Welcome
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Mill Park Secondary College welcomes you to our new-look College Newsletter, published monthly containing articles from all areas of our Curriculum across both campuses.
We hope you enjoy.
Newsletter Edition 7 – Monday 30 May 2022
30th May 2022
Upcoming EventsJun 17 Wed Join us for an inspiring evening of dance as our MYC Dance Troupe, VCE and VET Dance students take the stage to perform their assessed solo and group works. This performance night is a celebration of their creativity, technical skill, and dedication throughout the semester. From expressive solos to dynamic group routines, each piece showcases the hard work and passion of our senior dancers. Family, friends, and dance enthusiasts are all welcome to support and enjoy this special night of performance.DateWednesday 17 June 2026 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM (UTC+10) LocationMill Park Secondary College Performing Arts Centre Jun 19 Fri Join us for an exciting evening of live music as our talented Unit 1 & 3 VCE Music students take the stage to present their assessed performance repertoire. This concert is a vital part of their coursework and a chance to shine. Also featured are performances from our Year 10 music students and instrumental ensembles, showcasing co-curricular pieces in a professional concert setting. It’s a valuable opportunity for students to gain live performance experience and meet course requirements. Bands and ensembles involved include: Year 10 Bands, Year 11 Bands, Year 12 Bands, SC Vocal Ensemble, and invited soloists. This is more than just a concert—it’s a celebration of our school’s dynamic music culture and a chance for families, friends, and the wider community to come together in support of our young musicians. DateFriday 19 June 2026 6:30 PM – 8:15 PM (UTC+10) LocationMill Park Secondary College Performing Arts Centre 25 Moorhead Drive, Mill Park VIC 3082 Jul 22 Wed Jul 22 @ 7:00 pm – Jul 24 @ 9:45 pm “Once Upon a One More Time” is a vibrant, musical filled with the iconic hits of Britney Spears. The story follows fairy-tale princesses like Cinderella and Snow White, who believe they are living their perfect “happily ever after.” The princesses begin to question their roles, and together, they set out to rewrite their destinies and discover who they truly want to be. Filled with humour, heart and high-energy performances, this empowering and entertaining show is a must-see performance. Don’t miss your chance to experience the magic – secure your tickets and join them as they take back their stories and choose their own paths. Tickets will be available now on trybooking – https://www.trybooking.com/DKQWQ DatesWednesday 22 July 2026 – Friday 24 July 2026 (UTC+10) LocationMill Park Secondary College Performing Arts Centre Subscribe |
College Principal’s Report
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This is the first edition of our newsletter in a new format. Why are we doing this? By moving to a web-based mode that is better integrated with our school website, we are hoping to better engage with our school community and share and celebrate more of what is happening here at the College.
We will now be publishing our newsletter on a monthly basis and will continue to use Sentral and Facebook, together as the core platforms for our daily and weekly communication for families and students. For this reason, it is important to make sure that you have downloaded the Sentral app, and that your email address recorded in Sentral is up to date. Please email the school if you need to update your details: mill.park.sc@education.vic.gov.au
As a College we are about to commence our School Review. Happening every four years this provides us with an opportunity to reflect on what is working at the school, and to identify the next steps for improvement through our new School Strategic Plan.
The review process is supported by an external reviewer appointed by the Department of Education and will be undertaken by a panel of staff from our school, School Council Members, and experienced Principals from two other schools as ‘Challenge Partners’. This panel will engage in several activities including classroom visits and discussions with focus groups of students, staff, and parents. They will also reflect on the available data around our students’ learning and wellbeing.
Over the coming weeks your child may be asked questions about their experiences at school, and I encourage them to share their views as openly as possible. Ultimately, by listening carefully to our students we can ensure that we are in a position to create the best possible learning environment for them going forwards.
One opportunity for student to provide their voice on an issue that they engage with on a daily basis will be an upcoming review of our current school uniform items. I will be supporting our Student Leaders to conduct this review next term and they will be able to discuss the current uniform items, look at what additional items might be available and consult with students, families, and the School Council if they are considering making any changes. Our uniform supplier will be working with us throughout this process to ensure that we are able to provide students with a uniform that is comfortable to learn in, that our families support, that they are proud to wear, and that represents the College in the best possible way. Keep an eye out for updates on this process as we move into Term 3.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the efforts of a range of students who have worked to support our Reconciliation Week activities which commence on Monday 30 May. Indigenous students have been working alongside their peers to organise several events to fundraise, celebrate what we have achieved in terms of reconciliation, and importantly raise awareness about the work still to be done. This is such an important issue for us at a national level and I am proud of the work that our students are doing to make it real in a local and concrete way. I look forward to reporting back in the next edition of the newsletter.
Tim Natoli
College Principal
Middle Years Campus – Principal’s Message
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30-Day Challenge: Positive Relationships
Across our community there has been plenty of effort made to acknowledge the positive relationships we are seeing in the last week and a half. This includes:
- 239 nominations for students by their peers
- 165 students who have recognised positive staff
- 93 examples of positive relationships students have shown with staff
- 30 staff recognised by their colleagues
The following are a sample of the nominated statements:
- Anhad 7C – “I was having a hard time with my current friends so I went to him and he welcomed me so we are now friends. He is supportive, funny and cares about my wellbeing. He has done a lot for me so far in Year 7.”
- Ciara 8C – “Ciara has been showing care and compassion for lending her equipment to others in the class that need it.”
- Densi 9I – “This student has shown respect to me, that led us to have a positive friendship.”
- “Ms. Georgiadis is really funny and positive all the time. She makes everyone feel better and always has a joke ready. She recognizes each of our strengths and weaknesses and is understanding.”
- “Mr. Self is always willing to put himself out and find time to make sure us as students succeed and will do everything in his power to help us in the best way possible. He also makes the classroom environment relaxing and fun rather than being a stressful and strict environment which allows me to feel more comfortable and focus on my work.”
- “Ms. Reinsch is a really understanding and kind person and always has a positive vibe.”
Eid Treasure Hunt
On Thursday 12 May, Middle Years Campus students were able to participate in an Eid Treasure Hunt. This was a fantastic opportunity for many students of all cultures to celebrate a time of charity, joy, and blessings with our Muslim community. It also provided a fun way for students to learn about Ramadan and EID. Students enjoyed the festivities during lunchtime, including working individually or in teams to locate 10 pairs of students around the school that had answers to 10 questions in relation to Ramadan and EID. Once all 10 answers were found, students returned with their sheet of answers and received lollies. Thank you to the wellbeing team and ambassadors for organising such a fantastic event! Eid Mubarak to all.
Salvation Army Donations
The local Salvation Army works hard to support families in our Mill Park community who at times might need some extra help. Some families are not always able to access food and need a little more help and kindness from time to time.
Some of the generous staff and students at Mill Park Secondary College donated non perishable items to help fill the pantry at the Salvation Army Mill Park, to help support families within our community. Thank you to those who donated and extended kindness to our community!
Young Women in Trades excursion
This was a great opportunity for some of our girls in Year 9.
You can read more about the adventures of Madelene, Jessica, Janneziah, Chloe and Haleemah in the Careers section of this newsletter.
Simon McRae
Middle Years Campus Principal
Senior Years Campus – Principal’s Message
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The end of Semester 1 is fast approaching as Senior Campus students begin their Semester 2 subjects on Tuesday 14 June. This leaves two weeks to complete any outstanding work for Semester 1 to enable teachers to correct work and write the Semester 1 reports, which will occur on Friday 10 June (Student-free day). For VCE students, this means that there will be many SAC’s planned in the next two weeks and students need to make up a study calendar to fully prepare for each assessment. It is great to see students showing maturity and working independently, even if their teacher is away. Staff absences has been a real concern over the past weeks as many staff have been isolating as well as many staff just unwell with the flu. This is compounded by a shortage of relief teachers. This situation is likely to continue for the coming weeks as winter sets in, but we are adamant that we will not go back to remote learning. In circumstances where their normal teacher is not present, it is vital that students continue with their learning which is placed on Google Classroom by their teachers. As a school, we are committed to continue to offer extra curricula activities, such as sports, as they are very valuable for student’s wellbeing, but this is becoming more and more difficult with the shortage in finding replacement staff.
Sports
Last week, many Senior Campus students competed in Winter sports such as Soccer, Netball and Badminton. Both boys’ and girls’ soccer won their games and will go through to the next round. The boys and girls badminton teams both achieved second place and the Girls Netball played well but did not end up with a place. One of the most impressive comments about the students playing sports was from one of the soccer umpires. He praised the students, not only on their sporting ability but also on their behaviour on the field which was exemplary.
The sporting facilities at the Senior Campus have been expanded this week with the addition of an outside volleyball court. This is permanently mounted in the ground but can be removed when necessary. Thanks to the Year 12 Construction Pathways students, Matejo Dodevski, Jeremy Lembovski, Brock Malatesta, Nishchal Neupane, Sam Puller, Jacob Shaw and Kosta Theodoropoulos for concreting in the footings and Mr Maltby for purchasing the posts and net.
International Students
Mill Park Secondary College runs an International Students program with students coming from many different countries to study at our school. Below is a testimonial from one of our International Students parents this week;
“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do a testimonial because when I decided to come from Egypt to staying here I was thinking that my daughter will have just a good learning experience but from the first time we met you i knew this won’t be just a new school for her but will be a very helpful, understanding and lovable team, my daughter usually doesn’t like school but she keeps surprising me every week that she doesn’t like weekends anymore and looking forward to the week to begin. Thank you for being there helping my daughter coping with her new life “
Richard Dungey
Senior Campus Principal
English
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Students have been making great strides and enjoying themselves in the English classrooms across the college, especially since they have been able to engage in face to face discussions about different texts and the media for the first time in many years.
At our Senior Campus, the Year 12’s are onto their third SAC of the year as they analyse how the media shapes views of readers through language. This will be their final SAC of Unit 3 – not long to go now! Families will also notice that Year 11’s and Year 8’s are also looking at the same topic as we prepare students to be literate in understanding the media and preparing them for Year 12. At our Middle Years Campus, many of the students have been looking at issues as varied as the Ukraine war, Palestine-Israel conflict to the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial and the AFL’s new rules.
Excitingly, the Year 9 students are preparing the stories to be delivered orally in the style of “The Moth” podcast. If you get a chance, check out some of the stories there, there are some great ones!
Our Year 7 students have also settled in well to English after having written creatively to a text and also written their first full length persuasive essays. Families, keep a look out for their newly developed persuasive skills!
Humanities
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Middle Years Campus Humanities
During Semester one, Year 7 students have been investigating the ancient world, and learning how historians and archaeologists find out about our past. As part of this, members of 7C took part in a mock archaeological dig to follow real archaeological processes and uncover a buried ‘story’ from the past.
Students learned about various dating techniques and practiced making inferences about the past based on what they found. Students will use and build on these skills as we continue to investigate Ancient Australia and Ancient Egypt this term!
Language
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Buongiorno!
This month in Italian, Year 7 students have been learning about engaging in exchanging information and how we can talk about ourselves in Italian. Below is an example of the amazing work by Lucas of Year 7.
Students in Year 8 studying Italian, have been learning about Italian food and have started to create their own Italian menus. Students are able to identify and compare the different courses on an Italian menu and the vocabulary linked withItalian foods. Students in VCE are diligently working through the topic Il Rinascienmento e Il Risorgimento. Students have been working hard practicing their writing and speaking skills, and this week, presented in groups timelines of the key events that lead to the Unification of Italian. Below is an example of one of the presentations:
你好 नमस्ते xin chào สวัสดี أهلا 안녕하세요
International students
During April, the International Students went to see some amazing attractions on Phillip Island. The students had a close look at cute koalas at Koala Conservation Reserve. They watched working farm dogs in action, rounding up the sheep in the paddock under the direction of the farmers. The students were also able to enjoy amazing panoramic views at Churchill Island and were excited about seeing the penguins waddle up the Phillip Island Penguin Parade at sunset. The students tasted some delicious chocolates at the Chocolate Factory. It was an absolutely great experience for our international students! Thank you to Mr Dungey, Ms Pan and Ms Le for accompanying the students for this wonderful experience.
Physical Education/Health
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Year 8 Cultural Games Unit
Over the past three weeks, a number of Year 8 classes have been participating in a variety of cultural games to acknowledge, appreciate and experience the culture and traditions of Australia’s Ingidenous and Torres Strait Islander people as well as Asia and other countries from around the world. The practical activities undertaken by students included games such as Kabi Kabi Buroinjin (Indigenous game), Sepak Takraw (Thailand) Modified Kabbaddi (India) and Bocce (Italy). Students also studied the significance of Australia’s National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June) and researched an Indigenous Athlete of their choice. Students also examined and explored the significant positive impact that Australia’s Indigenous culture has had on defining Australia’s Sporting landscape.
Whittlesea Division Cross Country (Tuesday 3 May)
Students from both Middle Years and Senior Campus attended the Cross Country event. The senior students attended as part of their VET Sport and Recreation classes, they were each assigned checkpoints on the day to assist students to complete the 3 and 5 kilometre courses. A huge thank you to all the Senior students and Mr Patterson for organising this. The Middle Years students competed in their respective age groups, all students qualified for the next round that will be held later this term on Wednesday 15 June. Well done to all students involved!!
Whittlesea Athletics Division (Friday 13 May)
Almost 60 students across both campuses competed and represented the College at the Whittlesea Division Athletics competition. Students competed in a range of track and field events, many students had success throughout the day and collected ribbons from their events. Many students will be heading to the Northern Metropolitan Region Athletics on Wednesday 31 August due to their amazing efforts, Well done!! A huge congratulations to Teagan McCormick (Year 8, Under 14) and Lachlan Thomas (Year 10, Under 15), who were both awarded age group champions for their age groups, Lachlan was also the top male athlete overall, great work!!! For the second year in a row Mill Park Secondary College finished on the highest point total and took home the perpetual shield for the Whittlesea Division Athletics.
Senior Soccer (Tuesday 17 May)
What a performance from both teams, 4 wins from 4 and a clean sheet in all four games. Not only was the performance amazing but so was the team spirit and support for each other. It was a real pleasure to watch the team bond and grow throughout the day.
Now it’s time for regionals, the quality and depth in the squad will allow them to put on yet another great performance. Well done boys!!
Visual and Performing Arts
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Top Arts at the NGV 2022 Excursion
VCE Season of Excellence 2022
On Wednesday 4 May, the Year 12 Studio Arts class viewed the annual Top Arts exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. The introductory talk gave us all valuable insights into the key concepts emerging from the exhibition, exhibition constraints and the wide range of mediums on show. There were five main themes underpinning the selection of work. Passing time, identity and reflection, home and sanctuaries, connecting with nature and a good life. Top Arts folios also explored how gender, mental health, family and friends worked to define identity and belonging.
There was valuable advice from the exhibitors, such as “Connect with your theme-choose something you got excited about, or has personal meaning, the passion will help you stay motivated and engaged with your folio through the year” and “Trust in the process-try something different, don’t restrict your ideas, the key is exploration, pushing yourself keeps it fresh and fun”.
After the introductory talk, we viewed the student folios and were thoroughly inspired by the diverse approaches to experimentation and trialling different materials and techniques. The exhibition itself was designed to best present a wide range of folios- including ceramics, photography, paintings and prints, performance and film. The design of the exhibition space carefully considered lighting, traffic flow and the visual dialogue between the works on display.
We then caught the lift up to the third floor where the Australian Portrait Gallery showcased powerful works by Julie Dowling and Peter Booth, among others. Booth’s painting ‘Painting 1977’ was a monumental explosion of color and texture. It was something to behold up close.
After a quick bite to eat, we then walked across to Hosier Lane to experience the cacophony of colorful street art that characterizes public art spaces such as this popular attraction. Hosier Lane was such a gritty contrast to the ordered, climate – controlled confines of the NGV. After many photographs after our day of cultural experiences we turned back to Flinders Street station and caught the train home, sharing the brightest of photographs as the train swayed its way back to South Morang.
Ms Wilson
VCE Studio Arts Teacher
Library
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From May 27 until June 3, the library is celebrating National Reconciliation Week.
The dates for National Reconciliation Week this year are significant. On the 27 May (1967) Australia’s most successful referendum saw more than 90 per cent of Australians vote to give the Australian Government power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and recognise them in the census.
On the 3 June (1992) the High Court delivered the Mabo decision, the culmination of Eddie Koiki Mabo’s challenge to the legal fiction of ‘terra nullius’ (land belonging to no-one) and leading to the legal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the traditional owners and custodians of the land. This decision paved the way for Native Title.
This year’s theme is ‘Be brave. Make change’, encouraging all Australians to be brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation.
The library has an extensive range of literature that represents Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, we encourage all students to visit the library this week and have a browse.
We are happy to make recommendations to interested students.
Careers
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Young Women in Trades and Technology Expo 16 May, 2022
On Monday 16 May, 2022 we had five Year 9 students attend ‘The Trades Fit – Young Women in Trades and Tech Expo’ at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Trades Fit – Young Women in Trades and Tech was an inaugural expo hosted by the Department of Education and Training. The expo showcased employment options within the trades and tech industries, with interactive displays set up for students to experience what these careers could be.
The expo introduced female students in Years 9 and 10 to career pathways in traditionally male dominated industries, and provide information about how they can pursue exciting career opportunities in these fields.
Students heard from trade and tech representatives from fields including building and construction, electrical engineering, plumbing, automotive, transport and logistics, mining, agriculture and horticulture, aviation, marine, and many more.
Students were able to engage with these career pathways through hands-on experiences, tech displays, information sessions, panel discussions, and guest speakers.
The feedback from our students:
Madelene – “Great experience to try new things and have ideas about what is ahead and could be in my future. The people were so friendly and the environment was very interactive.”
Jessica – “Really exciting, it was much more exciting than I thought it would be. The exhibitors were really nice and it was great to learn about the different trades, even if you don’t want to be one. The activities were amazing. It was really good.”
Chloe – “So beneficial as I got to learn about the different possibilities for females in trades. The activities gave us insight into the trades more specifically. The VR of being in a ‘lift well’ was so cool.”
Janneziah – “I really liked that I could explore the different trade areas. I really loved all the freebies and information we were given.”
Haleemah – “I liked how there were a lot of careers to look at and explore. The activities were great.”
Student Engagement
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Running from Tuesday 17 May and concluding on Tuesday 21 June, Mill Park Secondary College will be running a ‘30 Day Challenge’ that focuses on learning, identifying, acknowledging and celebrating the positive relationships within our community and the behaviours that lead to supporting positive relationships.
The purpose of the challenge is to identify a key area within the college to further develop social and emotional learning, with a focus on what behaviours support positive relationships.
Students will be acknowledged by staff via Positive Incident reports on Sentral, so keep an eye there!
Students are encouraged to acknowledge each other, staff using the links below
Students: https://forms.gle/57PbDo5Mhhhc1e928
Staff: https://forms.gle/sbjtMXA7kFULcTET7
IDAHOBIT Day Tuesday 17 May 2022
The International Day Against LGBTIQA+ Discrimination. IDAHOBIT was first celebrated in 1990 with the removal of homosexuality from the Classification of Diseases by the World Health Organisation.
Pictured below are some of our students at the IDAHOBIT event that took place during lunchtime at our Senior Campus.
Student Success
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Our Outer Northern Trade Training Centre VET Automotive Student of the week – Ashish Kaushik.
Congratulations Ashish, in recognition for being ONTTC’s student of the week in his VET trade in May. Ashish should be very proud of his efforts
Community Noticeboard
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The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments for eligible students to attend activities like:
- school camps or trips
- swimming and school-organised sports programs
- outdoor education programs
- excursions and incursions.
From 2020, the Victorian Government is investing an additional $160.9 million for the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund over the next four years. This funding will help ensure more than 220,000 government and non-government students from lower-income families can participate in camps, sports and excursions each year.
The last date to submit an application for 2022 is on 24 June.
To apply please complete this form and return it to our office as soon as possible: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/CSEF_application_form.pdf
Register to participate in the 2022 Push-Up Challenge – The school has been registered as a Community and invites all students and staff to join as a Team (up to 10 people) or individual under our Community – Mill Park Secondary College.
What Is It?
The Push-Up Challenge is a unique way to learn about mental health, reduce stigma associated with mental illness and encourages people to seek help when needed, build better connections, foster positive team spirit, improves fitness and mood, and generate some healthy competition.
How It Works?
The goal is to reach 3,139 push-ups in total over 24 days in the month of June 2022. This number represents the number of people who died by suicide in Australia in 2020. This can seem like a lot of push-ups to complete but you can also aim for 25%, 50%, or 75% of the goal and alternative exercises (e.g., sit-ups, squats, etc) are encouraged.
More information can be found at https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/
How to Register?
You can register as an individual or as a team (up to 10 people is recommended) at https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraisers/millparksecondarycollege
Then download the Push for Better Phone app (iPhone and Android) for daily mental health facts, track daily progress, Spotify playlist, and virtual badges and team trophies.
Please speak with welfare and/or student wellbeing ambassadors if you have any questions or need help registering. Get Pushing!
