Principal News

As we head into the final month of Term 2, it is wonderful to see a positive school culture continuing to grow and become a dominant force across the College.  The further we head into the term, the more we are seeing our students making choices and taking actions that demonstrate our core values of Belonging, Curiosity and Achievement.

Over the course of the term, we have seen students recognised 647 times with Positive Impressions cards.  These cards and recognitions are handed out by teachers to students demonstrating our values and when students leave a positive impression on the staff member.  Each time a student receives a Positive Impressions card, families will be notified with a Compass notification, as we love to share this news with families.  So far this term our Belonging Group count is:

As a staff team, we get the opportunity to catch our students doing amazing things at school.  We are also aware that some of our students are doing some amazing things outside of school.  If families have a significant success they would like to share with us, please reach out and let us know.  We would love to celebrate and share the successes of our students beyond the school gate, and support their efforts towards Building Bright Futures that happens outside of school as well.

Reconciliation Week

Over the past week, we have been recognising Reconciliation Week through our assemblies and Belonging sessions. This year's National Reconciliation Week theme, ‘Now more than ever’, urges all Australians to create a better, more just Australia for all of us. The dates remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June, to commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively. Reconciliation should live in the hearts, minds, and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships within the wider Australian community.

At Walcom Ngarrwa we marked the significance of Reconciliation Week with the following activities and experiences for our students:

• A reconciliation assembly, with Judith Dalton-Walsh, a proud Wadawurung woman and our school Koorie Education Support Officer, speaking with students.
• A number of activities and games selected by our indigenous students, that allow all students to explore indigenous culture and history.
• A short assembly later in the week where one of our team, Ms Tenealle Hawke, spoke about her own indigenous culture.

We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and by playing our part, we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.

Student Attitudes to School Survey

Over the last two weeks, all students have been completing the annual Attitudes to School Survey. The College highly values the contributions from our students and will actively utilise this feedback to shape our future work. The data from this survey will contribute to the College strategic plan and our Annual implementation plan in years ahead, in addition to serving as our baseline data for our new school.

We know that Walcom Ngarrwa is a wonderful school and recognise that the students we have are doing a great job in establishing a positive culture.  We also recognise that there are always opportunities to continue to improve and the information we gain from the student survey will help us to shape that work. Thank you to our students for taking the time and consideration in their feedback.

Child Safe Information

Child safety and wellbeing at Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College: information for families and the school community

Last year, the Victorian Government announced revised Child Safe Standards to further strengthen child safety across organisations, including schools. The revised standards recognise the critical importance of families and the broader school community in maintaining and promoting child safety and wellbeing. 

Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College have developed and documented our child safety policies and procedures to ensure they meet the requirements of the new standards. These policies are also available on our school website at https://www.wnsc.vic.edu.au/page/15/Child-Safe-Practices

We are committed to continuous improvement in our approach to child safety and wellbeing and welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on ways we can further strengthen our child safety policies, procedures, and practices. 

If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions about Child Safety at Walcom Ngarrwa Secondary College, please contact the school office.

School Bus Travel

Every student has the right to safe and secure trip to school, regardless of how they are getting to school.  Unfortunately, some of our students travelling to school by bus are having this sense of safety and security compromised by other students.

We are calling on the families of all students who travel on the bus to have conversations at home about safe and respectful travel on the bus, not only for our students but also for the driver.  The driver has one core responsibility, ensuring safe and courteous driving to support students in getting to and from school.  They are not there to manage student behaviour or to stop the poor behaviour choice of some students.

Some discussion points to support this conversation at home include:

• How we wait at the bus stop before the bus arrives
• What we do when travelling on the bus – including how we enter, how we behave on the bus and how we leave the bus

We appreciate your timely and ongoing support with this matter and working with us to ensure all students can travel to and from school safely.