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

Following the return to school of our primary students last Thursday, it was fantastic to welcome our secondary students back to school on Monday.  All students and staff have quickly resumed their regular routines - as much as is possible - and have enjoyed the opportunity to be back on-site with their friends.  All students are to be commended on the responsible way they have accepted the new restrictions and the diligence with which they have approached the wearing of their masks.  All secondary students were supplied with a re-usable mask upon their return on Monday, and disposable masks are available from the office in case anyone forgets to bring their own. 

While our students are back on-site, the world has not quite returned to 'normal'.   The following is a reminder of just some of the measures that students, staff and parents will have to follow for the time being:

• All unwell students must stay home.  Parents will be called to collect any students who experience symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat.
• All visitors to the school will have their temperature tested upon their arrival at school using non-invasive infra-red thermometers.
• Students must bring their own water bottles to school for use (and refilling). It is recommended that students do not drink directly from drinking fountains (which have been turned off) at this time.
• We will continue to provide routine environmental cleaning, including progressive cleaning throughout the day to ensure that risks of transmission are reduced for high-touch surfaces.
• All students in Years 7-12 will be required to wear face masks.  As part of the most recent update, masks are the only permitted form of face covering.  Bandanas and head socks are no longer appropriate.  Any students arriving at school with a bandana, head sock or without a mask, will be issued an appropriate mask by the school.
• Parents/carers are asked to observe physical distancing measures before and after school by not congregating in areas inside or around the school – including the school car park and at the school gate at drop off or pick up times.
• Parents wishing to enter school grounds are asked to do so via appointment by first calling the office (53912111), Mark Zimmermann (0418 368 013) or Kim Magrath (0448 912 111)
• Parents wishing to drop off school lunches or equipment for their child are asked to do so at the office.
• All students who have been issued with a school laptop are requested to bring it to school each day and take it home each night to charge in readiness for use the following day.
• The school’s Mobile Phone Policy remains in place.   

Thank you to everyone in the Nhill College community for your continued efforts to keep everyone safe.

We are very pleased to inform families that due to the recently relaxed COVID-19 restrictions announced yesterday, school photos can now take place if held outdoors.  Nhill College’s school photos will now go ahead as planned on Monday 26th October.   

To order your school photos, simply go to www.creationsphotography.com.au , click on ‘order your photos’ and enter the following Nhill College Access Key:  JHWS6SN9

Any parents wishing to arrange Family Photos must order these online before midnight on Sunday 25th October.

It was a privilege to sit in on a number of interviews yesterday as part of the College Captain application process.  We are very fortunate to have seven worthy candidates in contention for these positions next year, with nominations being received from Year 11 students Ryan Cole, Jasper Croot, Dia Hutchinson, Ruby James, James Loveday, Maddie Millington and Brock Stephens.  Each of these students gave an excellent account of themselves and showed that they would all be capable of doing an outstanding job as College Captain if elected.  A short item from each candidate has been included later in this newsletter, and they will also prepare a recorded speech to be viewed by all students remotely on Tuesday.  Elections will be held shortly after - but we will not reveal the winners until a little later in the year.  Good luck!

Each year the school conducts an opinion survey amongst a sample of the school community. This year, all parents are invited to participate. Results will be used to inform and direct our future school planning and improvement.

I ask you to please take the time to complete the survey as your opinions are important to us and will contribute to the future management and organisation of our school.

• The survey will be conducted online and should take 20 minutes to complete.
• The survey can be completed on any internet enabled device (iPad, Desktop, Laptop or Smartphone) and is compatible with most browsers.
• The survey will be open from Monday 12 October to Friday 13 November 2020.

Please be assured that your responses are completely confidential. The survey is conducted anonymously, and it is important to us that you complete the survey as honestly as possible.

Please follow the instructions on the message sent out to parents on Compass earlier this week.

NOTE: Only one parent from your family is invited to complete the survey.

Details were sent home to parents of Year 6 students during the week regarding plans to conduct a Year 7 Parent Information Evening on Monday 26th October at 7.00pm.  This evening will aim to discuss the transition from Year 6 to Year 7 with a particular focus on the Headstart week (Monday 7th - Friday 11th December).  Because we are unable to have parents come on-site at this time, we plan to hold the session remotely via Webex.  Invitations - and instructions as to how to connect to this session - will be sent home shortly.  If you have any questions regarding this session - or the Year 6 into Year 7 transition process - please contact Alannah King (Year 7 co-ordinator) at the school.  

On Tuesday, the Year 4/5's picked their own vegetables from the garden to make a side salad. The students enjoyed making spinach and ricotta fritters to go with their salad. They thought it was interesting and some enjoyed them. 

• Ryan Cole

Hi, my name is Ryan Cole,

 I am running for the role of College Captain in 2021. I am friendly and approachable, and keen to take on the challenge of being a leader of the school. If I were to be elected school captain, my main focus would be trying to return the school to normal activities after the crazy and uncertain year we’ve all had. Reintroducing programs such as the house sports and other extra-curricular activities will hopefully bring a sense of community back to the student body and staff and give everyone some relief from the stresses of this year. I would also be very active in receiving ideas for change from my fellow captains and the students of the school that will better the school.

Cheers

• Jasper Croot

Hello all, my name is Jasper Croot and I am running for 2021 School Captain. I have gone to this school since Year 7 and have enjoyed every minute of it. I took it upon myself to be a part of the SRC in both Year 7 and 10, eventually becoming vice president of the SRC too. I enjoy playing sport and was lucky enough to be the Captain of the Yanac Warriors last year. If I were elected School Captain, I would focus on reconnecting the student body as a whole and trying to rebuild the friendships that may have been lost during quarantine. The person-to-person communication is needed most right now, and I would strive to encourage that as much as possible. I would love to have the opportunity to make an impact on the school and hopefully improve the overall atmosphere of the student body. 

• Dia Hutchinson

My name’s Dia Hutchinson. If you don’t know me, I’m a hard-working and determined student. I always do my best in everything I pursue and that will be no different as school captain. I’m a Year 11 Form Captain and SRC Publicity Officer. I have also taken part in two productions. Outside of school, you might see me working at the supermarket or the pharmacy.

Beneath that school captain badge should lie a responsible role model that is completely dedicated to serving your interests at school. I love working with other people and with your ideas, I hope to improve the school and leave a lasting positive impact for years to come. I’m also encouraging and calm under pressure, making me suited for this leadership role.

I think school should be more than a place to do bookwork and since we spend such a large part of our lives at school. You deserve opportunities to further pursue what you enjoy and excel at to come out the other side as a better person. If you have any ideas about that, I will do anything to make your ideas a reality.

I’m not certain of what’s to come but I guarantee that I will dedicate my time into making next year an exciting and memorable year for you all. I would be nothing but honoured to be your school captain for 2021.

• Ruby James

Hi, my name is Ruby James, and I am running for the position of college captain for 2021. I am an approachable, friendly person that works hard. If I were to be elected college captain I would like to improve the environmental awareness at our school by introducing new bins into classrooms and outside in the yard, I would also like to increase the acceptance of each other’s differences as we have a diverse student body, I would do this by creating activities to get to know one another. These are just a few ideas I would like to make a reality at our school, I feel these ideas along with ideas from other students will improve everyone’s high school experience. Thankyou

• James Loveday

Howdy, I’m James Loveday.

 I’ve been a student at Nhill College since grade two, and I’d Love to have the chance to be the 2021 College Captain. If I had to describe myself I would say I’m amazingly perfect, absolutely hilarious, and a narcissist. I believe I have what it takes to perform the duties of the role. If elected, I’d like to help any students wishing to make changes around Nhill College, I would also like to continue programs like the mentee program, but I would love to work with the leaders of Nhill College to help put a focus on mental health and how to help those who need it.

• Maddie Millington

Hi, my name is Maddie and I’m running for the role of 2021 College Captain. I am an approachable and friendly person and if I were elected to school captain next year would listen to any ideas or questions you might have. My main goal as school captain would be to make school an enjoyable place for all students and get as many students as possible involved in the opportunities provided to us such as the swimming carnival, athletics, mentoring programs and other competitions and events. I would aim to continue programs like the MATES program and the mentoring buddy program to help the transitions of students into high school easier. Thank you for considering me for the position. 

• Brock Stephens

G’day, I am Brock Stephens, and as a future Australian Defence Force Officer, I believe that I would be an excellent School Captain. During my time at Nhill College, I have had the privilege of taking on a plethora of leadership roles such as being a member of the SRC for four years straight, being elected as the Vice House Captain for Bond, and even joining the School Council to assist in dealing with matters facing our school. These roles and my enlistment journey with the ADF have helped me not only grow as a leader but also truly understand the power of teamwork and the importance of communication. The Freemason’s Foundation even presented me with a scholarship as they believed I showed great potential as a leader. If I were to be elected next year, not only would I be extremely honoured but I would also strongly encourage Mateship in our school as we are all going through a tough time at the moment. Hence, I hope to take a page out of our ANZAC forefather’s book to help us face our troubles, together. Our forefathers showed the world exactly who we Australians are, and I live to keep their legacy alive. I have always been known as an approachable, passionate, and empathetic person. Hence, I would be all eyes and ears for any ideas or concerns you may have about any matter. Thus, if I am elected as School Captain in 2021 not only will I strive to help us all ease back into ‘normal’ life but I will also try my best to embody the spirit of the ANZACs by being here for all of you true-blues and by always having a fair go at everything. 

This week I have provided information to Year 12 students regarding some scholarship opportunities that I have received information about recently - these are applicable to both VCE and VCAL students. This list is just a snapshot - there are so many opportunities out there so keep your eyes open. If I can help with these please don't hesitate to ask - some require a school/Principal reference or endorsement, so please contact me for that too. (pictured below)

Mrs Cole

A local employer has a full-time diesel mechanic opportunity available.  This apprenticeship will be overseen by Volvo.

 Anyone interested should let Mrs Sampson know immediately so your details can be passed on.  Applicants will need a Resume and Cover letter prepared.

Please find a recording of one of Newman College’s online information sessions in a share drive here – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tZtNDxe2QWIbfUNTw87XVLTrVC2lrNHG/view?usp=sharing

 Please feel free to distribute this to any students interested in living on campus next year while attending The University of Melbourne, ACU, RMIT or Monash University (Pharmacy campus).

We are running virtual tours of the College over the next few months, please direct interested students to contact me at vhoward@newman.unimelb.edu.au if interested. They may also get in touch with general questions about the College, scholarships and financial aid, or applications.

 Finally, we are currently taking applications and interviewing students for 2021 residency. 

Best wishes for the rest of the year,

We are approaching the time where current Year 12 students who are wishing to pursue university entry for 2021 will be looking into universities and courses.  This can be a stressful and overwhelming time.  Many students begin to get anxious about ATARS required.  The good news is, many universities offer alternative entry schemes.  They take extra things into consideration – not just that ATAR.  Student community involvement, where students live and individual circumstances can all be contributing factors.  A student may have made excellent contributions to their community, for example, and a university may decide that rather than the required 95 ATAR, they may be happy with a 75 instead -  because the student has demonstrated they are an all-rounder, a contributor and able to multi-task.  Another example may be a student living in Nhill is recognised as having many disadvantages due to internet issues, inability to access programs based in the city or extra travel requirements – a university may decide this student only requires an ATAR of 70, rather than 80 because of adversity.    These are just two examples of how these schemes can work.  This can alleviate a lot of pressure coming into exams.

We encourage students to look into whether their universities of choice have such schemes.  Some examples include the La Trobe University Aspire, ACU Community Achiever and Flinders University Principal’s Recommendation Scheme.  Students need to look into these carefully as they all have different application date windows, requirements and benefits.  We have attached a flyer to this newsletter highlighting many schemes, but please ensure you do your own research to ensure you are aware of any schemes from your university of choice.  Please read the requirements very carefully and come and see Mrs Hedt or Mrs Sampson for any help and assistance.  

Have you ordered your copy of this year’s Nhill College Magazine yet?  Despite the fact that Covid has wreaked havoc with many of our school events this year, the Magazine will be packed with memories and events that have made 2020 so unique!  It has been a challenge to put together this year’s edition, but with the contribution of so many families providing photos of Remote Learning, and students producing wonderful work at home, we have been able to put together a wonderful momento of the school year of 2020. 

Despite us thinking we may not wish to remember this year, it will be a very important piece of our history. 

If you have not already ordered your 2020 edition, you still can by contacting the Office and arranging payment of $20 per copy.  Pre-orders are due in by 1st November.

Mrs Natalie Sampon

Editor, Nhill College Magazine