As we approach the end of another busy and rewarding term at Elevation Secondary College, we would like to thank our families and carers for their ongoing support and partnership. Working together allows us to provide the very best opportunities for our young people to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.
At Elevation Secondary College, we remain committed to creating a safe, inclusive and positive learning environment where every student is known, supported and challenged to achieve their best. High expectations, strong relationships and consistency between home and school continue to underpin our work as we support students to become respectful, resilient and successful members of our community.
Attendance and Engagement
Learning is extremely important at Elevation Secondary College and strong school attendance is critical to the development of our young people to support their progress and attainment.
Family and school partnerships are important in developing a strong sense of education and supporting your child’s learning. However, we understand that some absences are unavoidable, such as illness or a serious family situation. Where absences can be avoided and are within the control of the parent or carer, we would like to draw your attention to the impact that absences can have over time.
| When your child misses just… | They miss each year… | Equates to…over their school life… |
| 5 minutes per day | 3 days | 5.5 weeks |
| 30 minutes per day | 18 days | 18 weeks |
| 1 day per fortnight | 4 weeks | Over 1 year missed |
| 1 day per week | 8 weeks | Over 2.5 years missed |
Every lesson matters. Beyond the academic impact, attending school regularly helps students establish routines, develop resilience, build friendships and maintain a strong sense of belonging within our school community.
If your family is experiencing circumstances that are affecting attendance, please do not hesitate to contact the school. We are committed to working alongside families to identify strategies and supports that enable every student to engage successfully in their education.
Punctuality Matters
Alongside attendance, punctuality remains an important focus across our school.
Students who arrive at school and lessons on time are better prepared, organised and ready to learn. Arriving late not only impacts a student’s own learning but can also interrupt teaching and disrupt the learning of others.
Many families have adjusted their morning routines to support students arriving by our 8:30am start time and we are grateful for this ongoing commitment. Throughout the day, students are provided with sufficient time to transition between classes. We encourage students to move promptly when the bell music begins so they can arrive settled and prepared for learning.
Developing good punctuality habits is an important life skill that supports success both at school and beyond.
Early Pick-Up Procedures
Where an early pick-up must occur, such as for a medical appointment that cannot reasonably be scheduled outside of school hours, the following process should occur:
- Your child brings a signed and dated note from home explaining the reason for the early departure and intended departure time.
- The note is presented to the Year Level Coordination Office before Mentor Group.
- Your child receives a signed Early Leaver pass.
- At the designated time, your child presents the pass to Reception and signs out before being collected.
If collection must occur during a timetabled lesson, students should show their signed Early Leaver pass to their classroom teacher before reporting to the office. School staff are unable to collect students from classes or make announcements during lessons except in emergency situations.
Holidays and Looking Ahead
The upcoming school holidays provide a wonderful opportunity for families to relax, recharge and reconnect.
At the same time, we encourage students to ensure they are prepared for a positive start to Term Three. This includes completing any outstanding work, replenishing equipment and ensuring that uniform requirements are met.
Term Three promises to be another academically challenging, rewarding and exciting period of learning. We look forward to continuing to work alongside our students and families to support every young person to achieve their potential.
Uniform and Cold Weather
As we move through the colder months, there are many ways students can layer appropriately while continuing to meet our uniform expectations.
We recommend students:
- Purchase long-sleeved school shirts, allowing additional long-sleeved v-neck tops or thermals to be worn underneath.
- Wear the school jacket or blazer, which are designed to provide warmth and protection from the cold.
- Consider thermal bottoms underneath uniform pants if additional warmth is required.
Items of non-uniform clothing should not be worn.
- Track pants worn instead of academic uniform pants.
- Non-uniform sleeves showing.
- Non-uniform PE pants.
- Academic jumpers worn with the PE uniform.
- Hoodies or other non-uniform outerwear.
Equipment and Organisation
Whilst many students keep their lockers organised, with separate books per subject, labelled folders, a pencil case, charged laptop and diary on hand, some students have reached the end of exercise books or rely on an “everything book”. This is not ideal.
Now is a great time to stock up on equipment, purchase additional exercise books and replenish stationery supplies. Labelling resources and ensuring students are organised allows them to start the new term positively, remain prepared and engage successfully in every lesson.
Pleasantries
We continue to be impressed by the number of students modelling positive pleasantries throughout the day.
At Elevation Secondary College, we treat all staff and students with respect. Something as simple as saying “Hello”, “Good Morning” or “How are you?” genuinely contributes to a stronger sense of community and belonging.
These small interactions can have a significant impact on another person’s day and are part of what makes our school such a special place. We encourage our students to keep it up.
Positive Climate for Learning
Creating calm, safe and purposeful learning environments remains a shared priority across our school. Students learn best when expectations are clear, routines are consistent and relationships are built on mutual respect.
We continue to work closely with students and families to reinforce the importance of being ready to learn, treating others with kindness and respect, and taking responsibility for their actions. While young people will inevitably make mistakes as they grow and develop, these moments provide valuable opportunities for reflection, restoration and learning.
We are proud of the way many of our students demonstrate resilience, compassion and determination each day. Families play an essential role in supporting these values and we thank you for your ongoing partnership in helping our young people flourish both inside and outside the classroom.
The Importance of Sleep on Learning and Behaviour
Getting enough sleep is vital for positive learning and behaviour. Without enough sleep, teenagers can struggle more with emotional regulation, focus, concentration and memory. Sleep allows the body to repair, restore and consolidate memories and information. It supports a healthy immune system, helps regulate hormones and plays an important role in physical development.
On average, teenagers require between 8–10 hours of sleep each night.
Therefore, it is important for parents and carers to help teenagers establish healthy sleep routines. Good sleep hygiene includes maintaining a regular bedtime, creating an environment conducive to sleep and managing pre-sleep activities such as screen time.
The Western Australian Department of Health provides an excellent checklist and practical strategies to support healthy sleep habits: https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/CCI/Mental-Health-Professionals/Sleep/Sleep—Information-Sheets/Sleep-Information-Sheet—04—Sleep-Hygiene.pdf
Mid-Year Assessments
Our Middle and Senior School students have participated in significant assessments in recent weeks to demonstrate their learning during Semester One.
Assessment tasks and practice tasks at Elevation Secondary College are designed with increasing complexity, challenge and duration over the years to provide students with authentic assessment experiences and highly useful feedback. These experiences allow students to refine and improve their performance over time and are an important part of preparing students for future pathways, including VCE.
Year 10 students have completed mid-year examinations across their core subjects and elective studies. It has been wonderful to see students approach these experiences with ambition, maturity and diligence.
Senior students have also undertaken a range of significant assessment experiences as part of their VCE studies. These opportunities provide valuable feedback, help students build confidence and ensure they are well prepared for future examinations.
The relationship between stress and exam performance is a complicated one. A little stress can enhance performance, while too much stress can become overwhelming. Research suggests that the amount of stress experienced by students is closely linked to how prepared they feel. Therefore, one of the most effective ways to support students during assessment periods is through consistent preparation, effective study habits and positive encouragement.
Thank you once again for your continued support throughout the term. We wish all our students and families a safe, restful and enjoyable holiday break. As we look ahead to Term Three, we encourage our young people to continue to aim high, work hard and be good – striving to be the very best version of themselves in all that they do.
Sonia Loudon, Alex Mangione, Natalie Conboy, Liam McKenna, Matt Williamson, Gulsen Tankir and Kyle Schutz
Assistant Principals