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ANNUAL REPORT

2018

1010 Mickleham Road, Greenvale Vic 3059

www.aitkencollege.edu.au

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Contents Overview ............................................................................................................................................................... 4

Governance ........................................................................................................................................................... 5

AITKEN COLLEGE STAFF 2018 Teaching Staff ..................................................................................................... 7

Non-teaching staff .............................................................................................................................................. 10

Staff Workforce Composition, Attendance and Retention ................................................................................. 11

Staff Professional Learning ................................................................................................................................. 11

Teaching and Learning ........................................................................................................................................ 11

NAPLAN Results .................................................................................................................................................. 12

VCE & VCAL Report ............................................................................................................................................. 15

Summary of VCE Results 2018 ............................................................................................................................ 15

VCAL Report ........................................................................................................................................................ 16

VET Report .......................................................................................................................................................... 17

Careers Education ............................................................................................................................................... 19

Year 12 Destinations ........................................................................................................................................... 20

Learning Centre ................................................................................................................................................... 23

Learning Extension .............................................................................................................................................. 23

Student Composition and Attendance................................................................................................................ 26

Student Wellbeing & Satisfaction ....................................................................................................................... 26

SCHOOL LIFE ........................................................................................................................................................ 27

Fairview (Preparatory School - Prep to Year 2) ................................................................................................... 27

Cumberland (Junior School – Years 3-6) ............................................................................................................. 28

Dunhelen (Middle School - Years 7-9) ................................................................................................................ 30

Brookhill (Senior School - Years 10-12). .............................................................................................................. 33

e-Learning ........................................................................................................................................................... 34

Performing Arts ................................................................................................................................................... 35

Visual Arts ........................................................................................................................................................... 37

Sport .................................................................................................................................................................... 38

Languages Faculty ............................................................................................................................................... 39

PARENTS .............................................................................................................................................................. 39

Parents and Friends Association ......................................................................................................................... 39

Parent Satisfaction .............................................................................................................................................. 40

Alumni ................................................................................................................................................................. 41

Interact Club ........................................................................................................................................................ 44

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Sustainability and Environment .......................................................................................................................... 45

Faith Community and Development ................................................................................................................... 46

Faith Community ................................................................................................................................................. 47

Finance ................................................................................................................................................................ 48

Capital Works Projects and Property Management Report ............................................................................... 49

Maintenance Works ............................................................................................................................................ 50

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Overview Aitken College is a co-educational, independent school in association with the Uniting Church catering for students of all faiths and religious denominations in the northwest region of Melbourne. The programs of, and teaching in, Aitken College support and promote the principles and practices of Australian democracy including a commitment to: elected government, the right of law, equal rights for all before the law, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and association and values of openness and acceptance. Students are encouraged to develop a love of learning and we make every effort to ensure that they possess the skills, resources and motivation which will lead to a lifetime of learning. We endeavour to embrace a broad curriculum that is academically rigorous, which fosters personal, moral and spiritual awareness and understanding and develops a breadth of life skills, as well as balancing essential knowledge with a choice of pathways in the final years of schooling, including VCE, VCAL and VET studies. We particularly encourage students to develop a sense of service to others, especially to those less fortunate in the community. For this reason, they are encouraged to develop community relationships where individuals will interact in such a way that it will lead to a deeper understanding of human needs and a desire to actively engage in meeting those needs. All students are encouraged to examine the faith and teaching of the Christian Church in the light of their own belief system, and those of others, in order that they develop spiritual understanding of themselves and others. In particular, they are encouraged to develop a set of values and code of ethics which is Christian based so that they will make valued contributions in the community in which they live. The Vision, Mission and Aims statements of the College underpin the School’s philosophy and core principles. Vision The vision for Aitken College is to develop and support a learning community of students, staff and families in association with the Uniting Church in Australia. Mission Building on a foundation of Christian values, the mission of Aitken College is to enable students to become informed and compassionate members of the wider community by inspiring academic achievement and creativity, nurturing self-worth, encouraging environmental responsibility and committing to service with and for others. Aitken College will aim to:

• Make the Christian faith relevant through an understanding of its major teachings and by encouraging a personal faith journey.

• Inspire and challenge students to realise their intellectual potential and equip them for life-long learning. • Promote and develop creativity and self-expression. • Enable each student to realise their self-worth in a safe, healthy and happy environment that responds

to personal and community needs. • Encourage individuals and the community to take responsibility for the environment and to act

accordingly. • Instil in students a sense of service and concern for the needs of others.

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Guiding Values

• Learning – All members of the community can learn and need engaging, productive and supportive learning opportunities

• Creativity – Members of the community are encouraged to explore creative ways in engaging with the world

• Respect – Members of the community are encouraged to demonstrate responsibility, integrity and accountability

• Relationships – Members of the community are encouraged to have positive interactions and connections

• Compassion – Members of the community are encouraged to demonstrate care for self and others. Key Stakeholders have been involved in working on the next Strategic Plan (2019 – 2022) with a focus on the key areas of:

• Compassion • Honesty • Integrity • Kindness • Respect

Governance Aitken College Board

Chair: Rev Clem Dickinson Treasurer: Ms Heather Ackland Deputy Chair Mr Robert Evans Principal: Mrs Josie Crisara Members: Mr Steve Craven Mr John Di Martino Mr Doug Mahoney Professor Michael McCarthy Mrs Justine Sales Mr Chris Ward

Aitken College is a company limited by guarantee, whose members form the Aitken College Board. They act as the Board of Directors of the Company and appoint the Principal who as CEO is responsible for the day to day management of the College. Aitken College is a not-for-profit organisation. Its accounts are independently audited. The Aitken College Board determines the policies by which the College will operate. It identifies strategic needs and puts in place the framework to achieve the most desirable outcomes. Six Board Meetings and the Annual General Meeting were held during 2018. Regular reviews ensure that issues of risk are well managed, financial accountabilities are met and legal obligations are fulfilled.

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Various responsibilities are delegated to committees (Finance and Risk Management Committee, Planning Committee, Nominations Committee, Executive Committee and Faith Committee) who undertake detailed examination of their particular area and report back to the Board. All Committee recommendations are brought to the Board for ratification and implementation.

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AITKEN COLLEGE STAFF 2018 Teaching Staff

Mrs Anne Adams BA, AMusA, GradDipEd, GradDipMusTh Mr Simon Adams BA,GradDipEd, GradDipIR/HRMngt Ms Jacquelyne Armstrong BEd(Sec), MBA Mr Mike Arthur BA, DipDesign, DipEd Ms Kerri Batch BEd, MEd Miss Charlotte Beales BAppSc, GradDipRepr, MTeach Mr Luciano Bernes BEd, PostGradStudWel Mrs Jayne Boon BA(Hons), PGCE Mrs Linda Camilleri BEd Ms Laura Capraro BEd, GradDipInfoMan Ms Graziella Carta BSc, GradDipEd(Sec) Mr Daniel Catoggio BBus, GradDipPrimT Mr David Christofas BBus, DipEd, MEd, CertIVTrain&Assess Mr Michael Cooper BEd, DipT Mrs Josie Crisara BSc, GradCertMaths, GradDipEd, MSL, CertIVWorkplaceAssess Miss Gemma Crole BAppSc(PE) Mr Lance Danger BSc, GradDipMin, GradDipArts(Couns), GradDipEd Ms Sarah Dennis BAgSc, PostGradDipEd(Sec) Mrs Mary Ann Di Martino DipTeach, BEd Mrs Michaela Di Paola BEd Miss Felicity Donohue BBus, GradDipEd, MEd Mrs Emma Dowling BEd(Hons), BT(EarlyChildhoodEd) Ms Bianca Duell BEd,GradCertRE Mrs Rhonda Edmonds BBus, BA, ThDip, GradDipEd, MA(Hist) Mr Tassie Eleftheriou BSci, PGDipTeach, MTeach Ms Jacqueline Flood BA, BEd, DipSmaCom, CertIVTrain&Assess Mrs Caron Flynn BEd Mr Kim Forward BSc(Hons), GradDipEd, MEdStud Mr Nicholas Frampton BMus, GradDipEd(Sec), CertIVTrain&Assess, MEd(EdLead&Adm) Mr Dwayne Ganci BSc(Hons), GradDipAcc, GradDipEd Ms Deborah Garlick BEd, BVA, DipSci Mrs Nicole Gilbert BA, BTeach(Prim) Miss Carla Grbac BAMediaArts, GradDipEd, DipArts Mr Mark Grech BEd(Sec), DipBuildDesign&Tech Mr Asanka Gunarathna BSc, MTeach Mrs Mona Harsan BAgSc, DipEd, GradDipInfMngt Mrs Katie Hart BAppSc, GradDipEd Miss Jessica Healey BA, BEd Miss Jane Heasly DipT Ms Cristy Herron BSc(ExssPhys), GradDipEd, MA(OutEnviEd), CertIVTrain&Assess Ms Julie Hester BEd(SecArt/Craft) Ms Alicia Hewes BSc(Hons), GradDipEd, MEd Mr Kopong Hilar BAg, BA, GradDipSecEd Miss Sarah Howells BA(Hons), MTeach, PostGradDipTeach Dr Adele Hudson BSc(Hons), GradDipEd, PhD(ChemEng) Mrs Christine Hutchinson LLB, GradDipLegPrac, GradDipEd(AppLearn), AMusA(Piano), CertIVTrain&Assess Miss Gemma Jackson BPhyHlthEd Mrs Belinda Jarvis-Dymond BA, GradDipEd

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Mr Nigel Keegan BEd Mrs Mardy Kerr BEd(Lib) Mr Linden Koodravsev BA(MEdArts&Prod), GradDipSecEd Mr Tristan Kostraby BHlthSc, MTeach(Sec), MClinChir Ms Christalla Koukoullides BA, DipEd Miss Maria Koullas BTeach, BA Mr Daniel Kuppe BAppSc(PE) Mr Titus Lal BSc, PGCE, STTC Ms Joanne Lanagan MTeach Mr Ben Lawless BA(Hons), MA, PGDipTeach, CertArts(Soc), MTeach Mrs Jenny Lilley BA, DipEd, CertIIIBus Mrs Stephanie Lindsay BA, DipEd Mr Branko Lukic BA, BEd, DipEd, MEd Miss Megan Lutton BBiomedSc, BSc(Hons), MTeach Mr Jason Mackrell BAppSc(PE), CertIVTrain&Assess, CertIIIFit, CertIVFit Ms Carmen Mazzarotta BA, DipIntDes, GradDipEd, GradCertRE, PGradStudWelfare Ms Samantha McAdam BA, PGDE Miss Madeleine McAllister BEd(Junior Primary/Primary) Ms Karen McArdle DIPT, BEd, MEd Mr Cameron McGregor BAppSc, BTeach, MSc Mr Joel McKay BSc(Ed), MA Mrs Michelle McKay BEd Mrs Natalie McNamara BAppSc(PE) Mr Ross McPhie BEd(ArtandDesign) Miss Madelene Meyer BTeach Ms Annamaria Meszaros BEd, PostGradDegLib Ms Mikayla Millane BEd Mrs Jacinta Mocko BA, PostGradDipTeach(Sec), MTeach Mrs Wendy Mollica BA, GradDipEd, PostGradCompEd Mrs Chris Monos BA, DipEd Ms Isabel Monroy BSc, DipEd, MEdStud Mrs Josephine Motti BA, DipEd Mr Peter Moulder BSc(Hons), GradDipEd Mr Scott Munro MTeach Mr David Murphy BSc, DipEd, GradCertEdLead, MEd Ms Kerrie Neophytou DipEd, BEd, GradCertEarlyChildhdTeach, PostGradEdStud(SpecialEd), MEd Mr Gordon Oreo BEd, CertIVTrain&Asses Miss Stephanie Pace BMus, GradDipEd(Sec), CertIVTrain&Assess Mr Michael Patchell BA(Hons), PGCE Mr Vince Perri BEd, GradDipEdAd, GradCertCathSt Miss Sherry Perryman CertIV(T&A, CertIIIFurnMaking(TradeLvl), GradDipTechEd Ms Hannah Petterson BA, GradDipTeach Mrs Christine Pocervina BEd, CertIVTrain&Assess Mr Anthony Politini BA(Hons), BTeach(Hons) Ms Laura-Anne Portella BA, GradDipT, MTeach Ms Sandra Prendergast BCom, BA, GradDipAcc, DipEd, CertIVTrain&Assess Mr Ben Prentice BEd Mrs Natasha Radley BTeach, BA Mr Ron Rees BEd, DipT, GradDipComp Mr Chris Reid BSc, GradDipSec, MSSc(IntDev) Mr Steve Rogers BA, GradDipEd, BEd Ms Sherry Sadler BEd(Sc)

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Mrs Francis Scuderi BA, DipEd Ms Brigitte Seivers BAppSc, GradDipEd Mr Alistair Shaw GradDipEd,BAppSc, BComp Mrs Jenny Shipp BSc, DipEd Mr Peter Sinclair BA, DipEd Mr John Smith BA, DipEd, DipT, MA(Hons) Ms Sally Snowden BSc, DipEd, GradDipMathsSc, MEd, CertHums Ms Juliana Spaleta BTeach, BSci Mrs Jasmina Stafford BA, DipEd, PostGradDipArch, MA(Arch), GradCertLang(Indo) Mr Mickey Sukiman BComm, MTeach Mrs Joyce Tabone BBus, GradDipSecEd, GradDipLang Mr Dean Taylor BAnim&VetBioSc Ms Beth Thomson BA, GradDipEd, GradCertBus(AppBus), Cert IVTrain&Assess, MEd (Orgleadership) Mrs Elsa Tsalapataris BAppSc(Maths), DipEd, GradCertMa Mrs Elpis Vlahopoulos BA, GradDipEd Mrs Julie Wachter BAppSci, GradDipEd Mr Chris Ward BSc, GradDipAppSc, GradDipEd, GradDipMentalHlth Mrs Laura Wrigglesworth BA(Hons), MA, PGCE, PGCertSpecEd

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Non-teaching staff Mrs Clare Borg BA(Hons), DipCareersEd&Couns, GradCertCareersCouns, MSocSci Mrs Raelene Browning Mrs Helen Buhagiar Ms Silvia Caceres BA, DipLib&InfoServices Mrs Angela Callard Mr John Clampitt TAss, CertIV Chaplaincy & Pastoral Care Mrs Leanne Connell CertIIIEdSupport, FirstAidCertLevel3 Miss Hannah Cooke BPsySc Mrs Jane Cooke CertBusPrac Mrs Mary Ferlan Mrs Jillian Forward BSc, GradDipTheol Mrs Melissa Frewen CertIVEdSupport Mr Petar Gajic BCom(Melb), CA Ms Rae Gibbs BEd, GradCertCareersEd, GradDipCareers, MSocialSci, GradCertEd&Train Ms Olivia Grbac BA(Animation and Interactive Media) Mr Glenn Hudson DipArts(Product Design) Ms Kelly Jenkins Ms Jillian Johnson BHSc, CertSchHealth, GradDipCouns Mrs Raida Lancaster CertIIIEdSupport, EdIntSupportCert Ms Marisa Long Mrs Vicky Loukas CertIIIEdSupport, EdIntSupportCert Miss Cathy Manariti Mrs Sue Matthews Mrs Sarina Mazzone CertIIIChildServ, CertEdIntAide, TeachAide Mrs Margaret McCarthy CertEd(IntAid) Ms Jessica McDermott BSc Mr Nick Meletis DipMngt Mrs Renaye Meletis BTeach Mrs Kay Mitchell Ms Jana Pavlovska BCom, CPA Mr Daniel Pedersen Cert IVAudioEng Mrs Emma Pedersen CertBusAdm, DipChilServ, CertIIIEdSup Ms Cora Pennington AssDipLib Mrs Jacinta Perilli Mrs Meryl Plaschke CertBusStud Ms Jane Pumpa CertIII Carpentry & Joinery (Trade Lvl) Mrs Glenda Rumble BEd, PGDC(Child & Adolescent) Mrs Amy Schembri DipPIM Mrs Gail Sims FirstAidCertLevel 3, CertIVTrain&Assess, CertEd(IntAid) Mr Michael Slee BSc, DipEd Mrs Jillian Thill Mr Tom Thorneycroft CertIIIArtsAdmin, DipLiveProd Mrs Doris White Mrs Anne Whittaker BSc

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Staff Workforce Composition, Attendance and Retention The Staff Workforce Composition is 40.5% male and 59.5% female teaching staff, and 16.2% male and 83.8% female non-teaching staff. There are no indigenous staff members. Staff attendance at 92.9% and retention at 87.8% is high. In 2018 seven staff entered into retirement.

Teaching Staff Attendance (FTE)

2016 2017 2018 93% 92% 92%

Teaching Staff Retention

2016 2017 2018 96% 91% 87%

Staff Professional Learning During 2018, 223 external Professional Development activities were attended by the College’s staff members. A significant number of additional activities were provided at the school by guest speakers and College staff members on topics of particular expertise. A total of 2851 hours were spent on Professional Development activities by teaching staff, at an average of 26.4 hours for each person who participated during the year. This is more than the VIT annual requirement for teacher re-registration. Non-teaching staff spent 516.5 hours on Professional Development, at an average of 12 hours per person.

Significant and substantial Professional Development was facilitated through the Professional Learning Team program and the Peer Coaching program. Many on-site Professional Learning activities were provided through staff meetings and Professional Learning Days, for all staff.

A sample of professional learning topics undertaken by staff includes:

• First Aid (Level 2 Certificate, CPR, Anaphylaxis and Asthma management) • Subject-specific curriculum content updates • VCE Study Design changes & VCAA requirements • Professional Learning Teams and associated research projects • Educational Support for students with learning difficulties • Classroom management • Using the task and feedback features in My Aitken • Using MS Excel to produce assessment rubrics and track student learning growth

Effective Professional Learning is a core component of the quality of education offered by a school. At Aitken College all staff members are encouraged and empowered to undertake professional learning activities which take into account each individual’s particular skills, job requirements and areas of interest. Sharing of new skills and information is encouraged on a range of levels: at faculty and department meetings, through year level teams and Professional Learning Teams, and at College meetings.

Teaching and Learning The Teaching and Learning focus for 2018 was the idea that “Teams Achieve”. Year level teaching teams, faculty groups and middle management leaders spent time considering their collaborative practice and investigating avenues for increased student collaboration opportunities. We also had a focus on the use of student assessment data to drive teaching and learning decisions. Where possible, this was done from a cohort perspective, with all teachers in a teaching team taking responsibility for the progress and learning of the entire group of students,

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rather than just those in their own classes. Data from PAT (Progressive Achievement Tests), NAPLAN, VCE results and internal College assessment tasks were used to track student learning and growth.

Across the College, the collection of results in new electronic formats because of the continuous feedback system has enabled teachers to analyse results data in new ways. This has enabled greater scrutiny of the design of assessment tasks and the learning activities which lead to them. Faculty leaders have spent time developing new procedures for data sharing within their teams and leading discussions about which teaching strategies have proven to be most effective. This evidence-based approach to teaching and learning is a hallmark of high-performing schools across the country.

New subjects introduced in 2018 included: Year 9 Outdoor Environments and Agriculture, VCE Unit 1 & 2 English Language; VCE Unit 1 & 2 Food Studies; VCE Units 1 & 2 Religion and Society. We also introduced a number of new electronic resources for students in 2018, including: Mathletics from Prep to Year 6; Edrolo for a number of VCE subjects; Education Perfect for Years 7 to 12 Indonesian; and Musition/Auralia for Years 7 to 12 Music Performance.

In 2018 six Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) were established, with a total of 29 participants. Each team met fortnightly for one semester to focus on a particular aspect of teaching practice. Topics included “Less Teacher Talk and More Student Thinking”, “Effective Methods for Teachers to Deal with Student Anxiety”, “Excel Skills for Teachers” and “Effective Teamwork”. Each team read academic articles on recent educational research findings, reflected on Aitken and individual teacher classroom practice, gathered data about their teaching to indicate which areas could benefit from further improvement, developed and carried out an action research plan, and shared research findings with the College teaching staff. Discussions in team meetings were animated and robust. Many participants reported at the conclusion of the PLT cycle that they had made significant changes to their teaching styles as a result of their involvement in a PLT and could demonstrate through the data gathered that the changes had led directly to the improved learning of students.

NAPLAN Results Below are comparison graphs showing Aitken College NAPLAN mean scores for 2016, 2017 and 2018 and the Victorian mean for 2018. Some points to consider in relation to these graphs:

• School student cohort results are expected to vary slightly from year to year due to differences in student composition – because the number of student results included is relatively small, only a handful of particularly “stronger” or “weaker” students in a year level can have a significant impact on the mean results, particularly in Years 3 and 5 where fewer than 60 students have been tested;

• The NAPLAN test questions change from year to year so comparisons between scores from year to year can be useful in identifying general trends only;

• Because test questions change from year to year, the state mean also varies slightly from year to year. Consequently, in the graphs provided, the 2018 state mean is only significant when compared to the 2018 school mean;

• Although national mean results have not been provided, it is important to note that Victorian mean scores were higher than the national mean on every test category and year level;

• The results shown are only a small part of the total NAPLAN data picture – there are many other useful facets to the data. For instance, the 2018 results indicate that students in the bottom 10% of the school cohort are performing considerably better than students in the bottom 10% of the state in every area in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 with the exception of Year 3 Reading, Grammar & Punctuation and Spelling, and Year 9 Numeracy;

• In 2018 Aitken College students completed NAPLAN tests online for all tests except Year 3 Writing. There was a significant jump in results of particular tests over recent years in several areas; it is unclear at the moment whether this is because of the increased engagement of students with the online test format, or the consequence of recent improvements in our teaching and assessment practice.

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• Perhaps most importantly, NAPLAN data is only one form of information about student achievement levels. Teacher observations, class and school-based assessments and other forms of standardised testing are equally valuable in identifying student learning needs and rates of progress.

• There has been a proliferation of NAPLAN preparation material made available since the publication of individual school NAPLAN results on the MySchool website. International experience over many decades shows that schools who “teach to the test” on high-stakes tests may increase their test scores on standardised tests such as NAPLAN, but that these increases are often made at the expense of a broad and rigorous curriculum. In particular, it has been demonstrated that when the format of a test changes, schools who have “taught to the test” often experience a significant decrease in test scores, demonstrating that the education of students has been too focused on questions of the type used in the standardised tests. Aitken College is committed to the delivery of a rigorous, broad and engaging curriculum, and is hence resisting the move towards having students spend weeks on completing “practice NAPLAN tests” in order to inflate our test scores.

Year 3:

390

400

410

420

430

440

450

Reading Writing Spelling Grammar &punctuation

Numeracy

Year 3 2016 mean

Year 3 2017 mean

Year 3 2018 mean

Year 3 State mean 2018

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Year 5:

Year 7:

440

460

480

500

520

540

560

Reading Writing Spelling Grammar &punctuation

Numeracy

Year 5 2016 mean

Year 5 2017 mean

Year 5 2018 mean

Year 5 State mean 2018

480

490

500

510

520

530

540

550

560

570

Reading Writing Spelling Grammar &punctuation

Numeracy

Year 7 2016 mean

Year 7 2017 mean

Year 7 2018 mean

Year 7 State mean 2018

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Year 9:

VCE & VCAL Report There were 120 students who satisfactorily completed their VCE certificate. ATAR results show a significant improvement on 2017. Average Study Scores improved on 2017; from a mean ATAR of 60 to a mean ATAR of 64.6; however, the number of Study Scores ≥ 40 declined.

The proportions of ATARs over 70 (30%) were significantly stronger than 2017.

22 students gained one or more study scores ≥40 – Three perfect study scores of 50 were achieved in Specialist Maths, Physics and Business Management. The mean study score across all subjects was 30.3.

Summary of VCE Results 2018 2018 2017 2016 % of ATAR > 95

2.5 2.6 5.5

% of ATAR > 90

5.9 5.3 8.7

% of ATAR > 80

23 16 30

% of ATAR > 70

42 30 49

% of ATAR > 60

61 50 67

% of ATAR < 60

39 50 33

Average ATAR 63.8 59.6 67.0 Average female ATAR

62.7 60.8 71.4 Average male ATAR

65.2 58.3 61.2

520

530

540

550

560

570

580

590

600

610

Reading Writing Spelling Grammar &punctuation

Numeracy

Year 9 2016 mean

Year 9 2017 mean

Year 9 2018 mean

Year 9 State mean 2018

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VCAL Report The annual enrolment and number of VCAL certificates, Year 11 and 12 issued is shown below.

Year 2016 2017 2018

Total certificates issued (Year 11 and 12) 22 22 17

Total number of students enrolled (Year 11 and 12)

24 22 24

No. of students who left during the year to pursue other pathways (back to VCE, work, apprenticeships)

2 1 7

VCAL - the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning – a head start into a career. VCAL suits students who are clear about their career direction and would like to go to TAFE, complete an apprenticeship, get a job after finishing school or complete a TAFE certificate before a university course. It is not only flexible and varied for all VCAL students; it also includes two VET courses, Structured Workplace Learning experiences and caters for the interests of individual students.

During 2018, there have been numerous highlights. These include various incursions and excursions; community and voluntary work, participating in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award which includes the camping program, weekly fitness activities and extensive project work. The assessment tasks are project based and rely on student initiative and interest. All students completed tasks which cover: Literacy and Numeracy Skills; Work Related Skills (WRS); Personal Development Skills (PDS) and Industry Specific Skills. Students also complete ten days of Structured Workplace Learning.

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VCAL projects and participation in community events include:

• Duke of Edinburgh Award • Duke of Edinburgh Adventurous Journey Camp to Anglesea • Classroom Junior School assistants • Cumberland Swim and Athletics Carnival helpers • Cross Country support • Lunchtime activities • Developed and ran a Café targeting Prep parents • Friday morning Inter School Sport assistants (Grade 5/6) • Maintaining the poppy flowers for Remembrance Day • Helping Aitken Parents Association to sort and deliver Hot Cross Buns (fundraiser) • Clearing and maintaining areas around the college • Creating wheat bags for Mother’s Day • Making candle decorations with Prep students for Mother’s Day • Master Chef Projects, including pizza making • Sewing projects including sewing blankets for the Cat Protection Society • Grand Prix Community Engagement Program • Margoneet Prison excursion • Bastille Day activities with Grade 1 and 2 • Structured Workplace Learning for 10 days • Community Service activities including the Dress Rehearsal Supper • Year 10 VET Music Recital: organising and participating in the evening by being hosts and waiting on

the tables • Sausage Sizzles for fundraising projects • Race Around Melbourne event • Early Commencement Party for VCE staff

Five Year 11 and 12 students also won the Hume Whittlesea VET/VCAL/SBAT Awards for Excellence and Encouragement; recognised for outstanding achievements and dedication in VCAL.

Out of the 24 students, who enrolled in the VCAL program for 2018, 17 obtained a VCAL certificate. One student left the College during the year, four students returned to VCE; two students transferred from VCE to VCAL. Two students left the College at the start of 2019, to pursue full time TAFE studies. The other seven students decided to remain at the College to complete a Senior VCAL certificate in 2019.

The six 2018 Year 12 students are pursuing full time TAFE courses, beginning an apprenticeship or have begun working fulltime.

VET Report In 2018 Aitken College had four internal VET (Vocational Educational Training) courses delivered to just over 140 students across ten different classes. All the Year Ten cohort completed their First Aid Certificate under the VET banner and 18 participated in VET programmes delivered by external Registered Organisations (RTO) as part of their VCAL (Victorian Certificate in Applied Learning), or as an extension to their VCE (Victorian Certificate in Education) studies. This is a clear demonstration that VET offers a distinct type of learning that appeals to the

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student of today. They have so many options and are confident in combining their learning across both academic and hands-on methods.

The Music Industry VET course operated under its new structure for the first time in 2018. The structure worked well for music students taking part in both VET Music Sound Performance and VET Music Sound Production, as well as for those only choosing one avenue. The two groups participated in many concerts and events as part of their assessments, allowing parents, students and staff the pleasure of their performances. Recording a song at “Kool Skools” was a pioneering highlight for these students and “The Spotted Mallard” gig was as successful as it always has been. Going forward, the VET Music Sound Production course will only be offered to Year Twelve students in 2019, so that they have the opportunity of completing their certificates. From 2020, it will not be offered at all due to the lack of cost effectiveness for such a small uptake each year. VET Music Sound Performance will continue to be offered to both VCE cohorts.

VET Sport and Recreation continued to the most popular choice by many of the VCE cohort, as it offered quite a comprehensive coverage of the theoretical aspects of sport and recreation, through physical exercise and class time. Students being able to combine work placement with their personal sports and use lessons learnt in this subject was appreciated by a number of students. William Angliss took care of our hospitality students and it was possible for parents and staff to attend functions where they too demonstrated what they had learned. It is interesting to note the increase in their confidence from the beginning of the course, two years ago, to the end of the course when they finally receive their certificates. This year also saw the very successful completion of an apprenticeship in baking as part of one of the hospitality certificates. VET Business continued to attract students who are interested in the administration side of a company; some in preparation for, perhaps, combining this with their practical courses down the line, by way of their own business. This course allowed for a week in an actual workplace where they could be at the coal face and discover how running a business operates in whatever field they chose. This Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) allowed students to bring together what they had been learning in class with what takes place in the world of business. Many students came back with very positive comments; some of which were printed in “The Windmill”.

This SWL week was also shared by the VCAL Students; however, they also undertook an extra week at the end of Term Three to spend some time in the practical field of their chosen external course, to experience this in a real- world situation.

2019 again offers a great selection of courses which students have embraced. There is a much larger number interested in SBATs (School Based Apprenticeships) and the administering of these has been made easier by government-subsidised companies like “Apprenticeships Matter” being made available to us. The delivery of VET will no doubt continue to provide engaged and joyful learning to our students.

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Careers Education A career encompasses the range of jobs undertaken over the lifetime of an individual, including their paid and unpaid work, education and training, internships and volunteering and community work. It is usually not something that is static and it may also not be linear in terms of progression and direction, but for most people it is a big part of who they are and can reflect their sense of self and underpin their self-worth. Secondary students are right at the beginning of this journey and it is our role as Careers staff to assist them with their navigation to the end of, and just post, secondary school. We often tell the students that everyone can be “good at Careers”; it is not something they pass or fail but a process where sensible and wise decisions can be made if the student undertakes their career research thoroughly and in a timely manner.

Careers staff aim to provide a quality careers service to all Aitken students, regardless of their future pathways. There is no “one size fits all” approach, rather each student is treated as an individual with dreams and aspirations which are unique. In B21 we have an “open door” policy and try to assist every student, whether it is as big as helping them to determine the direction they would like to take post Aitken, or something more procedural, such as revising a Resume, making an application for a casual job or a scholarship or Special Consideration (SEAS), or applying for special entry programs such as Aspire (La Trobe), VU Guaranteed (VU) and the Community Access Program (ACU), interview preparation and written submissions for courses. The Careers newsletter is one resource helpful to students in undertaking their Career research. It is published once a fortnight on MyAitken and is also emailed to all Year 11 and 12 students, who are strongly encouraged to read it.

The Careers cycle begins in Year 10 with the decision about whether to undertake the VCE or VCAL. If the VCE is chosen, which subjects could be studied in Years 11 and 12 and, if VCAL, on which career direction will they focus. Careers classes and a seminar are delivered in Term 2, followed by the Year 10 Careers Panel in Term 3 where a wonderful panel of Alumni return to the College to talk to the students about their pathways after Aitken. The Alumni provide tips for success in Senior School and beyond and what they know now that they wish they had known when in Year 10. In Year 10, students are encouraged to discover their strengths and to understand their values and interests. By appreciating these important attributes students are able to reflect on what is important to them and recognise how this might influence future choices. Students are provided with the tools and resources they need to undertake in depth course and career research; tools which are relevant not only in Year 10, but all their working lives.

Year 11 students are interviewed on “an as needs” basis. At the end of the year students visit a university campus. Students make their own way to campus, modelling the independence required post-secondary school. The aim is for them to gain the confidence to attend Open Days and obtain the best possible information to assist them in their journey beyond Aitken.

In Year 12, Careers staff return to Lifeskills classes and talk about the decisions which need to be made before the end of the year. Students attend the Tertiary Information Service event at La Trobe University, a second campus they are able to explore, and a VTAC Information evening is held for those who plan to apply for university and TAFE courses. Careers staff interview every Year 12 student at least once during the year with a formal pathways interview in Term 3, but students are encouraged to use their initiative and visit B21 in Terms 1 and / or 2.

Everyone is welcome in the Careers Centre. We work with all students to assist them to develop a plan for their life post Aitken; a future about which we hope they feel uplifted and optimistic.

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Year 12 Destinations 126 students were in the Year 12 Class of 2018 (120 VCE, 6 VCAL)

109 students applied for a place at University or TAFE (CERT IV or higher)

105 students received an offer through VTAC

5 students received an offer (CERT IV or higher) via direct application.

Number of Students

Apprenticeship 2 Pre Apprenticeship 5 Gap Year 6 Defence Force 1 Independent Tertiary Provider 3 TAFE 9 University 100 Total 126

2

56

13

9

100

Class of 2018 Destinations Apprenticeship

PreApprenticeship

Gap Year

Defence Force

IndependentTertiary Provider

TAFE

University

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2018 Year 12 students who applied through VTAC with a tertiary offer

Field of Study Number of

Students Agriculture & Animal Science 2 Architecture, Building & Planning 2 Aviation 1 Business & Commerce 23 Education 9 Engineering 4 Film & Television 1 Food, Hospitality & Beauty 1 Health 23 Humanities, Social Sciences & Law 15 IT 3 Media 4 Music & Sound Production 2 Sciences 15 Total 105

2

2 1

23

9

4

1123

15

3

4

2

15

Class of 2018 Destinations by Field of Study

Agriculture & Animal Science

Architecture, Building & Planning

Aviation

Business & Commerce

Education

Engineering

Film & Television

Food, Hospitality & Beauty

Health

Humanities, Social Sciences & Law

IT

Media

Music & Sound Production

Sciences

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Institution Number of Students

ACU 6 DEAKIN UNIVERSITY 4 ELLY LUKAS 1 FEDERATION UNIVERSITY 1 LA TROBE UNIVERSITY 34 MONASH UNIVERSITY 9 RMIT UNIVERSITY 25 RMIT TAFE 2 SAE 2 SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY 3 UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE 8 VICTORIA UNIVERSITY 10 Total 105

64

1

1

34

9

25

2

2

7

8

10

Class of 2018 destinations by InstitutionACU

DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

ELLY LUKAS

FEDERATIONUNIVERSITYLA TROBEUNIVERSITYMONASH UNIVERSITY

RMIT UNIVERSITY

RMIT TAFE

SAE

SWINBURNEUNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY OFMELBOURNEVICTORIA UNIVERSITY

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Learning Centre Further development of the Learning Centre and its resources has allowed us to develop our support, for a wider range of student’s needs. The support given, ranges from Intensive Prep to Year 6 Literacy and Numeracy programmes, which include, Nessy Learning, Fitzroy Reading, MiniLit and Multiplication challenge. From Year 7 to 12 we offer Study Support and VCAL/VCE multi subject guidance. Furthermore, we offer in class support, allowing students the guidance of an Integration Aide, where it is felt most necessary. This in class support can be crucial, in supporting students to achieve their targets within the classroom environment.

The intention of the Learning Centre is to offer support and assistance to any student who may need help and guidance. Recognising and supporting student’s diverse needs, is imperative for student success. The Learning Centre is continuously developing to help students in accessing the curriculum, developing good study skills and overcoming any barriers to learning.

Intervention Programmes The Learning Support Program at Aitken College provides small group withdrawal, for those students who may need additional assistance in literacy and/or numeracy. This withdrawal is continuously evolving to allow students intensive support on four mornings per week. By recognising individual differences and by developing appropriate learning programs, the Learning Support teachers aim to provide each student with support and guidance to enable them to develop positive self-esteem and achieve success in the classroom. This will hopefully allow each student to participate as fully as possible in the academic and social life of the College.

Learning Extension In 2018, the Aitken College Extension Programs continued to extend the learning experience of highly able students through the provision of educational opportunities. The Extension programs offered identified students select entry into special programs to explore creative problem solving, higher order thinking as well as other more advanced concepts. These special programs brought together like-minded, highly able students to challenge, inspire, and maximise student potential. Select students were also given the opportunity to enter competitions in various disciplines, and participate in external programs that enriched and supplemented the regular curriculum to tap divergent, analytical, and evaluative thinking. Students were carefully selected for the programs through testing and recommendations from teaching staff and Heads of School. Students selected for programs included those with demonstrated achievement and/or potential in the areas of general intellectual ability and creative thinking. Some of the Extension programs offered throughout 2018 included: G.A.T.E.WAYS Select students in Years 1 & 2 had the opportunity to attend a single day Eureka Program, consisting of three exciting workshops based on the theme ‘Equations that Changed the World’. This Maths Extension program required our younger students to inquire into the brightest minds in history and discover new facts about rebel numbers, the speed of light, e=mc2, integers, multiple ways of answering questions, lattice method of multiplication, polyhedrons, Pythagoras theorem and many more. Year 4 Literacy Extension Classes Select Year 4 students engaged in this program progressed through an inquiry process based on targeted reading passages that emphasised the progressive, ongoing development of higher-order thinking skills relevant across the curriculum. Each week, these classes focused on reading comprehension and the critical analysis of texts including short stories, poetry, and non-fiction texts.

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Year 5 & 6 Reading Comprehension Extension Classes Highly able readers in Years 5 & 6 engaged in a reading program which heavily focused on higher cognitive levels of thinking, critical reading, vocabulary development, productive thinking, imaginative thinking, visualisation and universal themes present in the literature studied. The program encouraged the careful reading of complex materials and in-depth discussions to expand and challenge the students’ critical thinking, reading, and writing abilities. Year 5 & 6 Writers Workshop Select students engaged in creative writing sessions focused on enriched writing instruction designed to extend their writing through a deep, experiential understanding of the writing process, backed by creative modelling. Students in this program crafted compelling and creative stories using literary techniques. Through the process of writing, critiquing, and revising, students enhanced their own writing and creative powers. Year 3- 6 Mathematics Extension Classes The Years 3–6 Extension Mathematics classes offered mathematical able students the opportunity to work on a compacted curriculum, with many opportunities to become involved in extension projects, such as the Maths Challenge for Young Australians and Australian Problem-Solving Mathematics Olympiads.

Maths Challenge for Young Australians (MCYA) This year highly able Year 3 and students competed in the Junior Division of the Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians Program, a program that is organised by the Australian Maths Trust. The select Year 3/4 students were our first Challenge Stage students to ever compete the in Junior Division. The Challenge Stage took place over four weeks and the students were set four different problems to investigate. Each week students worked individually or in small teams to implement strategies towards producing solutions. They were

offered lunchtime sessions to work through their problems. These extra sessions provided students with further support, an opportunity to clarify their ideas and consult with peers. The problems challenged the students, requiring them to be persistent, to collaborate and flex their mind. Australian Problem-Solving Mathematics Olympiads (APSMO) - Junior Division Select students from Year 5 & 6 participated in the 2018 Junior Division of the Australian Problem-Solving Maths Olympiads (APSMO). Theses Maths Olympiads offered students the opportunity to use and develop their problem-solving skills and applied mathematics. The Olympiads consisted of five separate contests held throughout the year. It encouraged students to develop important mathematical problem-solving skills in an enjoyable environment. The select Year 5 & 6 students spent time during terms, 1, 2 & 3 exploring problem-solving strategies and enjoyed the buzz and challenge the program had to offer.

Annual GALWAY Maths Olympiad Three teams of Year 7, 8 and 9 students competed in the Annual Galway Maths Olympiad. This event was hosted by Southern Cross Grammar and the competition involved three challenging mathematical problems over the course of the day: a problem-solving relay, a mental maths quiz and a STEM project. They worked in teams of four to show their mathematical abilities and pit their skills against other teams from across the district, with our Year 9 team achieving first place in the Maths Relay event.

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Tournament of Minds (ToM) This year we had two teams represent our school in the Tournament this year, with one of our teams receiving Honours at both region and state finals. It was the first time a team from our college competed at the Victorian State Championships at La Trobe University, Bundoora which was very exciting. Our team was up against regional winners from around the state. All teams were given three hours to ‘dissect’ a long-term challenge and construct a scenario to fulfil the requirements. They had to rely on their own interpretation of the challenge, exploring possibilities and experimenting with ideas in their endeavour to produce their best possible solution.

Da Vinci Decathlon A team of Year 10 students participated and competed against 22 schools from across Victoria at the annual da Vinci Decathlon 9/10 Interschool Gala Day at Methodist Ladies College All students spent time in Term 1 and Term 2 engaged in mini workshops across 10 different disciplines, with the theme being “The Unexpected”. The students’ team work and impressive performance earned them 3rd place in Creative Producers and 5th place in Art and Poetry. Lateral Thinkers’ Club

Students in Years 7-10 were invited to attend weekly lunchtime creative and critical thinking skills program aimed at challenging them to use their divergent thinking skills and learn valuable thinking tools. During these sessions, students used a range of thinking tools to represent problems, and worked independently and in small groups to develop a range of creative solutions and explore the range of unconventional rather than conventional solutions through thinking frameworks.

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National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) – Young Writers Program Students in Years 3-11 were invited for the first time to participate in the National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo - a novel writing project which was aimed at getting people of all ages to try draft an entire novel in just one month. Weekly meetings were held to encourage writers to check in, cheer each other on, and discuss technique and share ideas. Students wrote directly on the NaNoWriMo website, finding inspiration in the novelling resources offered. Our youngest participant – a Year 3 student worked consistently during the entire month of November. Meeting 100% of her word count goal she managed to write approximately 2500 words, hence exceeding the word count for her year level.

Extension University Maths A Year 12 student was one of many Senior Students involved in the University of Melbourne Extension Program during 2018. This program allowed him to expand his knowledge and study alongside first-year students who share his mathematical interest.

Student Composition and Attendance The total student enrolment at Census date was 1277. 51% of student cohort are male 49% of student cohort are female 0.12% indigenous background 42.3% of students have a language background other than English. Parents are required to contact the College if a student is to be absent from school. If notification regarding student absence has not been received the parents are contacted by phone. Student Attendance 2018

Year Level Male Female All 1 95.6 96.15 95.88 2 94.05 95.15 94.6 3 94.35 95.1 94.73 4 94.95 95.5 95.23 5 93.2 93.75 93.48 6 94.9 94.45 94.68 7 93.9 94.1 94 8 93.65 92.85 93.25 9 90.95 93.5 92.23 10 92.15 89.25 90.7

Student Wellbeing & Satisfaction The Student Services team seeks to address the many needs presented by our large student, and indeed wider parent community. A team of trained counsellors see an ever-changing list of students who struggle with a wide range of life issues. The support work which the counselling team undertakes is vital in relieving pressure on class teaches and enabling some members of the Aitken community to be assisted in difficult times. For students, this often means the difference between coping and thriving, or being lost in a large community which by necessity presses on with its goals despite those members who struggle for a range of reasons. Counselling is also offered for staff and families. The work the counselling team undertakes is by nature generally unseen and not widely discussed.

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The Chaplaincy and Student Services team run programmes from time to time which address issues such as First Aid, Anger Management and Parenting and Listening skills. These cover such topics as, Bullying, Mental Health, Body Image, and Living with Teenagers.

The Chaplaincy team is regularly called upon to meet the immediate needs of the Aitken community in regard of suffering and loss, via counselling, visitation and practical support. The Seasons Grief and Loss programme is run at least annually, and often twice per year, and provides for a number of students and their families who have suffered significant loss. Staff needs are often addressed by the counselling team.

A Well Being week for all students and staff is run annually in the first week of Term 4. Many programmes are offered to the community which provides for wellbeing needs. Staff members are encouraged to volunteer their time to offer creative events which focus on student needs for attending to mental health issues. Initiatives such as Creative Writing, Dance, Relaxation and Mediation as well as Massage for staff (to mention only a very few) combine to create practical ways of addressing wellbeing issues within the College.

SCHOOL LIFE Aitken College is divided into four “Schools” each with a Head of School. The Schools are named Fairview, Cumberland, Dunhelen, and Brookhill.

Fairview (Preparatory School - Prep to Year 2) In Fairview, our focus is to provide students with best practice, which will support their overall cognitive, physical, social and emotional needs. Embracing not only their needs, but also their family. Our programs are committed to promoting creativity, individual growth, productivity, resilience and independence, with a strong commitment to support a diverse community and a focus on Christian values. Our Golden Rule – “To treat others as we wish to be treated”, has been at the centre of respecting ourselves, others and their community. We have provided opportunities for the children to be empowered, to strive for optimum success and to become confident, capable young learners in their community.

The homeroom teachers’ practice acknowledges the importance of self-worth and the potential for all to achieve the best possible outcomes. We provide a diverse and inclusive understanding of individual needs, supporting spiritual growth and promoting a model of respect, wellbeing and positive behaviour. We create engaging experiences, which will aid the children to be the best they can, in any environment and at any time. We have focused on developing a ‘toolkit’, in which the children retain learning skills that are transferable and can be accessed when required.

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We celebrate the children’s achievements and proudly watch them strive and work closely with their teachers, peers and family. Our community is diverse and engaging our parents and wider community has allowed the children to experience a greater model of learning, behaviour and high expectations. The Literacy, Numeracy, Integrated Studies and specialist subjects have provided the children with meaningful and skill based programs. It has been a privilege and joy to see the children grow into independent and interactive learners.

Our programs are designed to meet learning standards and outcomes, which commit to a high standard of teaching and learning. The learning environment facilitates enjoyment and a love for learning, which engages all our Fairview community with a focus on global digital and sustainable learning. Therefore, we expect the children to make connections, which essentially reinforce critical thinking, creativity,

social and personal development. The life-skills program encompasses these to encourage ownership, productivity, individual growth, resilience and independence in the children.

A key element in Fairview is founded in the Christian faith. It provides strong values and lifelong skills in which learners become active and fruitful members in a community. It provides a diverse understanding of individual needs. The RVE program supports spiritual growth and promotes a model of respect, wellbeing and positive behaviour. Our home-school partnership works collaboratively to ensure individual needs are met and supported. It brings an exciting and positive dimension to their schooling; promoting a positive interaction and a commitment from the children and their families. Our parents and grandparents provide an extended family approach, which enrich the community learning environment. The children in Fairview are encouraged to focus on their leadership capabilities to lead their learning, to always persevere and aspire to the best of their ability and beyond. There is a strong focus on ownership and accountability of ones learning and behaviour, and how our interactions with each other encourages growth, reflection and contributes to a wealth of character to Fairview.

Cumberland (Junior School – Years 3-6) 2018 was a year of growth for Cumberland in terms of creating and refining systems to support and develop its students, staff and community.

The 2018 theme for Cumberland students was ‘to be the best version of themselves’. This began with how students wore their school uniform and how they conducted themselves. Behaviour during assemblies and while at the College was rewarded with House Points, and through the ACE Card system. The House Points System was strongly contested and students were very eager each week to see how their House was placed.

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Being the best version of themselves also extended to learning, and students were actively encouraged to further develop their skills and learning habits. Feedback, ‘one of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement’ (John Hattie and Helen Timperley, 2007) is an area the staff are working on, through the use of rubrics and in-class conversations. Students were encouraged to accept feedback as useful information about what they were doing well and ways in which they could improve.

One of the areas which was refined throughout the year was the selection process for Year 6 Captaincy positions. This entailed formal nomination and interview process. Specific role descriptions were outlined to ensure students selected demonstrated the College values and were willing to accept the work and effort required to perform the role. Leadership is not a position or title, but action and example. To this end, the profile of the Year 6 leaders was increased to include work at assemblies, as well as at sports carnivals and various other events.

Days of Excellence were introduced in 2018 to provide Technology instruction in more challenging and effective ways. These students went through a learning journey beginning with the initial instructions and small step activities to develop basic skill competency. Students worked through to more complex applications, requiring creativity and manipulation of the skills taught. Four days were held covering both robotics and film making.

The Year 4 Camp at Weekaway provided great opportunities for the students to develop a range of skills that cannot be taught at school. Activities included the maze, flying fox, mountain bike riding, canoeing, ropes courses and damper making. However, the greatest development was seen in the daily routines of getting themselves organised, keeping their rooms clean, setting tables and clearing away, as well as living together in close quarters. All students rose to the occasion, and much learning and enjoyment was had.

The excursion to the Ballarat Goldfields was the culmination of the Year 5 History unit. The students were able to experience the history they had been studying, including a mine tour where they learned about the biggest nugget discovered in Australia, panning for gold, a gold smelting presentation, life in 1850’s schools, the services and shops of the era, and much more.

The Cumberland BBQ Breakfasts were introduced as a way of developing community. They provided an easy and carefree morning for families, and a great start to the day. Two breakfasts were successfully held this year.

It takes a village to raise a child and schools certainly operate like a village, with staff playing an important role in the development of students. The staff have worked hard throughout the year, and I commend them for their efforts.

Our students are our inspiration, and each and every day they provide us with joy, fulfilment and the drive to do more and be better.

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Dunhelen (Middle School - Years 7-9) This year, Dunhelen students participated in a variety of activities. The Year 7 students started their year with a camp to Phillip Island. Students were able to challenge themselves and see how far they could go in activities such as; high ropes, giant swing, archery, canoeing and raft making. The students also enjoyed some ‘down time’ getting to know other students and their teachers.

The Year 9 camp to Central Australia was a wonderful experience. Places visited on the trip were Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon, Cooper Pedy and Alice Springs. Students had to put up their own tents, were involved in the setting up and packing up of each camp site and had to help with lunch and dinner wash up. For some, this experience was a little out of their ‘comfort zone’ but it is pleasing to note that all the students persevered and by the end of camp were quite comfortable with their new living arrangements. A visit to an Aboriginal Community – Lilla was a highlight. Students experienced a ‘smoking’ ceremony, painted some art work and were guided through sacred land. This trip is designed to not only allow Year 9 students to see their country but to also develop an appreciation of the country and the cultures that exist within it. It is also a valuable experience allowing students to further develop their independence, resilience and tolerance.

The year 8 students enjoyed two days of City Experience. They explored places like The Shrine, Eureka Skydeck, The Big Classroom and Melbourne Central. For many, the highlight was the Big Classroom session where they

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were confronted with the reality of homelessness and poverty. The students were also required to complete some written work while on the trip and at school; hopefully they learned a little about their city.

Year 7 students took part in the Peer support program and become acquainted with some of the Year 11 students. The program is designed to allow the younger students to form a relationship with an older student and develop some confidence in their new environment. The Year 7 students also visited the Royal Melbourne Zoo. While it is always lovely to watch the animals, students also had to complete Indonesian work. This excursion brings the language to life as the students navigate their way through the zoo.

Medieval Day occurred again this year. The Year 8 students were given an insight into medieval life. This hands-on learning allowed them to explore medieval dress, games and weaponry. Along with the learning in the Humanities classroom, this activity cemented their knowledge even further.

The Year 8 Expo is always a great experience. Students worked extremely hard for weeks and then parents and friends enjoyed a walk through the expo. The students presented and discussed their work and answered lots of questions. This event was a real showcase of what students are learning in class and demonstrates their abilities with many forms of medium, it is also a team building exercise that further enhances skills they will need as life long learners.

Year 8 students also attended YLead sessions. These lessons are designed to help students develop further with leadership skills and encourages empowerment.

Year 8 and 9 participated in the Start Smart program exploring topics such as budgeting, part time work, saving and choices. At this time in their lives, many of the students begin to earn money through part time jobs and this program is one that is very relevant to them. Watching them and their participation during the lessons brings home how relevant this program is.

Dunhelen participated in community service this year in many ways; donating time, goods or money to associations such as; Angel Blanket Australia, Caroline Chisholm Society, 40 Hour Famine, Royal Children’s Hospital and RSL. School Captains attended the Remembrance Service held at the Shrine in September, where one of the Year 9 students delivered a reading.

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Dunhelen Writers Workshop Awards, conducted with the English Faculty, were once again held this year with winners presented a certificate and prize at a special assembly. Students were able to share their success with their families, who were invited to attend the presentation.

The Middle School Play this year was ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”. Students were able to demonstrate their skills on stage and behind the scenes. Participation in this activity allows students to form new friendships, further explore areas of interest and to learn more about commitment and team work. A wonderful production.

School Captains were involved in many activities this year, whether it was House events, fundraisers, environmental tasks, community work or presenting at assemblies. The Captains worked on developing their leadership and team work skills and it is hoped they continue to do so.

The Head of School and Assistant Heads of School continued to run the ‘Homework Club”. Students who needed a little extra assistance or time were encouraged to attend. It was pleasing to note that students who wanted to work came along voluntarily. This club provides some time for students to try and keep on top of their work and the opportunity to meet students from different grades or year levels.

The Year 7 2019 interview and testing process took place in February. By the middle of the year, students had received their acceptance letters and in November they attended Orientation Day. On this day, they had the opportunity to meet fellow students and some of the Aitken College staff. Students

rotated through various activities and visited different areas of the college. Orientation Day is part of the transition program and its aim is to alleviate some of the stresses that students face when commencing a new year and/or a new school. We also held an information and ‘meet and greet’ night for prospective parents. Parents were given information packs and had the opportunity to meet other parents over a cup of tea or coffee.

It was our last year of February interviews as we have commenced

enrolling almost 2 years in advance. This process will allow families to make their decisions earlier and then have comfort in knowing where their child will be for the start of their Secondary Education. It also allows the college time to follow up more closely with Primary schools and parents regarding students. We interviewed prospective Year 7 2020 students in August and sent out acceptance letters not long after that. Orientation Day for these enrolments will take place in November 2019.

Life in Dunhelen is certainly busy and students were involved in many events and activities, both in and out of the classroom. House Swimming, House Athletics, House Creative Arts Competition, House Debating Competition and Music Technology Competition allowed students to participate in extracurricular activities, earn house points and demonstrate their talents. These activities helped build on the house spirit and students were eager to get involved. Brodie House was awarded the House Shield for 2018.

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As always, the Dunhelen team worked closely to ensure that the wellbeing of these young students was being tended to. Students were always encouraged to be respectful, tolerant and kind to all. This is a message that is conveyed to them at each assembly. Once again, the students proved themselves in all areas of college life and it was a pleasure to lead them and the staff.

Brookhill (Senior School - Years 10-12). The core focus of life in Brookhill remains the work done by teachers and students in the classroom. The main reason most families chose Aitken College is the excellent learning environment and academic focus. Brookhill staff all have strong personal commitment to the academic side of school life. We believe that great things can be achieved academically by fostering a culture which enjoys and respects learning and knows how to study. Every little improvement becomes part of the overall culture; through continuously focusing on making small gains, we end up looking back on large improvements.

The year began with the annual Year 12 Student Learning Conference at Moonee Valley Racecourse. This year, keynote speaker was the College 2017 Dux. He spoke about the need to maintain a balance between study and recreation. He also emphasised the need to work efficiently and regularly seek extra advice from teachers. Students then attended seminars conducted by Elevate Education on effective study techniques and exam preparation, as well as sessions of welfare and stress management and VCE processes and procedures. The conference concluded with a sit-down dinner, at which past Aitken College students spoke about their experience of Year 12. The tone of the conference was highly professional, reflecting the high expectations Aitken College now has of its senior students and set the scene for the year of hard work and dedication which followed.

A noted feature of academic life in Brookhill this year was the professionalism of the Year 12 cohort. In particular, English teachers have noted that Year 12 students followed the advice of Elevate and the 2017 College Dux by regularly submitting practise essays before SACs and exams. The Year 12 group is to be congratulated for such excellent academic leadership.

The Annual Year 11 Presentation Ball was held at Moonee Valley on Saturday 25 August. Presenting students conducted themselves with elegance and distinction on the night, and throughout the preparation for the Ball.

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All Year Ten students again participated in theory and practical driver education sessions, conducted by METEC driver education organization. This program is an important part of Aitken College’s lifeskills program and part of Aitken College’s commitment to road safety.

A focus of whole school improvement during 2018 was the theme of Teams Achieve. Taking inspiration from this, the Senior School leadership team focussed on the concept of servant leadership; the idea that, as leaders, our focus should be the service we are giving to the students. This focus ensured a consistent, student-cantered approach, which enhanced student attainment through improved welfare outcomes and greater student connection to school.

e-Learning Anytime, anywhere learning is here. ‘MyAitken’ is now truly embedded into the workflow of the College. It is the ‘go to’ resource for almost everything and I no longer count the mount of pages on the site as there are just too many. What is obvious though is that all but our youngest students use MyAitken as their source of information and for handing in work and receiving feedback. MyAitken is our very own, continually updated multimedia encyclopedia … and more for all subjects. 24/7 access allows everyone to create and upload content from wherever they may be, even if that is whilst they are on holiday from the beach. With over 3,500 users including teachers, students and parents, usage throughout the day is high but peaks at two major times – just before the beginning of the College day and again at 6pm in the evening when everyone begins their homework – students and teachers!

Cumberland students and their teachers have participated in days of technological excellence in 2018.

Our first Day of Excellence took place at the end of Term 1. We had every Cumberland student engaged in coding activities for the whole day – a massive achievement to have 240 students taking part in computational thinking activities, programming Spheros, Ozobots as well as Dash and Dots. The day was a huge success and apart from the obvious learning activities that took place, students also had a huge amount of fun, so much so that we repeated the day later on the year! The second time we ran the event we had even more fun.

The Cumberland Film Festival was our second Day of Excellence. The theme of the day was

“Elephants Never Forget”. Students had to plan, storyboard and script a three-minute movie using their iPads and the many props and costumes they brought to school with them for the day. Students worked in teams to produce their movies and some of the results were amazing and featured Lego, Barbie and Ken, Playdoh as well as real humans.

For those of you who have met Paris in the past (Paris is our very own humanoid robot), she has had two flights back to Paris in France for repairs to her fingers and hip as she had a fall whilst dancing and being programmed by Year 9 students. Paris is all in one piece again and being programmed by more students and has been entered for the ‘Nao You Can Dance’ Competition, so hopefully we will see some successes here.

One of my students asked me how many robots the College has. I think we probably have quite a few programmable devices now – Ozobots, our smallest, Spheros the programmable ball, Dash and Dots, EV3s and of course Paris.

As always, planning technology for 2019 is already in hand with exciting developments ahead for Aitken staff and students along with further updates to facilities and equipment. Algorithms, coding and computational thinking are

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key terms for 2019 and beyond and Aitken is already on board with many initiatives in this area with more being planned for 2019.

Students and staff at Aitken continue to support plans for the future of technology and are continually updating their IT skills to meet the demands of emerging technologies. Technology in the College works seamlessly but to make this happen takes many hours of planning and work behind the scenes that students and staff do not necessarily see.

Digital Technologies Coding, computational thinking and algorithms are key terms in digital technologies curriculum nationally at the moment with the aim of producing a generation of critical thinkers who are fluent in code and able to use and manipulate technology to adapt to the rapid times of exponential change that we live in. Aitken’s Digital Natives are well equipped to deal responsibly with the challenges provided by technology and to use it to their advantage.

Aitken has a growing number of digital devices of varying sizes and capabilities available for students to use. We have Paris, our Nao robot which is often used by older students and infamous for her bad behaviour and loud talking in public. We also have many Lego EV3, Ozobots, Bluebots, Spheros, Dash and Dot to name but some of our robotic devices. Coding is particularly important in the curriculum. As part of our Cumberland Days of Excellence program we had 240 students taking part in coding activities for a whole day.

The digital world is changing constantly and what happens in the classroom mirrors what is happening in society at large. Aitken students enjoy amazing technology facilities and are always eager to come to class: our only problem being that lessons are just not long enough!

In 2018 students have been coding, creating 3D objects, programming robots or drones, programming robotic devices and using BBC:Microbits to create their own unique digital solutions for real world problems. They have also been creating multimedia products and websites, learning new programming languages such as VB, JavaScript and Python and much more. Above all, students have been having fun and at the same learning new skills that they are then able to use in other subjects or even continue their interest outside of the classroom.

Performing Arts This year’s Performing Arts Captains, presented a stellar concert of Music, Drama and Dance at the start of the year. Almost $300 was raised for Headspace Craigieburn with a focus on teenage mental health.

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The Year Ten Theatrecraft class were responsible for this year’s Middle School Play. CS Lewis’ epic fantasy The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, part of The Chronicles of Narnia, was presented in May by a cast of Year 7-9 students to 300 people.

The Director of Performing Arts directed this year’s VCE Theatre Studies play, a detailed work, spanning a hundred years of Australian history. The Boat is a relatively new work by Chris Dickins. The fifteen Year 12 students were joined by three Year 11s to bring this production to the stage for 220 audience members to enjoy.

The semester concluded with two concerts, The Emerging Performers Showcase and The Winter Music Soiree. Featuring performances from some of our music ensembles, items from senior Music classes and some original compositions, for some students, it was their first experience at a big time concert.

The College Musical, was Disney’s High School Musical On Stage performed by an amazing group of students from Year 7 to 12. As always, there were a large number of staff involved in bringing this feel-good musical to the stage for more than 1100 audience members.

The College play The Diary of Anne Frank was brought to life by a cast of 10 students. It was an excellent reflection on how the second world war affected so many and was sensitively told by the students to almost 250 people.

With no Year 10 Music Recital this year, the Musos At The Mallard was handed over to the Year 11 and 12 students and their teachers. A wonderfully varied and highly entertaining show was presented to almost 150 people. A select group of senior students also had the chance to spend a full day in a recording studio to produce a CD of covers and originals. Lifeblood was launched in the final week of Term Three and was then sold to members of the community.

Our two primary concerts, I’ve Got The Music In Me (Fairview) and You’re The Voice (Cumberland), were as always, highly anticipated events and very well attended by the College community and provided a wonderful, confidence-building opportunity for the students.

Work undertaken in Media, Primary Performing Arts, Music and Drama was highlighted during the annual Arts Week. The Twilight Music Concert was presented on the outdoor stage on the front lawn of the College and this year, other performance stages were dotted around the campus to entertain those attending open evening. Almost 200 people enjoyed the Director’s Choice Gala Concert which allowed us to restage and celebrate some of the wonderful performances uncovered throughout the year and saw some ex-students returning to share their experiences in Performing Arts since leaving Aitken.

We look forward to continuing to present many opportunities for the students of

Aitken College to build their performance skills and grow in confidence as well as presenting many wonderful performances for the entire community to enjoy

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Visual Arts 2018 proved to be a very exciting year for students studying Visual Arts and a year that saw change within the Visual Arts Faculty. Our crowning glory is always the annual student Art Exhibition held in late October. The Exhibition opening coincides with the College’s Open Evening. Tours by prospective students and their families include the exhibition, with all commenting on the excellent standard and impressive display. The talents of our students really do shine when we see the exhibition is its entirety. Students love to bring their parents and friends into the space, proud to share their work, their efforts acknowledged in a public place. The exhibition celebrates the diversity of the Arts program, P – 12, creating a dialogue amongst staff, students, parents and the wider community. Highlights of the exhibition were the intricate sculptures made from clay and mixed media, the book sculptures, the various hanging mobiles and the beautiful drawing, painting and photography. The imagery and mood of the exhibition was very energetic. The introduction of the ‘Art and Design Awards’, including the ‘Principals Award’ proved very popular. We will continue with this initiative as it encourages students to explore the space, looking for the award recipients work and adds to the excitement of the event. The students later receive a hand-made badge in honour of their achievement when the work is returned.

In August, 30 students from Aitken College had their artwork displayed in the ISV student Art Exhibition. This was a huge honour with the opening held at Shell House in Spring Street, complete with guest speaker Dr Flossie Chua from Harvard university. Aitken students from Year 5, 7, 8 and 9 attended with their families and for many, this was their first exhibition opening. Teachers who attended, noting the absolute joy and pride this instilled in the students. The collaborative artwork called “The Tree of Life” which is a digital print of the watercolour painting created by the Artist is Residence Aviva Reed in 2016 with students was also on display. From a teacher’s perspective, an exhibition such as this promotes the talent of our young artists and it is a true celebration of talent, diversity of ideas and the many ways people find to communicate through art. Students from 17 Independent schools had work on display with Aitken College having the highest number of entries. The standard of our student’s work was impressive and a topic for discussion by many at the event.

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This year the Artist in Residence was Mr Nicholas Jones. Jones is a Melbourne based artist who uses books and paper to question the future of the written word, his work belongs to Australian and international collections. Students studying Year 8, 9 and 10 Art Electives took part in these exciting workshops during normal Art classes. The skill and patience involved in creating the sculptures made by Jones are incredible. His love of literature and books in this digital world inspired him to give printed books a new meaning and value. Often intricate in the detail, these sculptures are carefully crafted to reflect the theme of the book, or to express a message, or sometimes to simply create a beautiful new form. Students loved the experience and found the folding, carving and cutting highly addictive. The program married beautifully with the Sculpture Unit presented in Year 9.

Sport Aitken College Sports program still holds a strong connection with School Sports Victoria. Our wide range of sports that are offered provide students with an array of sports to choose from. We fielded 71 teams in total across all division Gala days, with 15 teams progressing to the northern metropolitan region finals and 1 team competing in the state finals. Our greatest achievement is when one of our students won the Victorian and Australian u15 boys high jump! Our continued relationship with the Melbourne High AFL & Soccer challenge continues. Aitken College won the Boys AFL Football and the boys Soccer easily won again for the 6th year in a row. The greatest achievement was the girls AFL team who finally won their first game against Macrob girls! The event was held at Melbourne High. The college also conducts a House Sports competition during the year with major carnivals held for Swimming, Athletics, Cross Country, Junior House orienteering and year 12 lunchtime sports. A good year in sports in 2018 with enthusiastic participation from staff and students!

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Languages Faculty 2018 was a fun-filled year in the Languages faculty. During the year the students participated in a variety of events which added context to their language learning. Year 7 went to the Parkville Zoo to learn about South-East Asian animals and use their language to complete a number of simple tasks. Year 10 students spent a day in the city attending the annual Indonesian Film Festival and completing some language based activities around the city. They finished the day practising their Bahasa skills when ordering a tasty meal at an Indonesian restaurant. The Indonesian teachers are planning Aitken College’s eighth trip to South East Asia and our fifth to Indonesia. Next year participants will be visiting the cultural centre of Java, Jogjakarta. There, they will meet some Indonesian students and visit the ancient Buddhist Temple, Borobodur and the Hindu temple compound, Prambanan. Later they will travel to the cultural centre of Bali, Ubud. The primary Languages program continued this year with students in Grades 1 and 2 learning French and Grades 3 to 6 learning Spanish. Language Teachers have put tremendous effort into further developing their curriculum and engaging lessons for their cohort. Our Language assistant, has continued to provide invaluable assistance in the Language Laboratory. The activities which students undertake in the language laboratory are a major factor in our faculty’s success in the promotion of Bahasa Indonesia and the retention of students into senior year levels. In 2018 the faculty enjoyed record success in enrolments in senior years with more than 40 choosing Indonesian as a year 10 subject. Our Indonesian teachers show enormous talent and enthusiasm in creating original and engaging resources and lessons. The enthusiasm of the students undertaking their subjects is a testament to their teachers’ hard work and dedication.

PARENTS Parents and Friends Association The Parents and Friends Association is an active group of supportive parents who are excited to be a vital part of a growing and distinctive school community where individuals and families are valued and supported. The group has great energy and vision and works closely with the school to determine the projects best supported by our fund raising. Parents and Friends run regular events with money raised going back into facilities for students. Previous activities have included;

• Community Business Directory • Preloved Uniform Sales • Trivia Night • Hot Cross Bun Drive • Father’s Day Breakfast and Stall • Mother’s Day Breakfast and Stall • Tea Towel Fundraiser • Fun Run

Anyone from the school community is welcome to join the group which supports projects nominated by the Principal. This year we purchased a court separator curtain for the gymnasium and an electronic scoreboard. The Parents & Friends also contributed to the awarding of three Parents & Friends Arts Scholarships. Recipients are able to utilise funds to assist them in taking short courses, further deepening their knowledge of their chosen field.

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Parent Satisfaction Parents continue to have the opportunity to provide feedback to the College through Information Evenings, Parent Teacher Interviews, Parent Morning Teas and via email or interview. A parent satisfaction survey was completed in 2018. The following criteria rated highly with parents. • Overall satisfaction with sending child to school • The school is an excellent environment in which to learn • The school is a safe place to learn • The range of learning areas offered is excellent • Parents are made to feel welcome to visit the school • Students have access to high quality materials and resources that help them learn • Teachers in the school know and care about my child • Teachers stay up to date in the things they teach • The school library/resource centre has outstanding resources for students • Parents are kept well informed about the learning programs undertaken by students.

Reasons for choosing Aitken College • The emphasis on the development of sound morals, values, beliefs and attitudes • The school’s location • Suiting their child’s needs better than other schools • The reputation of the school • The facilities and resources • Ensuring their child mixes with a good peer group • The atmosphere of the school • The educational philosophy of the school • Academic results • The quality of the educational programs. Areas identified for further improvement • Student motivation • Meeting the needs of individual students • Teachers understanding the differing abilities of students and teaching accordingly • Support for students at the start of each school year • Students being prepared for the next stage in their education. Positive Themes that appeared in comments • Great teachers • Great student - teacher relationships • Support for students with special needs • Students being polite and well mannered • School being a safe place • School having a good community feel • Catering for students’ academic needs. Areas for improvement that appeared in comments • Need for a decrease in class sizes • Improvements in the handling of bullying concerns • Offering different/additional languages

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• More support for students with learning difficulties • An improved interschool sport program • Supporting students in secondary Mathematics • School reports to show progress and where they are in relation to expected standard. The College Registrar receives enquiries from prospective parents. All enquiries are logged and a College information pack is sent. The College holds an Open Day (March) and an Open Evening (October) with tours led by student leaders. The feedback from these tours is always positive, with prospective families getting an understanding of the school and its programs from the students. The College teaching staff are engaged in interviewing all prospective families and feedback received provides information on community perceptions and what parents are seeking when looking for a school. Elements include an academic profile providing a range of pathways for students, co-education, a values based education (incorporating faith elements), a safe environment, a range of activities to engage students and an affordable independent education. Communication to parents is through the fortnightly newsletter, My Aitken and the community portal. Parents are able to log in to contact teachers, access learning resources, view the tasks set, and receive assessment feedback. The fortnightly Newsletter moved to a new format in Term 4 and was well received. Families exiting the College are provided with the opportunity to provide feedback through Senior Management. Reasons given include family matters, financial hardship, movement from the area, scholarship offers to selective schools and in some cases dissatisfaction with elements of programs not meeting their child’s needs or aligning with College values.

Alumni The Principal and Deputy are enormously supportive of Alumni related activities/events and the Principal continues to be a most enthusiastic ‘tour guide’ when the opportunity arises to showcase the ‘current’ Aitken to visiting Alumni.

Alumni relationships are particularly fruitful and rewarding for Careers staff who welcome the opportunity to tap into a ready-made network for purposes of securing guest speakers, mentoring current students and updating industry knowledge.

Growing numbers of Alumni have kindly agreed to share their stories and obvious affection for the College in the ‘Beyond Aitken’ feature of the school’s website which is accessed from the Alumni link. There is continuing positive feedback regarding the ‘Where are They Now?’ feature article in the ‘The Windmill’ 2018. Showcasing Alumni stories and illustrating study and work pathways since departing Aitken, both serve to highlight the diversity of student outcomes in a positive manner.

General A significant aspect of the role is to create growing Alumni awareness throughout the College and encourage participation. Building from a low base and in an environment previously unfamiliar with the existence and function of Alumni requires patience and a longer vision. Every effort is being made to establish an ‘Alumni culture’ such that graduating students fully expect to have an ongoing relationship with the College. A report of each reunion is included in the next timely parent newsletter representing a further attempt to develop Alumni culture, understanding and appreciation. Photos are also made available to Marketing for use on Facebook.

Working with College administration staff and the Registrar has become an effective model for Alumni reunion delivery and the opportunity to collaborate and share the workload in this way is appreciated.

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Long before the roll out of an Alumni event, invitations are posted to students. As a follow up, significant effort is made to contact each former student personally via phone and/or email. Linkedin is proving an effective way to connect, however, this is more so in the case for five and/or ten-year reunions, with participants in a more established career phase and hence likely to have a viable Linkedin profile.

Reunion details are posted on the College’s Facebook page and the event is also promoted via electronic signage at the entrance to the school. Experience suggests that Gen Y students are reluctant to adopt the conventions of RSVP etiquette and therefore predicting attendance numbers at reunion events is an imprecise science. A key contributor to the success of each reunion is identifying a member of the Alumni cohort who will ‘drive’ the event, generating interest via further Facebook posts and contacting peers.

Greater Alumni interest has been typically shown for the five/ten year reunions for a range of reasons previously reported. It is very pleasing that support for the five and ten-year reunions continues to grow. The re-scheduling of the five-year reunion (previously coinciding with AFL football finals) has contributed further to the growth of numbers attending this gathering.

It is gratifying to report that 2018 saw increased numbers of current Aitken staff attending Alumni reunions. When contacting students to promote Alumni functions one of their immediate responses is, ‘Which teachers will be there?’ Use of the Food Studies facility as a reunion venue has proved extremely positive in terms of catering and set-up logistics.

Class of 2016 – One Year Reunion A good number of Alumni from the Class of 2016 gathered to remember their time at Aitken. As is now the norm, the function was held in the Food Studies building and as is now also the norm, there were groans about how life was so unfair that this wonderful facility became operational after their departure.

A quick tour of the grounds also unearthed the relatively new wood-fire pizza oven. Oh dear, even more to envy, they said. Future reunions they decided would have to be Italian themed, outdoor functions with the Principal in charge of the pizza oven.

Whilst many of these Alumni are still in contact with their close friends after departing the College, there was still interesting news to share with members of the wider group.

Some are already employed in the following fields/industries: apprentice electrician, apprentice carpenter, logistics and another having enlisted in Royal Australian Army.

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Most however, are still students in some shape or form juggling tertiary study combined with casual employment. Looking forward to resuming studies, examples of courses in which they are enrolled include: paramedicine, nursing, business, event management, human services – social work, computer systems, exercise science, primary education, media & communications, sports science, psychological science, computer & network engineering, history & classics, commerce, science, pilot in training, surveying, occupational therapy, music, accounting, civil engineering, oral health science, outdoor education and pharmaceutical science

With apologies from another 20+ Alumni unable to attend due to the vagaries of the casual roster and some fortunate travelers, numbers would have swelled further.

Class of 2013 - Five Year reunion We had enough occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nurses, osteopaths and allied health professionals to open our own clinic. ‘Aitken Health’ anyone? Engineers of all types returned too. What a health conscious, problem solving cohort this group has turned out to be! Nearly 50 Alumni re-connected for the five-year reunion of the Class of 2013. All were clearly excited to be back and wasted no time in catching up with friends and favourite teachers. Their post-Aitken pathways are interesting and diverse. Whilst some are still studying and pursuing Masters qualifications, many are working hard, progressing their careers and making contributions to their community. Occupations included: accountant, bartender, carpenter/joiner, chemical engineer, child protection worker, chiropractor, civil engineer, computer clerk; education support staff, electronics engineer, exercise physiologist, games designer information systems analyst, insurance advisor, landscaper, lawyer, marketing executive mechanical engineer, nurse, occupational therapist, osteopath, paramedic, physiotherapist, primary teacher, public relations consultant, restaurant manager, secondary teacher, training consultant, urban planner and zoo keeper.

Another 15+ apologies from those unable to attend for various reasons including: working/studying interstate, travelling, work commitments and exam pressures indicate the level of interest in this Alumni event.

Reluctant to leave, the group relocated to a nearby establishment and continued their reunion into the wee hours of the morning no doubt making plans for the next reunion five years hence in 2023.

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Class of 2008 - Ten Year Reunion Ten years ago, when they were departing Aitken College we knew that they were destined for great things. This, was confirmed at the recent reunion where we were reminded that the Class of 2008 was a friendly, happy and oh so likeable cohort. Alumni arrived in great numbers staying well beyond final drinks to reconnect, reminisce, laugh about their 2008 hairstyles and share their adventures post-Aitken. Approximately fifty students returned with another ten apologies. Members of the cohort are engaged in diverse and interesting occupations across a range of industries. Many in professional roles now have post-graduate qualifications. Professions were well represented, but there were also significant numbers of those who had graduated from the VCAL programme and were now enjoying the benefits of being fully qualified trades people. Occupations represented were: accountant, advertising accounts manager, biomedical engineer, boilermaker, brand manager, case manager, commercial finance analyst, criminal lawyer, deputy editor, early childhood teacher, electrician, environmental consultant, exercise physiologist, fitter & turner, general manager (head coach) soccer, graphic designer, industrial designer, logistics & planning manager, machinist, marketing accounts manager, mechanical engineer, occupational therapist, osteopath, plumber, primary teacher, project manager, property developer, receptionist, retail buyer, retail operations manager, scientist, secondary teacher (PE), security consultant, software development specialist, systems administrator, veterinarian and warehouse supervisor.

When asked what they liked best about Aitken the responses were unanimous: lifelong friendships formed, approachable & caring teachers and Christian values. On the strength of this, many Alumni now married or partnered took the opportunity during the evening to complete enrolment forms for their offspring! The event was an undeniable success and greatly appreciated by the Alumni attending. Their appreciation was shown in their departing ‘thankyous’/ A toast to the ‘Class of 2008’ was made with the intent of meeting at the next reunion in even greater numbers.

Interact Club 2018 proved to be a highly successful year for Interact, with an outstanding President who inspired students from all year levels to work towards a common cause of helping the community through donations and assistance to various groups. Students from years 7-12 have the opportunity to make a difference and follow their passions by

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suggesting various projects which can be undertaken. Interact meetings were productive forums which allowed a wide range of views to be canvassed. An Easter Bake Sale was organized by the club which proved to be a great success. A range of cup cakes and other bakery items were sold which. The funds raised were donated to the MS Walk and Fun Run which aimed to support people around Australia who suffer from multiple sclerosis. Brookhill students held a stall at the Brookhill Athletics Carnival where funds raised were donated to an Aitken Staff member for the Shining Future Foundation which helps to support, and fund for the education and life of children and families in Nepal. One of the College’s Counsellor’s spoke at the Brookhill Assembly and about the foundation and many Interact students were inspired to contribute further to her work. The message of “share your good fortune” stood out to the members. With the assistance the Head of Clark House in Brookhill, Interact organized a Switch an Item Day” which allowed for students to swap an item of clothing with a teacher. Each person donated $5. These funds were again given to the Shining Futures Foundation. Students had a lot of fun on this day interacting with a range of teachers and swapping off items of clothing. A food drive was organized to support FareShare in Abbotsford. Donations of rice, pasta and flour, and other nonperishable goods were collected. The food collected is then cooked at Fareshare’s Abbotsford kitchen, to be sent out to people who are homeless without the ability to buy proper food to eat. Interact members collected food every day for a few weeks by going around classrooms to ask for donations; we were very lucky to collect a lot of food to donate. To everyone’s surprise, more than 400 kg of food from the many Aitken families who were willing to support our effort. Four students had the chance to personally deliver the food and were able to see the kitchens and experience a tour of the facilities. Students spoke at various assemblies to raise awareness of such an important charity. A sausage was organized later in the year with sausages delivered to students from Fairview to Brookhill. This fundraised allowed the Interact member to work closely together. Money raised was used to support the Starlight Foundation which aims to help chronically ill children and their families across Australia. The Interact students worked amazing well throughout the year to support a range of causes.

Sustainability and Environment

Students had endless opportunities to get involved with the environment this year. The opportunities included learning within their curriculum, for example, designing science experiments which meet Science outcomes but also aim to address environmental issues beyond the text book. Students were also encouraged to get involved beyond their core outcomes, including environmental leadership and co-curricular activities. Some of the opportunities students were offered in 2018 included becoming an environment monitor/captain, revegetating Brodies Creek which runs through the college property, building an Ecobrick structure, participating in numerous activities during Environment week, Friends of the Farm and more.

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We also worked very hard to reduce our landfill waste throughout the College. As part of the Resource Smart Program, we were required to renew the Waste Module which involved numerous actions to be carried out and/or refreshes in 3 main categories; Teaching & Learning, Daily Operations, and Community Engagement. During Environment week, we emphasised the importance of co-mingled & soft plastics recycling, as well as composting food scraps. This dropped our collective landfill accumulation in the staff room down to just a 4 litre container for the whole week! What an amazing result. We were thrilled to have successfully fulfilled the Waste Module requirements.

Lots has gone on behind the scenes as well this year. An additional 10 kilowatts of solar panels were added to our current system, increasing our green energy usage by 50%! We also installed SWEP water monitoring devices on our mains to help us keep track of our water usage and set targets for the year. We expanded the wood lot by 100% this year after the first stage proved to be flourishing. Hopefully we will see similar success in the most recent wood lot addition. The animals also

continue to provide invaluable learning for students in and outside of the curriculum. Goats, Chickens, and sheep are among our featured on-site animals, but we also homed 3 calves for 3 weeks in May as part of the ‘Cows Create Careers’ Year 10 Agriculture program.

In summary, the Environmental Programs department fuels the sustainability initiatives imbedded throughout the Aitken Community, from curriculum to daily operations. Thanks to Aitken families, staff and students who embrace environmental programs, Aitken continues to surpass government expectations with regards to education for sustainability.

Faith Community and Development • All Aitken students attend a weekly age-appropriate half hour Christian Chapel service presented by

members of the Chaplaincy team. Faith issues and Christian values are recommended to the community via state of the art audio-visual presentations, guest speakers or others trained in this field. Faith Development is linked to the wider Religious Values Education and Life Skills programmes and students are encouraged to look beyond themselves to the needs of others, and the claims of God as revealed through Christian revelation.

• The Religious Values Education programme complements the weekly Chapel presentations. This programme runs all years Prep to 10, and as an elective VCE subject in year 11, and 12. The programme is age appropriate. Whilst a main focus in on teaching the core precepts of the Christian faith, students are introduced to other Faiths and World views. Comparisons are encouraged so that students are able to make sensible decision based on a sound understanding of issues to with Religious experience and Faith.

• The Reach Out Community (ROC) run by the Chaplaincy team meets on two Wednesday evenings a term for a children’s programme and is in the process of establishing a weekly Sunday informal Christian worship service in term times. ROC is always trying new ideas to encourage and build up those who come to explore issues of faith. The Monthly Kid’s ROC evenings are very popular with younger students and their parents, often seeing over 100 attending. ROC supports a range of activities within the college community. ROC also hosts student evenings such as Aitken’s got Talent and Aitken can Dance, modelled on popular reality shows. These allow some students to explore their gifts and be affirmed in the process. The Greenvale Community Choir commenced in late 2011 and has grown steadily in popularity, making important links to the wider community, visiting nursing homes and running combined choirs concerts on site.

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An annual Grief and Loss service which addresses specific needs within the community is offered as required. Links with local community groups and Uniting church congregations is always been strengthened where possible.

• As part of the Counselling and Student Services Team Aitken College employs a counsellor, who works two days per week counselling and is funded by the Federal Government Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Initiative. Seasons Grief and Loss classes for students are run as required annually and, the weekly lunchtime KickStart youth group for year 7-9 students has been operating for over a decade. In 2018 the Midweeks Youth group for upper primary students was commenced to complement and act as a feeder for the KickStart group. The KickStart and Midweeks groups allow for Faith Development in an environment where student choose to attend and explore a deeper understanding of the Christian Faith. In 2018 Aitken College has employed a teacher trained Youth Chaplain to widen the offering of the chaplaincy team in regular chapel services, youth work and Religious values Teaching.

Faith Community The definition of a Faith Community includes the idea of a group of people with a commitment to a faith (in the case of Aitken College, the Christian Faith), who seek to support each other, share their faith, and develop links between the faith and others within the community.

• ROC forms a central part of this idea at Aitken College. Now in its 16th year it continues to remain faithful to the concept given above. Participation is invited from the Aitken Community and those affiliated with the Uniting Church in the wider community.

• Over the past three years a foundation has been laid to establish a regular worshipping community on-site at Aitken College which will be recognised by the Uniting Church Australia as a Faith Community in its own right. Local interest has been growing and this initiative will open many possibilities for pastoral care and Christian ministry within the school and wider local community, as well as employing an extra chaplain to meet this need.

• Staff, students and parents are encouraged to participate in chapel services and the annual Easter and Carols services which are important events within the College year in terms of religious observances. It is not uncommon to have over 40 parents and young children joining in with the junior Chapel services each week.

Student Well Being [&Satisfaction] • The Student Services team seeks to address the many needs presented by our large student, and indeed

wider parent community. A team of four trained counsellors see an ever-changing list of students who struggle with a wide range of life issues. The support work which the counselling team undertakes is vital in relieving pressure on class teachers and enabling some members of the Aitken community to be assisted in difficult times. For students, this often means the difference between coping and thriving, or being lost in a large community which by necessity presses on with its goals despite those members who struggle for a range of reasons. Counselling is also offered for staff and families. The work the counselling team undertakes is by nature generally unseen and not widely discussed.

• The Chaplaincy and Student Services team run programmes from time to time which address issues such as First Aid, Anger Management and Parenting and skills. These cover such topics as, Bullying, Mental Health, Body Image, and Living with Teenagers.

• The Chaplaincy team is regularly called upon to meet the immediate needs of the Aitken community in regard of suffering and loss, via counselling, visitation and practical support. The Seasons Grief and Loss programme is run at least annually, and often twice per year, and provides for a number of students and their families who have suffered significant loss. Staff needs are often addressed by the counselling team.

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• A Well Being week for all students and staff is run annually in the first week of term 4. Many programmes

are offered to the community which provides for wellbeing needs. Staff members are encouraged to volunteer their time to offer creative events which focus on student needs for attending to mental health issues. Initiatives such as Creative Writing, Dance, Relaxation and Mediation as well as Massage for staff (to mention only a very few) combine to create practical ways of addressing wellbeing issues within the College.

Finance The major source of income for the College was Federal and State Government funding (57%) and tuition fees (36%). The major expenditure item is employment costs (67%). Education and General costs are mainly faculty and administration expenses (20%).

INCOME $ % Tuition Fees 8,588,707 36.23% Federal Govt Funding 11,606,457 48.95% State Govt Funding 1,810,714 7.64% Other Income 1,703,342 7.18% Total Income 23,709,220 100.0%

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EXPENDITURE $ % Employment Costs 14,958,148 67.1% Education & General 4,438,488 19.9% Buildings & Grounds 1,131,883 5.08% Depreciation 1,748,678 7.85% Total Expenses 22,277,197 100.0%

Capital Works Projects and Property Management Report The College completed another major project with the construction of our new Kitchen Garden building. The new building will run the Stephanie Alexander program for our primary students as well as several VCAL programs. It will also be used for more formal functions throughout the year by staff, students and parents.

The College again managed to complete many other medium sized projects impacting on both student and staff areas. These included the construction of a new maintenance shed up near the farmhouse and the refurbishment to the farmhouse itself to accommodate the Projects Manager and the new maintenance team. We also constructed a range of new staff offices in VCE 2 and VCE3 including transformation of several large offices into classrooms. We installed new joinery into many areas across the school which included our accounts office, accountant’s office and S10.

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The Technology building had minor refurbishment works creating a space for students looking to create 3D models using the new 3D printers as well as allowing for our laser cutter and vacuum forming machine. The makerspace area also has the capacity for housing our leggo and robotics equipment. The refurbishment involved removing the old staff offices and creating new offices in the old store room. This also allowed us to create another access point for staff into the building

There were as usual many other minor building projects over the year which saw us complete the Dunhelen classroom refurbishment program which saw each classroom painted internally and externally, fitted out with pin wall lining and several classrooms receiving new furniture. It also included the upgrade of switchboards within the classrooms. Other college funded capital projects undertaken included:

• Construction of Ramp and seating east of the Gymnasium • Installation of seating under the lower plaza shade structure • Installation of new kitchen for the OSHC program • Changeover of lighting in the CPA auditorium • Purchase of new furniture for several Dunhelen classrooms • Purchase of a new grounds vehicle • Installation of a new maintenance shed Dunhelen landscaping • Sewer connection • CPA fire curtain

Maintenance Works The Property department which has had an in-house maintenance team has restructured its team into a sub contracted service. This has not changed the way that items are addressed or programmed as the sub-contracting firm still follows the cyclical maintenance program set by the College. This includes the inspection of all essential services such as fire safety equipment, air-conditioning, emergency lighting, exit lighting, paths of travel and exit doors. Other areas that are considered an important part of cyclical maintenance include the test and tagging of all electrical appliances, thermal scanning of all switchboards, testing of fume cupboards, chemical waste disposal and annual inspections of trees by qualified arborists.

Our maintenance program also extends to the preventative maintenance of buildings and college grounds which include regular inspections of external timber work, decking, water tanks, playgrounds, irrigation systems, gardens and other minor internal items.

Strategies for capital works in 2019 • We are looking at refurbishing the external stairs of VCE2 by constructing a stair link between VCE2 and

VCE3 • Extension to the Administration building to allow for a new office and larger staffroom area • Refurbishment of the weights room in the gymnasium to provide glazing between Gym3 and Gym4 • Refurbishment of Visual Arts offices V7 and V9 • Air conditioning installation in P34 and Music tutor rooms • One major piece of civil infrastructure is to remove the sewer treatment plant and dam with planned

connection of sewer to the Yarra Valley Water main

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A school in association with the Uniting Church