Friday 10th February 2012

PRINCIPAL

Welcome to the 2012 year, we have had a fantastic start. Staff engaged in professional learning and organisational activities on the first two days and have now established a great response to our key directions. Yr 7 & 12 students

enjoyed having a day where they could interact together and the feedback from parents was very positive. We now have all students attending classes.

Congratulations to our 2012 College Captains Vince Santoro & Brittany Maskell. Vice Captains are Muhammad Maarj & Elizabeth Skehan. All 15 candidates conducted themselves very well and can be very proud of the way they presented

to the College Community.

Students and staff were introduced to our ACE program which is part of School Wide Positive Behaviours training. Students and staff worked together to develop our key statements covering all behaviours. All schools in our region will

participate in the program.

ACE represents ; Achievement—I am a learner, Co-operation—I am responsible, Esteem—I am respectful I would like to congratulate Pia Ingram on her excellent presentation to staff and students. Students will be recognised

weekly for their ACE achievements and many students are to be congratulated for their achievement of recognition this week. Our first week ACE achievers are;

A warm welcome to all our new staff. We welcome Jessica White—Humanities, Jenna Werner—Physical Education, Health & Human Development and Foods, Rebecca Hann - Maths and joining us later next week Junko Takahama—

Japanese. Exchange teacher Cassie Willis will teach PE and Dance and we welcome back Lauren McKeown—Humanities

and Emily Zierk for two half days for Choir. Carolyn Ryan has been promoted to Teacher Assistant and Sigrid Nichols is the new Library Assistant. Our support teacher team has welcomed appointments for 2012 of Wendy Marshall and

Elizabeth Davidson.

We are really grateful to the parents who are taking advantage of direct deposit facilities. However during January and

in the past week we have had deposits into the Official Account without student or parent names. If you believe you may have made a deposit and not entered your name or the students name please contact the College and ask to speak

to Business Manager Andrea Nichols. These payments would possibly be for Year 7 Camp and Year 12 Camp.

Fees for semester 1 will be distributed in the next fortnight and the statements will also include B-Pay as a payment option.

We are trying to reduce our environmental foot print in many areas. We are aiming to significantly reduce photocopying as one of our targets. Therefore the next newsletter will appear on the college website, www.cobramsc.vic.edu.au This

website is currently under construction but will be operational for the next newsletter. If you do need to have a copy sent home it will be given to your child to bring home, so please complete the attached request on Page 4 and return to

the General Office.

College Council elections are now scheduled as per the timeline included in the newsletter. Members whose current

elected period expires are Rita Jukes, Tania Goldman, Jeanette Miller, Sally Moore and Dianne Ferguson. All these members are eligible to renominate. Nominations for parent and staff representatives is February 20th, nominations

forms available from the General Office. If considering nominating your are required to attend a meeting of Council once per month and one sub-committee meeting per month.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU RETURN THE SLIP IF YOU WISH TO BE CONTACTED BY YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER BY EMAIL—SEE PAGE 4

IF YOU NEED A PAPER COPY OF THE NEWSLETTER—SEE PAGE 4

Vicki Nolen

Year Lottery Winner Highest Number Of Green Entries

7 Skye Trease Bonnie Dunn

8 Ireland Letson Treeanna Forster

9 Sione Vaenuku James Andrew, Shaun Greenway & Sione Vaenuku

10 Shaun Willis Kirsty Barnes

11 Angus Currie Nick Chick & Geordie Wood

12 Liv Brown Alex Dunn, Brittany Maskell & Stephanie Morgan

Year 7 Camp: 5th March – 9th March The Snowy River Camp in Tallangatta is a huge success every year.

The camp provides the Year 7s with the chance to form new

friendships and develop their social and physical skills. Camps have

proven to be a successful way for children to learn in a fun,

collaborative and supportive environment. All activities are

instructed by fully qualified Snowy River staff and they offer horse-

riding, abseiling, canoeing, flying fox, swimming and many more fun

games and activities.

School Formal 2011 Thursday 15th December

In the theme of ‘Masquerade Ball’, last

year’s Middle School Formal was a very

successful night. It was a fun way to end

the year, celebrating the new

friendships formed in Year 7 and

farewelling our Year 9s into Senior

School.

Our students were extremely impressive

in their outfits, with the boys looking

dapper in suits, ties and vests. The girls

also looked splendid in their dresses and

some braved new heights in sparkling

shoes!

Highlights of the night included the

group photographs in the photo booth

(thank you Miss Jones) and the prizes for

awards such as ‘Best Dressed’, ‘Most

Enthusiastic’, ’Best at Limbo’ or ‘Best

Dancer’. Students were presented with

certificates and even won prizes like

vouchers for Mentha’s or chocolates.

The hall was transformed into a

spectacular ball and was pumping to

the beats from DJs Rick ‘n’ Hodgey,

ably illuminated with special effects by

Kane Goldsworthy and Rhys Mathieson.

A BIG thank you to all staff and student

helpers, without whom the event could

not have run. Also thank you to all of

the wonderful students in attendance

who had a brilliant time and carved up

the dance floor style!

Year 7 Information Barbeque and Music Evening 21st February

The Middle School Team is forever impressed by the performances

put on by the band at CSC and are anticipating another great

performance this year at the Information Evening. This evening is

a chance for us to welcome our new Year 7s and their families.

Introductions are made and parents are able to meet the

teachers of their Year 7s over a casual barbeque. Please come

over to the school, have dinner and discover what exciting

opportunities await your child this year. After the dinner we will

relocate to the Drama room for the music performance and talk

about the music options available to your child at CSC.

Equipment & ‘Out of Bounds’ Reminder * All rules and expectations of the school are detailed in

the planners.

* Students must also bring a change of clothes and

appropriate footwear (in accordance with O.H&S

standards) to their practical PE classes or else they will

not be allowed to participate.

* No student is allowed out of the school bounds without

clear permission and without having signed out with

Judy. Lunch passes are for students to go directly home

for lunch, not to the corner store. Any student caught

out of bounds without a pass will be dealt with severely.

It is imperative that we know where students are at all

times so that we can ensure their safety.

* Each student has been allocated a locker and should

have a lock to protect their belongings.

All photographs are

available to download

f r o m th e sch o o l

network on General (L:) Drive.

Welcome to 2012 The Senior School Team would like to welcome back all students for 2012, with a special welcome to the senior school students and parents who are joining our school community this year. We look forward to working with all parties to improve the outcomes for our students throughout the year. Students were provided with the essential materials to begin the year on their first day back, including their subject selections, planners and Senior School Handbook. We would encourage all parents and guardians to take a look inside the planners of their students, to read with them the rules of the Senior School, and to contact the college if there are any queries. At the back of the Senior School Handbook is an enrolment contract that all students should sign and return to school. There are also appendices with regards to leaving the school grounds during study periods and permission to drive to and from school and/or take passengers. No student should be leaving school grounds, or travelling to school via their own cars, until these forms are signed and returned to our office. Year 10 students are not permitted to leave the school grounds during their private study lessons. Our House Leaders for this year are;

Green House Ms Lisa Kemp kemp.lisa. m@edumil.vic.gov.au Red House Mrs Julie Ferguson ferguson.julie.m@edumail.vic.gov.au Blue House Miss Jessica White white.jessica.j@edumail.vic.gov.au Yellow House Mrs Sally Moore moore.sally.a@edumail.vic.gov.au

Our leading teacher in the senior school off ice is Miss Barbara Harvey harvey.barbara.h@edumail.vic.gov.au

Congratulations to the Year 12 School Captain Candidates. The 15 candidates really impressed with their speeches. House Captain nominations are in and we are also very impressed with the calibre of the candidates for these positions. Events, Events, Events! The year begins at a rapid pace in the Senior School, with a number of events scheduled within the first 5 weeks of term;

Monday 13th February sees the whole school down at the pool for the annual Swimming

Carnival. It was particularly pleasing last year to see the Senior School lead the way in terms of participation in all aspects of the carnival, and we would expect this year to be no different.

From Wednesday 15th to Friday 17th February Year 12 will be on excursion, travelling to Crystal Creek for an intense few days of Study Camp. These few days will be used by the senior school team to provide strategies, techniques and motivation to get the best out of themselves for this year, with some fun activities thrown in.

Assessment Schedules It is our intention to publish the Assessment Dates for all subjects across the VCE in our fortnightly newsletters, allowing parents to know exactly what work is due so that you can support them in their efforts. Watch this space in upcoming newsletters. Singapore Cultural Tour Would you like to breakfast with orang-utans, try your hand at batik, shop for tailor made dresses and leather jackets at bargain prices and improve your Asia Literacy out of sight at the same time? If you answered ’yes’ to any of the above questions then the Senior School Singapore Cultural Tour is for you! Plans are underway for a trip to Singapore for students to take place in the last week of semester one and the first week of the July school holidays for approx. 8 days. Watch this space for more details on the trip and costs, make sure you have a valid passport and start saving!

School Council Election Process and Timetable for Cobram Secondary College

a) Notice of election and call for nominations Monday 13th February 2012

b) Closing date for nominations Monday 20th February 2012

c) Date by which the list of candidates and nominators will be posted Wednesday 22nd February 2012

d) Date by which ballot papers will be prepared and distributed On or before Monday 27th February 2012

e) Close of ballot Tuesday 6th March 2012

f) Vote count Wednesday 7th March 2012

g) Declaration of ballot Friday 9th March 2012

h) Special council meeting to coopt Community members (the principal will preside) Monday 26th March 2012

i) First council meeting to elect office bearers (the principal will preside) Monday 26th March 2012

Parent contact with teacher

via email Please supply your email address

Parent name:

Student name:

Email address:

Please return form to General Office or email your address to cobram.sc@edumail.vic.gov.au

Newsletter

Printed Copy or Email

Parent name:

Student name:

Email address:

□ Email or □ Printed Copy

Please return form to General Office

Immunisation – Year 7 & 10 Students

The Moira Shire Immunisation Team will be visiting in March to begin the 2012 immunisation program for years 7 and 10 and will

be returning in May and September to continue the program for Hepatitis B and Gardasil vaccinations. Absent students will be

vaccinated when we return to their school or a letter will be sent home inviting them to our external sessions.

* Year 10 are due for Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (Boostrix) vaccination.

* Year 7 will be offered Hepatitis B vaccination, Chickenpox vaccination and female students will be offered Human

papillomavirus (Gardasil) vaccination.

For further information contact Cheryl Ferguson, Moira Shire on 5871 9222.

The Best Day of My Life, by Deborah Ellis Valli is sick of spending her days picking up coal. But coal is the only thing there is in Jharia. Valli’s family won’t let her go to school and there’s never enough food. So when Valli discovers her ‘aunt’ is actually a stranger who was paid money to look after her, she stows away in a coal truck and sets out for a new life. Valli is brave and resourceful enough to survive on the streets of Kolkata. But why does she have ‘magic feet’ that feel no pain? A chance encounter with a doctor gives her some answers, but Valli must decide if she trusts the doctor enough to accept help.

Rosemary Bunge—

Welcome back to school I hope everyone had a most

relaxing and enjoyable holiday.

Now we are back at school it is important to remember

that as a Sunsmart School we are all required to wear

sun hats while outside during term one.

With the swimming sports fast approaching it will be also

very necessary to remember to slip, slop, slap, seek and

wrap. Also during this hot weather we need to remember

to drink plenty of water to stay well hydrated. School

policy allows for students to carry a clear water bottle

with them to class (this is for water only).

Things to remember

Water is essential to most bodily functions.

The body has no way to store water and needs fresh

supplies every day.

It is recommended that you consume around eight glasses of

water a day to prevent dehydration

For those new to the school I am the adolescent health nurse

and here 2 days a week, this term that will be Monday and

Friday. I can see students about health issues or personal

problems and also run small groups. The main focus of the

adolescent health nurse is primary health care and health

promotion.

Breakfast program runs every Friday in the cooking

centre from 8:20 am and is free, we would love to see you

there for some sharing of food and fun.

All the best in 2012

Hereafter, by Tara Hudson

The only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she’s dead, trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. But everything changes when she finds Joshua drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an un f o rg e t ta b l e m om ent o f connection, she helps him survive.

But as Amelia and Joshua struggle to keep their secret bond hidden from the living, a frightening spirit is doing everything is his power to drag Amelia back into the ghost world…..forever.

Second Hand Book Sales Second hand books are still available to purchase

from the Library.

We are open

Monday-Friday 8.30am-4pm.

Book sales will close at the end of February with

any unsold books returned to students in March.

Victorian Premier’s Reading

Challenge 2012 Once again Cobram Secondary College will be registering for the Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge. Students in Years 7-10 are invited to take part. Stay tuned for more details in the next Newsletter!

SCHOOL PHOTOS

Friday17th February 2012

On photo day, every child attending the school will be

photographed. Additional order envelopes are

available from the school office for separated parents

and grandparents. Be sure to write “Mum's Order” or

“Dad's Order” on top of your envelope. Family

envelopes are also available from the school office for

siblings attending the school together.

The school cannot help you

with your enquiries. Please

direct your questions and

comments straight to MSP

Photography at

jenny.davies@msp.com.au

or phone (03) 5881 3436.

Library

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Cobram Secondary College

PO Box 387

Cobram 3644