NL 14 2009.indd - Ringwood Secondary College

RSC News
The Newsletter of Ringwood Secondary College
Issue Number 14 Online address: www.ringwoodsc.vic.edu.au/newsletters December 15 , 2009
OH -
WHAT A
NIGHT!
VALEDICTORY
EVENING
2009
Phone: 9870 2002 Fax: 9879 5414 Email: ringwood.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au Home Page: www.ringwoodsc.vic.edu.au

Newsletter Number 14 December 15, 2009
Term 1 - 2010
Quick Calendar
Offi ce Open - Tuesday January 19, 2010
Staff Return - Wednesday January 27, 2010
Students Return -
Monday February 1, 2010
- 8.45 am Years 7 and 12
- 10.00am Years 8 and 11
Tuesday February 2, 2010
- 8.45 am Years 9 and 10
Years 7, 8, 11 and 12 students required to be at school
by 10.00am on Tuesday
The Next Meeting:
PCTA
Council
Heritage
Music Association
Ladies Auxiliary
Policy & Education
Tues 16 February
To Be Advised
Mon 15 February
Mon 8 February
Tues 2 February
Wed 17 February
The next Newsletter will be issued on 12 February
From the
Principal ...
The end of another school year is a time of celebration and acknowledgement
of our students. Indeed there are many of our young
people who have achieved outstanding success. In this edition
of our newsletter we are delighted to share with you their many
achievements. I was particularly delighted to share with many of
you the Junior School Production of Song of the Bush in the past
week. It was a great tribute to the efforts of our senior students and
former students, who coordinated all the activity across this event.
We also say farewell to some teaching staff, moving into new roles
in 2010. Thanks and best wishes are extended to Mrs Heather Davies,
Mrs Ingrid Tomsett, Mrs Pam Glenn and Ms Linda Cookson in
their new roles for 2010. Thanks also to Mrs Karen Palmer and Mr
Chris Elmore, Mr Wayne Houben and Ms Amy Nettlebeck who have
helped in replacing staff during term 4.
I would like to extend the compliments of the season to all members
of our college community and trust that each of you find the
time to enjoy a restful break and look forward to an exciting year
in 2010.
HAVE A
SAFE AND
WONDERFUL
CHRISTMAS
Student Achievements
Congratulations to the Class of 2009 and especially the 13% who
obtained an ENTER over 90. These students are placed in the top
10% of the state. It was also pleasing to see the significant number
of students who have achieved personal bests and obtained placements
in a variety of tertiary courses on the basis of their record of
work and portfolios prior to the release of the results. The college
is delighted that over 33% of students applying for ENTER scores
gained over 80. This places them in the top 20% of the State and
provides a great springboard for choices beyond Year 12. Well done
to Katharine Brown our College Dux with an outstanding ENTER of
99.7.
PSW – Shop Times
Ringwood SC Uniforms will be available from the PSW East
Store
18-20 Railway Ave, Ringwood East 3135
Ph: 9879 5500
Email: ringwood@psw.com.au – Website www.psw.com.au
Shop Hours:
Monday – Friday 8.30am – 5.00pm
Saturday – 9.00am – 5.00pm
In addition Katharine obtained a study score of 50, a perfect score
for Physical Education
In reviewing the overall results we can be highly satisfied that our
students have once again been successful and it is also indicative
of the hard work and teaching effort that has been evident from
our staff throughout the year in preparing the students. Overall just
over 9% of students gained study scores over 40.
Michael Phillips
Principal
Page 2

Newsletter Number 14 December 15, 2009
Student Awards 2009
Year 7 Awards
Dux for 2009 was Stephen Amos and Chelsea Tattersall
Academic Awards: Tahlia Alonaritis, Stephen Amos, Tahlee Anderson, Sally Blain, Holly Bluhm, Lachlan Dalli, Chelsea Doig, Emma
Gosbell, Madeleine Gosden, Sally Lewis, Shannon McDonald, Georgia McIntosh, Katherine Moore, Vanessa Phan, Karina Pitt, Lucy Rogers,
Radison Russell, Courtney Smythe, Caitlin Stewart, Ellie Symes, Chelsey Tattersall, Holly Tregenza, Liam Whitbourn, Megan Williams
Arts Award: Stephen Amos, Samuel Rash
Coordinators’ Award: Joshua Westward-Brown, Chelsea Doig
Australian Science Competition: Lewis Lee
2009 Australian Mathematics Competition: Lewis Lee
Sports Award: James Sanchez-Legg, Cameron Shield, Sally Blain, Ashleigh Oliver
Sports Individual Athletics Award: Cameron Shield
Sports Team Cross Country Award: Christopher Davis, Ross Mc Laughlan, Austin Mc Inerney, James Sanchez- Legg, Cameron Shield
Year 8 Awards
Dux for 2009 was Sarah Battersby
Academic Awards : Ashlee Barker, Kate Barry, Sarah Battersby, Miranda Boyle, Jake Brudenell, Celene Buttress, Giorgia Deslandes, Emily
Ellis, Bianca Elsworth, Oliver Ferresm Makayla Fraser, Harrison Frith, Katherine Godwin, Ashleigh Hanning, Emily Higgs, Kelly Hooper, Jade
Kinnear, Christie Lay, Madeline Lees, Erin Manuel, Bethany Nelson, Benjamin Nichol, Samreen Pannu, Mitchell Pirera, Jonah Read, Tess
Rodda, Georgia Salter, Lillian Shum, Sindy Smith, Brandon Stelfox, Jessica Syme, Alexandra Trushell, Naomi Veldhuizen, Emily Watchman,
Jenna Yelland
Arts Award: Benjamin Nichol, Ashleigh Hanning
Coordinators’ Award: Carol Asic, Thomas Denham
R.S.L Scholarship: Luke Thomas
Australian Science Competition: James Middlemast
2009 Australian Mathematics Competition: Erin Manuel
Mazda Student Leadership Award: Natalie Tyler
Sports Award: Jason Bialecki, Ryan Challis, Luke Percy, David Thomson, Jackie Cullimore, Breanna Mackenzie, Isabella Malander
Sports Individual Athletics Award: Jason Bialecki, Isabella Malander, Luke Percy
Sports Team Netball Award: Erin Battersby, Jackie Cullimore, Tayla Gilmour, Abbey Hartill, Daniella Hastas, Jade Kinnear, Breanna
Mackenzie, Lauren Ricci, Georgia Salter, Madeleine Scholz
Year 9 Awards
Dux for 2009 was Brendan Giang
Academic Awards :Louisa Becker, Emily Bruce, Brendan Giang, Haylee Danaher, Sophie Day, Jessica Garcia, Daniel Haysom, Samantha
Hickman, Eliane Hockey, Emily Johnson, Grant McInerney, Gulliver McLean, Luke Mealor, Kayla Moule, Svjetlana Music, Brandon Oates,
Rhylee Prescott, Beth Purcell, Laura Ridler, Mitchell Roberts, Eleanor Savage, Naomi Sheath, Paige Sytema, Brooke Tregenza, Adam
Waterson, Katelyn Webber, Chloe Webber, Emma Wilkins, Benjamin Wilson
Arts Award: Samantha Hickman, Verity Brown
Coordinators’ Award: Brandon Oates, Hayley Carroll
Australian Science Competition: Lochlan Turner, Luke Swindells
2009 Australian Mathematics Competition: Svjetlana Music, Ryan Smedley
Sports Award: Dylan Agnew, Darcy Burton, Verity Boyd, Samantha Hickman, Rhylee Prescott, Veida Somerville, Brooke Tregenza,
Courtney Yates
Sports Individual Athletics Award: Courtney Yates
Sports Team Swimming Award: Darcy Burton, Daniel Haysom
Sports Team Athletics Award: Emily Treeby, Courtney Yates, Brooke Tregenza, Nicole Benifer
Year 10 Awards
Dux for 2009 was Brendan Musumeci
Academic Awards : Mark Alsop, Chloe Amos, Beth Amos, Ellen Bailes, Zoe Blain, Alisha Bowen, Cory Bradbury, Bradley Bryden, Eloise
Caudery, Kirsty Gayther, James Hancock, Christopher Hancock, Dylan Hornsby, Megan Jenkins, Tayla Lemon, Luke McPhie, Sarah
Mountney, Brendan Musumeci, Sasha Mutch, Danica Phan, Jasmine Prescott, Ruby Russell, Emily Russi, Ashleigh Shield, Courtney Sinclair,
Samantha Stephens
Arts Award: Tayla Lemon, Zoe Blain
SGE Award – Science: Brendan Musumeci
Page 3

Newsletter Number 14 December 15, 2009
SGE Award - Technology: Timothy Smith
Coordinators’ Award: Adrianna Hastas, Izaac Marrinan
The Potten Family Scholarship: Sasha Mutch, Eleanor Pine
R.S.L Scholarship: Monique Centrone
Australian Science Competition: Phi Le
2009 Australian Mathematics Competition: Phi Le
Australian Defence Force Award: Kirsty Gayther
Deakin University Best All Round Achievement: Alex King
Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars Program: Kirsty Gayther
Sports Award: Alex King, Luke McPhie, Adam Percy, Jasmine Day, Jordyn Dell, Katrina Meredith
Sports Individual Athletics Award: Chris Thompson, Shannon Mc Dade, Matthew Brown
Sports Team Swimming Award: Chris Hancock, James Hancock
Sports Team Athletics Award: Kate Kerrigan, Ella Leeson, Ashlee Brobbel, Jasmine Day
Year 11:
Dux for 2009 was Andrew Amos
Academic Awards : Jill Absolom, Hannah Alfond, Andrew Amos, Hashu Askar, Kristen Byrne, Teagan Cairns, Amber Craig, Naomi Curtis,
Rachel Dennis, Kasey Edema, Adrian Ferres, Molly Haddon-Bolger, Brenton Hansen, Katelyn Hodgson, Casey Hosking, Belinda Hutchings,
Kyle Kohinga, Julia Matthews, Jacob Palmer, Connor Palmer, Timothy Simpson-Williams, Julie Ta, Natalie Tyler, Bronte Wright, Cheng Xi
Arts Award: Andrew Amos, Bronte Wright
Coordinators’ Award: Jack Lu, Natalie Tyler
Hazel Hirons Award: Caitlyn Jeffress
Hocking Family Award: Katelyn Hodgson
Australian Science Competition: Kristen Byrne
2009 Australian Mathematics Competition: Darcy Krenn
Australian Defence Force Award: Alycia Rowe
Deakin University Best All Round Achievement: Timothy Simpson-Williams
Sports Award: Chris Thompson, Dylan Prescott, Caitlyn Jeffress, Mikaela Kos, Amy Malander, Shannon McDade
Sports Team Athletics Award: Nicholas Iliov, Jack Batchelor, Matthew Brown, Shaun Lucas
Year 11 – VCE Units 3 & 4 Subject Awards: Geography - Andrew Amos, Further Maths - Kristen Byrne, Media - Julie Ta
Year 12 Achievements
Dux for 2009 was Katharine Brown
High achievers: Rachel Allison, Madeleine Armstrong, Emily Baker, Katharine Brown, Nanette Brown, James Caudery, Jaydie Cottle,
Kate Haysom, Christina Hertaeg, Xiang Li, Sum Yee Ma, Siobhan O’Brien, Joshua Prescott, Melissa Reimers Smith, Clare Rodda, Emmalee
Stefanatos, Colleen Stevens, Sarah Thomson, Sarah Van Raay, Barry Yan
Arts Award: Siobhan O’Brien, Timothy Phillips
The Joan Mentz Award: Lauren Grounds, Emma Onans
2009 Australian Mathematics Competition: Emily Baker, Jaydie Cottle
Pierre De Coubertin award: Jake Smith
Deakin Student Award: Cameron Burgess
Australian Defence Force Award: Timothy Phillips
Caltex Allrounder Award: Siobhan O’Brien
Ladies Auxiliary Award: Jessica Cody
The Fiddes Family Award: Stephanie Vienna
Music Award of Honour: Ben Turner
Year 12 – VCE Units 3 & 4 Subject Awards: Accounting - Sharon Ma, Biology - Colleen Stevens, Business Management - Caroline Beuth
Chemistry- Emily Baker, Cisco - Christopher Milk, Classical Societies and Cultures - Denise Crinis, Dance - Lauren Grounds, Design and
Technology- Textiles - Bronwyn Hirschfeld, Design and Technology- Wood - Timothy Coad, Drama - Timothy Phillips, English - Clare
Rodda, English Language - Madeleine Armstrong, ESL - Sharon Ma, Food and Technology - Sarah Cleary, French - Katharine Brown,
Further Mathematics - Kristen Byrne, Geography - Andrew Amos, Health and Human Development - Emma Hedin,History- Revolutions -
Clare Rodda, Legal Studies - Katharine Brown, Literature - Xiang Li (Nicholas), Mathematical Methods - Sarah Thompson, Media - Julie Ta,
Music Solo Performance - Benjamin Turner, Music Styles - Cameron Burgess, Physical Education - Katharine Brown, Physics - Emily Baker,
Psychology - Rachel AllisonSoftware Development - Nanette Brown, Specialist Mathematics - Sarah Thompson, Studio Arts - Siobhan
O’Brien, VCAL - Ryan Giardino, Visual Communication and Design - Rachel Allison
Page 4

Newsletter Number 14 December 15, 2009
From Mrs Ward ...
Heritage
Many of our college families have links to our history and involvement
in our planning to celebrate our past and recognize our directions
is partly the Heritage focus of RHS/RSC.
To those of you who value our traditions and wish to be part of
the celebrations in the future we invite you to consider joining
the Heritage group. Please come along on Monday 15th February
at 7.30pm in the Conference Room. We would delight in the
company and support.
Debutante Ball – Saturday 13th March
- Rehearsals start Tuesday 9th February
- All students are reminded of the financial and behavioural expectations
- Families are reminded about commitment to their students’
prime education in VCE.
- Tickets will be $70 pp
- It is a senior social for VCE at Ringwood
Secondhand Sale – Thankyou
To all members of the Ladies Auxiliary, who were so ably supported
by parents in the wider community, the college expresses
it gratitude for organising this event.
Without so many giving so much in time and energy, many families
would not benefit. The proceeds of this venture will be presented
to council early in 2010. All monetary refunds are to be
collected from the General office by the end of February.
Parent Engagement in 2010
Share in your student’s learning. Be involved in supporting college
programs. Learn about new directions. Meet with folk of
similar interests.
RSC offers opportunities for parent engagement. The PCTA, Performing
Arts, Music Association, Heritage and Ladies Auxiliary
bring a wide variety of opportunities through Sub committees of
Council, likewise invite parent opinion. Please contact an Assistant
Principal for further information.
VCE - MEC: 2010
Thursday 28th January sees 350+ teachers across the Maroondah
Education Coalition involved in a combined PD activity, spearheaded
by the MEC Curriculum Committee. This event fosters
professional learning and shared experiences. In February, Year
12 parents should note the talk by Michael Carr-Gregg, the VCE/
VCAL evening and the student MEC day at Swinburne.
Prefects
With pleasure we introduce our Year 12 student leaders for 2010
to the community
Head Prefects:
Andrew Amos (Performing Arts)
Natalie Tyler (MEC)
Deputy Head Prefects: Darcy Krenn (Welfare)
Chris Thompson (Sport)
International:
Welfare:
Junior School:
Middle School:
CHALLEN9E:
Technology/E Learning:
Music:
Performing Arts:
Environmental:
Sport:
Emily Richards and Leigh Andrews
Michaela Kos
Jeremy Thompson, Amy Malander
and Caitlyn Jeffress
Dylan Prescott and Jill Absolom
Jarrod Rodda
Timothy Simpson-Williams
Sam Wearne and Laura Deith
Mairead O’Brien and Ashleigh
O’Donohue
Madeleine Arnott and Adrian Palmer
Shannon McDade
The Prefects’ Induction is scheduled for Wednesday 17th February
pm and families will be invited to attend.
Year 12 ’09 – A College Achievement
We congratulate our Year 12 students on their recent achievements.
The Valedictory celebration, held at the MCG, witnessed the
cohesion and talents of the class of ’09. This week’s results brought
excitement and possible new directions and the Year 12 Year Book
displays the journey and fun times enjoyed over the years.
Congratulations to Tim Phillips, Emily Williams, Emma Hedin and
Kate Haysom who toiled to produce a memorable outcome.
Our achievement flyer for this year will summarize highlights of ’09
across the college and the VCE results for 2009.
Mrs J. Ward
Assistant Principal
From Mrs Hughes ...
Daily structure for 2010
Following feedback regarding the implementation of the four period
day, Form Assembly will take place at the beginning of the day in
2010. Form Assembly will continue to occur on Monday, Wednesday
and Friday each week, commencing at 8.48 am.
Mrs J. Hughes
Assistant Principal
Page 5

Newsletter Number 14 December 15, 2009
From Mr Salisbury ...
Congratulations to all students who
achieved outstanding results on their final
subject reports for 2009, including Year 12 students with the
recent release of ENTERs. For many, the results are a culmination of
much hard work and dedication over the year. Of course, success at
school does not just rely on student effort. The commitment of staff
and the support of parents are also vital ingredients. Working in
partnership, with the common goal of maximising learning opportunities
for students is the key to a successful learning experience.
Well done to our high achieving students and it was a wonderful
privilege to duly recognise them at our Presentation Evening.
Similarly, congratulations to students who have worked diligently
and can sit back in the knowledge that they’ve given the year their
best shot- well done- no one can ask any more of you! Your outstanding
attitude to learning and role modelling sets the tone of
our college and staff are very appreciative of your vital contribution.
It has been another exciting year at Ringwood and a particular highlight
for me was the brilliant effort of our junior students in raising
close on $10000 for the oval redevelopment. We look forward to
Stepping into a Greener Future.
The second half of January 2010 will see a hive of activity at RSC
as we ready the school for the new year. Airconditioners will be
installed in several rooms, blinds hung, sails repaired, tired areas
painted and carpets steam cleaned. Similarly, it is exciting watching
the gardens develop and the many trees planted over the past few
years are beginning to flourish.
Finally, I would like to thank the college community for their ongoing
support throughout 2009 and I trust you will enjoy a relaxed
and refreshing Christmas break.
Mr C. Salisbury
Assistant Principal
School Council Report
• Council meeting nights to be determined early 2010
• ATC - Graduation Night 10/12/09
- Brief report presented and tabled
- $140,000 car park upgrade to Hill Street
- Transition funding agreed to by Dept (State)
- Start 2010 largely school based programs such as
VET Engineering on offer
- Motions were passed regarding transitional funding
and the approval for a signing of a MOV between
RSC and Swinburne.
• Student Engagement and Well-being Policy
- A draft Student Engagement and Well-Being policy
was tabled. Council adopted the policy.
• Other Business
- Valedictory Evening was a great success
- Year 12 results on 14/12/09
- M. Phillips thanked council members for their efforts
in 2009
- Orientation Day was a great success
• O H and S
- Work safe officer visited the college recently.
Initial response very positive
Mr C. Salisbury
Page 6
Chaplain Spot
Why Christmas? Some people celebrate and some people don’t.
Some people love Christmas and others don’t. For me I remember
back to when I was 21 and had never attended a church in my life.
Christmas then was a nice story for kids and a good way to mark
the end of a year.
Now when I hear John Lennon’s song Merry Christmas (War Is Over)
play in shopping centres and on radio stations a sense of excitement
wells up inside my heart. I have a real hope that the world
we live in could be a different place. That some of the insanity we
see happening on our streets and the petty differences and miscommunications
amongst loved ones could be put aside. I desire a
real hope and joy that can come from the giving of gifts and family
coming together. The song finishes with a very poignant and challenging
statement “War is over, If you want it”. I love the thought we
can end the wars in our life if we embrace some of the traditional
principles of Christmas - Joy Love, peace and hope.
So have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday break, until
next year ...
Adam Bryant
School Chaplain
The Year Levels...
Senior School
Valedictory 2009
Planning for the Valedictory Evening at the MCG began early this
year. The decision was made to change the style of the evening.
Mrs McDonald had firm plans in mind for a grand celebration! A
main objective was for each Year 12 student to be honoured by having
his/her own special moment on the stage. A team of eager staff
were assembled and the organisation of the many tasks involved
began. Staff members were very excited about the plans for the
evening.
Finally the day arrived. Staff members loaded cars and drove in a
convoy to the MCG under the guidance of Miss Solomon. Amidst
a flurry of organisational details, being amazed by the physical
surroundings of the venue and dressing for the evening, the Valedictory
was under way. Students, looking resplendent, were heralded
into the presentation space by amazing music chosen by Mr
Moody. Mr Phillips and Mrs McDonald conveyed words of wisdom
to the students and guests. The highest achieving student in each
subject area was presented with a subject award and some students
received awards in recognition of their achievements during
the year. Each student was called to the stage and presented with
a Year 12 graduation scroll. All enjoyed the entertainment from our
talented year 12 students during the evening.
At the end of the ceremony students had a photo taken in the seating
on one of the stands in the MCG. This photo was certainly one
‘wow’ factor of the evening! Students, staff and guests enjoyed a
wide selection of finger food and soft drinks. This part of the evening
gave an opportunity for social interaction where there were many
secondary school stories told, thankyous expressed and the final
opportunity for the Year 12 students to be together as a group. It
was wonderful to see such a large group of teachers present to help
the students and their families celebrate this special evening. The
evening was a resounding success. However, this only happens by
the combined talents of many dedicated people. A huge thank you
to the following members of staff- Karen McDonald, Ben Moody,
Melinda Eversteyn, Zoe Hattam, Nicole Solomon, Bianca Maassen,
Narelle Meek, Andrew Scott and Gayle Turcato.
Mrs Gayle Turcato
Year 12 Coordinator

Newsletter Number 14 December 15, 2009
Subject Reports
The ‘Twilight’ seminars
Over two lunchtimes this term, students were provided the opportunity
to discuss the most popular series of the decade in a friendly
and informal setting. With over 85 million copies sold world wide
and with the latest movie smashing box office records, our students
were part of the global phenomenon, conversing about ‘Twilight’
and ‘New Moon’ with keen interest.
Ms Gill and Mrs Stathatos provided quizzes, an exploration of
character, themes and setting and a number of questions to elicit
thoughtful responses from participants. When asked whether they
preferred the film to the book, all said they much rather the book
as they let their imagination do the work when they are reading. It
was an enjoyable event and we thank our young participants. We
must also thank the mums who attended our discussion as well as
a student from another school who thought it was cool that Ringwood
Secondary College was holding such an event (her mum is a
staff member!)
Mrs Stathatos
Teaching and Learning Leader
Cyber safety tips for the holidays
The online world is truly amazing. And while it allows you to do so
much, there are some very real risks. You can minimize these risks
by acting responsibly online and managing your digital footprint.
We would encourage parents to read and discuss this information
and tips with their children. We would encourage parents to view
their children’s social networking pages, checking for privacy and
the content.
Here are some tips to assist you in managing your digital footprint:
• Be careful who you trust online. A person can pretend to be someone
they are not, online.
• Choose your friends. While it’s good to have a lot of friends, having
hundreds of online friends makes it harder to control what happens
to information you post online. Don’t accept friend requests if
you’re not sure about the person.
• Keep your friends list manageable. by making sure that the majority
of your friends are your real life ones. It’s a good idea to occasionally
spring-clean your friends list to remove people you don’t know
Cyber bullying:
in person, especially if you haven’t heard from them in a while.
• Keep your personal details private. Use an appropriate handle or
username instead of your real name in a chat room where they may
be lots of people you don’t know. Don’t give anyone on the internet
your name, address, phone number or any other personal details if
you are unsure.
• Set your profile to private and use the privacy settings to control
who can see your photos and posts.
Page 7
• Always keep your password secret.
Don’t even share it with your friends.
• Make yourself a secure password-using numbers, symbols and
letters.
• If you want to arrange to meet someone you’ve met online,
ask an adult you trust like your mum, dad, an older brother or sister
or another adult to go with you. Always meet in a public place, preferably
during the day.
• If someone writes something rude, offensive or something you
don’t like, don’t respond, and block them.
• Use appropriate avatars. While it’s fun to make up new characters,
be aware of how others see you online, and keep it safe. If your
avatar is too sexed up, you might attract attention from people you
don’t really want to communicate with.
• Think twice about what you say and post, and the type of information
you give to people. Even little bits of information can be used
to build a bigger picture and make it possible for someone to steal
your identity. Posts on the internet can remain there for a long time
and easily become public, so if it’s not something you’d want your
mum to see, don’t post it!
Unwanted contact:
Sometimes you can meet someone or see something online that is
offensive, upsetting or makes you feel uncomfortable. This could be
communication from an online friend who starts asking personal
questions or sends you photos or material that you either don’t like,
find unpleasant or find confronting.
In some cases, it may be from someone you know in person—but
what they’ve sent seems offensive or obscene. What should you
do?
Tips:
• Tell someone. Tell a trusted adult like your mum, dad or a brother
or sister who can help.
• Don’t respond to messages and leave the site or chat session immediately.
• Block the contact using your ‘ignore’ list or with filtering software.
• Keep the evidence. This can be useful in tracking the person posting
unsuitable material.
• Report it. Contact your ISP and/ or phone provider, or the website
administrator, as there are actions they can take to help. Your
parents can help with this if you need. You can also report it to the
police if there is a threat to your safety.
• Set your profile to ‘private’ so your personal details are kept private
and it’s harder for people you don’t know to contact you.
• Don’t open messages from people you don’t know. They could
contain viruses or be trying to sell you something.
• Remember, if you want to talk about a problem with unwanted
contact, call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, visit their http://www.
kidshelpline.com.au/ or contact the Cybersmart Online Helpline
service http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/Report.aspx.
The same rules apply online as in real life about how to treat other
people. Unfortunately, people don’t always treat each other well
online, and you, or a friend, may find that you are the target of cy
berbullying. You might be teased or have false rumours spread
about you online, receive nasty messages or even threats. It can

Newsletter Number 14 December 15, 2009
happen in school, or out of it, any hour
of the day, from people you know, and
sometimes people you don’t know. It can
leave you feeling unsafe and alone.
No-one has the right to bully another person. At its most serious, cyberbullying
is illegal and can be investigated by the police. You may
find the video of how Joe dealt with cyberbullying http://www.
cybersmart.gov.au/Schools/Teacher%20resources/Lower%20
secondary/Lets%20fight%20it%20together.aspx useful.
Tips
• Ignore it. Don’t respond to the bully. If they don’t get a response
they may get bored and go away.
• Block the person. This will stop you seeing messages or texts from
a particular person.
• Tell someone. Tell an adult you can trust. You may want to talk to
your mum, dad or a brother or sister. Or you can contact the
Cybersmart Online Helpline service, call Kids Helpline on 1800 55
1800, visit their website.
• Keep the evidence. This can be useful in tracking the bully down.
Save texts, emails, online conversations or voicemails as evidence.
• Report it to:
o your school—they should have policies in place about
bullying and cyberbullying.
o your ISP and/or phone provider, or the website admin
istrator— there are actions they can take to help.
Help stop cyberbullying
• Stand up and speak out!
If you see or know about cyberbullying happening to a friend, support
them and report the bullying. You’d want them to do the same
for you.
• Don’t forward on messages or pictures that may be offensive or
upsetting to someone. Even though you may not have started it,
you will be seen to be part of the cyberbullying cycle.
• Remember to treat others as you would like to be treated when
communicating online.
Final points for managing your digital footprint:
The internet is a great place for sharing stuff, but remember that
what you share with your friends could be seen by other people
that you don’t know. They may also be able to look at it for years
to come. Once it’s online, it could be there forever. So think before
you post.
Tips
• Keep your personal details private. Use an appropriate handle or
username instead of your real name. If you are unsure, don’t give
out your name, address, phone number or any other personal details
over the internet.
• Don’t share your username or password with anyone.
• Think before you hit send or post. Once something is posted, it
can be online forever.
• Don’t post anything you don’t want others to know—or that you
wouldn’t say to them face to face. Respect your friends too—that
‘funny’ photo of them at a party might not be so funny for them,
and they might not be very happy if you post it up for everyone in
the world to see. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
• Remember that private images and videos you send to friends or
post on a social networking site may be easily passed on to others
and uploaded to public sites. This can include pictures that may
only be intended for your close friends or your boyfriend/girlfriend.
Page 8
Once they’re up, it’s almost impossible
to remove them completely.
• Respect other people’s content and be aware that if you post or
share their content it might breach copyright laws. For example,
a photo that your friend took is their property, not yours. You can
only post it online if you have their permission.
• Read the terms and conditions of any photo or content sharing
sites. Some sites require you to license the material to the site,
which might mean that you lose control over your content.
From the Office
Congratulations to Jeremy Carden Year 7 2009 and Liam Douglas
Year 7 2010 on winning the Campion $150 Book Voucher.
Debating Team
YEAR 8 LION’S CLUB DEBATING ROUND ROBIN November
2009.
It was very exciting when we won the Year 8 Lions’ Club Round
Robin competition between our neighbouring schools, Tintern
Girls School and Southwood Boys School as we had also won the
Year 7 round of the same competition a few weeks earlier! The students
involved were Mitchell Pirera, Harry Frith and Stephen Amos.
It was a fun day and all the students were able to debate in a relaxed
atmosphere. The standard of the debates improved considerably
over the day after three debates. The format was one prepared debate
and 2 secret topics. The set topic was ‘ That models under 15
should be banned’. Mitchell’s rebuttal was very good and he was
awarded Best Speaker. The students were given ¾ of an hour to prepare
their secret topic debates. The topics were ‘That zoos should
be banned’ and ‘That all schools should not be co-educational’. We
won because we had the most points over all the debates. Congratulations
for these three students for making such a great effort! A
special thank you must be given to the Lion’s Club of Heathmont for
their fantastic support of this annual event. We were very fortunate
to have an adjudicator from DAV for the entire day.
Christine Saunders
Debating Coordinator
International Report
Ringwood to Thailand
There will be a meeting for parents of the students interested in our
trip to Thailand next year.
It will be in the Library classroom on Tuesday 9th February at
7.00pm.
Lynda Cody
International Coordinator
School Nurses
A brief word on staying Sunsmart over the holidays:
Did you know :
• 2 in 3 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age
of 70.
• Over 1,700 Australians die from skin cancer each year.
• Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world
These 3 facts alone should scare us into taking precautions when
we are in the sun in our everyday activities. For many years we have
been told to “slip, slop & slap” but this message has now been extended
to 5 steps.
1: Slip on sun protective clothing that will cover as much as your
body as possible

Newsletter Number 14 December 15, 2009
2: Slop on sunscreen – SPF 30+ at least
20 minutes before going into the sun and
reapplying every 2 hours.
3: Slap on a hat – preferably that shades your neck, face and ears.
4: Seek shade.
5: Sunglasses – wear your sunnies to protect your eyes.
The college has a Sunsmart policy and can be found on the college
website – www.ringwoodsc.vic.edu.au
Year 10 ICT at Ringwood
Secondary
We hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy and
Safe New Year and look forward to seeing you all back at school in
2010.
Shirley McInnes and Nancy Davies
Lost Mobile Phone
A Nokia phone went missing at the Junior Production on Monday
night. It was used as a prop for the show and went missing after the
scene. The student placed it in his bag, so is hoping that another
student has located it in error. If you find it, please phone Tracey
Howell on 0418 179 116
Welfare
The following students participated in the first stage of the No
Regrets project with Aquinas. This new initiative is funded by the
State Government and is in line with the Respectful Relationships
in schools agenda. The project has 4 phases to be carried out over
the next year. A fantastic group of enthusiastic year 9s participated
in a workshop developing concepts for a student lead project for
2010. The students group included Maddie Mackey, Jordan Funder,
Brianna Simons, Naomi Sheath, Luke Grundy, Nathan Brandsma,
Aaron Stevens, Hayley Carroll, Courtney Yates, Zoe Couper, Dylan
Van Praet, Sam Welsh, Eliza Stone, Travis Roberts, Sam Cody, Hayley
Blythe, Alex Pezzementi, Ted Bachelor& Brendan Tait.
Phase 2 of the project, a full day training in term 1 next year will see
5 of our students (Brianna, Naomi, Luke, Alex & Ted) continue training
with students from across the state in a plan to design a social
action project involving the whole school and its wider community
members. From there the student lead project will be supported
by staff and local community agencies including Victoria Police in
implementing new strategies to promote the reduction of violence
and enhance respectful relationships in Maroondah.
Sharlene Agnew
Student Welfare Coordinator
School Junior Production
The Song of The Bush
Congratulations to all cast and crew for a successful Junior Production
season. Audiences were inspired by this fantastic production
that showcased some of the Junior Schools best performing arts
students, paired with an all star RSC ex and senior student orchestra.
See the fantastic photos at the end of this newsletter!
A big thank you to all staff, senior and ex students who were involved
in staging this spectacular event. Audience applause and
laughter throughout the shows proved the show to be another RSC
hit. Good job and well done to all involved.
Tim Phillips
Production Director
Home
for Christmas!
On behalf of Jo Parker and the team at
Hocking Stuart Ringwood, we would like to
wish everyone in our local community a safe
and happy holiday season. Enjoy the break!
Jo Parker: 0438 905 957
The Hardest Working Estate Agents
RINGWOOD: 141B Maroondah Highway, VIC 3134
TEL. 9876 9001 EMAIL. jparker@hockingstuart.com.au
WEB: www.hockingstuart.com.au
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Newsletter Number 14 December 15, 2009
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Newsletter Number 14 December 15, 2009
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Newsletter Number 14 December 15, 2009
Community
Announcements
The Department of Education and Ringwood
Secondary College do not endorse the products or services of any private
advertiser. No responsibility is accepted by the Department of Education
and Ringwood Secondary College for the accuracy of information
contained in advertisements or claims made by them.
The MAT Program would like to invite you to attend our exciting new Holiday Program for boys
and girls. The MAT Program is a physically active therapeutic program that combines the basics
of behaviour management with principles of Traditional Martial Arts. During 2009 we have
delivered over 100 programs in schools throughout Melbourne, furthermore our programs are
supported by EMR Options. Our Holiday Program aims to deliver our basic principals whilst also
including many games and other fun activities for all ages. The program will consist of separate
mixed programs for Primary and Secondary School students. Details of the programs are below;
please feel free to contact Craig or Mel for more information.
Location:
Ultimate Martial Arts & Fitness
125 Canterbury Road
Heathmont
Dates: Wednesday 13 th January 2010
Thursday 14 th January 2010
Wednesday 20 th January 2010
Thursday 21 st January 2010
Times:
Cost:
Contact:
9 – 11am for Primary Students
12 – 2pm for Secondary Student
$25 single session or $40 for double session
Mel Smith on 0438 374 054 or via email on melindasmith85@hotmail.com
Craig Cole on 0403 667 411 or via email on craig.cole.r@edumail.vic.gov.au
ALTO SAXAPHONE FOR SALE
Yamaha AS100 - Very Good
Condition and comes with Case
$1000
Phone Deb 98708379
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$8 per class (Yr 7 up)(term fee applies)
*
$8 per class (Grade 4 – 6) (term fee applies)
*
$8 per class (term fee applies)
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$8 per class (term fee applies)
*
Call now to book your free trial lesson!
Ph: 0419 586 198
Email: info@readysetgoperformingarts.com
Website: http://www.readysetgoperformingarts.com
•
•
*Ringwood
*The Basin
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READY SET GO! Performing Arts School
Receive
when you present this coupon as a new student of Ready Set Go! Performing Arts School.
Call 0419 586 198 now
to book your free trial
lesson!
Page 12

Newsletter Number 14 December 15, 2009
MELBOURNE’S BEST FOR
ALL STAR CHEERLEADING & DANCE
FUNK LYRICAL HIP HOP
TUMBLING JAZZ BALLET
TAP DANCING CHEERLEADING CONTEMPORARY
CLASSICAL BALLET TUMBLING SQUADS
ALL STAR CHEERLEADING
Our program caters for dancers
and cheerleaders equally with
in all aspects of cheer & dance.
We offer a fully dedicated
program for recreational students
as well as our highly acclaimed
AllStar (competitive) program.
TRYOUTS will be held in January for
our 2010 International & All Star Teams
Register your interest now!
www.xtremeallstars.com.au
1/10 RUSHDALE STREET, KNOXFIELD TEL (03) 9753219
BERWICK LEISURE CENTRE, MANUKA ROAD, BERWICK TEL (03) 9753219
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Newsletter Number 14 December 15, 2009
REHEARSALS
WHAT A TEAM!
ON WITH
THE SHOW
Page 14