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

Another busy term has come to an end and I am sure that all students, staff and parents are looking forward to a well-earned break.  Yet another short period of remote learning and the re-introduction of restrictions such as the wearing of masks in class has had a noticeable affect on everyone across the school.  In the face of this, all students and staff are to be congratulated for the manner in which they have taken these changes in their stride.  Students in particular have remained remarkably positive despite the cancellation or postponement of a number of camps, excursions and sporting events.  Staff are certainly doing all they can to try and ensure at least some of these events can be re-scheduled for later in the year.  Senior students are also to be commended for their versatility in being able to adapt to modified exam timetables at short notice following our latest lockdown.  And I would also like to thank parents for their understanding following the decision to delay reports until the first week of Term 3 to allow students more time to submit assessments and for staff to be able to finalise these reports over the holidays.  Term 3 is sure to be just as busy, but here's hoping that we can avoid any further restrictions and that no more school activities need to be postponed.  Have a restful and relaxing holiday, stay safe, and I look forward to seeing everyone back for the start of Term 3.

Further changes to restrictions were announced yesterday on the advice of the Victorian Chief Health Officer.  For regional Victoria, a density limit of 1 person per 2 square metres now applies when indoors.  Metropolitan areas will maintain the density limit of 1 person per 4 square metres.  There has been no change to the advice regarding the wearing of masks or the requirement to use QR Code facilities.  Please take this into consideration if visiting Melbourne over the holidays.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a school putting on a production in the COVID era will be determined to make it work, no matter what.  And such is certainly the case when it comes to the Nhill College secondary school production of "Pride and Prejudice", a play adapted by Jane Kendall from the Jane Austen novel.

The story follows the Bennett family, and their success (or otherwise) in obtaining suitable matches for each of the five daughters in the family.  Will the sweet Jane, independent Elizabeth, bookish Mary, fretful Kitty and flirtatious Lydia find husbands?  And will their mother ever stop in her frankly embarrassing attempts to match-make them all?!

The cast for this show have been working extremely hard since part-way through term one, and the show is looking fantastic.  Current COVID restrictions have made rehearsing a little more difficult, but the cast have shown they are extremely versatile and resilient.  Throughout the rehearsal period, many laughs have been had, and a few tears shed (mainly from one cast member over the romance between Elizabeth and Mr Darcy!), and we look forward to many more wonderful moments to come.

Tickets for this production are now on sale either at the Nhill College office or through TryBooking: https://www.trybooking.com/BRSIK 

Performances to take place at the Nhill Memorial Community Centre, Friday 30th July at 7:30pm, and Saturday 31st July at 2:00pm and 7:30pm.  $20 per adult, $15 per child/concession.

With cooler weather conditions that come at this time of year it is timely to remind everyone of the current winter uniform options available to students.  With the recent addition of a Nhill College jacket, it was decided that students are permitted to wear that jacket - or the similar jackets of the Nhill Sporting Club and Yanac Hockey Club - during class time.  Students are permitted to wear other types of jackets to school, but they will be asked to remove them when they come to class.  Beanies are another item that can be popular with some students at this time of year.  As with all forms of headwear, students are expected to leave them in their lockers during class times.

Do you like talking? Do you have opinions about issues in our community? Do you have something you would like to say to the people that run our State? 

The Parliament of Victoria has opened up their annual Parliament Prize competition. The Parliament Prize asks students to consider what they would say to Parliament if they were a Member of Parliament and record a video of their own 90-second Member Statement. Entries are open until 30 July 2021 for Victorian students from year 5 to year 12. 

For further details and resources visit - https://victorianparliament.us.launchpad6.com/ParliamentPrize2021 

Any student who thinks that they might be interested in this please see Mrs Cole or Miss Foulds for an information sheet, or email one of us and we can send it to you. If there is enough student interest, we will run a lunchtime session to help students finalise their entries early next term.  

If you are interested in applying for work experience through the ADF please check out this link for more information. 

Defence Work Experience Program website - www.defence.gov.au/workexperience

Applications are to be made online.  There are several different opportunities available, all at set dates, determined by the ADF.  There will be different due dates for applications, depending on what experience you are applying for.  Please do not delay, places fill very quickly.

Before applying, please check with Mrs Sampson and your Year Level co-ordinator, to make sure it is suitable for you to be missing from school for the date allocated. 

Please see Mrs Sampson for more information.

Our Year 11 students are all set to go for a week of Work Experience on our first week back of Term 3.  We congratulate our Year 11s on being so adaptable, after having to cancel our annual Work Experience Melbourne Trip a week ago.  Students who had intended on going on this trip had to quickly find alternative Work Experience placements, which they all did so without complaint, and with a ‘can do’ attitude.  We are so fortunate to have wonderful support from so many local businesses in the Wimmera, and our students all have really positive placements ahead of them.

We wish our Year 11s all the best for their week, and look forward to catching up with them throughout their placements.

Well done everyone, and sincere thanks to all our employers.  A full list and further details will be shared in a future edition of our Newsletter.

Mrs Natalie Sampson

Work Experience co-ordinator

Our senior students are advised that Deakin University has some webinars coming up on various courses they offer.   If you are considering further study you may wish to look into what they have available. Please check out the following link: https://www.deakin.edu.au/student-life-and-services/events/future-student-events?cid=em|mkt|evnt|dide|na|na|pr|eml&mkt-unique=EEEMEN&mkt_tok=MjA5LUlOUS0zNjcAAAF8ceiMSwRy_1nHe4yU-LsrEl7ymW1VRRXKeskV30shzPBbdGhxzSGzhbgzwm-S8zeNmnQxk9CKxlnR3NzNTYCv11u571Y4-ehppJVh9pKJGISi_w#study

Mrs Natalie Sampson

Anyone interested in studying at La Trobe University should strongly consider applying for the Aspire Early Admissions Program.  Applications opened 19th April, and close 17th September. What can Aspire offer you?  Successful applicants can:

• Be rewarded for your involvement in community, leadership, and volunteering with an early conditional offer at La Trobe.  
• When you apply for Aspire, you’ll be automatically considered for one of 40 available Aspire scholarships.
• Receive an early offer for your course by October and know what your future holds.
• Smash your Year 12 goals with access to hundreds of free VCE and HSC study guides and revision lectures.

Please check out the following link for more information: https://www.latrobe.edu.au/study/aspire?cid=edm%3Aacs%3Anan%3Anan%3Ainf%3Anan%3Anan%3Anan%3Anan%3Anan%3Aall%3Abch%3Anan%3Anan&deliveryName=DM15688

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) helps eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

If you have a valid means-tested concession card, such as a Veterans Affairs Gold Card, Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card, or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible. There is also a special consideration category for asylum seeker and refugee families.

Payment amounts this year are $125 for eligible primary school students and $225 for eligible secondary school students. Payments are made direct to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions and sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

If you applied for CSEF through our school last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year, unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.

If you would like to apply for the first time, please contact the school office on 5391 2111 and ask for an application form.

You can also download the form, and find out more about the program and eligibility, on the Department of Education and Training’s Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund web page.

Check with the school office if you are unsure, and please return completed forms to the school office as soon as possible.

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.