“To challenge the status quo, so that everyone is empowered to learn”
Next Week @TC
07/02/2025
Subject Change Week
VCE Attendance Processes Reminders
Relationships and Sexuality Education at TC
2025 School Council Elections
Student Employment - We Have Positions Available - Closing on Sunday
Student Parent Teacher Interviews - Some Information
Permaculture Working Bee
We’re On Instagram!
Some Upcoming Excursions - More Info on Compass
Change Week - Semester 1 Subject Changes
Change week begins next week. On Monday a form will be posted to community teams pages. Students need to fill in if they are looking to change any subjects for Semester 1. Any questions regarding this process, students should talk to their community team in SWING.
An important date - students will not be able to join VCE Unit 1 or 3 classes past the 14th of February. This is so students are able to complete all the content and attendance requirements for the semester.
VCE ATTENDANCE PROCESSES REMINDERS
A reminder about the following processes to do with Attendance @TC:
Students who are completing a VCE subject must achieve an attendance requirement of 80% or over to pass the subject
The final date for Unit 1 and Unit 3 subjects is Friday 6th June. Student absence and reason for absence should be recorded via the Compass portal on the day of absence
Any students who miss a VCE class must provide a medical certificate to the school to have that attendance approved under DET guidelines. A valid form of medical certificate is from one of the following medical practitioners: GP, hospital, paediatrician, physiotherapist, osteopath, chiropractor, orthopaedic surgeon, dentist, psychologist or psychiatrist.
A reminder that students studying VCE should not be taking holidays during term time as this will severely affect their attendance and ability to complete course work and pass subjects
The best way to improve attendance is to attend!
If you believe your student was in class but has been marked absent, please contact the relevant classroom teacher to discuss
Should you have any queries regarding attendance, or if you would like further support from the school, please contact the relevant Community Team.
Yours sincerely,
Katrina Katz - Assistant Principal - Community and Wellbeing
Relationships and Sexuality Education at TC in 2025
The TC Community Integrated Learning team will be continuing the Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) program in 2025 for our Flexible Learning Environment cohorts. Classes have been designed to be developmentally and age appropriate and inclusive of consent education for all students.
In 2025 a sequence of lessons will be included in the regular timetable for FLE students. FLE1-FLE3 including MAP students will receive 3-4 sessions across the year. These will begin with FLE1 on a rotating timetable during cohort based English classes from Term 1 - Week 4. We will be scheduling Entry, International, ESDP and VM student cohorts into RSE program later in the year.
The term Relationships and Sexuality Education may include topics such as physical, social and emotional development, sex and safer sex practices, sexual and reproductive health, respect for others and oneself, consent, diversity and inclusion, personal rights and responsibilities, love, relationships and friendships, effective communication, abstinence, decision-making, help-seeking and accessing health services.
At TC we take a whole school approach and believe that relationships and sexuality education is a shared responsibility. Research shows your child’s sexuality education is most effective when you are also actively involved. We encourage parents/carers to follow up with conversations with your child according to your own values and beliefs. The Victorian Department of Education has great resources to assist parents with these discussions - https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/physed/Pages/forparents.aspx
The RSE classes will be delivered by TC staff experienced in this teaching area, and we look forward to working with young people to strengthen their skills and understanding of RSE across developmental stages.
We encourage and strongly recommend that all students attend these important life-skills classes. However, if you would prefer your child not to attend, please email your child’s Community Executive Team to opt out by 5pm Friday Feb 14th, 2025. Students who are not participating will go to another supervised space during these sessions.
BLUE@tc.vic.edu.au
RED@tc.vic.edu.au
GOLD@tc.vic.edu.au
GREEN@tc.vic.edu.au
Andrea Carydias – TC Teacher: Health Promotion/RSE/Developmental Learning
2025 School Council Elections
Information for parents and students
TC’s School Council Elections will run from Friday 7 February and conclude by 27 March 2025.
What is a school council and what does it do?
All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set the broad direction of a school, in accordance with Ministerial Order 1280 Constitution of Government School Councils, and the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. In doing this, a school council may directly influence the quality of education for students.
Who is on the school council?
For most Secondary school councils, there are several possible categories of membership:
A mandated elected parent member category –members of this category generally comprise more than one third of the council’s total membership. Department employees can be parent members at their child’s school providing that they are not engaged in work at the school.
A mandated elected school employee member category – members of this category make up no more than one-third of membership. The principal of the school is automatically one of these members.
An optional community member category – members are co-opted by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests or experience. Department employees are not eligible to be community members.
For all schools with a Year 7 and above cohort, there is an additional category of membership:
A mandated elected student member category, two positions.
Generally, the term of office for all members is two years. The term of office of half the members expires each year, creating vacancies for the annual school council elections.
TC College Council meetings are held on the 4th Thursday of each month, onsite from 6.00pm. We hold approx. two meeting per term with a maximum of 8 meetings held per year.
Do I need special experience to be on school council?
Each member brings their own valuable skills and knowledge to the role, however, to successfully perform their duties, councillors may need to gain some new skills and knowledge.
It is important to have an interest in your child’s school and the desire to work in partnership with others to help shape the school’s future. Training is available for all School Council members.
Please click on this link 2025 School Council Elections to access more information on each category and complete Nomination forms for the parent or student category.
All Nomination forms can be returned to connect@tc.vic.edu.au or dropped off at the front office.
Student Employment - We Have Positions Available - Closing on Sunday
One of our unique programs is our Student Employability Skills Program. Students can work for the school and be paid for it! This is open to all ages. We currently have positions available for the following roles:
Maintenance and Cleaning
Early Morning Grounds Maintenance
Canteen Assistant
Student Librarian
PAC Front of House
More information can be found on Microsoft Teams on the Community Channel.
Student Parent Teacher Interviews - Some Information
When:
Option 1 - Thursday 27th Feb Held Online 10am - 6pm.
Option 2 - Friday 28th Feb Held @ TC 8:30am - 3:30pm
How to Book:
When bookings open (which is not yet!), this is done through Compass. We will send out to families when bookings are available.
Who Attends:
Students and Parents meet with staff
Is School Running on These Days?
No. As all of our staff are in meetings all day on both days, there are no classes running on this day.
Can I have an online appointment on the onsite day, or vice-versa?
In short, no.
Permaculture Working Bee
Come and help us tidy up the TC garden between 9 and 12 on Sunday 16th of February. Morning tea provided. Please complete the form if you are coming - TC Permaculture Garden Working Bee
We’re on Instagram!
Do you follow @official_templestowe_college on the gram? Celebrating TC achievements and sharing with our community it is a great way to learn more about TC on your daily scroll! Follow now - https://www.instagram.com/official_templestowe_college/
If you prefer Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/templestowecollege
Some Upcoming Excursions - More Info on Compass
Tuesday 11th Feb - Graphic Design Zoo Excursion
Wednesday 19th Feb - Beauty and the Beast - Drama Elective
Thursday 20th Feb - Entry and FLE Humanities Excursion to Jewish Museum of Australia and the Islamic Museum of Australia
Last Weeks Announcements
Calendar for Families of Key Term 1 Dates
Doncaster Park and Ride is now closed
Traffic flow through the school - one way system
Join Our parent/carers Facebook group
Change Week - Subject Changes Semester 1
Attendance reminder
Mobile Phone Policy refresh - Day 1 reflections
CSEF applications now open
Photographing, Filming and Recording students opt out
Annual Policy Reminder
Annual Privacy Statement
Calendar for Families of Key Term 1 Dates
Please find below a print out from Compass of some of the key dates for term 1. This could be printed out and put on your fridge!
On this are:
Student Parent Teacher Interviews – no classes run on this day due to the size of the school and the logistics for everyone to be able to see their teachers
Term end dates
TC Pool Party – this event is one that students should be attending. No classes run on this day but it is one that gives students a great opportunity to take part in something (whether water based or not) and build connections
Photo day and mop up photo day dates
Community Launch assembly dates and times for students
Doncaster Park and Ride is Now Closed
We have been informed that Doncaster park and ride will be closed until 2028 as part of the North East Link. There is still a bus stop nearby. Please visit PTV for further information if this impacts you.
Traffic Flow Through the School One Way System
The traffic flow through the school on Day 1 was fairly good. Thank you for your patience. Please remember to leave additional time throughout the first week and keep to the speed limit.
Join our parent/carers facebook group
TC has an active parents/carers Facebook page, run by parents for parents. Promoting a safe space for parents and carers of students at Templestowe College to share information online, the group celebrates school achievements, keeps up to date with school events, and more.
To join please follow this link https://www.facebook.com/groups/templestowecollegeparentcarersgroup/ all members will be confirmed by a school staff member, please ensure you answer the requested questions to join.
Change Week - Semester 1 Subject Changes
Change week begins in week three. Next week a form will be posted to community teams pages that students need to fill in if they are looking to change any subjects for Semester 1. Any questions regarding this process, students should talk to their community team in SWING.
Attendance Reminder
As another school year begins, I wanted to take a moment to emphasise the importance of regular school attendance for our students.
Consistent attendance is one of the most significant factors in ensuring student success. When students attend school regularly, they are more likely to engage with the material, participate in classroom activities, and develop the skills and habits necessary for their academic and personal growth. Missing school—even occasionally—can result in missed lessons and challenges in keeping up with work, school activities and friendships.
We understand that life can be unpredictable, and sometimes students may need to miss school for various reasons. However, we encourage you to make every effort to ensure your child is present as much as possible. Additionally, if your student must miss school, we ask that you report the absence on Compass and encourage them to stay in contact with their teacher via Microsoft Teams to ensure they stay up-to-date with any work missed. If you require assistance with logging into/using Compass please call the school on 9850-6333 and Press 4 for our IT Department. Alternatively, please log a request for IT support using the following website: TC - I.T Support.
If there are any barriers or concerns that may affect your child's attendance, please do not hesitate to reach out to your student’s relevant Community Executive Team.
blue@tc.vic.edu.au
gold@tc.vic.edu.au
green@tc.vic.edu.au
red@tc.vic.edu.au
Many thanks,
Katrina Katz - Assistant Principal - Community and Wellbeing
Mobile Phone Policy Refresh – Day 1 Reflections
As everyone will be aware we all have an obligation to help the school meet its requirements as part of the Ministerial Order around mobile phones.
As we aim to help our students develop the skills to self-regulate (whilst also meeting our requirements), we wanted to share some interesting reflections from students. One was that a few students commented that reaching for their phones was just an automatic habit. They had no reason to do this, it just happened. This could make for an interesting discussion at home around how long it can take to break a habit and the supports that could be put in place at home as well.
We will also be adding more clocks around the school, having spoken to students. Are you aware if your child can read an analogue clock (ie with hands) as well as a digital one? A surprising number of students said that they were unable to do so. We are looking to produce some resources for families to be able to do this at home where needed.
Our staff commented that 99.9% of our students were really respectful when working or speaking with staff on this policy as part of the schools requirement under the ministerial order. No phones needed to be kept in the safe for the day, and no students needed to be collected. We really appreciate the support from our families as we know there are, and have been, conversations at home around supporting us to meet this requirement and also give all of our students a break from the demands of social media throughout the day.
CSEF applications now open
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments for eligible students to attend activities like:
school camps or trips
swimming and school-organised sports programs
outdoor education programs
excursions and incursions
If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to user-pays activities for the benefit of your student/s. The annual CSEF amount is $250.00 per secondary school student.
HOW TO APPLY
Please complete the CSEF application form - content.sdp.education.vic.gov.au.docx - and return it to the TC general office with a copy of your concession card. Alternatively, you can email through a copy of the completed form and concession card to accounts@tc.vic.edu.au.
If you successfully applied for CSEF at TC last year, you do not need to complete a new application unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.
New application forms are only required in the following instances:
new student enrolments; your child has started or changed schools this year.
changed family circumstances; such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing this year.
For more information please visit Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund | vic.gov.au (www.vic.gov.au), or call through to the Accounts team on ph. 03 9850 6333 (option 3).
Photographing, Filming and Recording students opt out
During the school year there are many occasions and events where staff may photograph, film or record students participating in school activities and events. We do this for many reasons including to celebrate student participation and achievement, showcase particular learning programs, document a student’s learning journey/camps/excursions/sports events etc, communicate with our parents and school community in newsletters and on classroom blogs/apps etc.
If you would like to Opt OUT of having your child used in media within the school community or in publications/locations that are publicly accessibly please read our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy and complete the Annual Consent Form and return to the general office.
Annual Policy Reminder
A reminder that you can find our policies on our website. These can be found by clicking here.
Annual Privacy Statement
Annual privacy reminder for 2024
Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy.
For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in nine community languages: Amharic, Arabic, Dari, Gujarati, Mandarin, Somali, Sudanese, Turkish, Urdu ,Vietnamese