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empowering students February 2018

MAC NewsFebruary 2018

“Community, Engagement, Excellence, Integrity and

Respect”

Welcome to the 2018 school year!

There has never been a more excit ing t ime to be at MAC. 2017 saw s ignif icant improvements in many learning outcomes and key goals. In 2018, students wi l l enjoyed further enhanced learning opportunit ies both in and out of the classroom. These include new subjects, new camps and tours, addit ional learning pathways, new and improved faci l i t ies and new highly profess ional and committed staff who wi l l work di l igent ly to further improve learning outcomes.

In 2018, we wi l l focus on:• Further improving L i teracy

and Numeracy learning outcomes

• The High Impact Teaching Strategy of Feedback

• Further Empowering students including support ing entrepreneur ial opportunit ies

• Student and Staff Wel lbeing.

New StaffThe recruitment of highly exper ienced, committed and pass ionate staff cont inues. We are pleased to introduce the

fol lowing new staff members to the MAC team.

Megan Blanch – (Maths /Science). Megan wi l l lead the KLA- Maths.

“My pass ions include Mathematics, Science, Technology and Health

– and I have been very fortunate to explore these pass ions in my var ied work history. This includes working as a Chemical Engineer, Mathematics and Science teacher, owning and operat ing gyms and working as Victor ian School L iaison for Mathspace (the digital onl ine learning resource used at MAC). I have taught at a number of Government, Cathol ic and Independent for near ly 10 years and am very excited to be commencing work at such an innovative school as MAC.”

E rnest Pr ice – ( H u m a n i t i e s /Engl ish). Ernest wi l l lead the KLA-Humanit ies.

“I began my teaching career nine years ago at Werr ibee S e c o n d a r y

Col lege, where I was a student coordinator and the Head of the Engl ish KLA. I spent the last two years as Director of Engl ish at Hoppers Cross ing Secondary Col lege. When I am not doing the best job in the world I am usual ly reading, watching basketbal l or walk ing my dogs in the bush.”

Ching Chan – (Chinese/Japanese/EAL) . Ching is a highly e x p e r i e n c e d educator who has taught in both Government and independent schools.

“I have taught in both state schools and prest igious pr ivate

schools in Melbourne s ince 1991. Fortunately, I also travel led to teach overseas in Br i t i sh, American and the Chinese systems overseas. My last state school was Glen Waverley Secondary Col lege and also worked at Caulf ie ld Grammar School for eight years. I also l ike to s ing in the East Melbourne choir .”

Clark Mitchel l – (Youth Worker/ Food Technology Teacher).

“I am the new Youth Worker here at the school. I was previously at The Huddle in North Melbourne working closely with a number of students f rom MAC and surrounding areas, with exper ience working in local counci ls as a Youth Worker before that. Addit ional ly to being the Youth Worker I wi l l also be taking the Entry students Masterchef class. I have over 10 years’ exper ience working as a Chef both here in Austral ia and overseas. When I am not in the school I am also a junior footbal l Coach at F lemington Juniors coaching the under 15 Gir ls s ide which is a mass ive pass ion for me.”

Shannon McVeigh – (Health/Physical Education). Shannon joins the Health and Physical Education team.

“Hi, my name is Shannon McVeigh and I’m the new VCE Physical Education Teacher and wi l l also

Page 3: EventsPage 4: School Vaccinations School Council

Page 4: 2017 MAC MagazinePage 5: School Fees AdvertisingIn

side

P r inc ipa l ’ s Message

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empowering students February 2018

work closely with the Entry Level and Above Entry Level students teaching PE/Health. Pr ior to teaching, I have worked in the f i tness industry and love keeping f i t and active. I also play footbal l and basketbal l and fol low North Melbourne Footbal l Club and Houston Rockets. I look forward to meeting you al l over the year!”

Travis Burroughs – (Robotics and STEM)

“For the past 13 years I have been teaching in STEM education with a focus on robotics and engineer ing. The f i rst 10 years of my career were spent in at a government school

in Vancouver, Canada. I t was there that I got involved with robotics and had two incredible teams make i t al l the way to the world championships. S ince being In Austral ia I have taught STEM subjects in both government and pr ivate schools as wel l as manage high school competit ive robotics across the country. In my spare t ime you can f ind me r iding var ious k inds of bikes and camping in Austral ia’s wi lderness.”

Start of school 2018Wednesday 31 January wi l l be a day forever etched into the memory of the newest addit ions to our MAC community. The commencement of our Entry students was a mi lestone for the school in many ways. The school i s growing rapidly and this year we have doubled the number of Entry classes f rom two to four with ninety students taking part our Entry induction program.

We have had an excel lent start to the year, with our new students being sorted into their houses, part icipating in house activ i t ies and competit ions and gett ing to know the school and one another. For many of the students, learning how to use their combination locks has been the greatest chal lenge but we are happy to report that everyone can now get into their lockers and f ind their way to their next class.

Term 1 wi l l be ful l of excitement, with so many learning

opportunit ies, the House Swimming Carnival , the House Athlet ics Day and the Summit Camp for Entry Level students. We wi l l be needing a break come Easter t ime.

We look forward to the next s ix years with our great new students and know that each and everyone wi l l make a contr ibut ion to MAC community.

Senior School The Senior School Information Evening wi l l take place in the Resource Centre this Thursday 8 February at 7pm. Al l students VCE and VCAL students graduating in 2018 or 2019 are expected to attend with a parent. The focus wi l l be on ‘Keys to Success in the Senior School’ . The sess ion wi l l run for approximately one hour and wi l l cover: the Statement of Commitment - protocols and expectat ions, managing workload and stress, Student Wel lbeing, Careers and Pathways, and more. Students who are studying one or two VCE subjects whi le in the Above Entry Level are also welcome to attend with a parent. The 2018 Senior School Study Ski l l s Program for VCE students that runs two per iods per week covers topics such as effect ive study sk i l l s , aspects of the school wide Respectful Relat ionships program and provide opportunit ies for guest speakers. The overarching theme of ‘effect ive feedback’ wi l l be at the core of the program. Regular forums wi l l be held to empower students to provide feedback to inform the program.

We welcome back our VCAL students this week. They are very excited to undertake a var iety of Vocational Education Training opportunit ies this year. Furthermore, we have a number of students undertaking a School Based Apprent iceships and Traineeships.

Faci l i t iesOver the school hol idays construct ion work has continued on our new sports court and cr icket nets. This i s now nearing complet ion. This fantast ic new faci l i ty wi l l further enhance our learning

environment for the students at MAC. Later this month, work is expected to commence on the new Environmental Adventure Playground.

Shortened DaysWe wish to remind al l students and parents that every second week, we have a shortened day t imetable on the Wednesday for staff to engage in Profess ional

L e a r n i n g . By invest ing strongly to bui ld the capacity of our staff , we are improving l e a r n i n g outcomes for our students. The f i rst s h o r t e n e d day is this Wednesday 7 February. Profess ional Learning has s ignif icant impact on student learning. Al l Entry, Above Entry and Graduates of 2019 students wi l l be dismissed at 1.30pm. The Graduates of 2018 are expected to attend a compulsory v iewing of the f i lm text ‘Rear Window’ f rom 2.30–4.30pm.

We look forward to working with you and for your support as we thr ive to make MAC the secondary school of f i rst choice for local fami l ies.

From the Pr incipal Team:Wayne Haworth, Pr incipal Adam Cribbes, Assistant Pr incipal Junior School Megan Rawlins,Assistant Pr incipal Senior School

Pr inc ipa l ’ s message cont inued. . .

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empowering students February 2018

Mount Alexander College 2018 Term 1 Events

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

29 January

Curriculum Day

30 January

Curriculum Day

31 January

Entry and VCE Graduates 2018 & 2019 Start

1 February

2 February

5 February

Above Entry and VCAL 2018 & 2019 Start

MAC Parents & Friends Meeting 6pm

6 February 7 February

Shortened Day

Graduates 2018 Film ‘Rear Window’

8 February

Senior School Information Night

9 February

12 February

School Council Nominations Open

13 February

Monthly Community Group Meeting 10.30 am

14 February 15 February

Swimming Carnival 16 February

19 February

School Council

School Council Nominations Close

20 February

School Photo Day

21 February

Shortened Day

22 February 23 February

26 February 27 February 28 February

Entry Level Camp

1 March

Entry Level Camp

2 March

Entry Level Camp

5 March 6 March

Monthly Community Group Meeting

Entry Parents Welcome Evening

7 March

Shortened Day 8 March

Athletics Day

9 March

Entry Level Immunisations

12 March

Labour Day Public Holiday

13 March 14 March 15 March 16 March

19 March 20 March

Open Day

21 March

Shortened Day

22 March 23 March

Reports Published

26 March 27 March 28 March

Titration Competition

29 March

End of Term 1

30 March

Good Friday Public Holiday

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empowering students February 2018

2017 MAC Magaz ine

Did you miss out on getting your own 2017 MAC Magazine? We have a limited amount of copies of the 2017 yearbook at the office if you missed out on picking one up last year. They can be purchased for $15.

The yearbook is 40 pages packed full of photos and pictures celebrating your school year.

The Secondary School Vaccine Program offers free vaccines to Year 7 and 10 students. These vaccines provide protection against: • Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) – one dose for Year 7 students• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) – two doses for year 7 students• Meningococcal A,C,W,Y – one dose for year 10 students.

Parents/guardians of Year 7 and 10 students should look out for the vaccine consent card booklet coming home from school with your child. You need to read the information, complete and return the card regardless of whether your child is being vaccinated at school.

The Moonee Valley Council immunisation service may contact you about the Secondary School Vaccine Program. Schools are authorised to provide basic parent/guardian contact details to local councils for this purpose. Contact the school by 28 February 2018 if you do not want your contact details given to the Moonee Valley Council immunisation service.

To learn more about the Secondary School Vaccine Program, the vaccines, the diseases they protect against, or how you can prepare your child for vaccination, go to betterhealth.vic.gov.au

Additionally, the Commonwealth government is funding vaccinations for all children under 20 years who missed scheduled vaccines. If students have missed vaccines, either in childhood or adolescence, and require catch-up vaccines, they should speak with their immunisation provider (ie. local council or GP).

Secondary Schoo l Vaccinat ions

Jo in the Schoo l Counc i l !

Stay Connected

The call for nominations for the new school council opens on Monday 12 February. There are five parent, and two DET member positions open for nominations this year. Please consider joining in the council, as it is a great opportunity to have a say in the direction of the school.

You can pick up an application form from the General Office, or download on the website or Compass from Monday 12 February.

The nominations close on Monday 19 February 4pm.

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empowering students February 2018

Family Statements will be mailed out by the end of this week. A friendly reminder that all fees are due by Friday 31 March unless a payment arrangement is in place.

If you require financial assistance or would like to set up a payment arrangement, please see me or Margaret Webb in the General Office.

Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund (CSEF) applications close on Friday 31 March. If you hold an eligible Health Care or Pension Card and you have not submitted an application, please complete and return your forms to the General Office before the closing date. Application forms can be collected from the General Office or downloaded from our website.

Laura Sandham, Business Manager

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