The 2015 Booklists for all year levels can be downloaded in pdf form below. They are also available on the Form Downloads section of the FCC website. http://www.footscray.vic.edu.au/form-downloads/ Don’t forget about the Friends of FCC Secondhand Book and Uniform Sale on Saturday December 6th 2015 Booklists Year 7 Booklist 2015 Year 7 SEAL Booklist 2015 Year 8 Booklist 2015 Year 9 Booklist 2015 Year 10 Booklist 2015 VCE Booklist 2015

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An article on the The Weather Stations project at Footscray City College from the Wheeler Centre website As the Victorian school year kicks off, we’re launching an exciting new education project, in collaboration with Footscray City College and in partnership with Tipping Point Australia. Weather Stations is an international project that places literature and storytelling at the heart of conversations around climate change. The Wheeler Centre is one of five global partners, with Miles Franklin shortlisted writer Tony Birch as our Australian writer in residence. The Weather Stations project at Footscray City College involves a class of Year Nine students in an innovative program that invites them to engage with climate change and the environment, through art and creativity. They will take writing workshops with Tony Birch, go on excursions – including a city laneway walk, a walk along the Yarra with an Indigenous perspective, and a guided forage for food in Footscray (followed by preparing a meal) – and be engaged by school visits by leading thinkers and artists. The students involved have chosen Weather Stations as one of their elective subjects for 2015. ‘One of the big questions in education, I think, is how do we engage students with thinking and acting on climate change?’ says Sue Dwyer, the teacher running the Weather Stations program at Footscray City College. ‘To most teenagers it’s still a very abstract concept – they can’t grasp the immediacy of the problem and don’t see the point in wasting time and energy on it. Climate change is in the news, but not many teenagers watch or read the news. They’re probably more familiar with the scenarios in post-apocalyptic novels, films and video games, which they see as not real. But teenagers are heading towards a future that will be radically different to anything most of us have imagined. They are the citizens, and even the leaders and policy-makers, of the future. Their generation needs to reimagine, invent, innovate and create new lifestyles, industries, careers and consumer choices. To do this, they need to be analytical and creative thinkers.’ Weather Stations: Substations aims to discover, with young people, how our own knowledge, motivation and imaginations can lead us in adapting to the challenges and opportunities presented by climate change. The students at Footscray City College will be documenting their learning experience and producing a body of creative work, through creative writing and making short films about climate change. Their work will be published on the international Weather Stations blog alongside that of the writers in residence from each country, including Tony Birch. Their work will also be presented as part of a Youth Summit on Climate Change at the 2015 International Literature Festival Berlin. Along the way, the students will respond to a range of provocations around climate change, engage in reflective activities that involve making things (in the first lesson, they made moss-covered balls of soil containing plants called kokedamas), and work with open-source technology to collaboratively solve problems. ‘By provoking and challenging students with all kinds of presenters, the Weather Stations project has the potential to not only make them engage, question and reflect on climate change, but to seed a dialogue about it,’ says Sue Dwyer. ‘They’ll see how writing, film, art, games and other cultural expressions discuss and explore social, cultural and scientific issues. I really hope that some of the students’ experiences in this project are transformative and that there are flow-on benefits for the school in the short term, and the planet in the long term.’ Find out more about Weather Stations on our website, or follow Tony Birch on the Weather Stations blog.

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PRINCIPAL’S REPORT A very warm welcome to our many year 7 students and their families, and also to those who have joined us at other year levels. Welcome back to all of our students and families who are returning to be with us again for 2015 – a year that we hope will be a positive and successful one for all of our students. Our Year 8 to 12 students commenced their programs for this year at the end of 2014, so they have transited very smoothly into their classwork from day one. Our year 7s also appear to have settled quite readily into their new life as secondary students. We look forward to working with parents /carers to support all of our students to experience personal success at the highest level they are capable of. There are some basic essentials that need to be in place to have this level of success, and they include Excellent attendance and punctuality Bringing all required materials, books and equipment, including a fully charged netbook Using class time properly Completing homework Keeping to deadlines for submission of work Putting in maximum effort at all times We hope that through a strong school-home partnership we will be able to ensure our students are equipped with these essentials, to guarantee success in their studies. Staffing Changes for 2015 As mentioned in the last newsletter of 2014, we have a number of new staff joining us this year. We would like to welcome and introduce Laura Borghouts – English/Humanities Brendan Fry – English/Humanities Karly Adams – English/Humanities Jodie O’Connor – Maths/Science Tom Taylor – Maths/Science Amelia Hawkins – Japanese/EAL Jessie Geraghty will also be joining us as an Art teacher for the remainder of the term whilst Olga Kurbienko is on leave. Sadly one of our teachers, Teresa Vaz has been seriously ill over the holidays and will not be able to return to work for semester one. We wish Teresa the very best with her recovery. School Review All government schools are required to undertake a review every four years, and we will be undergoing this process during terms two and three this year. It will involve analysing our performance for 2011—2014, as well as developing the future direction and priorities of the college, which will form the basis of the school’s next strategic plan. There will be the opportunity in term two for staff, students and parents to be involved in the review through workshops and focus groups. The input of the three main groups of the school community is one of the most worthwhile aspects of the review process, and we will look forward to your contribution as parents. There will be more information on the workshops and focus groups once planning is finalised and endorsed by the School Council this term. School Council Elections The review will ensure that school council will have a busy year ahead, but it will also be exciting to be directly involved in deciding the future direction of the college. Positions include three parent representatives and two staff/DET representatives. If you are interested in nominating for one of the positions, nominations open on Monday 16th February and close at 4.00 pm on Monday 23rd February. Nomination forms will be available from the school. You may ask someone to nominate you or you may simply nominate yourself. Debbie Whitehouse, the Business Manager will be managing the election process so please contact her if you have any queries about how to nominate, or other aspects of the process. Parent viewpoints on Council are most valuable so for anyone interested and able to make this commitment, you are strongly encouraged to nominate. Council meets on a monthly basis during the school terms. It also has four sub-committees – Finance, Education, Buildings & Grounds and School Promotions – and while school council members are expected to participate in one of these sub- committees, it is not necessary to be on council, to be a member of the sub-committees. It simply involves contacting the principal to indicate your interest, and will involve two to three meetings a term. We invite anyone who has an interest and/or expertise in any of the four areas covered by the sub-committees to consider joining up. Friends of FCC Another opportunity to be involved in the school, is through the Friends of FCC (Parents & Friends Association). Over the years the Friends of FCC has involved a grourp of dedicated parents who have raised thousands of dollars to fund extra resources for our students. It has also has provided an opportunity for parents to meet informally with other parents, and to have access to first hand information about what is happening at the school. Of course, the group is always keen to welcome new members and if you are interested in joining, their first meeting is today (10th February). The meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday of the month at 7.00 pm in the main staffroom next to the canteen. Online Curriculum with Google Apps A major curriculum initiative for 2015 is to have our curriculum available online using Google Apps. This will enable our students to have constant access to the units of work and relevant resources, for all of their subjects. It is currently a work in progress, and teachers are working diligently in meeting times, all of which are currently dedicated to shifting our curriculum online via Google Sites. The college is also trialling the use of Google Classrooms which provides a structure for teachers and students to communicate and manage the submission of work including homework. It allows students to track their required assessment tasks and other work and provides them with prompt reminders of anything overdue. Once the system is fully operational it will provide a great opportunity for you as parents to have more informed conversations with your child about their work, as it will be readily available to view online via your child’s FCC Google account. Curriculum Day Tuesday 17th February—Student Free […]

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Writer Tony Birch leads a discussion with Footscray City College students in Melbourne as part of the Weather Stations project. Photo: Patrick Scala Read The Age article about writer-in-residence Tony Birch working with FCC year 9 students. http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/weather-stations-trying-a-creative-approach-to-climate-change-20150209-137toq.html  Follow the FCC Weather Stations project on the blog:  http://footscraycityblogs.com/footscraysubstation/

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Congratulations to Hamish Hobson, Declan O’Rourke, Dominic O’Day and Liam Ta, whose short documentary film “My Footscray” has won yet another award! This time it was The City of Melbourne “Summer Shorts – Our city: my story” film competition, which was screened at Docklands on Thursday 19th February. The boys, who made their film in year 9 last year, took out first prize in the 15-17 year old category. They are currently plotting how to spend their prize money!    

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The Footscray City College VCE Theatre Studies class presents, an abstract play from the mind of Luigi Pirandello. Six Characters in Search of an Author tells the tale of a company of actors and their Manager, who are confronted by six people claiming to be characters from an unfinished play. Led by the dramatic and verbose Father, these characters attempt to get the group of actors to portray them in a new play… Book tickets via Try Booking here: http://www.trybooking.com/HDAY and read more about the play here: https://sites.google.com/a/footscray.vic.edu.au/fcc-presents-six-characters/   Dates Thursday 26 March 2015 07:00 PM & Friday 27 March 2015 07:00 Venue Footscray City College School Theatre 1 Kinnear St Footscray, VIC 3011

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Congratulations to all the Setting Sun Short Film Festival Finalists from FCC! Reuben, Angus G, Angus I & Ennis are finalists in the Best Secondary category for ‘Lost in Music’ and Declan, Liam, Hamish & Dominic are finalists in both the Best Secondary and Cultural Diversity Categories for ‘My Footscray’. Congratulations also to Paris from Footscray City Films who is a finalist in the Best Tertiary category for ‘Jaques Depose’ View the full list of finalists here: http://settingsunshortfilmfestival.com.au/finalists-2015/ Don’t forget to save the dates – Setting Sun runs from 16th – 19th of April at the Sun Theatre. Watch the films on youtube here

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Principal’s Report We have already reached the mid-point of term one, and the first progress checks for the year have been released on Compass. While these checks give a simple ‘very high to a ‘very low’ rating in the areas of classroom behaviour and effort, homework, meeting deadlines and performance, they provide a very good indication of a student’s progress and performance in their different subjects. The purpose of these checks is twofold. Firstly, they are to acknowledge the good work and effort of those students progressing well. Secondly, for those students who are not making the progress they are capable of, these checks provide an alert to this. The intention is that together parents and teachers will be able to provide the support these students need to set them on a more success-focused path in their studies. One strategy of the school to support these students, is to provide compulsory redemption classes after school, to complete any overdue work. This is part of the endeavour to ensure that every student successfully completes all subjects by the end of each semester. Aiming for success is a non-negotiable expectation of all students. Although the year level coordinators will be contacting some parents and carers, if anyone else has concerns about their child’s progress please do not hesitate to contact the relevant Coordinator. Parent teacher Interviews Wednesday 25th March Parent teacher interviews will be coming up soon on the 25th March. This will be the first opportunity to meet with the teachers of your son/s or daughter/s to gain a more detailed insight into their progress at this early stage of the year. There is, of course, no need to emphasise the obvious about how critical it is for students to commence the year in a positive and productive manner. Term one so far Although we have only completed five weeks of the first term, much has happened in the school lives of many of our students, not just within the classroom, but beyond it as well. Some of these events and activities have been covered in this edition of the newsletter. They include The year 8 camp, where the whole group were complimented on their exemplary behaviour by those staff who attended Study skills sessions for year 10 and 11 students, preparing them with the skills and techniques necessary to maximise their performance, both now and in year 12 The school musical rehearsals for Sweeney Todd which have now commenced and will continue through to performance time in August Year 7 & 8 swimming sports which saw great participation rates, and our talented swimmers come through to go on to the inter-school competitions Year 7s have also been off to Williamstown beach for a day to support their transition to secondary school in a fun and social environment First prize awarded by the City of Melbourne Summer Shorts film competition to a group of our students from the Year 9 Hot Docs project 2014 – their multiple award winning film was ‘My Footscray’. Congratulations to those students listed in the article on this recent success. The Hot Docs project has also risen to prominence this year because of the work they are doing in partnership with the Wheelers Centre and Tipping Point Australia. Together with these organisations our students are involved in Weather Stations, an international project exploring climate change through art and creativity. Along with our students, there are students in Ireland, London, Berlin and Warsaw working on the same project which will culminate in a Youth Summit on Climate Change at the 2015 International Literature Festival Berlin in September, and the aim is to have some of our students represented at the Summit. For further information on this exciting project please follow the link to an article which appeared in The Age Year 7 Family Barbecue Further to our list of school activities so far, we held our first informal social gathering with the families of our new Year 7 students, last Thursday evening. It was a pleasure to meet and chat with so many new parents, as well as those who already have students with us. It was also reassuring to hear repeatedly from those parents about how well their children had settled into Year 7 and the college generally. Thank you to all of those parent and carers who were able to attend the evening, and a special thanks must go to the parents from the Friends of FCC who organised the barbecue and the raffle on the evening. They included Tracey Doherty, Barbara Braun, Cristina O’Connor and Paul Castellano. Thank you to these parents for the generosity of their voluntary efforts. Maria Bawden Primary Schools Transition Program 2015: A resounding success The college played host to more than 400 Grade 6 students during two recent afternoon visitation programs. Primary students from Kingsville, Footscray City, Wembley, Yarraville West and Footscray Primary Schools attended Tuesday 17 February followed by visits from Footscray West and Footscray North Primary Schools on Tuesday 24 February. Both afternoons saw our Primary School guests attend an initial assembly where college Principal Maria Bawden briefed them all about the wonderful opportunities available for their secondary schooling here at Footscray City College. Following that it was a pleasure to have some current FCC students address the primary students about their own varied experiences of being a FCC student. Our FCC speakers relayed how positive they feel about our school and gave an inkling of the extra curricula activities they each had been involved in. Such activities included involvements in Science club, Homework club, Musical productions, Italy trips, Japan trips, SRC representation, Camps, Sporting teams and Art Shows. Our student speakers (Vincent, Flavia, Clare, Molly, and Luey) did us proud and all deserve a special mention of commendation. Following the assembly, the primary students undertook a program including a guided tour of the school, a Science practical activity and an Arts activity. All commented that they had a fabulous time, had enjoyed themselves and learnt a […]

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Our three-day camp was filled with a life time of experiences: from bike riding to tunnelling, to making damper and a raft, from going on a gorge walk to flying over one. Everything was amazing. I was able to try new things, which now I want to be able to do again! This camp was the best one I have been to but not just for the activities. I learnt so much and the site was beauti- ful. It was filled with wildlife and great cabins that actually had decent beds! A man-made lake was in the centre of the site that we were able to swim and do activities in. At the end of the camp, I was sad to go. I was tired but I wouldn’t have changed one single thing about the whole experience. Natae 8D  

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The FCC World Challenge Tanzania was an uplifting, confronting experience that we all enjoyed. From the airport to R & R we experienced highs and lows, but I can’t wait to travel again. It started with the goodbyes to our parents and families at the airport, which involved some tears. It was hard to let go of our loved ones because we wouldn’t be seeing or hearing from them for roughly four weeks. The plane ride to Dubai was delayed and long and I was relieved when we landed as many of us hadn’t been out of Australia before. The next leg of the journey was Dubai to Dar Es Saalam airport in Tanzania, which had to be one of the most astonishing experiences of the trip as the cloud coverage was so low. It was like the aero- plane was swooping through mashed- potato-like mist. The land was unlike anything we had ever seen with orange sands and mud huts scattered across the leafy green jungle. When we alighted from the aircraft, we were hit instantly by humidity, 30-degree heat and the harsh sun of Tanzania. We stayed in Dar Es Saalam for two days, which was spent changing money at the bank, organising transport and accommodation, finalising our budget and food shopping at the market. This was an experience in itself. During our time in Tanzania we were required to eat cooked meals for breakfast and dinner, so porridge and stew were our staple diets. Before we knew it, we were on the bus heading to crocodile camp. While on this bus trip we created a tradition to fit as many people as possible in a photo crowded around a poor sleep- ing victim. It alleviated the boredom of a long bus trip. During the acclimatisation stage we needed to cross a crocodile and hippo infested river. Thank goodness we were in a canoe with an expert oarsman!! After surviving the river crossing our reward was a 13km hike. During our three-day acclimatisation we visited a waterfall and received a cooking lesson from a local woman who managed the campsite, which involved chopping a chicken’s head off – thanks Matilda! The next stage of our trip was the community phase located in Msosa Village. The kids at Msosa Village were so affectionate and trusting that it created a warm and welcoming feeling for the six days that we were there. With the money our group had fundraised, we were able to purchase paint, brushes and rollers to decorate the school, and also chairs, desks and doors so that the kindergarten could be utilised. Our main trek to Livingston Mountains was a very challenging stage because porters were required to carry our packs for two of the four days. We covered roughly 13-15kms a day. It was the most fitness-orientated part of the trip as we needed to start at 4.30am to complete the day’s trek by lunchtime. Finally we reached our Rest and Relaxation stage, which included a safari at Ruaha National Park. We saw loads of animals including lions feeding, elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, hyenas and kudu/gazelles. The next part of our R & R we travelled to the Swahili coast staying in a resort with actual flushing toilets and running water. This was more of a tourist destination with water parks and marine trips. It gave everyone a chance to reflect on our journey and what we had achieved. Everyone agreed that this experience brought us closer as a team. In just one month everyone has grown and deep and genuine friendships have developed. We would recommend World Challenge as a very rewarding experience. Erin – Year 12

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On Wednesday the 25th of February all the Year 7s enjoyed a trip to Williamstown beach with their Home group teachers. The excursion was part of the Pastoral Care program and was filled with fun activities. Some children played in the water, some played beach games and others just took it easy. The beach games were organised by the VCAL students, and included fun sports such as cricket, volleyball and other games for everyone to play. During the day, there was also a barbecue lunch that was delicious! We were lucky that the weather was perfect. Everyone had a great time and we were sad to leave. Tamas 7C

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This special event is designed for Year 10 to 12 students and their families. You are invited to come and explore our vibrant Parkville campus and find out more about the range of study options available at Australia’s number one university*. Hear from current students about what it’s like to study at Melbourne, and attend tailored sessions to learn more about entry requirements, course structures and other opportunities available to Melbourne students. A tour of our Southbank campus will also be included in the program for those who wish to visit the Victorian College of the Arts. This event is ideal for international or domestic students, whether you’re studying locally, interstate or in regional Victoria. It’s a great opportunity to gather information and talk to University staff about all aspects of studying and life at Melbourne.

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FREE* Holiday Events. Applications Open Your students may be interested in applying for these FREE workshop events, to be held in the upcoming Term holidays. Please encourage your students to apply early, as places are limited for these popular events. You can also use our downloadable event flyers to publicise these events.   Interdisciplinary Drawing Workshop (Y10-12) - 1 day event Victorian College of the Arts, School of Art, Southbank, Melbourne – 1 April, 2015 Thinking seriously about studying at uni for a career in art or design? Then this hands-on creative workshop is for you. Explore VCA and more… You’ll be guided through the School of Art studios by current students and staff for a first-hand look at the facilities, pay a visit to the Australian Centre of Contemporary Art (ACCA) and practise your skills in a fun, hands-on workshop. Read more and apply online now || Download Event Flyer.   Advanced Engineering Workshop^ (Y11-12) – 2 day event La Trobe University, Bundoora campus – 8-9 April, 2015 Explore different engineering disciplines in depth and the pathways to studying at uni. Hear career presentations from practising engineers. In groups, address a model problem, consider the issues, test materials, design solutions and produce proposals. Your proposal will be assessed by an engineer and you’ll get to build and test the solution to see if it works. Each day you’ll have the chance to choose a different field of Engineering. Read more and apply online now || Download Event Flyer. ^This activity requires students to currently be undertaking VCE Maths Methods. Students also studying Specialist Maths and/ or, Physics are particularly encouraged to apply.   The Business of going to university (Y11-12) - 1 day event Deakin University, Waterfront Campus, Geelong – 9 April, 2015 Thinking about studying at uni for a career in Business? Come along and learn about career options, demystify uni life, hear from uni staff and students. We’ll give you tips and hints about how to get into uni, what happens on campus, how it’s different to high school and how to get the most out of uni! We’ll also let you in on some secrets along the way. Read more and apply online now || Download Event Flyer.   LSAP Workshop (Y10-12) – 2 day event Victoria University Law School, Melbourne (CBD) – 9-10 April, 2015 In two days, you’ll get insights into studying at uni, legal profession career options, and more. Sessions include: – Look at the process of examining a witness in court. – What it’s like to study at university and what’s actually involved in law related courses. Plus, pathways to the legal profession and studying law at uni. – Negotiation techniques and how to apply them. – Policy and politics – law in context. Find out how laws are made and propose changes in the law that you’d like to see. – Hear from someone who works in the law and can answer your questions about what it’s actually like. They might be a barrister, solicitor, magistrate, police detective, court registrar or youth justice officer. Read more and apply online now || Download Event Flyer.   Next Step – Health Workshop (Y11-12) – 1 day event Alfred Hospital, Prahran, Melbourne – 10 April, 2015 Which Health profession is right for me? What subjects do I need? What is university study like? Can I do it? What courses are there? If you are in VCE, thinking about these questions this workshop is a must. It will help you to understand where uni and a career in the Health industry can take you. Guest speakers from the Department of Health, current uni students and a leading university academic will answer all your questions and give you a glimpse into your future as a Health professional. Read more and apply online now || Download Event Flyer. * LEAP events are available for LEAP Priority Schools free of charge. Please note that the listed events may be subject to change – further events in other locations may also be added to the LEAP website as they are confirmed. Keep an eye on the website for events in your area, or make an enquiry.

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Parents Victoria invites you to join us for a Blackboard Collaborate discussion session An online discussion and Q&A session – via your own PC or Desktop Computer – must have recent version of ‘Java’ installed.  I-pads OK if Java app installed.  Facilitated and moderated by Parents Victoria. Topic:   Open (bring your own questions) When: Tuesday, March 17 @ 8.00 pm   Wednesday, March 25 @ 8.00 pm Official start time and check equipment 7.50 pm, start of session 8.00 pm, conclusion 9.00 pm Participants are encouraged to log on from 7.00 pm to ensure connection (once successfully logged on and connected, you can leave your computer and please return for the 8.00pm start time)   Participants Links:   Tuesday, March 17 use: https://au-sas.bbcollab.com/m.jnlp?sid=2007026&password=M.6D594DAA8683B9B6FB888B9DA920AF   Wednesday, March 25 use: https://au-sas.bbcollab.com/m.jnlp?sid=2007026&password=M.551D545902E24467E20A1E5318C243 Instructions    At the relevant time, click the blue “Participant Link” above for the session you are joining (or copy and paste into your browser). Follow the on/screen instructions to continue through to the session screen. Once you have connected (up to 1 hour before the official start time of the session), you can leave your computer, but please ensure you are back in time for the official session start-time. If you have a microphone connected to your computer, you can participate via speaking. If you have no microphone, you can still participate via typing into a ‘chat’ screen.   Overview of Blackboard Collaborate http://www.blackboard.com/platforms/collaborate/overview.aspx http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/support/Pages/blackboard.aspx http://www.brainshark.com/blackboardinc/vu?pi=zGLzYw5XBz35Sgz0     We hope you will enjoy the experience with us as we learn about and pursue Blackboard Collaborate as an avenue to communicate, inform and discuss issues of relevance to our government school families.  RSVP: to give us an idea of how many participants might join us, please email your rsvp to office@parentsvictoria.asn.au   Thankyou. Parents Victoria Executive Team (Sharron, Nicki, Elaine, Gail & Leanne) Parents Victoria Inc www.parentsvictoria.asn.au Phone: 9380 2158   ………………………… Telephone this number if you are having difficulty on the night

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Don’t forget Footscray City College Open Day is this Sunday March 22nd from 1.30pm until 4.00pm Principal’s Address at 1:30pm and Guided Tours run from 2.00pm until 4.00pm. A reminder also that Select Entry Accelerated Learning Program (SEALP) and Scholarship applications close on Friday 8th May. The Edutest selection test for SEALP & Academic Scholarships will be held on Friday 15th May

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Year 11 Theatre Studies will be performing a re-contextualised version of Medea by Euripdes, on Thursday 23rd April. There will only be one performance during the day at 11.50 period 4. There will be 2 evening shows at 6pm and 7pm on Thursday night. Performance details are: Year 11 Theatre Studies Present ‘Medea’ by Euripdes Date: Thursday 23rd April Times: 11:50am (School Performance) 6pm (1st Evening Performance) 7pm (2nd Evening Performance) Venue: FCC Theatre

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An Invitation to Parents Victoria’s Online Conference 18 – 21 May 2015 PARENTS are warmly invited to take part in Part Two of Parents Victoria’s online conference. The conference is being held during Education Week on the 18 -21 May. Topics ACCESS TO EDUCATION. What has been the greatest impact on your family getting your children back to school this year? Possible examples: cost of uniforms, BYOD, no EMA, location of school, moving schools. PARENT CLUBS. Is there still a role for parent clubs/associations in schools? Does your school have a club? If not how is the parent voice heard? How can schools encourage parents to get involved? How can we ensure that parent groups are representative of the school community? SOCIAL MEDIA. We often hear only the negative side of social media use, what are the positives? How is social media being used in your school? Do the students use it? Does your parent group have a Facebook page? Jump on board and leave your thoughts about the use of social media in the school environment. ONLINE REPORTING. Many schools are moving to online reporting. What do you think about this change? How do you receive your child’s report? Do school reports provide you with the information you want and need to monitor your child’s progress at school? What could be improved? FUNDING EDUCATION. What should the Government pay for? What, when and how should assistance be provided for disadvantaged students?) ADDITIONAL OPEN FORUM & CAREER & PATHWAYS GUIDANCE. An extra discussion message board has been provided to give you an opportunity to raise other education issues you believe are also important. If you choose to start a new thread, please add an appropriate subject heading so other participants can follow the discussion. For those of you who wish to express an opinion on Careers & Pathways Guidance, which has emerged as an area of concern, the following questions might be considered: Are our children being given enough advice and guidance about their possible careers and the pathways that lead to these careers? What more could schools do to assist students eventually realise their full potential in the employment market?

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On November 13th 2012, twelve Footscray City students, teachers Kellie & Mark & the World Challenge leader Charlie culminated 18 months of planning & preparation by embarking on a month long expedition to Malaysian Borneo. Here are some edited thoughts from a few of our participating students with accompanying photos. “It was a very different experience for me and definitely changed my life. Whilst being in a different country, with very different people you eventually learn to appreciate what you have at home. We ventured all over the country; from Sarawak to Sabah and everywhere in between. From our first drop off at Kuching the adventure had started and I was ready to tackle anything that would come my way. The locals were all very helpful, and made travel a lot easier. Members of my group kept me going when I was feeling down, feeling homesick and when I was physically exhausted. Climbing Mt Kinabalu was by far the hardest thing I have ever done; but reaching the top was easily my greatest achievement. Whilst looking over the edge at the peak of the mountain a sense of accomplishment was felt by my whole team. I gained a lot of skills: how to deal with stress, team building and commitment to a task. World Challenge was really a life changing experience and I would recommend it to anybody who enjoys something different, challenging and wants to see the world”. Rourk Velianovski Year 11 “For me, the month-long expedition to Borneo was absolutely incredible. I made some great friendships and developed skills in communication, organisation, and teamwork. I learnt to deal with stressful situations, and was challenged, both mentally and physically. The hardest part for me was the jungle trekking. I found that being so isolated and removed from civilization was quite mentally straining. But getting through that with the support of others made me a much stronger person and brought us closer as a group. The most rewarding part of the expedition was seeing our entire group reach the top of Mt Kinabalu, the highest point in Malaysia, at just over 4000m. With a tremendous amount of strength, we supported and encouraged each other all the way to the top of that mountain. The project in the remote village of Bario was also a highlight for me. Meeting and associating with the locals, whilst learning about their ways of life was both intriguing and invigorating. Working in the health centre for that week was a highly rewarding experience, and the hospitality of the local people was incredible. By the end of the trip, I felt that I had been through a lot but had also gained so much life experience. I now have the urge to travel again and hope to explore much more of the world.” Hannah Clifton Year 11 “Our trip to Borneo was an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The skills I learned and the friendships I made will serve me well. If you had asked me 4 months ago what kind of an effect I felt the expedition would have on me my response would have been sceptical to say the least. However, since returning I would not hesitate in encouraging others to embark on expeditions of their own. From seeing the world’s largest orangutang to summiting one of the highest peaks in South East Asia, assisting in the development of a remote communities’ health clinic and simply interacting with village children I can hardly think of a more rewarding experience. Despite both physical and emotional challenges our team persevered and we became a family. Families are not groups that always get along perfectly or even well but they do look out for each other. They help push you and you help push them to be the best they can be. Families are dependable. Family knows that no matter the trials or tribulations family stick with you and that is what I have with the people who I embarked on this journey with and I could never be more grateful for anything than I am for that”. By Eamon Gough Yr12 Co-Student Leader As the reports indicate, World Challenge really does test the resolve of the students but the benefits & skills acquired makes it a life changing experience for all involved. On behalf of all involved, we would like to thank Maria Bawden & the School Council for their support throughout all the expedition & pre-planning stage. We would also like to announce that Footscray City is planning to tackle Tanzania in Africa late in 2014 so if you are in Year 9 or 10 this year & think you are up for the CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME keep posted for further details. Mark Komp – Co-Leader World Challenge 2012

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START HERE Go to website http://www.mipsonline.com.au/fcc Read the introduction and then login. Hit caps lock button because everything is in UPPERCASE. To log in: Username: YOUR STUDENT NUMBER Password: YOUR SURNAME Remember: all in UPPERCASE and click “Login” Ask your teacher if you don’t know your student number. NOW SET YOUR PROFILE Once logged in you will be at “My Info” SECTION Step 1: Complete your preferred name Step 2: Complete your security question Step 3: Change your password Step 4: Choose a colour scheme Step 5: On the left, under the profile picture click Change Avatar and select a picture. HIT SAVE AND CONTINUE BASICS Great work! Now lets start filling out your Career Action Plan. You will be in the first section” The Basics” There are a number of questions for you to answer. If you need help there are hints you can click on that will give you a hand. When you get to “my skills” and “my values” you can select from a list or put your own answers in. When finished HIT SAVE & CONTINUE MY GOALS The My Goals section will be used to help you and the Careers Team with subject selections for next year, work experience and career interviews. You will find links to helpful sites here and you can research your careers goals if you don’t already know. Maybe you have an idea of an Industry you want to be a part of. There are hints in this section if you get stuck but you can go through and answer the questions. Once finished HIT SAVE or you will lose your work. Now if you have time you can either download the resume template or fill out your study timetable. Don’t forget to log-out . Please remember that your Careers Team may access your Career Action Plans using MIPSonline. These instructions can be downloaded here: mips-instructions

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Welcome back to term two. Within these first three weeks we have already had the year 7 camp the junior athletics carnival and regional and state swimming finals a forum on climate change hosted in our new Environmental Science Centre an astronomy evening an inter-school chess competition hosted in our library presentations of year 9 investigations to commemorate the ANZAC centenary and acknowledge the contribution of young Footscray soldiers to WW1 a performance of Medea by our Year 11 Theatre Studies students a morning of careers focused workshops for our year 7 students (see more details on most of the above in this newsletter)   There have been year level awards assemblies to recognise those students with outstanding all- round levels of achievement in term one. Congratulations to these students and to all of those students who have progressed well and made a serious effort in the first term. The assemblies also provide an opportune moment to urge all students to extend themselves for the remainder of the term to attain their personal best academically, so that semester reports reflect a happy out- come for all – students, parents and teachers. Year 10 & 11 Exams Whilst on the topic of reports and student effort and achievement, it is timely to highlight the forth- coming semester exams for year 10 and 11 students. With only four weeks to go, year 10 exams will run from Monday 1st June to Friday 5th June, and those for year 11 will be from Tuesday 2nd June to Wednesday 10th June. Teachers will be providing revision guidelines to students, and it is also essential for students to initiate their own study plan prior to the exams. School Review As indicated in earlier newsletters, 2015 is the year of review for FCC. Our previous School Strategic Plan (2011 – 2014) has expired, and it now time to develop the next one to take the school forward for the next four years (2015 – 2018). The department provides the guidelines for school reviews, and there are two types – Priority Reviews, for schools requiring critical intervention, and Peer reviews for schools which are track- ing well and planning for further improvements. Gladly, FCC qualifies for the Peer Review category. The review involves three main components: school self-evaluation, a review day with an external reviewer and finalisation of the next strategic plan. The school self-evaluation, to a large extent, is the most critical component and involves the following processes analysis of the last three years of school data input and feedback from the school community school council staff students parents/carers production of a self-evaluation document that draws on information from the data analysis and the input from our school community Term two will be the term for gathering this input and feedback from the different groups, and dates and times have been scheduled for this to be achieved. An external consultant, Sue Con- quest has been engaged to assist with this part of the process. Sue will facilitate staff and council workshops, student focus groups and a parent forum. While staff and student input is relatively easy to harness, it is a little less so with parents, who are not directly on site. A parent forum and the possibility of an online survey via Compass are in the plan. The parent forum has been scheduled for Tuesday 23rd June, 6.30 pm. Please hold the date if you can possibly attend, as your input will be a valuable part of the review process. Landscaping Improvements Those who visited the school last term would have observed landscaping works in progress be- tween the new SciTech Centre and the main building. The autumn plantings have now begun in this area, and sections will be grassed – with the artificial variety. The Big Fish group who de- signed the re-vamp of the Yarraville pop-up park space in Ballarat Street, have been engaged to provide the seating for the grassed areas. This will provide some interesting and comfortable out- door seating spaces for our students, and will definitely be more attractive than the previous old bench seating in this area, that had outlived its used-by-date. Late News – Budget Release $1 million for Footscray Education Precinct The state government’s release has included the allocation of $1 million for a feasibility study of the education precinct proposed prior to last year’s election. Potential educational opportunities and the best interests of our current students – and those of the future – will be at the core of our considerations of any options that may be developed through the feasibility study. Apart from knowledge of the $1 million allocation, no further details are known at this stage. The council will keep you updated once further information becomes available. Maria Bawden

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