their final year of school. The conference ended, with all students and staff celebrating the start of the year with a lunch by the bay and a relaxing walk along Frankston Pier. We wish all of our Year 12 Students, a wonderful start to the year! Ms Reynolds

Kiara Lam, Angel White and Jess Kam enjoy the beach. Australian Tough Mudder Champion, Luke Atkins, encourages

Gleneagles Year 12’s to have no regrets!

Year 7 Welcome BBQ On Tuesday the 13th of February junior school staff had an opportunity to meet the families of students during our annual year 7 Welcome BBQ. It was great to see staff and parents discussing the start to the year for our newest Gleneagles students in a relaxed atmosphere while enjoying the BBQ. Having an opportunity to meet families, engage in conversations and build relationships is such a positive start to the year. Many parents took advantage of the information session held to help them navigate through our online system and they have walked away knowing much more about Ongoing reporting and Compass. Families were lucky enough to hear musical pieces from Eszter Mezsaros, Nathan Ly, Amara Jabbour, Lachlan Takerai-Godsall and Malachi Chirunga. Rory Benham of year 8 also presented a short talk to parents about music at Gleneagles Secondary. Following this it was great to see families interested in the program and asking questions about what we have on offer. Our SALT (Student Activities and Leadership Team) group were a great help in setting up, cooking and serving the food and interacting with the families who attended. We’re lucky to have some mature and committed leaders in our school. It was a great evening and I would like to thank all families who attended as well as the staff involved. We look forward to working with you all throughout the school year. Helana Corrigan (Junior Sub School Leader)

Careers News

New Careers Team and New Location

Gleneagles Secondary College has welcomed two new members to the careers team, Jade Drew and Julianna Dubinsky. The Careers Office is now located in an office located between the PD and Science blocks. We encourage every student in Year 11 and 12 to book a careers appointment to discuss plans after school such as moving on to tertiary education, apprenticeships, gap years, full-time work or other alternatives. Please find the appointment sheet outside the office to schedule a careers consultation.

The Gleneagles Careers Website

Visit www.gleneaglescareers.com.au to read our latest Careers News and for information about tertiary and job options, University Open Days, VTAC Application processes, Resume writing, applying for tax file numbers and much more. Sign up for the newsfeeds to receive careers updates.

Work Experience for Year 10

Work experience week is Monday 25th to Friday 29thth June 2018. All students should now have received a Work Experience Arrangement form in Home Group. Copies can be downloaded from the College Website via the careers tab. Work experience is a compulsory component of the year 10 curriculum program. The final day to return completed forms is Friday 16th March. Students are encouraged to find their own placement but can see Jade or Julianna in the Careers Centre for suggestions and guidance through the process. We can even help you make that first phone call to a prospective employer! It’s important to choose a placement that aligns with a pathway you are considering for your future work or study if you are going to get the most out of the experience.

Upcoming University and TAFE Information Sessions 21st February 2018 - Academy of Information Technology Information Session (Level 13, 120 Spencer Street, Melbourne) 23rd-25th February 2018 -Australian Defence Force Information Session (Royal Exhibition Building, 9 Nicholson Street, Carlton, Victoria).

For more information visit the Calendar of Events on our careers website.

Congratulations to the Class of 2017

Our year 12 students from 2017 recently received their final offers for tertiary places:

92% of students who applied for tertiary study received offers

78% have been offered Bachelor degrees

22% have been offered TAFE Diplomas or Advanced Diplomas

6.2% have been offered places at a Private Colleges

The remainder have an apprenticeship or are working full time

Here are our students’ top 10 destinations for 2017:

Preferred Institutes No. offers Preferred courses

1 RMIT University 34 Engineering and Business

2 Deakin University 33 Arts and Commerce

3 Monash University 30 Arts and Science

4 Federation University 12 Education and Science

5 Victoria University 11 Sport Management And Science

6 Swinburne University 9 Arts

7 La Trobe University 4 Business

8 Holmesglen Institute 3 Building and Design

9 Box Hill Institute 3 Nursing

10 University of Melbourne 2 Commerce

Library News Welcome back We would like to welcome back all our readers and to remind students to return the books they borrowed over the holidays! New staff The library has two new staff members, Trish Ord who is a library assistant and Donna Karvelas who is a Teacher Librarian.

Lynne Moller Patricia Rebeiro Donna Crutchfield Donna Karvelas Trish Ord Book Club Love to read? Join the Book Club! GSC Book Club will run every Tuesday lunchtime in the library. We will read, discuss compare and share books, participate in lots of different fun activities, help select books for the library and even go on excursions! Come into the library and let us know if you are interested.

I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you

– The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho On Tuesday 13th February we had nearly 20 new members join us. We look forward to even more joining us next week. To celebrate Valentine’s Day we thought we would play a game to match up characters in well-known books. Much hilarity followed as students tried to be the first finished.

Our outstanding winners were Sanidi Mallawaarachchi and Annie Ruja. They Matched 23 out of 29 characters. Do you know who Golem loves from The Hobbit? Or Katniss’s sweetheart from The Hunger Games? You too could have won prizes. Book Club meets every Tuesday lunchtime in the library. Come along and join us. Ask for Ms Moller or Ms. Karvelas.

New Books!

Check out our extensive fiction selection – there’s so many authors to choose from. There’s horror, romance, adventure and so many more genres. Not sure the right book for you. Just ask one of the friendly library staff who will be sure to point you in the right direction!! Looking for a particular book and can’t find it? Pass on the title to the librarians as a suggestion for a book we should buy. At GSC, we are regularly adding to our extensive offerings. Some of our latest purchases are pictured above. It’s a library for our school community and we really want your ideas on how we can make it even better.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Monday 19th February Yr 11 Politics Excursion

Tuesday 20th February School photos – all students need to be in full school uniform to be in the

photos, sports uniform not to be worn on this day.

Wednesday 21st February Intermediate volleyball, tennis and baseball

Thursday 22nd February College Swimming Carnival – all students

Mon 26th to Wed 28th February Year 7 Camp Group 1 7A, G, H, I, J, K

Wednesday 28th February School photos for students absent on 20th February

Thursday 1st March Whole School Assembly Period 1 – unfortunately no parents can be invited

as we need to seat all the students in the Gym and there is no space left

Friday 2nd March Yr 12 Geography Excursion to Phillip Island

Mon 5th to Wed 7th February Year 7 Camp Group 2 7B, C, D, E, F, L

Tuesday 6th March Yr 12 Sociology Excursion – Melb. Museum and river walk

Wednesday 7th March Senior volleyball, tennis and baseball

Thursday 8th March Division swimming - tbc

Friday 9th March 10E Science Excursion to GTAC

Monday 12th March LABOUR DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY – NO CLASSES

Tuesday 13th March

Rescheduled ->>>

Yr 12 Legal Excursion to Supreme and County Courts – Group 1 –

New date will be confirmed for Term 2

Wednesday 14th March Yr 7 Volleyball, cricket and tennis. Softball – all levels

7E SEAL Parent Night

Thursday 15th March

Rescheduled ->>>

Yr 10 Coast Excursion

Yr 12 Legal Excursion – Supreme and County Courts – Group 2

New date will be confirmed for Term 2

Monday 19th March Yr 10, 11, 12 Visual Communication & Yr 10 Wood Tech to National Gallery

of Victoria

Tuesday 20th March Yr 7 Immunisation (HPV + Boostrix)

Yr 8 Volleyball, cricket, tennis Yr 7 & 8 and intermediate baseball

Wednesday 21st March CURRICULUM DAY – NO CLASSES

Wednesday 28th March Southern Metro swimming

Media and Studio Arts Excursion - Top Screen and Top Arts

Thursday 29th March Cross Country Carnival

Friday 30th March SCHOOL HOLIDAYS START – GOOD FRIDAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY

SCHEDULE 4: NOTICE OF ELECTION AND CALL FOR NOMINATIONS An election is to be conducted for members of the school council of Gleneagles Secondary College

Nomination forms may be obtained from the school and must be lodged by 4.00 pm on 23 / 2 / 2018

The ballot will close at 4.00 pm on 9 / 3 / 2018

Following the closing of nominations a list of the nominations received will be posted at the school.

The terms of office, membership categories and number of positions in each membership category open for election are as follows:

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY TERM OF OFFICE NUMBER OF POSITIONS

Parent member From the day after the date of the declaration of the poll in 2018 to and inclusive of the date of the declaration of the poll in 2020

2

DET employee member From the day after the date of the declaration of the poll in 2018 to and inclusive of the date of the declaration of the poll in 2020

3

If the number of nominations is less than the number of vacancies, a notice to that effect and calling for further nominations will be posted in a prominent position at the school.

Sue Peddlesden College Principal

SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTION 2018

WHAT IS A SCHOOL COUNCIL AND WHAT DOES IT DO?

All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within state-wide guidelines. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students.

WHO IS ON THE SCHOOL COUNCIL?

For most school councils, there are three possible categories of membership:

A mandated elected Parent category - more than one-third of the total members must be from this category. Department

of Education and Training (DET) employees can be Parent members at their child's school as long as 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 co-opted by a decision of the council because of their special

skills, interests or experiences. DET 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.

Gleneagles Council has five parent members, three community representatives and four DET members including the Principal.

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 in itself and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.

HOW CAN YOU BECOME INVOLVED?

The most obvious way is to vote in the elections, which are held in Term 1 each year. However, ballots are only held if more people nominate as candidates than there are positions vacant.

In view of this, you might seriously consider:

standing for election as a member of the school council

encouraging another person to stand for election.

DO I NEED SPECIAL EXPERIENCE TO BE ON SCHOOL COUNCIL?

No. 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.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO STAND FOR ELECTION?

The principal will issue a Notice of Election and Call for Nominations following the commencement of Term 1 each year. All school council elections must be completed by the end of March unless the usual time line has been varied by the Minister. If you decide to stand for election, you can arrange for someone to nominate you as a candidate or you can nominate yourself in the Parent category.

DET 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.

For further details, contact Sue Peddlesden, Principal of Gleneagles ([email protected]).