Term 3, Week 9, Newsletter - Fri 21 Sept 18

Written on the 21 September 2018

Holiday break

The last newsletter for the term will be prepared by our Prefects so I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe and restful break and we look forward to what will be a busy Term 4. I remind all parents and students that school will conclude at the usual time of 3.15pm on Friday 28 September 2018. Reports will be available on the Portal from 4.00pm on this day.

Parents are encouraged to contact subject teachers if they have concerns from the home front. Ideally, through regular contact with the school and access to your son's academic program and achievement at a task level from the Parent Portal, parents should know enough about their son's progress for there to be nothing in a term or semester report that comes as a total surprise.

Most of our Year 12 students will attend school over the break for additional lessons and workshops to finalise final external assessments and/or prepare for their exams which for some of our boys will commence on Monday 5 November. I thank all Year 12 teachers for their dedication and commitment to supporting their classes during the holiday break.

Write of Passage

This year the Write of Passage Program has continued its success with the support of Mr Callisto and Mrs Gehren and of course Allity Aged Care, Walkerville.

This afternoon we were joined by residents of Allity Aged Care for a tour of the campus with their Year 10 partners. You could tell by the expressions on their faces that they were excited to be at Rostrevor chauffeured and guided by very some very proud Rostrevor men.

Our boys are making great progress in their memoir pieces, and have made themselves, the College staff and residents of Allity very proud. Many residents have commented on how much they look forward to greeting your sons each week, and it is clear that some real relationships have formed over the last eight sessions.

Delicious Diversity

The Social Justice Group hosted yet another very successful Delicious Diversity lunch on Wednesday. This event enables us to recognise our diverse cultures which adds so much richness to the community and allows students to experience some of the cultural delicacies. 

Thank you for your support

At Rostrevor, we believe it is important for young people to learn about themselves and others; healthy relationships and behaviours; social and emotional development; spiritual development; resilience, and to see beauty, have awe, and appreciate some sense of 'truths'.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you as parents for your support in our endeavour to provide opportunities for your sons to participate in activities which are based on the learnings listed above, for ensuring that your sons attend such events and that you accompany them when necessary. 

Term 4 Events

School will begin at the normal time on Monday 15 October. As we know, Term 4 marks the final phase of our Year 12's journey. I wish them well with their preparation for their final assessments and exams. It will be an extremely busy time and I encourage everyone to keep abreast of the responsibilities and events that need to be attended to.

Two major compulsory events for all students will be Presentation Night on Monday 29 October, commencing at 6.45pm at Influencers Community Church and the Twilight Fair, here in the Valley on Friday 16 November from 4.00-8.00pm. We look forward to your company on both of these significant events. A letter has been emailed to all families regarding Presentation Night; details regarding the Twilight Fair will be communicated in due course.

Personal best & Improvement

A well understood principle regarding the education of boys is that they are often willing to settle for less than their best. It is commonly said that they will do 'as little as you let them and as much as you make them'. Although this is a generalisation, it is an important understanding when trying to create an educational culture which encourages each individual to strive for his best.

At Rostrevor we endeavour to provide challenges for the boys in all area of their schooling. Another salient observation which is also widely accepted is that boys are intrinsically motivated by competition. This provides an obvious opportunity to encourage personal excellence. Challenge helps to inspire boys to rise to the task, motivating them to lift their sights and set attainable goals.

This year we have introduced the GPA (Grade Point Average) improvement award where we acknowledge students whose GPA improves from one term to the next by 5% or more. The first round of certificates was awarded at House gatherings at the beginning of Term 3 based on Term 2 report data. The next round will take place once data has been collated based on the improvement from Term 2 to 3.
Striving for excellence is always encouraged at Rostrevor as we constantly ask our students to set new limits and believe in themselves to achieve them.

Frank Ranaldo
Deputy Principal