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

As you will no doubt recall, the school fete was postponed a few weeks ago due to circumstances beyond our control.  After careful consideration and close examination of what is a very busy school calendar, a new date has been set for Friday 22nd November.  Because of other commitments, the fete will occur on a slightly smaller scale than what was originally planned.  Students and staff will set up for stalls during Period 5.  The fete will operate throughout Lunch and Period 6 (1:05pm to 2:40pm) .  Students and staff will pack up during Period 7 with all students to be dismissed as normal at the end of the school day.  Most of the originally organised stalls and activities will go ahead as planned, although some will not be able to operate due to the changes.  New features to be added include the availability of Fairy Floss, while pre-orders are currently being taken for a range of Show Bags.  Despite the change of date, parents and family members are very welcome to attend the school during the fete to help share the fun with their children and support our school.  A BBQ lunch will be available at very reasonable prices, and there is sure to be a range of other items that will make a lunchtime visit worthwhile.

At school council this week we discussed changes to the Mobile Phone Policy that will be introduced 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. 

Booklists for 2020 were distributed to students during the week.  Our booklist provider is again Warrnambool Books, who have recently joined forces with Campion Education.  Families have the option to return completed booklists to school by Friday 29th November, or submit the booklist online at warrnamboolbooks.com.au.  Distribution of booklist parcels will occur on Friday 17th January, 2020, at the College Music Shed.  Before completing and submitting their boolist, students in Years 9 and 10 are asked to check which Electives they will be doing next year.  2020 Elective class lists will be posted on the noticeboard on Monday 18th November.  

With all VET programs now finished for the year, it appears that there is a little confusion among some VET students as to what their attendance requirements are for the remainder of the year.  All Year 10 and Year 11 VCE students who studied VET this year are now required to be at school each Wednesday until the end of their school year.  They are to attend their regular timetabled classes and participate in assessments and preparations for exams.  VET students should not continue in any Structured Workplace Learning placements on Wednesdays as they are now expected back at school.  Any confusion relating to this attendance expectation has likely occurred as Year 11 students who studied VET as part of their VCAL program are not expected back at school on Wednesdays and Thursdays after the completion of their VET programs.  A number of students and parents have also made enquiries about the end of year finish dates for students at school due to casual employment opportunities.  To clarify, senior secondary students have a staggered finish to the school year.  All current Year 11 VCE students are expected to be at school up to and including Thursday 28th November.  It is especially important for these students to attend the Unit 3 Orientation program scheduled for Friday 22nd - Thursday 28th November.  All current Year 11 VCAL students are expected to be at school up to and including Tuesday 26th November.  All current Year 10 students are expected to be at school up to and including Friday 6th December.  It is especially important for these students to attend the Unit 1 Orientation program scheduled for Monday 2nd - Friday 6th December.  From Monday 9th December, Year 10 students may be released from school upon confirmation from their parents that they have part-time employment positions to go to, but they cannot be excused from school to start holiday employment prior to Monday 9th December.  All students in Years 7 - 9 must continue to attend throughout the Headstart program (9th - 13th December) and the End of Year Activities program (16th - 20th December).  For any questions relating to end of year attendance expectations, please contact the school. 

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, Wimmera Office Equipment, 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 Wimmera Office Equipment, 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

We are excited to be offering a trip to Indonesia next year for students who are continuing with their Indonesian language studies in Year 9 and above. The trip will take place from around March 26th to April 5th, 2020 (dates to be confirmed according to airfare prices and availability). These dates include the last two or three days of Term One and the first week of the first-term holidays. 

We have received a proposed itinerary from Amansar Tours, and it looks amazing. Students will explore the ‘cultural capital’ of Indonesia, Yogyakarta, on the island of Java, with a few days in Bali. In Yogyakarta, a highlight will be going to a local school, along with language lessons at Wisma Bahasa. We will also visit the world-famous Borobudur Temple and the chicken church before being welcomed at a traditional village. The itinerary includes planting rice in a rice field and mingling with local people as well as a visit to an orphanage. There are also opportunities to learn to play gamelan and make batik under the tutelage of experts.

These are just a few of the activities and experiences. Anyone who is interested is welcome to come and find out more at 5.30 on Wednesday 13th November. This meeting will give more details about the tour and arrangements, along with information about the next steps to take. At this stage, the trip will be around $3000. Again, this is dependent upon airfares. 

Top of the list for a smooth process is to ensure that everyone has a passport. For those who are committed to participating, the application can be completed online or forms are available from the Post Office. It is important that you do this as soon as possible as airlines need this information before they can generate the official ticket.  Any concerns, please contact Bu Kube.

Have you ordered the 2019 Nhill College Magazine yet?  The annual school magazine is jam packed with photographs, articles and samples of student works.  It is a wonderful keep-sake for all students and parents and celebrates the many achievements, fun moments and changes around the school throughout 2019.

If you have not already ordered your copy earlier in the year you can still do so by contacting the school office and paying $20 per copy.

Mrs Natalie Sampson

Editor Nhill College Magazine

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.

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.