ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL REPORT
We are continuing to develop our School Wide Positive Behaviour Framework here at Emerald Secondary College. Whilst the program is in its infancy and yet to be launched, we would like to share with the community our direction and philosophy.
Recently Year 11 and Year 12 students were invited to submit expressions of interest to be peer mentors to Year 7 students. This week 12 students were involved in collaborative training activities to prepare them for this role. For the mentor, mentoring offers:
- a leadership opportunity – to help others learn and progress
- a positive, voluntary initiative
- relevant experience
- an opportunity to see things differently – to engage with someone younger and understand how others think
- a chance to share students’ own experiences to help understand self better
- development of own emotional intelligence
- the ‘feel good’ factor – knowing students are making a difference
- building of confidence and capacity
For our Year 7 students, the program can
- Improve social, emotional and communication skills
- Raise self-esteem
- Improve communication skills
- Reduce risky or poor behaviours
- Enhance social and emotional development
- Improve relationships
- Encourage healthier behaviours
- Improve school attendance
- Improve resilience
- Reduce feelings of isolation
We’re very proud of our Seniors for volunteering to be a part of this initiative and of our Year 7 students who have shown enthusiasm and a positive response to the program.
COLLEGE CAPTAINCY REPORT
Peer Mentoring
Last week, senior students who had volunteered to take part in the peer mentoring program this year attended a training session to improve their skills prior to the program’s launch. The launch took place this week on Monday, and it was a success. Senior students were paired with junior students, and they interacted and engaged in fun activities with one another. The Peer Mentoring program is a beneficial initiative that asks senior students to serve as role models for junior students, allowing the transition from primary school to be smoother. This creates the opportunity for Year 7 to be able to recognise a familiar face in the yard and improves the general connection between the seniors and the juniors. Those involved in the program will meet fortnightly at least, giving them the opportunity to use their creativity in activities or engage in one-on-one conversations. This will increase junior students’ sense of involvement and give them the chance to approach their mentor whenever they need. We are excited to see the impacts that this year’s mentors will have on their mentees and may expand the program for next year’s cohort.
Year 12
With a lot of preparation required over the next few weeks, our Year 12 cohort is once again in the busy time of the term. We recently participated in a dodgeball match against the teachers, and we destroyed them (even with the cheaters!). This week year 11 and 12 students took part in a number of sporting events, such as netball, soccer, and footy. Although we didn’t see amazing results the students most certainly had a blast and that is what matters!
Charlotte Scott – Peer Mentor Leader and College Captain
As a learning community and a part of your child’s educational journey, it’s vital to recognise the crucial role that active participation and classroom orderliness play in fostering a conducive learning environment. These elements not only contribute to academic success but also cultivate essential life skills that are invaluable beyond the classroom.
Active participation is more than just showing up; it’s about engaging fully with the learning process. When students actively participate in class discussions, activities, and projects, they deepen their understanding of the subject matter. By voicing their thoughts, asking questions, and collaborating with peers, students develop critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills essential for success in higher education and future careers.
Participation within the classroom, and school community, enhances students’ sense of ownership over their learning, empowering them to take control of their educational journey. As a college committed to enhancing student outcomes we strongly encourage your child to embrace opportunities to participate actively in class, whether through raising their hand to contribute, joining group discussions, or seeking clarification when needed.
In addition to active participation, maintaining classroom orderliness is fundamental for creating a conducive learning environment. A well-organised classroom minimises distractions, fosters concentration, and promotes respect among students and teachers. When students understand and adhere to classroom routines, it creates a sense of predictability and stability, allowing for smoother transitions between activities and maximising instructional time.
As parents, you can support the importance of classroom orderliness by reinforcing the value of respect for teachers, peers, and learning materials. Encourage your child to adhere to classroom norms, such as arriving on time, being prepared with necessary materials, and demonstrating courteous behaviour towards others.
By emphasising the significance of active participation and classroom orderliness, we can collectively contribute to creating an environment where every student has the opportunity to thrive academically and personally. Together, let’s empower our students to be ready to learn, actively engage in the educational process, and embrace the journey of lifelong learning.
Fundraising to Protect Our Kids Bikes
We need your help to deliver a much needed shelter over our current bike enclosure. After surveying our students, we learnt that the most popular wish list item for the student body is a roof over the current bike area. Understandably, we have a number of students choosing not to ride to school as their bikes currently have to be left out in the elements all day, instead of safe and dry under shelter.
Unfortunately, in today’s day and age, while this sounds like a relatively straight forward project, once we cover footings, materials, installation and the necessary permit fees and applications we are looking at a cost of $19,800. A big target, but one we feel we can achieve with the help of our school community and hopefully the wider community also.
We have reached out to a number of local businesses to request financial support; the school is most certainly more than happy to offer any free advertisement and recognition to these businesses and we of course extend this to any families within our school community that may run their own business. If your business is keen to support us in reaching our financial goal, please reach out to the school or myself and we can work out the details and of course get some information about your business up on the school socials, so everyone knows both about your fantastic business and that you are generously assisting our school community.
Further to reaching out to local businesses both from the school and wider community we would like to request a donation from each student. School Council has discussed the various options around fundraising and while fairs, events and various drives can be successful we are mindful of the time and financial stress that this can place on a few. Instead, would like to aim to reach our goals with as little financial and organisational stress on all.
Over the remainder of 2024, if each student can donate $30, we will reach out target. We understand that in the current climate this is not going to be achievable for everyone however, if you feel you can donate $10 per term we can make this happen. Some families might be able to donate more, some less. Ultimately, what we are hoping is that over the course of the next seven months we can slowly chip away at this target and make it happen.
Over the coming week you will see a Compass post with an Event created specifically for this donation. Again, if each student can cover $30 we will meet the target however, we of course appreciate whatever you can spare. This donation can be made over multiple payments or in one go. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out, you can contact the school or email me directly and I’ll always aim to get back to you as soon as possible.
Let’s work together to tick this wish list item off for 2024 and hopefully have more students riding to school knowing that their bikes are kept safe and dry from the elements.
Nadia Beardshaw
Tanja Korsten, Melissa Findlay & Tiana Clayworth
Assistant Principals
