Term 1 Newsletter, 2023

Excursions and Events

There are a number of School Events planned for Term 1.

Parents/Carers will be emailed with details of each event. Where permission is required, we ask that you give permission through the Compass Portal as instructed. This will ensure that your response goes directly to the staff member who is responsible for that event.

Students without Parent/Carer consent provided cannot be included in the event. Phone calls, handwritten notes and texts are not acceptable unless a prior agreement has been made with the Assistant or Deputy Principal. Some events will be limited due to transport or other considerations, so getting in early will be important once you are notified those bookings are open.

Year 12 Biology & PDHPE Excursion – Museum of Human Disease

When: Tuesday, 4 April 2023
Where: Museum of Human Disease, Ground Floor, Samuels Building UNSW

Infectious and Non-Infectious Disease (Biology) and Health Priorities in Australia (PDHPE). This presentation covers three key disease processes with an emphasis on lifestyle choices and their effect on the body. Inside the Museum, students focus on pathogens, adaptations of pathogens, epidemiology and public health. They also investigate lifestyle, non-infectious diseases and drug use.

Key Dates for Term 1 2023

• The first day of Term for Years 7, 8, 11 & 12 is Tuesday, 31 January 2023.
• The first day of Term for Years 9 & 10 is Wednesday, 1 February 2023.
• The last day of Term for all students is Thursday, 6 April 2023* *This will be a half day for Years 7-10 students.

School Starting Times and First Day of Term Arrangements

• Year 7 and Year 8 students are required to be on campus at 8:55 am for a 9:00 am start time every school day. Students enter our Years 7 to 10 campus via the school reception area located on Level 1, Imperial Shopping Centre, Gosford. Accessing the Imperial Centre via the Erina Street entrance is the most direct entry point for the school. The school hall is open for students and supervised by staff every morning from 8:30 am.
• Year 9 and Year 10 students are required to be at school at 9:05 am for a 9:10 am start time every school day. Students enter our Years 7 to 10 campus via the school reception area located on Level 1, Imperial Shopping Centre, Gosford. Accessing the Imperial Centre via the Erina Street entrance is the most direct entry point for the school. The school hall is open for students and supervised by staff every morning from 8:30 am.
• Years 11 and 12 students are required to be at school every school day at 8:40 am for an 8:45 am start time. Students enter via the school reception located in the driveway of 125 Donnison Street, Gosford. For those students who arrive before 8:40 am, students are welcome to use the student common area from 8:30 am.
• If a student arrives late to school without a valid reason, they are required to surrender their mobile phone to reception for the day. Failure to do so will result in the student having to surrender their phone to the Assistant Principal or Deputy Principal every day for a period of 10 weeks.

Regular Pattern of School Attendance Required by Students

A reminder to parents/carers that for their child to continue their enrolment at the college, students need to maintain a consistent pattern of attendance.

The New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) requires all students to have a minimum attendance percentage of 85% throughout the year.

This means the college expects every student to attend school every day unless they are too sick to attend. In the event of an absence caused by illness, the college requires an explanation of the absence within 24 hours of the student’s absence. Notification can be provided via the Compass portal, email, or phone call. In the event of three or more consecutive days off, the college can request a medical certificate to support the provided reasons. If you have other reasons for a student being absent for the day (family emergency for example) please provide the college office with an explanation so we can account for the student’s absence.

For more information on school attendance, please refer to the College Handbook relevant to you:

• Years 7 to 10 College Handbook
• Years 11 and 12 College Handbook

Reporting Student Absence

It is a government requirement for parents/carers to notify and provide a reason for their child’s absence from school on every occasion. To ensure notifications are always received and recorded by the appropriate staff members, a generic email address can be used for absentee notifications. We request this email address be used rather than emailing individual staff members. This will ensure the notification is received by the Reception staff regardless of who is working on the day.

Methods for notifying the school of absences are:

Email: attendance@etaustralia.com
Phone: 02 4323 1233 after 8:30am
Via the COMPASS App.
When your child is absent from school and we have not been notified, an email and push notification via COMPASS will be sent to inform you of their absence which you are able to reply to.

COVID-19, Plus Any Illness and School Attendance

ET Australia follows NSW Health guidelines to minimise COVID-19 transmission, keeping schools open and the community safe.

NSW Health advice is that if a student is unwell and has any symptoms, they should always test for COVID-19. If the test comes back negative for COVID-19, the student should still not return to school until the student no longer has any symptoms, or NSW Health advises that it is important that students do not attend school if they are unwell. Covid-19, other viruses, influenza, common colds, and stomach bugs can all be contagious. Health advice is that students who are sick should always stay home to rest and recover and avoid putting other students and staff at risk of getting sick. Students who present with symptoms at school will be sent home immediately and will not be able to return to school until they no longer have symptoms.

Request for Student Leave

The Department of Education’s requirement for school attendance also affects opportunities for families to take holidays during school terms. Some schools are withdrawing the option of families taking students out of school for holidays. ETASC is flexible, but the Minister of Education requires us to ensure all student leave during term time be approved by the college Principal in advance. A Student Leave Request form is available from reception and needs to be completed 4 weeks prior to the planned absence from school.

Please contact the college office on 02 4323 1233 if you have any further queries about holidays during school terms.

ET Australia Secondary College – A Non-Smoking High School

ETASC is a non-smoking secondary college for ALL students and staff – this includes the use of vape pens and e-cigarettes.

Students who are caught smoking cigarettes, vape pens or e-cigarettes during school hours will have their cigarettes, vape pens or e-cigarettes confiscated and destroyed. Parents/carers will be contacted to inform them of this behaviour.

Advice from NSW Health clearly outlines that it is illegal to sell cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vape pens, or accessories to, or buy these products on the behalf of a person under 18 years of age.

Please visit https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/tobacco/Pages/e-cigarettes.aspx for more information from NSW Health.

Any student smoking during school hours will be in breach of school rules and will be treated the same way as any other breach of school rules. Repeat offenders will be placed on a school contract that will stipulate the behaviour required to maintain their enrolment at the college. The school contract with the student will include the provision of access to quit-smoking programs and access to the college psychologist to develop strategies to use instead of smoking during the school day. Breaching the school contract will result in the student’s expulsion from the college.

Opal Cards

The Department of Transport issues OPAL Cards and schools are no longer involved in the issue and re-issue of this free service for school children. Parents/carers are now responsible to follow up with errors or lost and stolen cards. Students are advised not to put OPAL cards near phones or other disabled cards.

For more information on OPAL Cards please refer to the College Handbook relevant to you:

• Years 7 to 10 College Handbook
• Years 11 and 12 College Handbook

Contacting Students in Class Time

Please do not phone your child during class time, they will be tempted to answer which is very disruptive to the class. Their phone should be off and out of sight. Parents/carers who need to contact their child during school hours are asked to do so by calling the college office on 4323 1233 or wait until break times.

Banned items – Reminder

Students are prohibited from bringing certain items to school:

• Chewing gum
• Aerosol cans – deodorant etc.
• Knives
• Liquid paper
• Permanent markers
• Laser devices
• Metal or opaque drink bottles
• Cigarettes
• e-cigarettes or vape pens
• Cigarette lighters or matches

If students bring these items to school, they will be confiscated.

If students continue to bring these items to school appropriate action will be taken in accordance with the consequences for breaches of the expected behaviours outlined at enrolment and in the Years 7 to 10 College Handbook and Years 11 and 12 College Handbook.

The Possession of Gel Blasters and their Presence in Schools

New South Wales Police and the Department of Education have requested ETASC circulate the following important information about the possession of gel blasters and their presence in schools.

Gel Guns or Gel Blasters are lifelike ‘toy’ guns that closely resemble firearms. They fire gel balls and can be very difficult to differentiate from a real firearm. They are classified as air guns under NSW law, and gel balls are classified as ammunition.

It is a crime to possess a Gel Gun in NSW unless you have a firearms licence, even if it was purchased online or legally in another state. It is also a crime to bring a Gel Gun to school.

There is a potential for injury if a person is struck by gel pellet ammunition, and understandably, students and staff may become frightened and distressed if they believe a firearm has been brought into a school.

If a student is found to have a Gel Gun at school, the firearm will be confiscated, and the Police will be contacted immediately on 000. The student could be arrested and charged with possession of a firearm. Parents/Carers may also be held liable as per section 82 of the Firearms Act.

Medication Taken at School

Alterations have been made to our administration of the student medication process.

In conjunction with our First Aid and Medications Policy, parents/carers are now required to complete an Authorisation for Administration of Student Medication form for any medication you would like your child to take at school.

Parents/carers will also be required to provide the medication in its original packaging which has the Doctor’s instructions on the label.

Please contact the school office if you would like any further information or require a form to be sent home.

For more information on medication taken at school please refer to the College Handbook relevant to you:

• Years 7 to 10 College Handbook
• Years 11 and 12 College Handbook

School Lockers

Lockers are provided at no cost for students to store their school bags to improve security, and work, health and safety. Students are asked to clean out their lockers at the end of every term. Items left in lockers at the end of each term will be discarded. If you value the contents of your locker, please take it with you.

Students are encouraged to keep lockers always locked, even when empty. We are keen to prevent unauthorised access to your locker and/or to have other people placing objects in lockers that do not belong there.

Enrolments

Enrolment places are still available for the current year groups in 2023:

• Year 7
• Year 11
• Year 12

Places are not available in our other year groups, and a waiting list is in place.

Please contact the school office if you would like to make an enrolment enquiry or would like more information.

Lunch Orders – Lunch Options for 2023

Students in Year 7 and Year 8 will have the following lunch order options in 2023:

• Monday – McDonald’s
• Tuesday – Sushi
• Wednesday – Subway
• Thursday – no option available due to PDHPE practical lessons
• Friday – Chips and gravy

Noodles will no longer be available for purchase from the school during break times. Students who regularly purchase noodles from the school will now have to purchase them from Woolworths before school or bring in their own from home.

Year 9, Year 10, Year 11, and Year 12 students will have permission to buy food from the food court in the Imperial Centre for the first 15 minutes of each break every day. The school staff provide student supervision in the food court during breaks.

As soon as students have received their food and drinks, they must make their way directly to Kibble Park. During breaks in Kibble Park, students are always supervised by school staff.

Students will only be permitted to enter the food court if they are purchasing food or drinks. If students go to the food court and do not purchase food or drinks, they will be banned from accessing this privilege.

Years 11 & 12 students are also permitted to go to Shop 3 Café unsupervised to buy food and drink during breaks. As soon as students have received their food and drinks, they must make their way directly to Kibble Park. During breaks in Kibble Park, students are always supervised by school staff.

Staff Changes

Sophie Gamble is returning from maternity leave and will continue her Learning Enrichment Teaching role working with Year 8 students.

Joanna Way will be joining us as a Science Teacher at the Years 7-10 Campus, 4 days per week.

Contact details for all members of school staff are in the College Handbook relevant to you:

• Years 7 to 10 College Handbook
• Years 11 and 12 College Handbook

Maths Tutoring

Every Thursday, we run maths tutoring for students in Years 7-10 from 2.30pm-3.30pm. Please let the school know if your child needs to leave early for transport.

We focus on basic skills but allow the opportunity and time to discuss classwork if required. It is a fun, safe learning space where students can ask questions and work independently or within a small group with a teacher.

Free After School Tutoring

Assessment Week will be held during Week 5 for all year groups. Students in Years 9 and 10 will be completing a separate KLA examination each day with revision time in class. Years 7 and 8 will be in their timetable classes, completing their assessment tasks. Adjustments and support will be available to students who qualify. If you know you will not be present during this time, please contact Assistant Principal Lachlan Scott. If you have any questions, please contact the Curriculum Coordinator Kimberley Wheeler.

Tuesday:

• Extension Maths (Year 10 students intending to complete the HSC) 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
• Literacy tutoring 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm Thursday
• Extension Science (Year 10 students intending to complete the HSC) 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
• Numeracy tutoring 2:30pm to 3:30pm

All extra-curricular or tutoring classes are free.

Learning Enrichment Opportunities

ETASC offers free tutoring for all students.

For students who are identified as needing extra assistance with:

• Reading – ETASC offers the MacqLit reading program
• Mathematics – ETASC offers the QuickSmart program. We also offer consolidation of classwork and after-school tutoring.
• Writing – ETASC offers English tutoring and consolidation of classwork.

We strongly encourage all students to take advantage of our free tutoring.

Literacy Tutoring is offered on a Tuesday afternoon from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. Melanie McDonald, a Learning Enrichment Teacher and SPELD NSW-endorsed literacy tutor, is facilitating Literacy Tutoring this year. The Term 2, 3 and 4 Literacy Tutoring will be based on a Direct Instruction program called Expressive Writing.

Expressive Writing focuses on developing the following subskills:

1. Writing clearly (using pronouns with clear referents and including details that are necessary for clarity).
2. Writing with a variety of sentences (sentences that begin with a dependent clause, sentences that contain a series and some compound sentences).
3. Writing what people say and appropriately paragraphing their conversations; and
4. Editing for clarity, punctuation, paragraphs, and sentence forms.

Each Literacy Tutoring session includes the following: a skill development component that includes three to five exercises designed to teach specific subskills and editing skills that students will need to write passages and a passage writing exercise in which students apply these subskills. Students will also be provided with opportunities to apply these skills to writing passages for their English and HSIE classwork.

Years 7 – 10 Meditation and mindful colouring

Once a week, students will be given the choice to participate in meditation or mindful colouring to give them the opportunity to slow down and be present before tackling their busy schoolwork.

NAPLAN

In March 2023, the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) will be completed by students in Year 7 and Year 9. NAPLAN has the support of all State and Territory Education Ministers and will assess the literacy and numeracy skills of students across Australian schools.

The results of the tests will provide valuable information to schools about what each student can do and will be used to support teaching and learning programs. Parents/Carers will receive a report indicating their child’s level of achievement. Each student’s level of achievement will be reported against the national minimum standard.

The online format allows for ‘tailored testing,’ where the test adapts to a student’s performance and asks questions that match their achievement level.

Students in each year level start with the same set of questions, which can then branch into a different set of questions based on their responses. The online test will direct students to questions that are appropriate to their ability. This test design will allow students to demonstrate their literacy and numeracy skills. Students may find online assessment more engaging, encouraging them to persevere with the tests.

Students will complete their online tests on the following dates:

Wednesday 15 March: Writing and Reading
Thursday 16 March: Conventions of Language
Friday 17 March: Numeracy

Students will be given catch-up opportunities until Monday, 27 March.

More information about adjustments and support will be sent home via COMPASS.

Positive Behaviour Management and Rewards

ETASC’s Positive Student Behaviour Reward system includes short-term, medium-term, and long-term rewards. Reward days once a semester are the pinnacle reward of this system.

Short-Term Rewards – Fortnightly Basis

Short-term rewards will occur on a fortnightly basis and be awarded to one student from each class based on their behaviour in the previous two weeks. Teachers will consider the number of positive behaviour reports or in-class points awarded, the student’s attendance during this time and any noticeable changes in a student’s behaviour. Students will be informed of their positive award in a manner that is comfortable to them – during the whole school assembly, stage assembly, class time or on an individual basis.

Short-term rewards include, but are not limited to:

• Chocolates
• Free lunch – pizza etc.
• Books
• Trinkets, toys, stationery etc.

Medium-Term Rewards – Term Basis

The accumulation of positive behaviour reports over a term will earn students medium-term rewards. A schedule of rewards will be provided to the students at the beginning of each term. The accumulation of positive behaviour reports over the term will earn student rewards.

The number of positive behaviour reports required to achieve specific medium-term rewards includes:

# Of Positive Behaviour Reports Reward:

• 25 – Qualifies student to attend semester reward day
• 30 – Listen to music during class time for one week
• 40 – 5-minute early mark at the end of the school day for one week
• 50 – Free lunch order to the value of $10

Stage 4 Spelling and Ninja Mathematics

Year 7 will be participating in a spelling program reviewing the fundamental spelling rules and words.

Year 8 will be participating in ninja mathematics, reviewing timetables and practising mental mathematics skills.

Curriculum 2023

The staff and students at the Year 11 and 12 campus are looking forward to welcoming the new Year 11 students starting this year. It will be a big change for them with longer hours at school, an increased workload and the expectation to complete homework. To assist with this transition ETASC offers after-school study sessions from 3pm to 4pm where teachers are available to help students with their homework and study.

Both Year 11 and 12 enjoy participating in a variety of programs to assist them with their studies for 15 minutes after lunch. They include:

Study Skills
Throughout the year, students complete a study skills booklet. It assists them to set goals and create study timetables. They learn effective ways to study and write summary notes. They are also taught time management tips and methods to get organised.

Wellbeing Session
During this program, students reflect on ways to improve their mental health. They gain valuable tools to overcome procrastination, increase motivation, manage stress, reduce negative self-talk and cope with anxiety.

Roadmap
These sessions assist students to understand the meaning of key HSC verb directives such as outline, explain, analyse and evaluate. They then practise writing short answers ensuring they are using the correct structure and terminology.

Year 12 Practice HSC-Week 9 & 10

To help Year 12 prepare for their Trial HSC exams in Term 3. Students will have the opportunity to sit shorter mini-style exams at the end of Term 1. They will be able to use their summary notes and get feedback. This will give students a taste of what the HSC exams will be like in a way that builds confidence in achieving them.

Stage 6 Student Assessment Handbook

The Stage 6 Student Assessment Handbook is an important document for Stage 6 students to read to be informed about the HSC course requirements.

Within the handbook, there is information on how to successfully complete Stage 6, what an ‘N’ Determination Award (N Award) is and how to avoid one, study skills and who to talk to if you need help.

We encourage all Stage 6 students and parents/carers to read this document thoroughly to ensure they are informed of the expectations for Stage 6.

Click here to read the handbook

ET Australia Secondary College Term Dates

ET Australia Secondary College Years 7 to 10 Handbook

ET Australia Secondary College Years 11 and 12 Handbook

ET Australia Training College Upcoming Courses