Nhill College Newsletter

Our School Values:

• Respect
• Honesty
• Teamwork
• Confidence
• Excellence
• Endeavour
  

The School Wide Positive Behaviour Support program is designed to bring together school communities to develop positive, safe and supportive learning cultures by helping to foster an environment that assists schools to improve social, emotional, behavioural and academic outcomes for children.  As part of the SWPBS program, a rewards system has been developed to encourage students to always:

• Be Safe
• Be Respectful
• Be a Learner

Thank you to all those students, parents and extended family members who attended our Presentation Night on Tuesday to help celebrate the end of the 2019 school year.  Despite the warm weather, the air conditioning system in the Lowan Sports Centre was able to keep conditions surprisingly comfortable for all.  Thanks also to all the generous support for our school provided by the local businesses and organisations who sponsored awards on the night.  Without the support of our community, we would be unable to function as effectively or provide as many programs for our students as we do.

I would also like to congratulate all of the students who were acknowledged on Tuesday night for their achievements - especially those Year 12 students who have now completed their Nhill College journeys.  A full list of award winners from the night appears in this newsletter - along with a number of pictures taken by Miss King.

Thank you to our amazing staff who have again gone above and beyond to provide the best possible support for our students - both inside and outside the classroom.  We are very fortunate to have such a committed group of teachers and support staff who place students at the centre of all that they do.

As I announced on Tuesday night, we will be saying farewell to three staff members at the end of this year.  Breanna Schneider will be taking up a position at Horsham College and, after 10 years at Nhill College, Bianca Roantree will be starting a new career in Echuca.  We will also be saying farewell to our Language Assistant, Winda, who will be returning home after 12 months providing invaluable support to students in our Indonesian program.  I would like to thank each of these people for the contributions they have made to our school and wish them all the best for the future.

I hope everyone has a great Christmas, a relaxing holiday, and I look forward to seeing everyone back at the start of the new school year.

The new Mobile Phone Policy will be in operation from the commencement of the 2020 school year.  This policy reflects the new directive from the Minister of Education in regards to student use of and access to mobile phones in all government schools.  While this will create major change for some schools, there will not be a significant departure from our existing policy, although there are certainly one or two key differences.  A copy of our new mobile phone policy has been attached to this newsletter, but the key features that students and parents need to be made aware of are as follows:

• In accordance with the Department's Mobile Phones Policy issued by the Minister for Education, personal mobile phones must not be used at Nhill College during school hours, including lunchtime and recess, unless an exception has been granted.
• Students who choose to bring mobile phones to school must have them switched off and securely stored during school hours.
• Secondary age students will be required to store their phones in their lockers - using the secure combination locks provided.
• Primary age students will be required to hand their phone to their classroom teacher so it can be stored in a lockable cupboard. 
• When emergencies occur, parents or carers should reach their child by calling the school's office.
• Students without permission to have mobile phones at school or who misuse devices would be required to relinquish them.   Confiscated phones will be stored at the General Office until they are signed for by a parent/legal guardian.  Mobile phones will not be released to parents/legal guardians until after 3.25pm. 
• There are categories for exceptions to the policy, each requiring documentation and needing to be granted by the principal in accordance with the Department's Mobile Phones Policy.
• Exemptions may be created for some learning-related activities, but this will be expressly communicated to students in advance and the phones will need to be returned to secure storage at the end of the lesson. 
• Students and parents will be advised about items that can and cannot be taken on camps and excursions - including personal mobile phones.

Discussions have already been held with students regarding these changes to the Mobile Phones Policy in an effort to prepare them for the new conditions.  Parents can help to support the school in the implementation of this new policy by encouraging their child to leave their phone at home.  If it is necessary for children to have access to their phone after school, please reinforce that the phone is for after school use only, and that the new rules are to apply during the school day. 

It is a Department of Education requirement that each enrolled student who has an action plan updates this each year.  Please see below the forms required, those students who currently have an action plan in place will be sent out a form to be completed by your Doctor or specialist.  If your child has recently been diagnosed with an Anaphylaxis, Asthma, Allergy or new medical condition please advise the general office.

2020 Year 11 and 12 students……HeadStart lectures

Information has been arriving into the school from a number of commercial organisations who run Head Start VCE lectures during the summer holidays in readiness for the 2020 academic year.

There are various dates, locations and costs involved in these programs. We do encourage students and parents to consider these programs if possible. They would be an ideal follow on from the Unit 1 and 3 Head Start programs conducted here at the College.

Students who have attended such programs in past years agree that these lectures resulted in a more concrete understanding of course materials, decreased workloads and stress levels at school and increased their confidence and motivation.

There are specific lectures for a variety of subjects that our students will be undertaking in 2020 and also general study/success programs.

Flyers for these programs have been handed out in Year 10 and 11 form assembly, copies placed in the Careers Resource Area or please speak to your Year Level Co-ordinator to get more information. Three of the most reputable organisations are TSFX, TSSM and Access Education. This year TSFX are also offering an online option – students receive the notes and unlimited access to the recorded lectures until 30 June.

Past VCE Students Regrets – TSFX Exam/Study Tip

As well as conducting VCE subject lectures, TSFX offer fantastic FREE resources when students sign up to their website. They then email out regular study/exam tips. The most recent Tip was looking at previous VCE students regrets. The number one biggest regret (as we discussed with students last week) was not taking advantage of school holidays to get ahead. Students will find they have reduced stress levels and the work will be easier to understand if they invest some of their holiday time in completing the homework that has been assigned by their subject teachers and also to start to get ahead on their first topics. “Short term pain for long term gain!” Please go to the TSFX website in order to access the full article.

We look forward to seeing our Year 11 and 12 students rested, recharged and ready to be rewarded for their hard work at the start of the 2020 school year.

The College is looking for donations of any old smartphones, tablets or iPads which are still in working condition, as we need these devices to help run our new robotics gadgets. We do not require SIM cards as the devices use Bluetooth to communicate. Please send any smartphones or tablets to the front office if you are able to donate, including chargers if you have them.

Nhill College has signed on with Edunet to help give more variety and cost effectiveness to our BYOD program, including delivery and finance. Parents/guardians are still welcome to purchase a BYOD from Bi-Rite or elsewhere if you would prefer – however, there may be a preference for using the streamlined Edunet portal. By using Edunet, families can have their BYODs delivered directly to the school and arrange accessories, finance and insurance if required. However, before paying extra for insurance we strongly recommend checking if your own home and contents insurance may already have you covered. The Edunet portal can also be used to log warranty jobs or an insurance claim if (if purchased). Brochures for Bi-Rite and Edunet will continue to appear on our website and on Compass.

We encourage students from Years 4 through to 12 to take up the BYOD program for class use. This allows students to install Microsoft Office and Adobe products on their own device to take home, as well as access the school’s internet, server and printing while at the college. Students can also access Compass as required, as well as other online programs when directed by staff.

Should you wish to order a new BYOD via Edunet before Christmas, the cut-off date for guaranteed arrival is Wednesday,  30th of October. To guarantee you receive your device before the start of Term 1 2020 the cut-off date is Wednesday, 4th of December. Please note that devices can be ordered via the portal at any time; these are simply the dates which must be met if you would like to receive your device before Christmas or Term 1. 

When students receive their new device, they will need to set it up as per the BYOD instructions found on Compass and on our website. College staff are not involved in the initial setup, but they will help students troubleshoot their device if they run into issues.

Please view the attached PDF for full instructions and device specifications for the portal. To access the portal parents/guardians need to visit https://nhillcollege.technologyportal.com.au and use the code NC2020.

If you have questions about the college’s BYOD program, or if you would like to talk about suitable devices, Mr Shrive can be emailed any time at shrive.joshua.w@edumail.vic.gov.au

Regular attendance at school is extremely important to the social and academic development of all children.  It is a Department requirement that parents contact the school each day their child is absent.  Any unauthorised absences currently trigger an SMS via Compass at 9.45am each morning to notify parents that their child is not at school.  If a parent receives such an SMS, it is requested that they contact the school as soon as possible to provide a reason for their child’s absence.  This can be done by entering an explanation directly onto Compass via the app installed on your phone, or by calling the College on 53912111.  (Please note that the Skoolbag app is no longer being used by the school to communicate messages.)  In an effort to further reduce the rate of unauthorised absences being recorded at Nhill College, office staff will follow up with a phone call if a response to the SMS has not been received by 10.45am on the day of each absence.