Dear parents, students and families. Welcome to 2023!
I am writing to outline some of the changes to the start of our school day and programs for 2023. Our leadership team will continue to warmly welcome all students at various gates in the morning.
There are some slight changes to entry gates and times in 2023.
The main gate near the administration building will be open from 8 am until 8.30 am. All other pedestrian gates will not be open at this time. From 8.30 am until the preparation bell at 8.50 am the administration gate will close and the following year level gates will be opened.
- Year 7 and 8 – corner of Stawell street and Russell Street
- Year 9 and 12 – Brunt street gate
- Year 10 and 11 – Stawell street near the corner of Codrington street.
At 8.50 am the above gates will close and the administration gate will reopen, any students arriving after this time will be directed to enter via the administration gate. It is recommended that students arrive at school between 8.30 and 8.40 am.
As part of welcoming our students each morning, we will also be checking student uniform and working with students accordingly regarding supportive measures that align with our College student dress code policy.
The changes to entry gates and times will begin on Thursday 2nd February.
Period 1 will commence at 8.55 am. Form Assembly will not be operating in 2023. While this has been removed our commitment to student learning, well-being and overall support and connection remains very strong.
Students in years 7-9 will remain in form groups with each group assigned a staff member who will teach them for at least two classes. One of these classes builds on our Life Skills program from previous years and is steadfastly focused on well-being, connection and pathways education. The staff assigned to these classes remain as the first port of call for parents and student support.
At Year 7 the class is called Discovery, and at Year 8 the class is called Explore. Students in Years 7 and 8 attend these classes for 3 periods every fortnight.
In Year 9 the subject is called Connect and the time allocated for this class increases to 10 periods every fortnight.
The Year 9 Connect program is an exciting initiative that includes one day per week dedicated to supporting student well-being and pathways education with an increased focus on building skills for life – these include communication, collaboration and problem-solving.
Our year 10 student program is now aligned with the senior school and includes one period per week of a subject called STEP (Senior Transitions into Education Pathways). This subject builds on our Life Skills program and also includes an increased focus on study skills and organisation. This shift in program for our Year 10 students also increases access to Year 11 subjects and first-year VET certificates.
Thank you to our staff, students, parents and school council members in 2022 who worked with us regarding these important and exciting changes for our school. In addition to the above information, our program of instruction for the first few days of 2023 will be dedicated to our ‘Empowering Learners’ Program. This program is designed to inform students of our high expectations for learning and behaviour as well as the range of ways the College will support students to meet these expectations. There will also be a focus on ensuring all students are aware of the above changes specific to their year level. This program builds on our work at the commencement of 2022.
If you have any questions or concerns, I would encourage you to contact me at the College.
Many thanks and I look forward to working with you all this year.
David Caughey College Principal
