Well, summer is now well and truly upon us, and this cold weather helps us appreciate the warm weather a little more. I have yet to convince myself of this philosophy.

I hope the students had a good break and are ready for a productive term 3. Last Friday, we had a smoking ceremony to open the new “Yarning Circle” at the front of the school. This ceremony was led by Kristi Watt and Dave Tournier from the Wathaurong Co-operative. Dave said that the smoking ceremony is a time of self-reflection and consideration of how an individual can be a better person. I added that students could also reflect on their semester and how they could be better students. It would be appreciated if parents could (if you have not already) spend some time discussing your child’s school report and results. It is an opportunity to celebrate and discuss areas of development.

Course Counselling

One of my favourite aspects of Term 3 is seeing the “lightbulb moments” for many Years 9 and 10 students as they get more of an opportunity to have a say in their subject selections. They really enjoy the independence that is given to them through this experience, and in many cases, they can see the future is a little clearer. In the table above you can see the days that they will career guidance and then make their subject selections. These selections will not be locked but will be affected by the choices of their peers. The school does endeavour to provide the student’s first choices but are restricted by timetable clashes.

Staff Recruitment

I would like to express my gratitude to Kellie Phillips and Daniel Sharp for their dedication and contributions to North Geelong Secondary College. Both teachers have secured teaching positions interstate, and it's gratifying to know that students will continue to benefit from their teaching abilities. I would like to welcome Brett Edmonds, who will join the school next week as an English teacher.