NL 14 2009.indd - Ringwood Secondary College

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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
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NL 14 2009.indd - Ringwood Secondary College

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