Aspire News | October & November 2023 Edition

Year 10 Exams

Our Year 10 exams have now been completed and were held for the first time in our gymnasium. The Year 10 exams were held with adherence to VCAA examination rules, to give our students a practice run of what they can expect in Year 12 exams. The students responded very well to these expectations.

Students in younger years sometimes wonder why we place such an emphasis on work completion and ensuring that students complete their learning tasks in class in as much detail as possible (one of the key indicators for our Behavioural Expectation of Work Hard). Among many other reasons, it is precisely because of this – preparing for high stakes assessments like exams. Continuous practice across a number of years, which requires effort, practice and fully completing tasks in and out of class time is excellent preparation for higher level learning tasks like exams and SACs.  In talking with our teachers as they assess exams, I’ve been impressed by the length and detail of many responses from our students to their exams and the high percentage of students who have attempted every question.

It is the effort and rigour applied across many years of education that leads to success in exams – not cramming the night before.

I would like to thank Ms Nicholas for her organization of the exams and her excellence in performing the role of head examiner. Our Learning Specialists, Domain Leaders and Classroom teachers also did an outstanding job of preparing students. Also thanks to Ms Dulger and the Senior School team who have done significant preparation work with the cohort.

Academic Prep

The next step for our year 10 cohort is to complete their Academic Preparation for VCE over two days. Students will be completing sessions within their finalized subject choices to best prepare for Year 11 at the start of next year. Thanks to Ms Loudon, Ms Dulger and Ms Cheedu for their organization of this program.

Traffic

I have written in this newsletter and on Compass a number of times over the years regarding traffic at drop off and pick up time at the front of the school and neighbouring areas. Our school is growing and will be larger again next year and the year after. This means that traffic is likely to increase in the area.

On many days there is dangerous driving on Elevation Boulevard and surrounds including:

• Dangerous driving and speeding
• Illegal U turns
• Double and triple parking
• Not following the crossing guard directions

This needs to improve. Student safety is the number one priority for all members of our community, especially on the roads at and near school. People driving near schools at school times have extra responsibility to take care.

Officially, the school and the school council have lobbied each of the following for improved services to the school and surrounding area; Hume Council, Craigieburn Police, Hoban (crossing supervisor contractors).

The school and school council have done a significant amount of work in contacting local authorities, alerting them to the issues and seeking support.

There has been some commitment to evaluating the needs and providing improvement, however these are likely to take a long time to achieve.

In the meantime, it is the responsibility of all in the community to drive carefully There is now a heightened responsibility on the entire community to act, park and drive in a safe manner near the school. This year alone two of our students have been hit by cars nearby to the school. It is not acceptable for our students to be exposed to unsafe conditions near the school.

To assist with increasing safety near the school at drop off and pick up time you can:

• Drop off or pick up your child further away from the school – not everyone needs to be dropped at the front gate
• Encourage your child to walk or bike where possible
• Plan your route to avoid making illegal U-turns
• Drive slower than the speed limit in the immediate vicinity of the school
• Prioritise your primary school pickup – Many families pick up their child from ESC first before heading quickly off to pick up younger primary school siblings. This makes sense, however it does lead to rushing to make it to the primary school first. Pick up your primary school aged child first, then (if need be), come to Elevation to pick up your older child second. They can use the time to study in the library, attend Homework club etc. (or walk home if they don’t like waiting)

If you have concerns, queries or questions about the traffic, parking and school crossing situation near the school you should contact Hume Council directly. If you have reports to make regarding dangerous driving near the school, please do so directly to Craigieburn Police of by dialing 000.

CAT 4 Fire Danger

I am providing advanced notification that under Victoria’s (and Australia’s) new fire rating system – Elevation Secondary College has been classed as a Category 4 School. This means that if the fire danger rating in our fire weather district is classed as catastrophic – the school will be closed.

Should this eventuality arise – the decision will be made by 2pm the prior day – allowing plenty of advanced notice. You should note that not all Craigieburn schools have the same rating – which means that our school may be closed while others remain open.

This notice serves as advanced warning prior to the bushfire season.

By Colin Burke

Dear Elevation Secondary College Community,

Finishing the year strongly

As we near the end of the year, it can feel tempting to ease up on expectations and coast through to the festive season. Schools work really hard right up to the last day of school.

There is no easing up. Attendance counts all year round and we appreciate families ensuring students attend school every single day unless they are ill.

We ask parents to check with their children that they are wearing the correct uniform, have a separate book for every subject, and ensure they arrive at school by 8:30am having slept for 9 hours and having eaten some breakfast.

Our Behavioural Expectations remain our priority in everything we do at school. As such, academic rigour will continue and our students will be required to live and breathe our expectations of Aim High, Work Hard and Be Good. 

We look forward to students striving to achieve their very best until the final school bell of the year. 

Attendance & Early Leavers Reminder

School attendance is very important.

Students are required to attend school for the entire day. If there is an unavoidable reason for a student to leave school early on a particular day (such as for a medical appointment) a signed note from home must be provided.

Pickup times should coincide with recess and lunch.

Process:

1. Students brings a note from home explaining the absence and the intended departure time (recess or lunch). The note must be signed and dated by a parent/guardian.
2. Student presents the note from home to the Mini School Admin Office before Mentor Group
3. Students receives a signed Early Leaver note from the Mini School.
4. At recess or lunch- the student brings the Early Leaver note to the Administration Office and signs out.
5. Student is picked up.

If a pickup time can only be during a timetabled period, the student must show their signed Early Leaver note to their classroom teacher at the designated time and then present to the office to be picked up.

School staff will not be collecting students from classes during timetabled periods.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they arrive at the office for pickup at the designated time.

Learning is extremely important at Elevation Secondary College. Please note that staff cannot collect your child or put an announcement over speakers during class time.

RECESS & LUNCH TIMES

Recess- 10:56-11:24am

Lunch- 1:20-2:02pm

By Angela Lane, Sonia Loudon, Kyle Schutz & Andrew Stock

Wellbeing

The Wellbeing team at Elevation has seen the students at Elevation reach many personal goals this term, and we are very proud of all of you for showing resilience and personal growth across the term.

Across the world, young people and their families are being impacted by the conflict in The Middle East. These events, as well as other conflicts globally, are often shown online in vivid detail via news or other social media platforms. Young people can be exposed to quite upsetting images, videos and information about these conflicts, and can require support to reduce the impact on their health and wellbeing. Below are some tips for families to help your young person, and the E-Safety Commissioner website has resources on what to do if you see distressing content online: https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people/disturbing-content

How can I help my children cope after witnessing distressing events?

After distressing events, parents want to support their children in responding to and dealing with the events. Here are some tips.

What might be helpful:

• Make sure you take care of yourself
• Listen to what they have to say. Answer their questions
• Help children understand what happened. Be honest. Use information based on facts, not rumour or hope
• Reassure them about the future
• Re-involve children in chores and responsibilities as soon as they can cope with them again
• Try to keep a regular routine (reading before bed, eating dinner together, watching TV together)
• Encourage play and fun
• Make time for the family to be together and enjoy each other’s company. Laugh
• Be open about your thoughts and feelings. Children will be aware of them anyway
• Allow emotions to be shared in the family but in a way which does not overwhelm
• Let children cry, hang around you or the house, be clinging or physically close
• Praise children when appropriate.

What is less helpful?

• Demand that children be brave or tough
• Expect them to ‘get over it’ quickly
• Expect them to take on responsibilities beyond their capability
• Get angry if they show strong emotions
• Force them to tell their stories or probe for personal details
• Make promises you might not be able to keep
• Bottle things up – try to express emotions openly, without overwhelming children
• Pretend that you are okay

Source: After a distressing event has happened | Australian Red Cross

Hope this helps but feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Regards, ESC Wellbeing Team

As we near the end of the term and the end of the year, we wish Year 9’s the best of luck for their upcoming exams, taking place from the 6th-8th December. We also congratulate them for their recent participation in the Real Industry Job Interviews as part of their personal development this year. The community volunteers were impressed with the way that students presented themselves and hopefully this experience will be useful when students begin applying for part-time jobs at the moment and full-time jobs in their life after school and/or further study.

City School

If your child is not attending City School on the 13th-15th December, they are expected to attend school on those days, where a literacy-numeracy program will take place. Alternatively, students not attending are also encouraged to find work experience during this time – please speak to Mr Henderson or Ms Hunter for more details. 

For students who are attending, they are expected to meet their teachers at Craigieburn Station by 08:30am on the morning of the 13th and 14th. The cost of all excursions is covered by the money paid, but students will also need to ensure they have a Myki card topped up for three days . Students should bring a packed lunch for the first and second days, but are welcome to purchase food in the city on their third day. They may also want to bring some additional money on they day they do the Eureka Skydeck, if they want to take part in the optional “Edge” experience.

Students have already begun looking at navigation skills during personal development and will be provided with extensive instructions on how to get to the excursions they are navigating to without teachers. A full safety briefing for students will take place on Tuesday 5th December. We would also like to remind parents that if students are not acting in a safe way during the experience, they may be banned from future days. Students should arrive back to Craigieburn at approximately 3-3.30PM on the first two days, but this may vary with transport times. Students will be dismissed from Flinders Street Station in the city on the third day.

2024

Year 10 Work Experience 2024

At Elevation Secondary College, Work Experience is a compulsory program in Year 10 and is running in the last week of Term 2- Monday 24th June to Friday 28th June.

Work Experience is the short-term placement of secondary school students with employers. 

During their placement, students will experience what it is like to work in their chosen industry while also having a taste of the world of work in general.

Work Experience helps students make informed decisions about their future and will help them develop valuable employability skills and networks. In some cases, students may receive a job or apprenticeship offer at the end of their placement.

All Year 9 students were introduced to the program in Week 7’s PDM session, have been given Initial Forms and have been encouraged to begin seeking out placements over the upcoming Christmas break.

More information and copies of the Initial Form are available on Compass for those who need it. Ms Hunter and Ms Connor are also available in the Year 10 Coordination Office for those who would like assistance in any way.

Mr Rory Henderson- Year 9 Leading Teacher

Senior School

Dear Senior School Families,

As we wrap up for the year, here is a recap of our eventful and busy Term 4.

Semester 2 Examinations: Rising to the Challenge

Our Senior School students faced a significant milestone this year as they tackled Semester 2 Examinations under Year 12 conditions. We are thrilled to report that our students not only met but exceeded expectations, showcasing resilience, dedication, and the impressive ability to rise to challenges.

Their exceptional performance is a testament to their hard work throughout the year, and we are immensely proud of their achievements.

Letters of Offers for 2024: Confirming Future Pathways

Letters of Offers for the upcoming year have been distributed to all our students. This document outlines confirmed subjects as well as program allocations (VCE, MyVCE or VCE VM).

Academic Preparation for 2024: A Strong Start

Looking ahead to 2024, our Senior School students have already taken a proactive approach to their academic journey. They recently attended their VCE classes for two days, laying the foundation for another successful year.

As a reminder, Holiday Homework has been allocated to all students, with submissions due in the first week of school. We have full confidence that our students will begin the new year with the same determination from this year.

Futsal Competition Winners – 10B

This Term, our Senior School students have been deeply engaged in the Futsal Competition- the very first held at Elevation! After 6 rounds of competition, 10B emerged victorious!

A special acknowledgement to Mr Mulligan, Mr Eyigun and Mr Isaac for their dedication and hard work in putting this tournament together. We look forward to more events in 2024.

A Heartfelt Thank You

We extend our gratitude to you, our Senior School families, for the unwavering support you have provided throughout the year. Your encouragement, involvement, and commitment to your child’s education has been noticed and appreciated. Working together is the cornerstone of any child’s education- particularly as we approach the final two years of schooling.

Looking Ahead to 2024

As we bid farewell to this academic year, I am excited to share that my team and I will be following this exceptional cohort into Year 11. We look forward to continuing our collaboration and witnessing the continued growth and achievements of each student.

 Thank you once again for your partnership in your child’s education.

Wishing you all a joyful holiday season and a well-deserved break.

Asli Dulger, Senior Leading Teacher

Careers & Pathways

Year 10 Tertiary Experiences

Earlier this term all Year 10 students had the opportunity to attend 2x Tertiary Experiences.

This huge event was run over two days with students attending and experiencing a different Tertiary Institution each day. Students were assigned to two of the below four options based on their preferences.

• La Trobe University
• RMIT
• The University of Melbourne
• Victoria University

Students attended a number of presentations, tours and workshops over the two days. These enabled students to get a taste of tertiary life, the expectations, application processes and huge variety of course and pathways options available to them when the time comes for them to take this next step in their career journeys. 

We aim to give all students the tools and resources they need to make informed decisions about their futures, and while this has been an amazingly insightful experience, students are still encouraged to continue their investigations. Attending Tertiary Open Days are one of the best ways for students to compare tertiary institutions and their courses which is why we will continue to encourage students to attend these events in the coming years. The Careers & Pathways team is always available to assist students with queries and investigations into tertiary and post school pathways and can be found in the Year 10 Coordination Office.

Vocational Education Awards

Throughout 2023, we have had a number of students engage with the Head Start School-Based Apprenticeship and Traineeship Program with great successes. Two of these successes have been recognised at the Hume Whittlesea LLEN Vocational Education Awards at RMIT this month and have received the Head Start Encouragement Award.

Riley U has been engaged in a Full Time Electrical Apprenticeship since the start of Term 4. He was offered this apprenticeship opportunity following his outstanding performance at his Year 10 Work Experience placement.

Aryan V will be starting a School Based Automotive Apprenticeship in 2024. He was also offered this apprenticeship opportunity following his outstanding performance at his Year 10 Work Experience placement.

Real Industry Job Interviews with the Hume Whittlesea LLEN

This term our Year 9 students embarked on a huge job-ready project – the Real Industry Job Interviews. For the last 6-8 weeks students have been working on Job Searching, Resume Writing, Cover Letter Writing, Key Selection Criteria Responses and Interview Etiquette which had all culminated in a Mock Job Interview which more than 130 students completed.

This project was delivered in partnership with the Hume Whittlesea Local Learning and Employment Network, who organised more than 15 community volunteers to come in and conduct Mock Job Interviews with each student based on the mock job application they had been putting together. These volunteers came from all over the Hume Whittlesea area including Melbourne Airport, Headstart and Hume City Council. 

Feedback from both the community volunteers and students has been incredible. Students have been able to reflect on the experience and not only feel much more confident with job applications that they were previously, but have been able to identify areas of improvement in preparation for next time. Some students have even come away from their interviews with incredible network connections that they can call on in their upcoming Year 10 Work Experience program.

A huge thank you goes out to the Hume Whittlesea LLEN and all the community volunteers, as well as the Year 9 PDM teachers, without whom we would not have been able to complete this project. 

Ms. Hunter and Ms. Connor are available for careers and pathway discussions throughout the year. Please email jacqueline.hunter@elevationsc.vic.edu.au to book an appointment.

Over the last term, the curriculum team have worked towards creating and improving a variety of areas of learning around the school. This includes improving current curriculum, academic preparation and VCE planning. 

As we approach the end of the year, students in years 9 and 10 are preparing for the exam period. Exams at Elevation Secondary college are formal and replicate the strict experience VCE students experience in year 12. For this reason, it is vital that students prepare using the textbook, notes, online materials and seeking feedback from teachers, so that they are fully prepared and have a positive experience during the exams.

At Elevations Secondary College we teach up to the final lesson. We believe that far from being a time to “wind down” the end of the year is critical for students to get prepared to take the next step in terms of their focus toward their studies. Students change over time and it is important to “end the year as you mean to start the next one”.

A large number of staff members have worked on developing VCE content for our year 11 students next year as well as preparing some of our students for unit 3 and 4 Media and Psychology in 2024. We eagerly await our first year of year 11 students and are looking forward to maintaining the academic rigor of the VCE and VM programs. 

Extension and Enrichment

Maths Talent Quest

Well done to Ammar Mahmoud in 8E who recently earned recognition in the National Maths Talent Quest Awards against over 450 participants for his project, “How AI will Impact the Global Economy and Future Job Opportunities.” His project received accolades, including: 

• Best Project in Australia 
• Best Project in Victoria & Tasmania 
• High Distinction Award
• Ministers’ Award for FLIP (Financial Literacy in Practice). 

The National Maths Talent Quest encourages students to apply mathematical concepts to their personal interests, aiming to break down barriers in learning Maths and expand on key concepts.

His project revolves around a powerful decision tool (formula) that helps governments all over the world predict AI impact on their GDP. The formula he created calculates the impact on the global economy. Ammar completed this by calculating various GDP growths for every continent due to AI in the past 10 years and the change of growth for every year and the amount of money that has been invested. Well done Ammar. 

Australian Maths Competition Results

Elevation Secondary College had its highest ever participation in the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) with over 60 students from the school taking part. The AMC is Australia’s most renowned math competition for school students, known for its challenging problems crafted by top educators and academics. Three students, Sophia Scott (7E), Saviru Kalansuriya (7F), and Rayshan Ruben (8A), earned Distinction certificates, with Sophia and Saviru also receiving the Best in School award. Additionally, 25 students from across all year levels received a Credit award.

The students are commended for representing the school and continuing to strive for excellence. Thank you to Dr Beach, Ms Eslake, Mr Haberman and Ms Hu for facilitating the ESC teams in these competitions. 

Alice Hu- Extension & Enrichment Coordinator

Library News

Library Stock take

• All library books must be returned by the 11th of December.
• Emails and phone calls home regarding any unreturned books will begin from the 12th of December.

Holiday Borrowing

Students may borrow over the holidays, but must return all existing loans first.

Textbook & English Novel Donations

Elevation is always thankful for donations of textbooks and English novels, so that we can make them available to students who may otherwise have trouble accessing them. Textbook donations can be dropped off at the front office, or students can put them in library returns chute.

Instrumental Music at Elevation Secondary College

Do you want to learn or re-engage with an instrument?

ESC currently offers instrumental music lessons in:

• Keyboard/Piano– Tereza Cuca
• Vocals/Singing– Felisha Innelli
• Drums– Troy Grech
• Guitar and Bass– Nick Freer
• Guitar– Tuan Le 

Forms to sign up for lessons are available at the front office and at the staff office in the G building. There is a fee to participate in the instrumental music program, and a wait list for some instruments (depending on popularity). Speak to the Music team for more information.

ESC also has a contemporary band that rehearses Wednesdays from 8.30-10.00, which all instrumental students are encouraged to participate in.

We look forward to growing the musical passion of our students at ESC!

Elevation Online Safety Hub Article of the Month

Talking about online bullying

Talking to your child about online bullying can be hard to navigate. Here are our top tips to help get the conversation started.

Click here to read this article.

To read more articles from Elevation Online Safety Hub, click the link below.

https://elevationsc.onlinesafetyhub.com.au/

Early Leaving Policy

School attendance is very important.
Students are required to attend school for the entire day. If there is an unavoidable reason for a student to leave school early on a particular day (such as for a medical appointment) a signed note from home must be provided.
Pickup times should coincide with recess and lunch.
 
Process: 

• Student brings a note from home explaining the absence and the intended departure time (recess or lunch). The note must be signed and dated by a parent/guardian
• Student presents the note from home to the Mini School Admin Office before Mentor Group.
• Student receives a signed Early Leaver note from the mini school.
• At recess or lunch – the student brings the early Leaver note to the Administration Office and signs out.
• Student is picked up

If a pickup time can only be during a timetabled period, the student must show their signed Early Leaver note to their classroom teacher at the designated time and then present to the office to be picked up.
 
School staff will not be collecting students from classes during timetabled periods.
 
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they arrive at the office for pickup at the designated time.
 
Learning is extremely important at Elevation Secondary College. Please note that staff cannot collect your child or put an announcement over speakers during class time.

Recess and Lunch Times
Recess –  10:56 – 11:24am
Lunch – 1:20 – 2:02pm

College Uniform Store

As you are aware Noone, our uniform provider, have been operating a small shop from the College every Thursday to provide a convenient service for our families.

The uniform shop will no longer operate at the College as Noone have leased a new store right here in Craigieburn Junction shopping precinct and have officially opened their door to for business.

The new store is located at:
Shop A2-E
420-440 Craigieburn Rd, Craigieburn 3064
Store located on Cr Craigieburn Rd and Aitken Blvd next to Carpet Call in the Shopping Precinct.

Trading hours are:
Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
Saturday 9am-1pm

Sustainable School Shop

Any Parents/Guardians who are looking to buy or sell their second-hand uniforms or text books please visit the Sustainable Schools website to list or purchase items: http://www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au

So far the results have been very good and we encourage families to take advantage of this method of buying and selling second-hand items.

Here is a how to guide to get you started:

Term Dates

• Last Day of Term 4- Wednesday 20th December (Early finish 12.30pm)

Curriculum & Student Free Days

• Friday 1st December
• Tuesday 12th December

2024 Term Dates

Term 1	Tuesday 30th January (Year 7), Wednesday 31st January (Year 8-11) – Thursday 28th March (1.20pm Finish)
Term 2	Monday 15th April – Friday 28th June (1.20pm Finish)
Term 3	Monday 15th July – Friday 20th September (1.20pm Finish)
Term 4	Monday 7th October – Friday 20th December (12:22pm Finish)