Issue 1 13 Feb 2026

Welcome back to the 2026 School Year

Dear Students, Parents, and Guardians,

I hope you all had a great summer and were able to enjoy a well-earned break. We’re really looking forward to welcoming everyone back and getting started on what promises to be an exciting and rewarding school year.

Our teachers and staff have been preparing engaging learning experiences and ensuring the school is a safe, supportive, and welcoming place for every student. We’re committed to creating an environment where students feel comfortable, valued, and encouraged to do their best.

I can’t wait to see our students back in the schoolyard and to work together with families to make this year a positive experience for everyone. If you have any questions or need support along the way, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

This year marks our largest Year 7 intake to date, with nine classes for the first time. It was pleasing to see such strong parent attendance at the Year 7 Teacher and Chromebook Night on January 29. The College values the support of our teachers and appreciates parents taking opportunities to strengthen their connections and familiarity with the school.

We also warmly welcome all newly enrolled students in Years 8–12 to the NGSC school community. We hope you feel supported and inspired as you settle into life at the College.

As we begin the new academic year, we encourage all students to embrace challenges, set goals, and take full advantage of the opportunities ahead. Our dedicated teachers and staff are committed to supporting every student throughout their learning journey.

Let’s make 2026 a year of success, collaboration, and strong community spirit. Should you have any questions or require support, please don’t hesitate to contact the College.

This year is especially significant for our Year 12 students as they embark on their final year of secondary school. We hope they will look back on 2026 as one of the most rewarding and memorable years of their educational journey. It is a critical time, and we encourage them to stay focused, set goals, and seek support when needed. Our teachers and staff are here to guide them through their studies and provide any assistance required.

To help prepare for the challenges ahead, our Year 12 students recently attended a study camp at Federation University in Ballarat. This valuable experience was designed to equip them with essential study skills and strengthen connections with peers and teachers, setting them up for a successful final year.

Once again, welcome back to the NGSC school community. I look forward to working closely with all members to ensure a successful year of learning for all students.

Welcome to New Staff

Welcome the following new and returning staff to our college and wish them a productive and enjoyable year. The staff and I look forward to working closely with our new staff to ensure the best possible teaching and learning opportunities for our students.

New

Tracey Clark (Middle School Coordinator)

• John Buckley (Food Technology)
• Jason Smith (Maintenance Coordinator)
• Alyssa Travaglini (DI Support)

NGSC Annual Implementation Plan (AIP)

All Victorian government schools follow a four-year strategic planning cycle to support school improvement and comply with the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic). The School Strategic Plan (SSP) sets the long-term direction, and the Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) puts it into action each year.

The AIP outlines how the school will implement the goals and Key Improvement Strategies (KIS) selected for focus that year. It includes:

• The SSP goals, targets, and KIS for focus
  
• Key actions and tasks to implement the KIS
  
• Evidence of change to measure the impact of these actions

This year, the AIP will focus on supporting the use of data in the classroom, with an emphasis on students owning their learning data. Students will use this information to work closely with their teachers, accessing tasks that challenge them and help further develop their skills.

The AIP is developed in Term 4 and must be endorsed by the Senior Education Improvement Leader (SEIL) by the end of Term 1 the following year.

School Council and School Council elections

School councils play a key role in Victorian government schools. Effective councils have a wide range of skills, expertise, and knowledge to support good governance and provide students the best possible educational outcomes.

The annual school council election process provides an opportunity to attract members keen to add value and bring their expertise and skills to assist the school's governance.

All government schools with students enrolled in Year 7 and above must have a student member category on council. The school election process for the student member category must co-occur with Parent and DET employee member elections.

Where a council has Community member positions, the council can co-opt members following the election process and add to the council’s skills and expertise.

School council membership

Each school council’s constituting order makes provision for its structure and membership:

• Parent members – parents of students at the school must comprise more than one-third of the school council’s total membership. ‘Parent’ includes a guardian or person responsible for maintenance or custody of a student at the school. Department employees are eligible for membership in this category as long as they have children attending the school and the Department employees do not work at the school (except for the principal, who is a member of the Department employee member category) of that school council.

• Department employee members – must not be more than one-third of the school council’s total membership. The principal is automatically included in this membership category and has full voting rights. Other staff (teaching and non-teaching) are elected or co-opted to this category. To be eligible for election to this category, a person must be a member of the school's Department of Education and Training (DET) employee electorate.

• Student members– ‘student’ describes a student enrolled at and attends the school and is in Year 7 or above. Students are elected to this membership category or co-opted if a casual vacancy occurs. To be eligible for election, a student must be a member of the school's student body. The number of student members is recorded in the Ministerial Order for the school council.

• Community members– is an optional membership category. The council’s membership schedule may include this category. If a council has the option of community members, the committee decides who to approach and co-opt into this position. People are co-opted by the school council to a community member position to bring additional skills and perspectives. Community members hold the same rights, responsibilities, and terms of office as elected members. Parents are eligible to be co-opted to a community member position, but Department employees are not. Students may also be co-opted to a community member position.

The North Geelong SC, school council composition includes:

(9 x parents, 1 x community member, 2 x students and 5 x DET employees including the Principal - voting members)

• 9 x parents (no DE&T employees)
• 1 x community member
• 1 x co-opted member
• 5 x DE&T employees – teaching and non-teaching staff, including the Principal
• 2 x elected students     

Total number of voting members 17.

The College Principal is the Executive Officer of the school council.

This year we have:

• 4 x parent members vacancies for a 2-year appointment (2026 and 2027)
• 3 x DE employee member vacancies for a 2-year appointment (2026 and 2027)
• 1 student member vacancy for a 2-year appointment (2026 and 2027).

I call for parent nominations for three vacancies. Any parent or community member that would like to discuss the role of the Council or the role of the parent member on the council please call the school and speak to Ms Leanne Scarlett or the Principal.

Nomination forms can be obtained from Ms Leanne Scarlett at the General Office. The closing day for nominations is Tuesday 10th of March by 4.00pm.

I take this opportunity to thank all school council members, particularly the parent body, for their outstanding contributions to the life of the college.