Welcome back to the 2025 School Year

Dear Students, Parents and Guardians,

I hope you all had a wonderful and restful summer! I am excited to welcome you back to a new school year filled with opportunities for learning, growth, and success.

Our dedicated teachers and staff have been working hard to prepare engaging lessons, create a safe and supportive environment, and ensure that this year is one of the best yet. We are committed to fostering a community where students feel valued and inspired to reach their full potential.

Let's work together to make this year a fantastic experience for everyone. I look forward to seeing your bright and eager faces in the schoolyard. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

A special welcome goes out to our new Year 7 students who have joined our school community. Seeing so many parents attend the Year 7 Teacher and Chromebook Night on January 30th was wonderful—your engagement and support are genuinely valued. Additionally, we welcome all newly enrolled students from Years 8-12 who are now part of the NGSC school family. We hope you feel supported and inspired as you settle into our school.

As we begin this new academic year, we encourage all students to embrace challenges, set goals, and maximise the opportunities ahead. Our dedicated teachers and staff are here to support every student on their journey.

Let’s make 2025 a year of success, collaboration, and community spirit! If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

At NGSC, we are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment where every student can thrive. If parents or guardians believe their child may need additional support, we encourage them to inform their child's teacher or coordinator. We aim to work collaboratively with all school community members to guide students in the right direction and equip them with the skills to navigate any challenges they may face.

This year is particularly significant for our Year 12 students, embarking on their final year of secondary school. We hope they will look back on this year as one of the most rewarding and memorable in their educational journey. This is a critical time, and we encourage them to stay focused, set goals, and seek support when needed. Our teachers and staff are here to help guide them through their studies and provide any assistance they may require.

To help prepare for the challenges ahead, our Year 12 students recently attended a study camp at Federation University in Ballarat. This valuable experience was designed to equip them with essential study skills and foster strong relationships with their peers and teachers—setting them up for a successful final year.

Once again, welcome back to the NGSC school community. I look forward to working closely with all members to ensure a successful year of learning for all students.

Welcome to New and Returning Staff

Welcome the following new and returning staff to our college and wish them a productive and enjoyable year. The staff and I look forward to working closely with our new staff to ensure the best possible teaching and learning opportunities for our students.

New

• Paige Karamatic (English)
• Cam Von Bibra (Maintenance and Grounds)
• Cameron McKay (DI and Music)
• Annemarie Camilleri (Wellbeing)

Returning

• Callum Mitchell (VM and PE)

Rafael Lakandula selection in the Australian U18 Men's Ice Hockey Team

On behalf of the College, we congratulate Rafael Lakandula on his selection for the Australian U18 Men’s Ice Hockey Team. This is an incredible achievement, and we are immensely proud of his hard work and dedication.

Rafael and his team will compete in the Ice Hockey Federation World Championships from March 17th to 23rd in Sofia, Bulgaria. He will prepare for nine days at the Australian Institute of Sport training complex in Gavirate, Italy.

We wish Rafael all the best for the championships and his European experiences. We look forward to hearing about his journey and accomplishments upon his return.

School Council and School Council elections

School councils play a key role in Victorian government schools. Effective councils have a wide range of skills, expertise, and knowledge to support good governance and provide students the best possible educational outcomes.

The annual school council election process provides an opportunity to attract members keen to add value and bring their expertise and skills to assist the school's governance.

All government schools with students enrolled in Year 7 and above must have a student member category on council. The school election process for the student member category must co-occur with Parent and DET employee member elections.

Where a council has Community member positions, the council can co-opt members following the election process and add to the council’s skills and expertise.

School council membership

Each school council’s constituting order makes provision for its structure and membership:

• Parent members – parents of students at the school must comprise more than one-third of the school council’s total membership. ‘Parent’ includes a guardian or person responsible for maintenance or custody of a student at the school. Department employees are eligible for membership in this category as long as they have children attending the school and the Department employees do not work at the school (except for the principal, who is a member of the Department employee member category) of that school council.

• Department employee members – must not be more than one-third of the school council’s total membership. The principal is automatically included in this membership category and has full voting rights. Other staff (teaching and non-teaching) are elected or co-opted to this category. To be eligible for election to this category, a person must be a member of the school's Department of Education and Training (DET) employee electorate.

• Student members– ‘student’ describes a student enrolled at and attends the school and is in Year 7 or above. Students are elected to this membership category or co-opted if a casual vacancy occurs. To be eligible for election, a student must be a member of the school's student body. The number of student members is recorded in the Ministerial Order for the school council.

• Community members– is an optional membership category. The council’s membership schedule may include this category. If a council has the option of community members, the committee decides who to approach and co-opt into this position. People are co-opted by the school council to a community member position to bring additional skills and perspectives. Community members hold the same rights, responsibilities, and terms of office as elected members. Parents are eligible to be co-opted to a community member position, but Department employees are not. Students may also be co-opted to a community member position.

The North Geelong SC, school council composition includes:

(9 x parents, 1 x community member, 2 x students and 5 x DE employees including the Principal - voting members)

• 9 x parents (no DE&T employees)
• 1 x community member
• 5 x DE employees – teaching and non-teaching staff, including the Principal
• 2 x elected students

Total number of voting members 17.

The College Principal is the Executive Officer of the school council.

This year we have:

• 6 x parent members vacancies for a 2-year appointment (2025 and 2026)
• 2 x DE employee member vacancies for a 2-year appointment (2025 and 2026)
• 2 student member vacancy for a 2-year appointment (2025 and 2026).

I call for parent nominations for three vacancies. Any parent or community member that would like to discuss the role of the Council or the role of the parent member on the council, please call the school and speak to Ms Leanne Scarlett or the Principal.

Nomination forms can be obtained from Ms Leanne Scarlett at the General Office. The closing day for nominations is Tuesday 7th Of March by 4.00pm.

I take this opportunity to thank all school council members, particularly the parent body, for their outstanding contributions to the life of the college.