Top school news
Friday 11 December, 2020

• Mon 14th to Wed 16th - End-Of-Year Activities
• Wed 16th - Last day that school buses will operate
• Thu 17th - Community service day (by arrangement)
• Fri 18th - No structured program.

1. Year 12 Graduation - A Success! 

On Saturday the 5^th of December we held our annual Year 12 Graduation, a little bit different to our usual event due to COVID-19 restrictions this year, but still a memorable and stylish event held at our Performing Arts Centre. “Thank you Rowville Secondary College for planning an end of year graduation event, my daughter and her friends were very excited leading up to the event and there was a buzz and happiness in our house. It is so nice after this tough year to have something for our children to look forward to, commemorate and remember their final year of school. Excellent job, thank you RSC teachers and staff. We can’t wait to watch the viewing event.” – Year 12 Parent, East Campus.
 
The event began with our Teachers and Principal team filming their speeches. As the speeches were nearing completion there was a distinct buzz outside the PAC. The students had started to arrive. This was the first group, there were three groups throughout the day. Each student had their special time on stage receiving their certificates and being acknowledged as part of the graduating Class of 2020. Once the students had received their certificate from Ms Kennedy, it was time to  join parents and  families, outside to have their Graduation photography done. “I was so surprised at the calibre of students who dressed up in their formal attire and they all looked absolutely stunning. We are very proud of their achievements, resilience and the success this year and the last 6 years at secondary school, it was a very extraordinary and moving day for all.”  - Ms. Kennedy, College Principal.  “Congratulations class of 2020, we wish you every success and happiness in your future endeavours.”

 Class of 2020 final message from Ms. Zaal
 
**Year 12 Graduation Viewing Event will take place from 7pm and you can access the video on our YouTube channel. The video will be live from 7pm to midnight to view. Technical issues please email hello@samstephens.com.au. 
 

2. Year 7 Orientation Day 

On Tuesday 8th December we hosted our new students, who are starting with us in Year 7 for 2021 on campus for the state-wide Orientation Day.  With close to 300 students and 13 Year 7 Learning Mentor Groups, the day began with a virtual call from our Principal, Ms. Julie Kennedy.  Julie welcomed our new students to the school, sharing our school values, culture and the expectations for all RSC students. She then asked each LMG to introduce themselves and everyone took turns doing this, finally, the called ended in a Mexican wave. 

The rest of the day involved friendship and getting-to-know-you activities, a school tour of the campus you are on, mini-lessons in science, Indonesian, program specific classes and outdoor activities; the floor is lava and relay races. "The students were very excited and well behaved, they engaged with each other and made new friends. I am looking forward to a wonderful year 7 cohort next year. " - Ms. Folie, Transition Coordinator & Teacher.  "A special mention must go out to our current Year 7 students who were buddies for the day, you did our school proud and made all the new students feel very comfortable and safe. Thank you."
 

Over the last 2 weeks, students at the West have been participating in a Dance Workshop at lunchtime. The first workshop was a fun and upbeat hip hop class where students were challenged on their musicality and coordination skills. The second workshop, students participated in a contemporary class with a main focus on technique and expressive qualities.
 
The students (and staff) had a lot of fun learning the routines and it was fantastic to see students joining in who have never done dance before.
 
This was a fun introduction to a dance program, that will be introduced at the West next year, where students will be able to participate in a range of community based performances.

Written by Ms. Ricki Leicester, Teacher.
 

Our video shoot last Thursday was a great success! “On this day, we were filming our senior music students, as well as the Big Band for our upcoming online graduation ceremony. It was a fantastic day and ran smoothly. All of the students were exceptional, performing multiple takes of the different music numbers to get multiple camera angles for the final footage. They were superstars.” – Ms Julia Duke, Teacher & Learning Specialist.  
 
Special thanks go out to the Teachers involved on the day; Ms. Kacey Hocking, Ms. Julia Duke and Mr. Jake Johnson. Also, to the awesome team of ex-Rowville SC students we had as part of the filming crew – Andrew Davies, Sam Stephens, Bryce McGeehan and Mitch Van Kesteren.