Discovery

“The types of jobs that are at the least risk of being replaced by automation involve problem solving, teamwork, critical thinking, communication, and creativity… Equally important, these skills form a strong foundation for independent thinking that will serve students well no matter what careers they pursue throughout their lives.”

~ Elizabeth Mann Levesque

Dear Parents/Guardians, 

New Junior School and Administration Building

The tender process has closed for stage one of the new Junior School and Administration building and the successful company has been informed. I am pleased to say that work will commence immediately with some of the trades already on site. This project will include 12 classrooms, studio rooms and break out spaces over two levels, with six classrooms on each level. We are aiming to have the project completed early in 2020. The building will allow for the current 3rd stream in Year 1 to flow through to Year 6 by 2024 when the Junior School will be at capacity.

Stage two of the project will include an upstairs overpass connecting the two buildings,  reception, medical centre, meeting rooms and other administrative and staff areas.

The new Junior School building will temporarily host reception and administration staff whilst stage two is being completed. 

Plans for stage one and stage two are on display in the reception foyer. 

Front Carpark

There will be some modifications to the staff and visitor carpark to allow for the building works, which will commence next week. I will ensure students are briefed if there are any changes to how they enter and exit the school grounds. Signage will be in place to inform the public of changes to the front visitor carpark. In the mean time I suggest that all visitors utilise the PAC carpark.

For safety, students and parents are reminded to use the pedestrian crossing and gates when entering and exiting the School grounds.  The main gates are for vehicles access only.   

Chaplain-Maternity Leave

Today we temporarily farewell Mrs Riviere-Pendle as Chaplain as she embarks on her maternity leave. She is truly one of a kind and has been a great support to me personally, but far more importantly she has been a great support to both the CGS and broader communities.  Mrs Riviere-Pendle has always put the needs of others first, providing numerous opportunities for students to be involved in and lead community projects which last year raised over $20,000. The Social Justice Committee in both the Junior and Senior School have flourished under her leadership.

I would like to truly thank her for being such a wonderful leader and role model.  I know you will join with me in wishing both her and her husband, Mathew, a safe and rewarding holiday break, as we pray for the safe arrival of their first child. We look forward to her return in 2020.

This change gives us the opportunity to welcome Mr Stuart McKenzie as acting Chaplain for the remainder of 2019.  He will continue to support and build on the wonderful work that Mrs Riviere-Pendle has brought and I know the Casey Grammar community will continue to grow under his leadership and Chaplaincy. 

Careers and Pathways

Mrs Blythman has provided a fantastic article below and in particular I note her invitation for 'expressions of interest' from parents/guardians' who would be interested in participating in 'A day in the life of' delivering a short presentation on their role and skills in their chosen field.  I encourage all Senior School students and parents to take this opportunity to read this section of Discovery.  

Mr Richard Baird MBA, B.Ed, ASAM, MACE, MACEL

Principal 

Last Tuesday, the Music Department held their annual Winter Concert in front of a packed Performing Arts Centre audience.  There was a great variety of both Junior School and Senior School performances on show – including debut performances from both our Junior Orff Ensemble and Senior Percussion Ensemble students. Congratulations to all our students who performed on the night – your hard work and dedication was evident in the standard of your performances and was certainly appreciated by the crowd. Special thanks to Mrs Kyne, Mr Collidge, Mr Hall and all our Instrumental Staff for their continued commitment, as well as all the CGS teaching staff who showed their support by assisting and attending on the night.

The students of 6N entertained us at Assembly last week when they produced a fabulous performance all about their experience and what they learnt when attending our first ever Year 6 Canberra Camp earlier in the year. I’m sure our current Year 5 students were looking on with great excitement knowing that it will be their turn to attend our Canberra Camp next year. 6N’s Assembly was a fabulous way to entertain and teach the audience about Australia’s history. Well done to Mr Newham and his students.

This week, it was 1D’s turn to host Assembly. Their performance showcased the students’ writing, singing, dancing and acting skills. Their rendition of “Room on the Broom” was delightful and it was impressive to see all the students contributing to the enjoyable play. The PowerPoint presentation clearly showed many of the wonderful learning opportunities that the class have taken part in this year and the final dance number was a highlight. Thanks to Mrs Duell and her talented students.

I’d like to inform the parents of all our Junior School students that our Parent/Teacher Progress Interviews will be held very early next term on Tuesday 23 July and Wednesday 31 July. These P/T Interviews had been scheduled for late this term and I apologise if this change has caused any issues. These Interviews are an important part of your child’s schooling at CGS. They are designed to help parents learn about their child’s progress in Semester 1 and to establish how parents and teachers can work together effectively to positively impact their child’s future learning.  More information will follow shortly letting parents know how to book these interviews.

Today we farewell Mrs Riviere-Pendle as she commences her maternity leave. I’d like to thank Mady Hogan, our Social Justice Captain, for farewelling Mrs Riviere-Pendle on behalf of all our Junior School students at Assembly yesterday. Her words were beautifully written and I’m sure meant so much to Mrs Riviere-Pendle. On behalf of our students, teachers and parents I would like to thank Mrs Riviere-Pendle and wish her a happy six months of leave as she and her husband welcome their first child. We will look forward to hearing about their beautiful bundle of joy and welcoming Mrs Riviere-Pendle back to CGS next year. 

Mrs Melissa Roberton

Head of Junior School

Sovereign Hill was an amazing experience for Year 5 because we learned more about the harsh conditions the miners lived in and we were able to gold pan and see how gold was made. The best thing about Sovereign Hill was the ‘Gold Fever Game’ because we were able to experience how the miners mined for gold and the things they had to go through, like having to need a license to mine. Another exciting experience was when we could go down a mine; we were able to see a hologram showing us how the Welcome Nugget was found. Sovereign Hill was a phenomenal learning experience; I have a deeper understanding of the Gold Rush Times and the Eureka Stockade. 5N and 5D loved Sovereign Hill and I wish we could go again!

Rheya Lokesh, 5N

Click here to read more student reflections.

It’s often difficult for parents to assist children to solve their problems.  It sometimes seems like it’s easier for us to fix the problems rather than coaching the child to solve their own problems. One essential rule is that there is little point trying to solve a problem with your child if they’re upset.

Here are some basic steps to helping children learn to solve problems.

For children between the ages of 3 to 5

• Use emotion coaching

1.   Name and validate the emotion/feeling

2.   Let them explain the feeling

3.   Now help them solve the problem

• Say: “Show me the hard part.”
• Problem solve using story books or you telling a similar story with a solution
• Use creative or role play with them

For children around ages 5 to 7

• Teach problem solving steps and use the steps every time:

1.   What am I feeling?

2.   What do I want?

3.   What possible solutions are there? A good task is: “What would others do in this situation?”

4.    What would happen if ……..?

5.    Select one plan and try it.

• Ask open-ended questions: “How could we work together to solve this?” “What do you think will happen next?” “What will you do differently the next time this happens?”

For children aged 7 to 11

• Show them the Broken Elevator YouTube video.  Note there are ads at the end. Draw the conclusion: “If things don’t change, then things don’t change” and the importance of looking for a solution and not focusing on the problem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47rQkTPWW2I
• Use the steps above and break down the problem into chunks

1.   Brainstorm together

2.   Ask open-ended questions

3.   LISTEN and paraphrase by “So you’re saying that ……”

• Encourage them to make agreements and putting these on paper about solving the problem and doing things differently next time.

Mr Alan Clarke

Paediatric Psychologist

The school production of Matilda is looking and sounding fantastic! Performances will be on Thursday 20, Friday 21 and Saturday 22 June. I encourage you to get in early to secure your seats. It promises to be a great night out.

In addition to putting the finishing touches to the school production, the staff and students in Senior School have been busy completing the examinations of their semester’s work. These exams have been a great opportunity for the students to hone their examination skills. The students will receive feedback on their exam performance in class over the coming week.

This week we have been farewelling our wonderful School Chaplain, Mrs Monique Riviere-Pendle as she prepares for her maternity leave. The staff and students will miss her enormously. At School Assembly on Wednesday, Year 10 students Lilly Hopp and Ellen Streat thanked Mrs Riviere-Pendle for her significant contributions to CGS and, on behalf of the student body, presented her with a beautiful bunch of flowers – complete with baby bibs. We now anxiously await the news of the arrival of Mrs Riviere-Pendle’s first child.

Mr Stuart McKenzie is our new School Chaplain and he has been introduced to the students over the course of this week. The School’s Chaplaincy will continue to grow in his very experienced and capable hands.

Next week brings a number of important learning opportunities for our Senior Students. After completing their Food Handling course last week, the Casey Pathways VCE students will be undertaking a Barista course. The Year 12 students will all participate in the TRAG session next Tuesday (presented by the Teenagers Road Accident Group), Year 10 students will be learning about CPR and our debate teams will compete in their next regional debate in the DAV (Debating Association of Victoria). We wish them all the best in these activities.

Mrs Fiona Williams

Deputy Principal / Head of Senior School

Enhancing your employability

These skills can be defined in different ways, but generally, they can be broken down into these eight categories: 

With the mid Semester holidays fast approaching, it is a good opportunity for students to reflect on these employability skills and to identify opportunities for personal/professional development.

If your child is interested in enhancing their employability (i.e. work experience during the mid-Semester break), please encourage them to make time to meet with me to discuss opportunities.

Australian Labour Market – updated data

In May 2019, the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business released the newest Australian Jobs publication. Australian Jobs provides an overview of trends in the Australian labour market.

Australian Jobs allows users to explore a wide range of factors. For example, if you are thinking of a career in a particular industry, you may want to look at the range of employing occupations, the main training pathways, the location of jobs and future employment prospects. Furthermore, the forward-looking information in this report provides some guidance about which industries and occupations are likely to have the strongest employment growth.

Remember: the labour market can change quickly. It is not advisable to base employment and training decisions solely on predicted shortages.

Interesting statistics:

•       Over the past five years, Victoria had the strongest employment growth in Australia (up by 15.9%). Over this period, significant numbers of jobs were created in Health Care and Social Assistance (up by 82,300) and Construction (70,400).

•       Around 69% of Victorian workers have post-school qualifications, with a relatively large share holding a bachelor degree or higher.

•       Victorian workers are more likely to be self-employed than those in any other state or territory (18% of the state workforce).

•       Over the five years to May 2023, employment in Victoria is projected to increase by 8.3% (well above the national projected growth of 7.1%)

Around two thirds of new jobs during this period are expected to come from four industries:

1. Health Care and Social Assistance (up by 250,300, or 14.9%)

2. Construction (118,800, or 10.0%)

3. Education and Training (113,000, or 11.2%)

4. Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (106,600, or 10.2%).

For more information, please visit: https://www.employment.gov.au/australian-jobs-publication

Year 10 Career and Pathways Week

Year 10 Career and Pathways Week 2019 will run from Monday 24 - Friday, 28 June 2019. The purpose of this week is for students to conduct research into future career pathways by visiting Universities and TAFE providers, and to develop their enterprise skills in preparation for 2020 and beyond.

It is an important program and all Year 10 students are required to participate.

This program will provide the opportunity to consolidate the work they have been doing as part of the Work Related Skills subject that has been taught across Semester 1 by Mrs Claire Harvie and Ms Jess Delgos.

Further information regarding this week will be distributed to parents/guardians and students within the next few days.

Parent/Guardian volunteers – ‘A day in the life of....’

As part of my commitment to enhancing students understanding of the various career pathways, I am hoping to facilitate sessions throughout the year where we have people from the industry come and speak to our cohort. At this time, I am seeking ‘expressions of interest’ from parents/guardians who would be prepared to come on campus to deliver a short presentation that provides an overview of their role and the skills and experience required to work in the field.

Whether you are a Nurse, Tradesperson, Doctor, Community Engagement Officer, Graphic Designer, Retail Manager, Administration Officer, Accountant or work in IT: I believe that our students would greatly benefit from the opportunity to hear first-hand about your job and the pathway/s you specifically undertook in order to successfully transition into this profession.

If you are interested in supporting this initiative, I will encourage you to email me via s.blythman@caseygrammar.vic.edu.au. A current Working with Children Check will be required.

Thank you in advance of your support of this initiative.

Ms Sarah Blythman

Head of Careers and Student Pathways

Junior School Chapel Services

Thanks to Mrs Ruth Grant, our guest teachers, parents, grandparents, special friends and of course the fantastic students from Years 1-4 for the class Chapel services that have taken place over Week 7 and 8. Our students have presented the Bible Readings and prayers, as well as sharing their singing and dancing skills with us. Each Chapel service has celebrated the Pentecost – the beginning of the Church, over 2,000 years ago. It was certainly an event that changed the course of history. Indeed, our own school would not be here were it not for the start of the church.

Starting the parenting journey

As many of you would be aware, my husband Mathew and I are expecting our first child in the next few weeks. It is an exciting time, albeit a little daunting as we try to prepare for the change this will mean in our lives, although I suspect from all reports it is never quite possible to completely do this! This means I will be commencing Maternity Leave on Friday for the remainder of the year. It will be a strange feeling to take a temporary break from a community that has become such an important part of my life (although I have my fingers crossed that I’ll still be able to make it along to Matilda next week!) My sincere thanks for the well wishes and advice that has been given from students, staff and parents as well as the moving farewell at assembly. I look forward to seeing you all next year.

Mr Stuart McKenzie will be taking my position for the remainder of the year, and I’ve invited him to write a short reflection introducing himself to conclude this newsletter article. He will be at CGS on Wednesday and Thursday for the remainder of the term and Monday, Wednesday and Thursday for Term 3 and 4. We look forward to the gifts he will bring to our community and warmly welcome him to Casey Grammar.

Welcome Mr Stuart McKenzie

I look forward to being a part of the Casey Grammar Community and indeed have received a very warm welcome from staff and students alike. Over the past few days I have been impressed by the activity that occurs in this community and look forward to this journey through to end of this year. I can tell that it is going to be busy. Through all of this I am encouraged, as these experiences help us all discover who we are and what our purpose is as an individual. I believe that we all have a unique role to contribute to our local and global community, and as we discover this purpose – this unique gift – we will thrive as we explore the opportunities laid out before us.

God’s blessings on you and your families 

Mrs Monique Riviere-Pendle 

Chaplain

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on Schools Students with Disability (NCCD)

Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 (the Standards), Australian students with disability must be able to access and participate in education on the same basis as their peers. To ensure this, students with a disability may receive support in the classroom or other areas of schooling by way of adjustments to access education. Support given to students to access the curriculum is based on the professional judgement of teachers, professionals and in consultation with family members.

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) provides information about the number of students with disability in schools and the adjustments they receive. The Australian Education Regulation 2013 requires all schools in Australia to report the data collected for the NCCD to the Australian Government on an annual basis.

The NCCD is a consistent, reliable and systematic way in recording the number of students with disabilities who are receiving adjustments and enables schools and education authorities to better understand the needs of students in how they can be best supported at school.  From 2018, the student with disability loading (funding) provided by the Australian Government is based on the NCCD.

For a more detailed explanation of the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) please follow the link below

https://www.nccd.edu.au/for-parents-guardians-and-carers

Mrs Shelley Corkell

Head of Individual Differences

Families that have registered with Arthur Reed Photos should have received an email last week advising that your student's school photos are ready to view and order. 

If you need some assistance on how to order, there is an instructional video on the main photo ordering page or alternatively it can be viewed from the following the link https://youtu.be/bNqN-A5Fafg.

If you had not registered in the lead up to photo day, your student photos can still be viewed and ordered by visiting www.order.arphotos.com.au and entering the individual code distributed on photo day.

If you do not have a your code or are experiencing any issues with ordering, please contact Arthur Reed Photos directly on (03) 5243 4390 and the customer service team will be able to assist.

There is a 10 day initial ordering period for free delivery back to the school which will end on Monday, 17 June 2019. After this time, there will be a $9.95 postage and handling fee on all orders, which will be sent home to a nominated address.