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Assemblies

House assembly is held each morning before classes commence. Advocates will mark the roll, collect absence notes and keep students up to date with what is happening around the school by reading the daily bulletin. If a student is out of uniform they provide a note to their advocate at form assembly with a reason and a date for when the student will be back in uniform. Whole house and general assemblies are usually held a few times each term.

Attendance Policy

Parents are requested to contact the College when they know their child will be absent from school (5770 2000). The school will attempt to inform parents/parents/guardians who are listed absent in the morning without prior notification. Our policy is “Every day at school matters”. It’s difficult for students to maintain contact with their curriculum, their teachers and their peers if they aren’t at school. Think twice before organising appointments and holidays during school time if an alternative is possible.

Bicycles/Unicycles/Scooters/Skateboards

Students riding to school may leave their bikes, etc at the area provided at the College. A lock is recommended. Students are to wear helmets when riding bikes to and from school.  Bikes are not to be ridden in the school grounds.

Buses

The school bus runs are operated by the Fallon’s and McKenzie’s bus lines. School buses are provided free of charge to the student’s nearest school for students who live more than 4.8 kilometres from the school. Temporary travel on buses can be requested on presentation of a note to the office before school. Where possible, a temporary bus pass will be issued.

Canteen

The school canteen is located at the front of the assembly hall. Lunches can be ordered at recess by writing an order on the bags provided in the canteen, then placing it in the lunch order box. The canteen offers a great range of healthy lunches and snacks.

Computers

Alexandra Secondary College is a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) school. Information relating to the recommended specifications of devices is sent out to all Grade 6 students prior to their entry to the College. iPads are not supported at the College as they are not able to run all of the programs required. Students are provided with access to Office 365, which enables access to the Microsoft Office suite of programs at no cost. Students also have access to a variety of free software via the Department of Education and Training’s eduSTAR image. Download of these programs is arranged during Digital Technology classes. More detailed information about computer specifications and the availability of educational-pricing devices from preferred suppliers can be accessed via the BYOD page.

Enrolments

New enrolments to Alexandra Secondary College can contact the front office on 5770 2000 for enrolment information and enrolment forms.  Our friendly office staff will put you into contact with the year level coordinator to organise a tour and to answer any questions you may have. Please note that we follow the Department of Education and Training (DET) policy for enrolments. This can be found here.

Excursions

A range of excursions and visits are arranged across all year levels, all of which build upon the content of classroom subjects. These include plays and films, musical concert performances and a range of academic, cultural and environmental experiences.

Fees and Levies

Government funding for classroom materials and student resources is basic and schools have always asked parents to provide a little extra. Our school community has traditionally offered a high degree of support for the modest contributions we ask parents to pay. The fees cover the extra cost of maintaining and improving our computer resources, library resources, student lockers, use of the College bus for local trips, the school magazine, and photocopying of student handbooks and classroom materials. The list goes on. We recognise that some families find the fees a difficult burden and that it is not always easy to ask for support. One level of support, primarily intended to be used for students’ educational needs, incudes the Camps and Excursion Fund (CSEF). This support is available for parents who have a Health Care Card. Details of this allowance are available at the college. Other forms of support are also available and can be arranged after consultation with the Business Manager, Anne Norris. Strict confidence is maintained in all cases.

First Aid and Illness

Sometimes accidents happen, or students may become sick while at school. If that happens, students should report to the front office for assistance. Please do not send your child to school if they are ill. If a student is ill at school, the parent/guardian or a contact person will be phoned by staff and requested to collect the student. Illnesses often respond to rest, and we would like to avoid the possibility of infecting other students and staff.

Houses

Students are placed into House groups when they come to ASC. The Houses are Bainbridge House (Yellow), Weinberg House (Red), Long House (Green) and Cumming House (Blue). If students have an immediate family connection to a particular house, we try to place them in that House. Students work together in their Houses for a range of events over the year, including Athletics, Swimming, Cross Country, the Penny Concert and the end of year picnic.

Inside Out

The school produces a newsletter every week, called ‘Inside Out’. This publication is usually emailed out to families on Fridays. ‘Inside Out’ is a vital link in our communication between the school and parents. It provides important information about the College, as well as exciting reports about student achievements and activities. It is hoped that all parents take the time to read it. ‘Inside Out’ can also be accessed via the home page.

Instrumental Music

The Instrumental Music Program at Alexandra Secondary College offers students the opportunity to develop their music skills through regular tuition on an instrument of their choice. The school offers a big selection of instruments.

By learning a musical instrument, students:

  1. Develop interests that can be carried on beyond Alexandra Secondary College.
  2. Gain satisfaction and confidence from developing their abilities.
  3. Learn in settings/environments both inside and outside Alexandra Secondary College.
  4. Learn to cooperate with others and be part of a team.
  5. Develop the self-discipline necessary for regular practice.

Research shows that music can enhance learning capacity for other areas as well.

Central to the development of these skills is performance; both solo and group performances are encouraged within the Instrumental Music Program. Each year students are required to perform at two music program concerts as well as a few live to air performances on UGFM, which are broadcast from the music room every few weeks. Students are encouraged to attend the North Eastern Victoria Region Music Camp and End of Year Tour, as well as other events such as ‘Battle of the Bands’ and community performances.

Classes involve student participation, staff demonstration, and a music theory component as well as regular work preparing small ensemble items. The Alexandra Secondary College Concert Band (Bandemonium) rehearses once a week and prepares students for both Alexandra Secondary College and community performances. All instrumental students also belong to at least one band including many rock bands, choir, junior band, steel pan band and more. Students have a weekly lesson of approximately 50 minutes, and are withdrawn from classes on a rotating timetable – this reduces the incidence of students missing the same timetabled class each week.

Students wishing to do instrumental music can enrol early in Term One. The annual fee ranges from $125 to $300 depending on the instrument and tuition, and is payable at the beginning of the year. If students do not have their own instrument, a limited number of school instruments are available for hire.

Enquiries should be directed to Mr Nick Lester or Mr Jack Mithen, the Music Coordinators.

Late Arrival

The best case scenario is that all students arrive on time at school each day. If late arrival is unavoidable on a particular day, students should report to the front office with a note from their parents to have their attendance recorded.

Library

The Library is an integral part of the school curriculum. There are a number of study areas, including computer facilities and recreational reading areas. Students have ready access to a wide range of resources including a comprehensive research and reference collection, a wide range of novels, a magazine collection, and audio-visual material. The library is open during class-time and every lunchtime.

Lockers

Each student is issued with a locker in their House area in which to keep their belongings and a combination padlock. Students keep their belongings there throughout the day unless they are using them.

Parents’ and Friends’ Association

The Parents’ and Friends’ Association works very hard for the school and welcomes new members at any time. The group provides valuable input to a range of decision-making processes in the school, and raise much-needed funds via a variety of activities.

Parent–Student–Teacher Interviews

Interviews are held in the evenings near the end of Term 1 and the end of Term 3. Parents and students are encouraged to attend to gain information about student progress and further develop the partnership between parents, teachers and students that is important for student success.

In addition to formal interviews, teachers can be contacted by phone through the front office, or by email. Teacher’s email addresses can be accessed via the ‘Contacts’ tabs on the College website.

Peer Support Program

The Peer Support program is part of the Year 7 transition into secondary school and aims to connect Year 7 students with Year 10 mentors. Peer support is a program run by trained Year 10 leaders who work with small groups of Year 7 students during Term 1 and stay connected over the next few years.

Toward the end of Year 9, students can nominate to become peer support leaders for the following year. They undergo the training associated with running the program and learn skills related to being effective and supportive mentors. They utilise their skills by assisting some Grade 6 transition day activities.

As Year 10 students, those trained in the Peer Support program will work with small groups of Year 7 students.  The mentors will run ‘getting to know you’ activities that will begin the process of creating strong, trusting and supportive relationships with the younger students. Following the formal six week program, Year 10 and Year 7 students will be able to catch up informally.

Sport

An extensive range of sporting opportunities are available for students at ASC. In Term One, there are the Swimming and Athletic Sports, and team games including baseball, tennis, cricket, volleyball and softball. In Term Two there is interschool badminton, netball, soccer and football. In Term Three, the sports that students can choose from are hockey, basketball, table tennis and squash. There is also a school cross country event, and during winter, students can participate in the ski program. If students are successful in these sports they have the opportunity of competing against district schools, and may even make it to state level. Many House sport competitions are also held during the year. Our PE teachers would love to hear of any special sporting interests you may have.

Street Passes

Occasionally it is convenient for students who live out of Alexandra to be able to access services in Alexandra at lunchtime. Students who would like to request a street pass for a given day must provide a note signed by a parent and place it in the box in the front office prior to the start of House assembly. For safety reasons, street passes should only be requested for urgent needs. This pass does not allow students to go down the street to buy lunch.

Students’ Representative Council (SRC)

Students are encouraged to join the Student Representative Council, which puts forward students’ ideas on a range of issues, and organises a range of activities and fundraising events. The students currently support a Third World child and have developed a number of initiatives around the College, including water fountains and outdoor seating.

Student Wellbeing

Student wellbeing at Alexandra Secondary College is of the highest priority. The wellbeing approach of the College is pro-active, as well as responding to individual needs as they arise. The College regularly provides students with speakers, programs, literature and activities, that enable them to have a greater awareness and understanding of welfare issues. The College provides a range of services on an as-needs or on-going basis to individual students and their families. Wellbeing is also linked to the discipline procedures via counselling and parental interviews. It is important to remember that an effective wellbeing strategy needs good communication between student, parents and school. More detailed information about Wellbeing services available can be accessed via the Student Wellbeing page.

SunSmart Policy

During Terms 1 and 4, all students must wear a hat when participating in activities in the sun. This includes during Physical Education classes, excursions and camps, and during lunch and recess. Students who do not have a hat will be asked to sit in the shade. A broad-brimmed hat is recommended.

Timetable

We operate on a five-day timetable with six, 50-minute periods per day. The timetable tells students the subject, teacher and room number and looks like this:

Please access this page on a larger screen to view the timetable.

Monday 1 2 3 4 5 6
7A Maths
CT M4
English
VP M4
Physical Education
FS CC
Science
ZE S1
Humanities
TL M1
7B Home Economics
MK M11
Humanities
TL M5
Indonesian
RI M4 Japanese
TL M1
Maths
KD M4
English
MS M4
7C Science
ZE S2
Maths
CT A5
Info Tech
TL M7
Drama
WN Hall

Students will be assisted to learn how to read their timetable.

Transition Program

There is a team of people working hard to make sure that the transition from Grade 6 to Year 7 is a smooth and happy one. Visits by Grade 6 students to the Secondary College, activities at ASC, Orientation Day, an Information evening and school visits to primary schools all help make this possible. We are very proud of the learning, social and physical environment at Alexandra Secondary College and work hard to maintain its well-deserved reputation as a school at the forefront of education in this state. We are looking forward to having your child join our school community and hope that they take advantage of every opportunity that Alexandra Secondary College provides.