As the semester draws to a close our students have much to celebrate. Newhaven College values a holistic education and I am always impressed by the enthusiastic uptake of our students in a whole host of extra-curricular opportunities. Importantly, our students have overwhelmingly participated in their learning programmes with dedication and commitment this semester. Supporting this, our dedicated teachers continue to develop their professional skills to achieve the best student outcomes possible.
One area of attention for our staff in recent years has been the increased use of data in mapping student progressions. This provides the ability to identify specific areas of focus in a student’s development. In turn, we are able to provide more specific and constructive feedback in the semester reports you will be receiving shortly.
The end of semester is always full of a range of events and activities, in addition to the culmination of a semester of academic studies. Our senior students have completed their assessments and exams and begun their Semester 2 courses. Our Year 9s spent a very successful two weeks at City Cite, exploring all things Melbourne has to offer through a structured research based programme. Students in Middle School are rehearsing hard for their inaugural House music competition, whilst our Junior School students are looking forward to getting into their party outfits for the Junior School Disco. This is only a snapshot of the many events that bring our semester to a close.
Over the upcoming break eighteen Year 10 students, accompanied by teachers Fiona Smart and David Prideaux, will head off to Borneo in Southeast Asia on a service expedition. Partnering with World Challenge, a leader in providing experiential school travel trips around the globe, the students have been preparing for this expedition for months. As a school, we believe these service experiences align closely with our College values. Our plan is to continue to offer these opportunities in the future.
I would like to wish all of our Newhaven families a happy, restful and well-deserved semester break. For those going away please travel safely and enjoy the time together as a family – as well as some warmer weather!
In Quietness and Confidence Shall Be Your Strength
Tony Corr
Principal