Welcome to our school community!

It gives me great pleasure to welcome all members of our school community to the first edition of the Walcom Ngarrwa News, a fortnightly publication for our school community and an opportunity for us to share with you the amazing happenings within community.

On Tuesday 30^th January, it was an absolute delight to welcome students, staff, parents and carers to our school for our first ever day with students.  As we opened our gates and welcomed over 170 students and their families, there was a real sense of community, excitement and hope for the future.  Witnessing firsthand the smiles on the faces of our students, the pride displayed by our students wearing our uniform and the preparedness of our students to connect with one another and our staff team, was amazing.  Thank you to the many parents and carers who joined us for this first morning with our students.

Our staff team had been hard at work long before January 30^th and have been busy throughout January preparing the school for student’s first day.  A huge thank you is extended to our team and those members who dedicated many hours to preparing our school.  Just like our students, there were a few staff members who juggled huge levels of excitement and nerves for our first day and week at school.  Thank you to our team for the smooth start that you have provided to students and families.

I would also like to thank a couple of external supporters from our first day.  Thank you to Harpley for their support on the morning of January 30^th, with a representative out the front and available to speak with parents.  Harpley, also kindly supplied the Coffee Van, that many parents took advantage of.  Thank you to Jess and her team from Caffeina & Co, for some great hot drinks to start the day for families and staff.  Finally, thank you to the Major Road Projects Team who were also available on the morning to welcome families and share information about the Ison Road Overpass and works happening locally.

As a staff team we are committed to Building Bright Futures with our students and your children.  We encourage you to partner with us,a s we work towawrds this goal.  Your feedback is always welcome and I can be contacted on 03 8000 6688 or via email at Walcom.Ngarrwa.SC@education.vic.gov.au 

Brad Moyle
Principal

Day One

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The official opening of Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College will take place on Tuesday 13^th February at 9:30am, with the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Ben Carroll MP. Parents are invited to join us for this event.

The event will include a school tour for the Minister and be followed by the official proceedings, that will include speeches, ribbon cutting and photos with students.

When: Tuesday 13^th February at 9:30am (parents can arrive from 9:20am)

Where: Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College, School Heart (please enter through the double gates on Frome Crescent)

Duration: approximately 1 hour.

All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within state-wide guidelines. School Council in collaboration with the school leadership sets the strategic direction for the school.
 
Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help shape the direction of the school. Those parents who become active on a school council find their involvement satisfying and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.
 
In 2024, nominations for parent, school employee and student representatives on school council will open on Tuesday 30th January. Nomination forms available from the Office and attached to this Compass Notification. Nominations for all positions must be lodged at our School Office and will close at 4pm on Wednesday 7th February 2024.
 
Information Attached:

• Information for Parents Factsheet 

• Information for parents of students seeking election

• Notice of Election and Call for Nominations 

• Self-Nomination for Parent Member  

• Self-Nomination for School Employee Member 

• Self-Nomination for Student Member

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate in contacting me.

Brad Moyle
Principal

At Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College we understand that Learning and Wellbeing are strongly linked and that a student needs to develop in both of these domains as they Build Bright Futures.  

Supporting young people’s development and wellbeing requires a commitment from our young people and their families as central partners.

Wellbeing is not a tangible thing that exists in isolation but instead a set of interleaved factors that include health, happiness and prosperity.  Wellbeing is about how we feel and how we are doing.  At Walcom Ngarrwa we take this holistic view to wellbeing that incorporates a student’s social, cognitive, emotional and physical wellbeing.  We believe that a school community member’s state of wellbeing is enhanced by positive psychology and by building protective factors and resilience that helps to respond to adversity and enjoy fulfilling life experiences.

All members of our school community have a right to experience a safe and supportive school environment. We expect that all students, staff, parents and carers treat each other with respect and dignity. Our school’s Statement of Values highlights the rights and responsibilities of members of our community.

Behavioural expectations of students are grounded in our school’s Statement of Values.  At Walcom Ngarrwa we adopt evidence-based practices, including School Wide Positive Behaviour & Supports to explicitly teach and guide our students towards our expectations and respectful behaviours.

Violence, bullying, and other offensive and harmful behaviours such as racism, harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated and will be managed in accordance with this policy.

Positive Impression Cards

Over our first two days it was great to see over 47 Positive Impression Cards going out to students!

All staff will have the ability to award students with ‘Positive Impressions’ throughout the school day. These are intended to recognise students who have impressed a staff member with their representation of the school’s values, consistent with their intent and our Expectation Matrix.   This allows our staff to reinforce the positive behaviours that we observe from our students.

The recognition cards are small, printed cards that can be handed to students, and will subsequently be recorded on Compass by the teacher. The language of the cards is student friendly and allows the teacher to specify the student, the value represented and the date.

School Wide Positive Behaviour Supports - Expectation Matrix
Our College Expectation Matrix provides a clear guide for students of the behaviours that we wish to see around the College.  All behaviours are framed in the positive, giving students a clear idea of what is expected.

As we work our way through the term, each of the behaviours and associated values will be explicitly taught to our students.

The Matrix is attached as a PDF for parents who would like to print a copy for home.

WNSC Expectation Matrix

Over the summer holiday break, two of our students, Tyler and PJ, had the chance to help us out with some of our promotional work.  A huge thank you is extended to Tyler, PJ and their families for supporting us with this. 

With this in mind, all students have been provided with a laptop device to support their learning.  Students are reminded that they need to charge their device each night and to bring their device to school each day.  The care of the laptop is the responsibility of our students and technical support will be provided by our school team to all students.

Microsoft 365 will be the major platform used by students throughout the year.  Parents and students can learn more about this platforms by reading the Microsoft 365 Parent Guide, attached below.

Microsoft 365 Parent Guide

Route S4558 will originate/terminate in Westleigh Gardens, south of the rail line, travelling through Riverwalk and covering areas in the north near Greens Road, before looping back down to the school.

myki fares will be payable on all these school services. Students will need a myki card loaded with a student pass or topped up with myki money before they travel. For more details, visit the PTV website or phone the public transport call centre on 1800 800 007 and select Option 1.

This bus service will be operated by CDC Victoria, on behalf of PTV.

If you are looking to utilise this service, we encourage you to visit your nearest bus stop with your son or daughter, so they are familiar with the stop, traffic conditions and what they will need to do when using the service.