Our School Values:

Respect    Honesty    Teamwork    Confidence    Excellence    Endeavour

Nhill College would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Wimmera Mallee area: the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagalk people, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and future. 

Despite not quite making it here in time for the Little Desert Athletics, the Nhill College Sports Shirts have arrived just in time for the Little Desert Cross Country.  The shirts, as you can see in the accompanying picture being modelled by Paw Ree and Nan Myint, look absolutely fantastic.  Our students will clearly stand out as they compete against other schools in attendance at the Nhill Race Course on Monday and in all future interschool sporting events.  The shirts were distributed on Thursday to all those families who ordered one.  Students competing in the Cross Country who didn't choose to purchase their own individualised shirt, will be able to borrow one of the Nhill College shirts on the day but they will need to give it back before they go home.  Any families who didn't order a shirt, but think they might like to do so now that they have seen how well they have turned out, will be able to place an order for one soon.  Keep watching the newsletter for further details.  Thanks again to Mr Mason for driving this great initiative.

Dear parents and carers

You may have seen the recent announcement of the School Saving Bonus, as part of the Victorian Budget 2024/25. We are sharing more information about how families will be able to access and use this support.

This one-off support will include $400 for each eligible student to help families cover the costs of school uniforms and activities in 2025.

It will be available to parents and carers of every child enrolled in a Victorian government school in 2025.

Cash will not be paid directly to individuals or families. Instead, families will receive the bonus as credits on their school accounts that will help meet the costs of your children’s activities and uniforms.

Existing supports

The School Saving Bonus support will be in addition to existing and continuing means-tested supports for camps, sports, excursions and uniforms.

The application-based Affordable School Uniform program, through State Schools’ Relief, will continue to be available to families experiencing financial hardship or other forms of vulnerability and short-term crisis. This program allows schools to make multiple applications for support on parents' behalf throughout the year if needed.

There will be more information and guidance about the School Saving Bonus in Term 3, 2024, ahead of its implementation in 2025.

From May 2024, our school, along with thousands of others across the country, will participate in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC).

The AEDC is a teacher-completed census (similar to a questionnaire) which provides a comprehensive picture of how children have developed by the time they start their first year of full-time school.

The AEDC is an Australian Government Initiative and is completed nationally every three years.

Children don’t miss any class time while the AEDC is completed, and parents/carers don’t need to supply schools with any new information.

 The data collected through the AEDC is used by schools, communities and governments to better understand children and families’ needs, and identify the services, resources and support they need.

AEDC data is reported at a school, community, state/territory and national level. AEDC results for individual children are not reported and the AEDC is not used as an individual diagnostic tool.

Some teachers have found that completing the AEDC made them more aware of the needs of individual children and their class, and that the data was useful for planning for transitions to Year 1 and developing programs.

Participation in the AEDC is voluntary, however the AEDC relies on all schools with children in their first year of full-time school participating in the collection.

Parents/carers don’t need to take any action unless they choose not to include their children in the census.

To find out more about the AEDC and how it is being used to help children and families visit: www.aedc.gov.au.

If you have any questions, you can contact Mr Zimmermann at 53912111 or via email at nhill.co@education.vic.gov.au  

Regular attendance at school is extremely important for the academic and emotional growth and development of all students.  In an effort to highlight the importance of attendance, we have introduced a new Attendance Award to be presented at each of the primary and secondary Assemblies.  The names of all students who attended every day of the previous week of school will be entered into a draw from which one lucky student's name will be selected for a $5 canteen voucher. 

The Secondary  Attendance Voucher winner for Week 2 was Aaron and for Week 3 was Jessica T. The Primary Attendance Voucher winner for Week 3 was Elodie. Congratulations to these students.

Students removed old fencing and constructed a new one to secure our sheep better. More food for our sheep was obtained in hay and seed. Thanks to Peter Clark, Rodney Reichelt and Steve Graham for donating this.  We will be looking for more in the coming months.  If any farmers have seed cleanings they would be happy to donate, please contact Peter Hedt at the college.

Students prepared soil in their garden plots in preparation for winter crops. Thanks to Darryn and Jackie Rethus for donating cow manure. The chooks are happy and laying and the grapes and berries are taking hold.

On April 29th my year 8 class went to Rubicon camp. When we first got there, we met all of the amazing Rubicon staff and they told us where to go and what to do. We settled in and had a really yummy feed, then went on a night walk around some paddocks at the camp. There we saw some animals and looked at the stars. On the way back there was a big hole in the paddock and almost everyone made it safely, but Kenny fell in the hole which was very funny.  The next morning, we got ready and group A went to Lake Eildon which had an amazing view of the big mountains and the blue rivers irregular shape. Once we made it up the big knoll's we had lunch and learned all about the landscape and how the mountains are used. On the way down some people slipped and Riley almost fell down the mountain. While group A was doing that group B went to the Cathedrals and hiked up them, then on the way down they went off the map and walked in the bush but found their way home. Then once all the groups were home, we had baked potato for tea and afterwards we went stargazing with iPads, so it was easier to find shapes in the stars. Wednesday, we went white water rafting, which was fun as well, we made our way down the river and there were a few rope swings which we swung on, and Charlie fell off into the river. As we went down the river there were a few splash fights and we also saw cows on the grass nearby. There was one part of the river where there was a one meter drop and everyone in the boat got splashed. Once we got home, we went on a scavenger hunt later that night and we were looking for letters all around the camp. On Thursday Group A went to Mt Sugarloaf but before they went, they had to climb up a stair that lead to a climbing wall and abseiled down it to prepare ourselves for our steep climb up the mountain, and there were a few challenging parts where we had to use our harnesses and connect to the rope so we didn’t fall. Group B went to Lake Eildon and went on a hike there. They got lost but found their way back to the track. That night we had a campfire and talked about everything that we did that week and what we learnt. We had marshmallows and looked up at the stars. On Friday, which was our last day, we packed up and started heading home. Throughout the week we had delicious meals, played footy and volleyball, and overall had a great time. All of us enjoyed this camp and were very grateful to have had this experience. 

Last week on Monday morning 16 lucky year 9 campers headed to the Glenelg River for their 3-day canoe camp, where they would paddle 22km over the three days and stay the nights at Moleside Creek and Pritchards along the river. The paddlers were terrific on the camp, and you couldn’t tell most of them had never been in a canoe before and made the 22km journey over 3 days look easy (not without a capsize and a canoe rescue for them on the last day). The weather held off the whole time, the students enjoyed their own camp meals, playing hide and seek in the dark, fishing (with no luck), fending off dozens of leeches and were even lucky enough to see a seal in the river before the journey ended. All in all it was a fantastic 3 days!

The wonderful San Ureshi performed a culturally rich and immersive concert for Foundation – Year 7 students on Wednesday, May 8th as part of the Musica Viva In Schools program. The name San Ureshi means ‘joy of the trio’, and were formed in Adelaide in 2019. The group experiments with music from various cultures, soundscapes and textures and is currently touring the region visiting many schools.

Zhao Liang (guzheng), Satomi Ohnishi (percussion) and David Dai (erhu) played original compositions, and San Ureshi took students and staff on an interesting and very enjoyable musical journey. Students were challenged to hear and focus on lengths of sounds, listen for echoes in music, explore changing sounds with hand and body shapes, hear musical reflections of nature, listen to conversations between instruments and learn the ritual of drinking Japanese tea and in doing so - appreciate the beauty of the cup.

The concert was very interactive from beginning to end and several students had the opportunity to join the musicians on stage to participate and entertain us. A definite concert highlight was Jordan and Mr D mirroring moves to Samurai!

It was wonderful to hear and see the music performed live on such interesting instruments. Favourite pieces included Samurai, Rain, Echoes and Dan on Ura, which students have been learning about in recent classroom music lessons.

San Ureshi gifted the College with their recent CD, featuring concert songs and at the conclusion of the concert, Rafferty and his buddy, Beau, presented our special musical visitors with a Thank You Card, signed by all the students.

Thank you, San Ureshi!   

The students in the F/1 class have been very busy over the last two weeks learning all about subtraction. Students have made rockets to help them practice counting backwards, made hungry monsters who like to eat cookies and told some subtraction stories, and drawn pictures to help us work out number sentences. We have had lots of fun and done lots of learning. 

If you are interested in applying for a work experience placement within the Parliament of Victoria, applications are now open.  If you are interested in finding out more please click on the link to commence your expression of interest and see where that takes you.  Our Year 11 Work Experience dates are from the 15 - 19 July and Year 10 is from 16 - 20 September - or you could apply for holiday dates if they are available.

Students can choose between two programs, Sitting and Services, and placements are open to students in Victorian schools who are residents of Victoria, and are 15 years or over at the time of the placement.  We endeavour to choose students from a mixture of government, independent, and Catholic schools, from metropolitan and regional areas, and of all gender identities.  

Parliamentary Sitting placements provide the opportunity to see the law-making process up close. Students will go behind the scenes with the staff who directly support Parliament sittings, to get a deeper understanding of our democratic processes.

Parliamentary Services placements offer a variety of opportunities that can be matched with a broad range of student interests and career goals, including business operations, facilities management and maintenance, broadcast (Hansard), and hospitality (kitchen).

For Expressions of Interest please click here:

https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/teach-and-learn/work-experience/

If you are interested in a career with Victoria Police you may be keen to apply for the Victoria Police Work Experience program.  Schools can only submit one application and this does not guarantee selection.

If you are interested in applying for this opportunity please see Mrs Sampson as soon as possible - I require your formal registration of interest to me by Tuesday 14th May.  If I receive more than one student's registration we will need to go through an application process as we can only submit one application to Victoria Police.

If your application to Victoria Police is successful we cannot guarantee what week you would be allocated, but it would be some time in Terms 3 or 4 of this year.  You would get the opportunity to nominate 3 stations (from their list) that you would be willing to go to and students/parents would need to source their own accommodation for the week - the options available to select would be:

Ararat, Ballarat,  Bellarine,  Colac,  Maryborough,  Mildura,  Stawell,  Swan Hill,  Wydham.

Only students with a genuine interest in Victoria Police should apply. 

If you are interested please see Mrs Sampson as soon as possible. 

Have you considered a career with Victoria Police?

Victoria Police have loads of upcoming events that may be of interest to you! These events range from in-person at our local stations and head office in Docklands right through to webinar sessions to help you gain some insight into what Victoria Police offers in the comfort of your own home or whilst on your daily commute.

Spots are limited for a range of our in-person sessions so register quick as you don't want to miss out on this opportunity to kick start your career!

We hope to see you at one of our events soon! Please see the following links for registration to online events: Victoria Police - Life at the Academy:  Online Webinar Wednesday 15th May 6pm https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/victoria-police-life-at-the-academy-online-webinar-tickets-877009758797?aff=odeccpebemailcampaigns&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_medium=ebcampaigns&utm_campaign=28100079&utm_term=ctabutton&mipa=ABIdvVsIkFj3Di25NFdbdd1AZc9MPqC7QtbM_r02zmM0Vl5NntbRyu_6t5_Ch37hRkCxbzCE3ffTWeOUWGc6UMXCdZd1UarSN2tVkYXM1MYOuonnTz_n4E1h8i9LN5b-

Become a Police Custody Officer - Online Webinar Tuesday 11th June 6pm https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/become-a-police-custody-officer-online-information-session-tickets-885976097357?aff=odeccpebemailcampaigns&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_medium=ebcampaigns&utm_campaign=28100079&utm_term=ctabutton&mipa=ABIdvVswjzcwy5rRGshfn82__eB3ml8_Gd3tizfbuW7Ayz_YlhQXqtQNSofmbGtrW94XR0HIpWuLzZUM1MyrK8LcrSu64X4rnJq5EruwG_eDkIQvoSSSymCv95GiIMx3hs7GvAkMt5HBdVMPZgQaP2ttccgGgdIngW2dM73GmwAOTcOluvCrVpWjjmSWoVPMCYxZF48UX8JlBcFtEjwcYJvJ9KaHWJbPz10kptwW63nWTYd0r10NTcRXKbHzbe3geh7y6Qsdhw3zBaYcJT1E-lbvWhKlU6Ag-F1pRPPt7_QvRXny2WU-SjE

Victoria Police Careers Information Session - Online Webinar - Monday 24th June 4pm https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/victoria-police-careers-information-session-online-webinar-tickets-767121048707?aff=odeccpebemailcampaigns&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_medium=ebcampaigns&utm_campaign=28100079&utm_term=ctabutton&mipa=ABIdvVvLGg10czAj3gDPo1_7ZnJrtenzBKHl_lf325kPiwi5sYmK11FatQVhM3jL_M-6AkFIjus_7EvlpJrgoyQ0JgG4YxLCVyqGbFqV6XQVs0eoK_k9AHBeCLH7oTSnL68BH4uqrRFAeCGDIEdXngRNEFPZFJ0PtIDIqIRl0VpP1uyZVIL_zhZEm9QpTUWK3kDI_5Uum00a2sDivqVXOnSGmurWAYmkMtXVCz8Gr-UDpY_GtAWExahGXXVIrzbOqj_GzTSnA5iqBn958p23NCW8DLWUf1TWaLqD3vw0VEMa8xV2vkL63aY

Hi There! We're excited to capture new memories for Nhill College on your upcoming photo date(s): Nhill College: Monday, 20 May 2024 Your 2024 school photos are now ready to order through the Compass Portal. To place your order, make sure you have your login details handy! If you're unsure of your login details, please contact the school for assistance. Click here to get started! Once you've logged in, you'll need to follow a few easy steps! Click here for our simple, online ordering guide. Once you have placed your Individual Photo order you can place your Sibling photo order, these MUST be ordered before midnight prior to photo day. Please remind your child that they are having their photos taken. If they are having a sibling photo, all siblings will need to be ready for their photo at the allocated time set by the school. If you have any questions regarding the photography service or packages available for purchase, please contact our friendly team on 08 8724 8411 or by email frank.monger@msp.com.au

The Department of Education has sent through an updated reminder to families about COVID-19, specifically outlining the changes to the availability of RAT kits.  Nhill College does still have a small supply of RAT kits available at the office should families need to test at home.  Further supplies have been ordered, and we will endeavour to make these available to all families once they arrive.  Parents are reminded of the need to inform the school should their child(ren) return a positive COVID-19 test result.  The amended Department COVID-19 reminder is listed below:   

There is at present an increase in community transmission of COVID-19 in Victoria.  You can help us keep our school as safe as possible by taking 2 important steps:

1. Ensure your COVID-19 vaccinations are up to date. Information on how and where to get vaccinated is available on the Get vaccinated webpage.
2. If your child shows symptoms of COVID-19, please ensure they stay home and get tested. The easiest way to test is to use a rapid antigen test (RAT).

You can buy RATs at supermarkets, pharmacies and other retailers.

If your child has symptoms but tests negative, please ensure they stay home until they no longer have symptoms.

If the RAT test result is positive, please ensure they stay home for at least 5 days and until there are no more symptoms.  It is also important to notify the school of this positive test result so that the correct absence coding can be recorded on the system.

Thank you for your support – these steps will help us all stay well.

A reminder that the Department of Education has in place a mobile phone ban that requires students who bring mobiles phones to school to have them switched off and securely put away during school hours.

The department is requiring all schools to ensure this ban is in place and enforced from the start of the 2024 school year.

The ban applies equally to all government schools right across the state.

This helps ensure that school is a learning environment free from unnecessary distractions and disruptions.

By ensuring mobile phones are kept away at recess and lunch times, students can interact with each other face-to-face, without the distractions and social pressures that mobile phones can cause.

I ask for the support of all our families, staff and students in continuing to support the implementation of this policy in our school.

Further information

Exceptions:  For a small number of students with particular health needs, an exception to the policy may be granted. Please contact Mr Zimmermann if you would like to discuss this.

Emergencies:  In the event of an emergency or if you need to immediately contact your child, I ask that families contact the school office who will pass on a message as required.

School mobile phone policy:  A copy of our school’s local mobile phone policy, which implements the government’s mobile policy in line with our local context, is available from the Nhill College website.

Parent support:  The Mobile Phones in Schools webpage provides links to resources for families to help them balance their children’s time using mobile phones.

If you have further questions, please contact the administration office. 

Victoria’s mosquito season started this month and will extend to late April 2024.

Warm and wet weather can result in greater numbers of mosquitoes and increased risk of illnesses from mosquito bites. While the overall risk is low, some mosquitoes carry diseases that make people sick.

The best protection against mosquito-borne illness is to avoid mosquito bites.

Families can protect against mosquito bites by: 

·         covering up as much as possible with long, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing  

·         applying insect repellent that contains picaridin or DEET on exposed skin when leaving home 

·         limiting outdoor activity if lots of mosquitoes are active.

To reduce the risk of illness linked to mosquitos, such as Buruli ulcer, promptly wash any new scratches or cuts with soap and clean water and apply a topical antiseptic and dressing.  

Families with any health concerns should see their doctor or phone NURSE-ON-CALL: 1300 606 024 (available 24 hours). Free Japanese encephalitis vaccines

Japanese encephalitis virus is spread to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes and can cause a rare but potentially serious infection of the brain.

Free Japanese encephalitis vaccines are available to protect Victorians at higher risk of the virus. 

The Victorian Department of Health encourages eligible people who live or work in high-risk local government areas to get vaccinated ahead of summer, which brings an increased mosquito presence.

For more information, including what is considered a high risk area and eligibility for a free vaccine, refer to the Department of Health’s Japanese encephalitis webpage.

Find out more

For more information on protecting against mosquito-borne diseases, families can refer to the following Better Health Channel pages:

·         Mosquitoes can carry diseases

·         Protect yourself from mosquito-borne disease, including a handy checklist to help reduce mosquito breeding sites at home and resources translated into other languages

·         Japanese encephalitis

·         Buruli ulcer.

Parents, carers, schools, and community all play an important role in protecting children and young people from, and educating them about, the harmful effects smoking and vaping.

Research from the Royal Children’s Hospital shows many parents and carers are not aware of the harmful effects or how their views about smoking and vaping can impact the likelihood of a young person taking up smoking or vaping.

The Department of Education has developed resources to help you learn more about the health risks of smoking and vaping, and some suggestions about how to talk to children and young people about vaping, and where to get support. To access the resources, go to https://www.vic.gov.au/smoking-and-vaping-advice-parents

You can also view this video on smoking and vaping from experts at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne for health advice and tips for starting a conversation with young people.

The Australian Government has established the School Student Broadband Initiative to provide free home internet for one year for up to 30,000 eligible families with school-aged students.

The initiative aims to boost education opportunities. NBN Co is leading the rollout of this initiative across the country.

How the School Student Broadband Initiative can help your child

Children who can access online learning at home as part of their education are more likely to engage in classroom activities.

Access to fast internet at home can also support children to build their digital skills, learn how to safely use the internet and take part in a world that is more reliant on digital technology.

Eligibility

To be eligible, families must:

• have a child living at home enrolled in an Australian school in 2023
• not have an active National Broadband Network internet service at their home (having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility)
• live in a premises that can access the National Broadband Network through a standard connection.  NBN Co will check this for you after you apply
• register interest with your school and complete a consent form to be assessed for eligibility.

How the School Student Broadband Initiative works

If you are eligible, your home internet service will be provided at no cost for one year with a participating internet provider over the National Broadband Network. Each internet provider has its own step-by-step process to get you connected, which may involve you providing identification.

Once you sign up, the internet provider will help you set up your connection. The initiative does not include devices such as a computer or tablet. Other members of your household can use the internet service provided through this initiative.

The one-year period will start from the day your service is activated with your chosen provider. At the end of the one-year period, you will not be placed onto a paid service by your internet provider without your consent. The Australian Government is considering options beyond the one-year free period.

How to apply

• Ask your school for a copy of the School Student Broadband Initiative consent form.
• Complete the consent form and return to the school.
• NBN Co will use student address details on the consent form to confirm eligibility.
• If you are eligible, NBN Co will issue a voucher for your family to use to sign up with a participating internet provider.  This will be provided to you by your school.

Please note: NBN Co will review the home address for eligibility. No personal information other than your main home address will be shared with NBN Co. Please see the consent form for details about how personal information will be used.

Find out more

For more information about the School Student Broadband Initiative, visit https://www.infrastructure.gov.au

If you are interested in a career in Agriculture, the three day Defying the Drift program could be perfect for you.  This program will be held at Longernong College from 23rd to 25th September and highlights the huge array of opportunities and career options related to the field of Agriculture.  The Nhill Rotary Club will consider sponsoring local students to cover the registration fee or part thereof.  Early bird registration costs are $250 if registering before 31 July or $350 if registration is received after that date.  Please click on the link for more information.

https://www.defyingthedrift.org/

With the recent updates to our school website, parents are now able to submit Bus Notes in two ways:

• via Compass under the Star (School Favourites) icon - Bus Notes
• via the Nhill College website (https://www.nhillcollege.vic.edu.au/), under Parent Info - Bus Notes

Both options will direct parents to an online template that will inform the school of any changes to regular bus travel arrangements.  Please ensure that any Bus requests are submitted before 3.00pm.

Computers are being used more frequently in many aspects of our teaching and learning programs, and Nhill College strives to make a 1:1 provision of devices available for student use in the classroom.  However, students using school-owned laptops are not permitted to take them home at night and these devices must be returned to the relevant charging station at the end of each day.  Students wishing to access devices at home to support their learning are encouraged to explore the range of devices available through Edunet as part of our BYOD program.  In addition to gaining access to your own device at discounted prices, purchases through Edunet provide students with school based IT support and manufacturer's warranty, as well as access to the College's network, servers and printers.  Families purchasing a BYOD will also be provided with access to the Department of Education's Microsoft 365 suite, which gives free access to Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc on up to 5 family devices.

To assist those families interested in exploring BYOD options, we have new and updated models for our BYOD program through Edunet.  Please open the link below for details about the devices.  Mr Shrive is happy to take questions from parents or students if they are looking at purchasing a BYOD.  Devices specifically chosen for Nhill College students cover a range of specifications and price levels, and include the following options:

• Lenovo 500w Gen 4
• Lenovo 13w Yoga Gen 2 (AMD Ryzen 5)
• Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga Gen 4
• Apple MacBook Air 13.6"
• Apple MacBook Pro 13.3"

All devices are listed at education prices, which can be viewed along with each device's specifications at Edunet's online ordering portal via http://nhillcollege.technologyportal.com.au . 

Please see the attached flyer for further details - including cut off dates for orders to be delivered prior to Christmas.