Next Week @TC

11/10/2024

• School Saving Bonus

• School Captain Applications Now Open

• Key Dates for Term 4

• Term 3 Newsletter

• End of Term Arrangements - An Overview

• TCNEWS - Venturing Beyond the Classroom: The School for Student Leadership Experience

School Saving Bonus

Dear parents and carers,

As shared with you previously, parents and carers of every child enrolled in a Victorian government school in 2025 will receive the one-off School Saving Bonus $400 support.

In the coming months, the Department of Education will send you 2 email communications for each of your children enrolled in Victorian government schools.

By Friday 18 October 2024, please ensure that your child’s 2025 enrolment is completed and that your contact information is up to date.

The 2 emails from the Department of Education will:

1. Confirm your email address between mid-October and late-November.

2. Provide you with your unique $400 School Saving Bonus code by the end of November.

If you do not receive a confirmation email from the department by late-November, please check your spam or junk folders and contact the office on 9850 6333 if needed.

You can read more about the School Saving Bonus on the Department of Education website, with key information now available in 14 different languages. School Saving Bonus | vic.gov.au (www.vic.gov.au)

School Captain Applications Now Open

Each year, students have the opportunity to apply to be one of the TC School Captains.

Applications are now open and stage 1 of the process and are due next Thursday October 17th. Please read the attachment below to understand the role, the application process and more. 

At stage 1 - you need to send your cover letter and CV to connect@tc.vic.edu.au.  Cover letters should be no more than 1 page of A4 and answer the following questions:

• Why are you interested in doing the role?

• What could you bring to the role?

• What previous leadership experience have you had, and what have you learnt from this?

We look forward to receiving your application! 

Key dates for term 4

• Monday 7th October - First day of Term 4

• Thursday 17th October - Grad Celebration Day. Assembly period 1 (whole school). Classes run as normal for everyone except Unit 4 classes which have now finished.

• Tuesday 5th November - Melbourne Cup Public Holiday - No classes running.

• Friday 29th November - Staff PD, Student Free Day - No classes running on this day.

• Monday 2nd December - Start of Head Start Week 1 - All students

• Monday 9th December - Start of Head Start Week 2 - No VCE/VCE VM Classes running.

• Monday 16th December - Start of Activity Week

• Friday 20th December - Last day of Term 4, students dismissed at lunchtime

Term 3 Newsletter

It has been a big term 3! Please enjoy a slightly new format to the newsletter this term, to help with loading all the amazing images and videos students and staff provide for it. You are able to view your favourite sections or scroll through to read everything from Peter’s message, students achievements, A for Animals all the way to W for Wellbeing, the newsletter has it all!

END OF YEAR ARRANGEMENTS - AN OVERVIEW

For those looking ahead to the end of the year arrangements:

• Thursday 28th November - whole school assembly

• Thursday 28th November - last day of 2024 classes

• Monday 2nd December - 2025 classes (Headstart program) begin for all except those in Entry class in 2024.

• Friday 6th December - Last day of VCE classes as part of 2024 Headstart program

• Monday 9th December - 2024 classes continue for Headstart week 2. No VCE (inc VCE VM) classes run.

• Monday 16th December - Activity Week Commences. Alternative program running.

• Friday 20th December - Last day of year. Students dismissed before 1pm.

Venturing Beyond the Classroom: The School for Student Leadership Experience

Have you ever heard of the School for Student Leadership? Well, SSL is a Victorian Department of Education and Training initiative offering a unique residential education experience for year nine students. The experience helps them adjust to life away from home and learn new skills and techniques. Each term, school teams of year 9 students selected from government schools, both metropolitan and country regions, attend SSL.

The School for Student leadership curriculum focuses on personal development and team learning projects sourced from students' home regions. There are four campuses in iconic locations across Victoria, which take around 720 students annually.

The Alpine School Campus, located at Dinner Plain in the Victorian Alps, is the oldest campus of the four, established in 2000. 

Snowy River Campus is near the mouth of the Snowy River at Marlo in east Gippsland.

The third site is called the Gnurad-Gundidj Campus. After consultation with the local aboriginal community, this name represents both the indigenous name of the local area and an interpretation of the statement "belonging to this place".

The fourth and newest campus is the Don Valley Campus. It is located at Don Valley in the Yarra Ranges.

TC has taken part in applying for SSL for countless years, and we've sent many young leaders over the years to the different campuses, each of them returning with new life skills and a deeper sense of self.

This year, TC was chosen to select 6 FLE2s to participate in this program for term 4, and I am very lucky to be one of the chosen applicants.

We will be staying at the Alpine Campus with people from nine other schools, and around 45 students in total.

The School for Student Leadership program is based on experiential learning which, in a nutshell, means they try to learn from all experiences rather than just those that take place in a classroom.

The SSL program has a unique rule which prohibits students from bringing their mobile phones. This rule is intended to create an environment beneficial to experiential learning and fostering deeper connections among the participants. By disconnecting from the digital world, "students are encouraged to engage in meaningful conversations, develop stronger interpersonal skills, and fully immerse themselves in the program's activities without the distractions of the digital world".

During our stay, we will have the opportunity to email and even mail letters to stay in touch with our families and friends. At the start of the program, we will be paired with another student from a different school to live in a dorm-like room, fostering friendships and a sense of community. Additionally, we will be responsible for washing our own clothes and helping around the living spaces, encouraging independence and self-reliance while living away from home.

We will sleep, eat, shower and work all under one roof and share the same experiences of the neighbouring environment, as well as take part in frequent outdoor activities like white water rafting, mountain biking, and camping.

"It is more than a school; it is a home, a place of play, relaxation, relationships, friendships, emotions, health, sickness, eating, sleeping and waking, learning and adventure…" https://tas.schoolforstudentleadership.vic.edu.au/

I am incredibly thrilled and deeply honoured to have been selected to participate in this unique experience. I'm filled with gratitude for this opportunity and almost disbelief that from the 14th of October to the 14th of December, I'll be up in the Alps for the nine-week program. I am eager to engage in this experience and fully embrace the chance to learn and grow. I'm confident that I will acquire a wealth of valuable knowledge and insights while developing meaningful and lasting relationships along the way.

Thanks for reading about my upcoming adventure at the SSL. I can't wait to share my experiences and the valuable lessons I'll learn during this nine-week program! 

By Mietta Palmer
TC Journalist