All The News For This Month

HSC Students Move Ahead

Our first cohort of HSC students will complete their HSC this year so we have been offering opportunities for students to plan their post-school pathway.
Charles Sturt University, Port Macquarie Campus hosted our senior students for a day. They were introduced to staff and current students, given a tour of the newly built university and on-campus living as well as a meeting with the Careers Advisor where they found out information specific to courses they are interested in.
Later in the year, senior students will return to the University to participate in My Day where students experience ‘a day in the life of a university student’. This goes hand in hand with the Careers Education Program our Principal Theresa Pantalone has developed and will be piloted with our Year 10 students in Term 4 this year.

Wellbeing Week

This year we have implemented Wellbeing Week which occurs once per term. Our Student Welfare Officer says, "this provides students and staff with a chance to focus on their wellbeing, reduce stress and get out of the classroom to participate in activities as a whole school.
During this week students and staff played games together, worked on positive relationships, practiced practical ways to maintain wellbeing, volunteered in the community, and learned to cook healthy meals.
Students participated in wellbeing focused lessons where positive messages ad a giant wellbeing puzzle were created and put on the Wellbeing Wall. Some students spent some therapeutic time at the Sweet Pea Animal Hospital in Forster and spent time with the rescued animals.
The highlight of the week was the wellbeing scavanger hunt. Students were split into teams and given a list of challenges to complete. This took them all over Tuncurry as they took silly photos, solved riddles and provided insight into what wellbeing means for them. Even the teachers got on board helping to take photos, assisting with solving riddles and adding their spin on wellbeing to illustrate the importnace of maintainnig positive wellbeing.
Wellbeing Week was a huge hit, which complimented the school’s philosophy by using a whole school approach to focus on mental and physical wellbeing in a safe, supportive environment, to empower students to keep pushing forwadr and continue to find the silver lining when faced with a challenge.

Alesco Senior College is coming to the Great Lakes Area

Alesco Senior College is a secondary school, set within an adult learning environment, which encourages young people to participate in education and training that leads to a sustainable future.

Alesco Senior College is primarily a Senior Secondary College offering students the opportunity to complete their Higher School Certificate in a supportive environment which focuses on offering programs to meet their individual learning needs. Alesco Senior College also offers a small Year 10 preparation program for selected students who are ready to work in an environment that offers individual support, personalised planning and a pathway into Vocational Training.
Graduates of Alesco Senior College will most likely move onto further vocational training or sustainable employment. Some of our students who have an identified and targeted
vocational pathway may pursue a future in tertiary education or University.

Alesco Senior College places emphasis on the strengths in provision of services to students. These include;
● We offer a small school environment,
● The creation of a safe, supported environment,
● Staff work with students on a basis of empowerment, rather than a model of power and control,
● That access through education allows the inclusion of other support mechanisms.

The Alesco Senior College also firmly believes in the following key principles of our school:-
● The student is the centre of the education plan, and all plans revolve around the needs of the student educationally, emotionally and socially,
● That there is rigour in the educational program provided,
● Students have the opportunity to experience an adult learning environment and undertake a Board of Studies based curriculum.

For more information on the school please call the office on 02 65549215 or visit the website for Alesco

WEA Hunter and Coast appoints a new Chairperson

Well-respected local Newcastle business manager Martin Coates has been appointed Chairman of WEA Hunter/Coast.

Mr Coates has been on the board of the quality education provider for the past nine years and part of the board executive team for the past four years. He has extensive experience in business and project management and in a career spanning more than 30 years has held senior positions in the telecommunications and local government sectors. Mr Coates is currently Regional Director of Defence Housing Australia and has an MBA from the University of Newcastle.

WEA General Manager, Ms Rowan Radvan, welcomed Mr Coates to the role. ‘Martin will be instrumental in helping the 100-year-old organisation through its next development stage,’ Ms Radvan said.
'In the changing educational landscape WEA Hunter and WEA Coast are well positioned to provide a unique, accessible and affordable alternative. Under Martin’s leadership we plan to ensure WEA can provide quality education and training opportunities for our communities,' Ms Radvan said.

Mr Coates paid tribute to the immediate past chairperson, Meg McNaughton, who served four years in the role. 'Her significant contribution to the organisation’s growth, particularly through the recent major industry reforms within the training and education sector, has been outstanding,' Mr Coates said.

WEA Hunter/Coast is the 5th largest provider of community based adult learning in NSW. It is also one of the sector’s most diverse education providers offering government contract training, vocational education training and youth education.

FTCC Transforms into WEA Coast

From July 1 this year the range of educational services provided by Forster Tuncurry Community College will continue as part of the Workers Educational Association – Hunter (WEA Hunter). Forster Tuncurry Community College commenced in 1984 and is proud of its achievements over the past 30 years. ‘The College has been growing in the number of courses and is in a sound financial position, so it may come as a surprise to the community that we are taking this course of action,’ President of FTCC Dennis Buxton said.

The decision has been in response to the NSW Department of Education and Community ‘Smart and Skilled’ reforms which commence from 1 January 2015. ‘This is a major reform of the education system and represents significant challenges for many Registered Training Organisations, particularly smaller organisations such as ourselves’ Mr Buxton said. 'The committee and management of FTCC have recognised these challenges early and made the proactive decision to consider an alliance. WEA Hunter is a large RTO with the infrastructure and resources to be able to successfully navigate and meet the challenges of the ‘Smart and Skilled’ reforms. WEA Hunter has been operating for over 100 years in the Newcastle area,' he added.

The College remains in the same location, with the same staff and tutors and similar courses will be on offer. The biggest difference will be that the opportunities for our area have just increased to a position of strength, high quality and diversification.