Official Opening

On Tuesday 13^th February we were treated to some very warm and windy weather conditions for the official opening of Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College.  Despite the weather conditions, our students and staff represented our school community with pride as the Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, the Honourable Ben Carroll MP, officially opened our school.

The event saw many special guests joining us, including:

• Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Ben Carroll MP,
• Representatives from the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association,
• Representatives from ADCO Construction, Brand Architects, Design Inc, Pomeroy Pacific and the Victorian School Building Authority – all members of the design and construction team,
• Senior representatives from the Department of Education, including our Regional Director, Area Director and Senior Education Improvement Leader.

Thank you to our student ambassadors, Abbey Tonkin, Jay Buchanan, Sierra Chew and Flynn White, who all proudly escorted the Deputy Premier around our school and engaged in discussion with the Deputy Premier and senior Department of Education staff.

The official opening included several speeches and plenty of photos and we would like to acknowledge the behaviour, attitude and fantastic disposition of all students during this event, particularly given the heat and wind.

Thank you to our staff team, who prepared and supported students for this event.

Curiosity Week

At Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College a curious mind knows no limits and it is with this in mind that we support all students to develop the value of curiosity in their learning and throughout their experiences across the College.  Curiosity and motivation to learn are powerful predictors of student success, in addition to being associated with happiness, health, longevity, and positive social relationships.

This week we have seen our students engage in Curiosity Week activities, designed to spark and excite that desire to learn.  A key element of this week has been our visits to the Wyndham Tech School, where students and staff have participated in The Future of Work activities.  Those students who have already returned have spoken highly of the experience and we look forward to our other Belonging Groups heading to Wyndham Tech School later this week.

Annual privacy reminder for our school community

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy, describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn.

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Microsoft 365 safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Microsoft 365, please contact the school.

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages:

• Amharic
• Arabic
• Dari
• Gujarati
• Mandarin
• Somali
• Sudanese
• Turkish
• Urdu
• Vietnamese

Official Opening

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Belonging Day was a huge success for our students, specifically regarding the opportunity to propose extra-curricular activities and clubs, the student leadership portfolio, and our house structure and system.

At Walcom Ngarrwa, we recognise the importance of empowering our student cohort and providing our inaugural Year 7's the opportunity to shape our future. 

Over the week's ahead we look forward to sharing some of our students ideas with our broader school community as we move forward and establish student leadership roles, further lunchtime activities and our house system to take us into the future.

How to support your child to make positive technological choices

We made the commitment to provide all students with a laptop to support their learning this year. With this commitment comes the understanding that families now have a new device in their house to manage.

Firstly, let's briefly introduce two key platforms your child will be using:

• Compass: This platform serves as a hub for school announcements and communication. It's your go-to for staying informed about your child's activities and progress.
• Teams: Utilized for online classrooms and collaboration, Teams allows for students to collaborate on group projects. Teachers will share resources and post assignments for students here. This is the main app for student’s online learning.

To help your family manage the use of these devices, here are a few tips to consider implementing at home:

1. Set Clear Rules: Talk to your child about using the school laptop responsibly. Set rules for screen time, online behaviour, and following school tech policies.
2. Designate a Learning Spot and Safe Charging Zone: Help your child set up a quiet, well-lit space for online learning. Keep it free from distractions for better focus. Encourage them to charge their laptop in a common area overnight, ensuring you can monitor usage and prevent late-night screen time.
3. Manage Wi-Fi Access and Monitor Social Media: Keep an eye on your child's social media activities and monitor Wi-Fi access during specific hours. This helps regulate online time, ensures a healthy balance, and promotes a positive online experience.

These tips, along with understanding Compass and Teams, will help create a positive online learning environment. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to reach out.

In Science, students demonstrated their understanding of Laboratory Safety by producing either visual or written displays. 

Have a look at these examples from our students.

Science - Zunairah

Science - Madelynn

In Humanities we have used the opportunity of linking our core value of Belonging with Belonging in Society, through the lens of Civics and Citizenship. We began the term looking at what belonging is, how it feels when we belong and how other people living in Australia feel they belong.  

Last week we moved our focus to Government and their roles and responsibilities at each of level- Local, State and Federal. This will guide students to think about what makes an effective leader in preparation for either their Student Voice Speeches or Election Campaign Speeches. Some students will speak to Nominees about what they want in a leader and a school as the foundation students of Walcom Ngarrwa, while students running in the election will speak to their people about how they plan to take on the role of class captain.

Next month, all students will then vote for their class captain on Election Day that will be set up to replicate a real voting day, where they will have their name marked off, complete their vote using a ballot paper and ballot box.

This experience will give them insight into the campaign and voting process in Australia while also making connections to the core value and human experience of Belonging.

Images -7C

In English, our year 7’s have been exploring “Poetry with a Purpose” as their first unit. We have had some fantastic poetry, here are two examples from 7G:

“I am from (a chess board’s perspective)” by Akshith Payavula

“Belonging” by Charvi Mishra

It was great to hold our first Lunchtime Challenge and Clubs during week 3. Ms Davis ran the Art Club on Monday lunchtime and Mr V ran Hula-Ball Challenges on Friday in Weeks 2 and 3. Thank you Ms Davis and Mr V!