Print All Pages

Newsletter Edition 1 – Wednesday 27 March 2024

27th March 2024

In this Issue:

College Principal’s Report
Middle Years Campus – Principal’s Message
Senior Years Campus – Principal’s Message
STEM
Visual and Performing Arts
Library
Wellbeing
Physical Education/Health
Careers
Community Noticeboard

Upcoming Events

College Production

Jul 31 – Aug 2 all-day

Curriculum Day

Aug 5 all-day

Year 10 Immunisations

Aug 8 all-day

VTAC Info Night

Aug 12 all-day

Student Agency Conferences – no classes

Tickets

Aug 15 all-day

July – August 2024 Jul – Aug 2024

College Principal’s Report

Print Page Print All Pages

Read Time: ( words)

We have come to the end of a very positive term, and I would like to commend all of our students on the way they have maintained their focus. I am extremely proud of the way that students have commenced the year and adapted to new timetables and structures this term. In general, the learning environment has been very orderly, and productive.

To see many of our Year 12 students engaged in their first major assessments over recent weeks was a significant milestone. I have been impressed by the attitude of positivity and persistence that I have seen in our senior students when I have been talking with them about their studies. For our Year 7 students I would like to congratulate them on their first full term of secondary school. We are lucky to have a great cohort of young people who are engaging in their studies with enthusiasm and energy. We know that it has been a big learning curve for our new students, and I would like to thank all of our Middle Years teachers and also our families for the support you have shown to make these first weeks a success.

For all students and families, you should now be seeing regular updates on student progress and achievement on assessment tasks via Compass. Results for key assessment tasks should generally appear within two to three weeks after the task has been completed. This is an important strategy to ensure that students and families can access their results, reflect on them and use this information to set goals for future improvement. As it is new for our college, I would welcome any feedback on how this initiative is progressing.

All students and families will have the opportunity to reflect on their progress by viewing Interim Reports which will be released at the end of Term 1, and through attending our Student Agency Conferences on Wednesday 24 April. These conferences will be available as online meetings during the day, or as face-to-face meetings in the evening to support the preferences of families. I encourage all families to make bookings when they open on Compass as this is an important opportunity to collaborate in the home / school partnership.

This term has been a busy one in terms of upgrades to facilities. Students in the Middle Years Campus will return to refurbished classrooms in H Block as well as upgrades to other spaces such as the Engagement Hub and Library Foyer. We are also finally able to take possession of our new Performing Arts Centre and the first event scheduled will be our Showcase Night for prospective families on Wednesday April 17. We will be sharing images of this amazing facility on Facebook and Instagram over coming weeks, and I encourage you to attend school events when you can to see it in person.

Finally, I would like to reinforce the importance of students leaving their mobile phones in their lockers between the start and the end of the school day. This is a state-wide expectation, and it is one that will be reinforced across the college at the beginning of term two. Phones in school are distracting (at best) and can cause issues with anti-social behaviour (at worst). The canteens on both campuses will no longer be accepting phones for electronic payments and I ask that families support us in this important matter by ensuring that students have other means of payment.

After their efforts, this term everyone now needs a break. For some of our students there will be work to do and tasks to continue with, for others they will be able to relax completely – either way it is really important for everyone to take this time to rest and recharge so that we can make the most of next term in our learning.

I know that many of our families are currently observing the holy month of Ramadan. For others there will be a time to reflect on Easter at church services, for others amongst us it will be a time to be with family over the long weekend and perhaps eat too much chocolate. Regardless of your situation, I wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday period and look forward to seeing our students back at school next term. The first day of term on Monday 15 April will be a Curriculum Day and no classes will be running as staff will be engaged in professional learning. This means that students will return on Tuesday 16 April, and I look forward to seeing all students at school on that day.

Congratulations to the following students in the City of Whittlesea’s Youth Council!

The Youth Council is a formal advisory group made up of young individuals between the ages of 12 – 22, living, working, or studying within the municipality.

The Youth Council meet monthly, and some of their key responsibilities include:

providing valuable advice to Council on matters affecting young people
creating opportunities for young people to engage with the Council and have their voices heard
advocating for the interests, challenges, and opportunities faced by young people in our municipality
offering input and feedback on relevant matters referred from the Council before formal decisions are made.

Excellent work Mustafa, Tanya and Zachary!

Annual privacy reminder for our school community

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy, describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn.

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use [Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education] safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using [Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education], please contact the school.

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages:

Amharic
Arabic
Dari
Gujarati
Mandarin
Somali
Sudanese
Turkish
Urdu
Vietnamese

Middle Years Campus – Principal’s Message

Print Page Print All Pages

Read Time: ( words)

It has been a wonderful start to 2024 at the Middle Years Campus. Students and staff have returned enthusiastic and positive about the new school year. They have adapted to the changes that have occurred with a new timetable structure and new subjects. The addition of dedicated Numeracy and Literacy blocks, Engage and Explore (Year 7 and 9) has allowed us to further support our student’s personal and academic needs.

Last week we ran our first Year 7 Clubs sessions which was successful. A list of clubs running this term has been provided below.

Art and Craft
Chess and strategy
Jewellery making
Basketball
Cricket
Mixed sports

Sporting teams have already begun going out each week with Cricket, Volleyball and Tennis kicking off our 2024 inter school sport competition.

Again, at Middle Years this year we will run several preventative and positive mental health and wellbeing programs to meet student’s developmental stage. This includes, Drumbeat, Sticks and Stones, Optus Digital Safety, Drug and Alcohol Education, Bridge Builders, and a suite of programs targeted at addressing issues for Year 8 and 9 girls through the Big Sister Experience.

As well as this, there are a range of lunchtime activities for students to be involved in such as creative club, giant games and Reclink sports. Millie is also continuing her training with Paws Australia and has begun making her way into classrooms and working with small groups of students.

Our refurbishment of the Middle Years Campus classrooms will continue this year, with lower H block the next set of classrooms to undergo transformation.

In line with our strategic direction our focus this year with staff is growth, collaboration/consistency, and joy. We continue to drive this agenda forward. As part of this, our new Year 7 students have been PAT tested and this data (as well as the data collected late last year from current Year 8 and 9 students) has been made available to staff to allow them to tailor their learning program to the needs of our students and support their individual learning growth. Additionally, our focus on the new Disability Inclusion Program will continue to advance this priority in all Middle Year’s classrooms.

Community Engagement Elective

This year there is a Year 9 class elective working on Community Engagement at Mill Park Secondary College. The group is filled with 25 lovely students divided into different groups aiming to make positive changes around our school, so that all peers, students and staff have a positive experience at our school. We are looking forward to sharing all our work.

Year 7 Captains

There were over 20 applicants for the 2 Year 7 Captain and 2 Vice Captain roles for 2024. Out of the 20 applicants, 6 were selected to write a speech and present it at the Year 7 assembly, explaining to their peers why they would make a great captain. 6 outstanding speeches were given by these students and the Year 7 cohort then voted for who they thought were the best candidates.

The Captains for Year 7 2024 are: Minh and Aiden

The Vice Captains for Year 7 2024 are: Ruhani and Yanzi

Looking forward to seeing what these awesome leaders will bring to the school!

Last week our Year 7 and 9 students took part in NAPLAN testing and as a College we had a completion rate of well over 80%. I wish to acknowledge my Assistant Principal, Mr Mcrae and all staff for supporting the students to complete the testing program.

This week I have an opportunity to meet with a group of students who are part of the Campus Advisory Group. This meeting will allow me to hear directly from the students in relation to how they feel the Campus is currently operating and what changes they would like to see made, to continue to enhance their school experience. Thank you to Ms Madzevska for her work in organising this important opportunity for student voice within the College.

Our Year 7 students returned from camp at Mount Evelyn in Week Six with smiling, but tired faces. Having taken part in a range of adventure activities and opportunities to further connection with staff and students, they had lots of positive stories to share. I thank Ms Ferris and all staff who attended for supporting our newest members of the College to enjoy this important experience.

Our leaders have been working tirelessly to support several Student Support Group meetings (SSG’S) for a range of students with additional needs within the classroom. These meetings allow Individual Learning Plans to be developed and implemented to support the personalised and targeted teaching/learning of all students. I thank Ms Kotob and her team of teachers for their work on these important meetings and support plans.

This week my Middle Year’s teachers are involved in a series of Class Data Profile meetings. This supports teachers of all classes to collaborate and analyse student data, ensuring they understand the individual needs of all students they teach. This helps to foster a more targeted and meaningful learning experience for all students and the ability to measure learning growth more effectively, as well as ensuring targeted and specific intervention is occurring for students who require this. I thank Ms Scanlon for her work on coordinating these discussions.

We have seen lots of opportunities for our students to be involved in activities at lunchtime. Our partnership with Reclink has meant that every Thursday and Friday at Middle Years students are able to join in lunchtime sport activities to help foster connections, friendships and movement during their break. As well as this our staff and students took part in a cricket game at lunchtime and from the audience it certainly was a competitive game, with lost of smiles and laughter to go with it! I thank Mr Wilson for his work with Reclink and in organising the staff vs students cricket game.

Last week during Neuro-Diversity week, our students were able to take part in a silent disco, facilitated by our College Wellbeing team. The students (and staff!) had a wonderful time dancing to their own music and celebrating the inclusion of all young people at Mill Park Secondary College. I thank Ms Bleazby and the Wellbeing team for their work on Neurodiversity week.

We will hit the ground running next term with Student Agency Conferences, our College Showcase evening, and the much-anticipated opening of our College Performing Arts centre. On Monday 15 April the College will have a pupil free day to allow our staff to continue their training with Berry Street, ensuing that our teachers can continue to develop new perspectives, strategies, and skills to build safer, healthier, and more engaging classroom for students.

I wish all families a restful and enjoyable break and I look forward to seeing all our students back on the first day of school on Tuesday 16 April 2024.

Senior Years Campus – Principal’s Message

Print Page Print All Pages

Read Time: ( words)

With a new timetable structure this year, things have started very smoothly. School now starts at 8:55am each morning and there are two assessment blocks; Monday afternoon from 2:35 – 4:05pm and Wednesday afternoons from 1:30 – 3:30pm. There has been a strong focus on the following processes as we establish school routines;

On time to class – or get a late pass
No phones at school – or placed in an envelope and stored in the office for the day
Only one student out of class at a time with a lanyard
Bags stored in lockers
Full uniform each day – record on compass if out of uniform
Work completed on time and CAT’s recorded on Compass

Homework club has also resumed on Wednesday afternoons in the library. All students welcome to attend and get some extra support from teachers.

The beginning of the school year was marked by an assembly of all Senior Campus students.

At this assembly, students who were studying a Year 12 class in 2023 as a Year 11 student and achieved the top score in their class were acknowledged. These results will also be acknowledged at the Year 12 Graduation and Awards Ceremony at the end of this year along with the 2024 award winners.

Well Done to the following students.

Accounting	Tayyab
Art: Making & Exhibiting	Insiyah
Biology	Kiara
Business Management	Truc Anh
General Maths	Rudraksha
Italian	Rebecca
Physical Education	Logan
Product Design & Technology	Claudia
Psychology	Elle
Math Methods	Rudraksha
VET Lab Skills	Mily

School Photos

School photos were taken by MSP photography. This all went very smoothly and individual photo’s can be ordered via the link on Compass. If any students did not get their photo taken, they can contact MSP Photography as they are planning to offer a day in the upcoming holidays when students can go in and get their photo taken.

Year 12 Jackets

Year 12 students were excited about their new rugby tops and jackets and are wearing them proudly.

Setting up for Success at Senior Campus

On Monday 5 February, we ran a parent session to support the transition for Year 10 students to the Senior Campus. As setting up our students for success at the Senior Campus is a priority we all share, I have included the main messages here for your information. It’s a pivotal time in their educational journey, and we’re committed to fostering an environment where growth and development flourish. At the core of our educational ethos lies the concept of a growth mindset—a belief that abilities and intelligence can be cultivated through dedication and hard work.

Encouraging a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset empowers students to embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks, and view effort as a pathway to mastery. We encourage you to reinforce this mindset at home, emphasising the importance of dedication and resilience in achieving success.

Setting Clear Goals

Setting clear, achievable goals is crucial for students’ self-improvement journey. We encourage both short-term and long-term goal-setting, as well as regular review and revision. By doing so, students learn the invaluable skills of self-assessment, planning, and perseverance.

Prioritising Attendance

Attendance is the cornerstone of academic achievement. Regular attendance ensures students remain engaged with the curriculum, benefit from classroom discussions, and build meaningful connections with peers and teachers. We urge parents to prioritise punctuality and attendance to lay a strong foundation for their child’s academic success.

Embracing Holistic Wellbeing

Success goes beyond academic achievement—it encompasses holistic wellbeing. Encourage your child to prioritise sleep, exercise, and nutrition. Sufficient sleep is essential for effective learning and memory retention, while exercise helps alleviate stress and promotes mental wellbeing. Proper nutrition provides the fuel needed for optimal brain function, supporting concentration and effective learning. Developing effective time management skills is also crucial for balancing coursework, assignments, and exam preparation without feeling overwhelmed.

Developing Problem-Solving Skills

The final years of high school present complex challenges, both academically and personally. Encourage your child to develop strong problem-solving skills to navigate difficulties and make informed decisions for their future.

Balancing Study and Leisure

Lastly, remind your child of the importance of balancing intense study sessions with breaks and enjoyable activities. Preventing academic fatigue, maintaining motivation, and sustaining a positive mental outlook are crucial during these challenging years.

As partners in your child’s education, we’re here to support their growth and success every step of the way. Together, we can ensure they thrive academically, personally, and beyond. Please reach out if you have any questions or need support to help your child achieve success.

Vocational Major Fundraiser BBQ

On Thursday 29 February, Year 12 VCE and VM students organized a sausage sizzle to be held during lunch time. The money raised was to go to an agreed product for the common room. Ideas such as a pool table, mini fridge and even as little as a place for cutlery and a kettle were brought up.

During the sausage sizzle we also ran a ‘guess how many lollies’ with the winner receiving all of them. Sienna (Year 11) was deemed the winner at the end of lunch time with a guess of 167, 2 off the exact number which was 169. The overall revenue of the BBQ was $435.10 with a pure profit of just over $200, a very successful first event for Year 12 VCE VM.

STEM

Print Page Print All Pages

Read Time: ( words)

Welcome back to another year of Science and Mathematics learning at Mill Park Secondary College! There have been lots of exciting things happening at the Middle Years Campus to begin the year.

Our Year 7 students have made a positive start to their secondary school. They have begun the Introduction to Science unit, which aims to get students excited about science and realise the important role that it plays in our everyday lives. Students have learnt how to make observations about the world using bubbles, and last week demonstrated how to safely light a Bunsen burner, gaining their Bunsen burner licenses.

Our Year 8 students have jumped straight back into Science by learning about elements and compounds. In this unit, students have examined the difference between elements, compounds and mixture, and investigated how the periodic table is organised.

Year 9 students have started the year by wondering the future of electronic devices in our clothing in the electrical circuits unit. In this unit, they have examined what electrical currents are and how they are created.

Our Year 9 students have also hit the ground running in their elective subjects. The Numeracy for Life elective has begun learning about designing and creating products. Last week, they created balloon-powered vehicles. They have also visited Whittlesea Tech, where they designed key chains to be either 3D printed or laser cut on wood. The Forensic Science students have learnt about the process of evidence collection. They have taken their own fingerprints and identified their fingerprint types, and dusted for fingerprints on different objects.

The beginning of 2024 has also been an exciting time for Mathematics classes across the Middle Years Campus. This year, all students have started working on Mathematics through Mathspace. Our Year 7 students have begun their first topic, looking at the order of operations. Year 8’s are learning about rational and irrational numbers. Finally, Year 9 students are learning about indices.

If you’d like to learn more about Mathspace, check out their website here: https://mathspace.co/au/about-us

Energy Breakthrough

Presenting to you, Team Pegasus, a student driven and organised Human Powered racing team representing Mill Park Secondary College. Our very own Human Powered Vehicle (HPV), nicknamed “Peggy” made its inaugural race at the Energy Breakthrough 24 Hour Race in 2023. Our HPV travelled an impressive 379.2km and was ranked fourth for design and presentation out of 80 competitors. This was achieved with the efforts of the students and the strong support network provided by teachers. “Peggy” started off ten years ago named “Menace”, a bright blue heritage bike which participated in many Human Powered events across Melbourne. It now resides at Mill Park Secondary College and was redesigned and restored to compete in the 2023 Energy Breakthrough Challenge. But now in 2024 our “Peggy” has undergone vast modifications over the school holidays, allowing it to compete at a higher level with other Human Powered Vehicles. Modifications include, re-engineering of how the bike turns through corners by adding adjustable Ackerman steering, caster and camber adjustment, adjusting weight distribution and a cosmetic make-over. Team Pegasus’ new year’s resolution is to compete not only at Energy Breakthrough 2024 in November, but to compete in the 2024 Victorian HPV Grand Prix season and improve on what has already been achieved. Team Pegasus’ goals while competing in the HPV VIC Series are to improve on driver pace, team strategies and teamwork thus preparing us for the major 24 Hour race in Maryborough in November. Team Pegasus is looking for students in Years 10-12 to fulfil our three driver spots for the 2024 season, as well as essential roles in media and training. We encourage students who are willing to apply their subject knowledge in Physical Education and Health and Human Development to assist in maximising our riders physical capabilities through exercise plans, diet recommendations and warm-ups. Similarly, we are seeking students from the Arts to assist in creating designs for “Peggy” and infographics for the team. Does this interest you? With joining the Team Pegasus family you will be exposed to many different areas of learning such as hands-on practical work with “Peggy” itself, tracking rider health during races and to learn how to understand Race Hub, providing us with real-time race data. Human Powered Racing is similar to Formula 1 but better with racing techniques, rules and loads of fun. If you’re interested or have any questions, feel free to contact our Team Captain Aydin at dow0013@millparksc.vic.edu.au, or Team Manager Michael Kneebone at michael.kneebone@education.vic.gov.au

Below you can see Menace, the predecessor of “Peggy”, the blue heritage Human Powered Vehicle that won races all over Melbourne. The Photo above shows Peggy in its first version, whilst below the photo is prior to the 24 Hour Energy Breakthrough Event.

Visual and Performing Arts

Print Page Print All Pages

Read Time: ( words)

Mill Park Secondary College Production

‘SCHOOL OF ROCK’

Production rehearsals commenced on Thursday 22 February, and students were very excited about their new roles in the ‘School of Rock’.

We congratulate all students who auditioned, demonstrating their strengths and unique approach to the roles.

This provided students the opportunity to learn new skills and grow in a supportive and positive atmosphere.

Thankyou to the production team: who organised and contributed to the success of the recent auditions for the College production: ‘School of Rock’. We were all very impressed with the large number of students who expressed interest in the roles and the energetic and high level of performance skills showcased in the auditions and at the first rehearsal. We look forward to seeing the Mill Park Secondary College ‘superstar cast’ on stage in early Term 3. Ticketing details will be made available in Term 2.

VCE Media Excursion

On Tuesday 27 February VCE Media students visited the Australian Centre for the Moving Image to watch a screening of the 2023 movie Barbie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. VCE Media students are studying this narrative in Unit 1 and Unit 3 and had the opportunity to watch the movie on the big screen with other VCE Media students across Victoria. After the film students took part in a seminar and listened to expert Media teacher Victoria Giummarra who went into detailed analysis of the film, the talk was educational and insightful and sparked many conversations within the class.

Instrumental Music

Instrumental Music classes have commenced for Term 1 and on Monday 12 February students performed at the Year 7 Welcome Family Picnic. This included students from a range of year levels. Despite the heat, it was a great evening with wonderful performances.

Year 10 Painting and Drawing

Students have enjoyed exploring a range of dynamic acrylic painting techniques such as washes and broken colour. Their paintings are based on reference images/and or imagination from a photoshoot that captures special moments, events or places in each student’s life. Artistic mentors also provide some technical inspiration here and their influence helps give insight into the artform of painting. Enjoyment and achievement play a big part in the production of artwork here and each student is encouraged to develop and express an individual connection to the characteristics of the paint as it is applied to their imagery.

Library

Print Page Print All Pages

Read Time: ( words)

Senior Campus Library News

Homework Club returns to the Senior Campus Library in 2024!

Running from 1:15pm every Wednesday afternoon, students can come along and complete work with the assistance of their teachers. Snacks are provided (cordial, cake, fruit and biscuits)! No need to sign up, just turn up at the library from 1:15pm.

All welcome!

International Women’s Day

Students celebrated International Women’s Day in the library by participating in competitions, assisting with displays and activities leading up to the day. The library was also lucky enough to host a breakfast, with students from Mill Park SC as well as other schools, and local MP Lily D’Ambrosio in attendance.

Harmony Week

Harmony Week will be celebrated in the library from the 18-24 March this year. Harmony Week is a fantastic celebration of inclusiveness, respect, belonging, fairness and equal opportunity. We celebrate our country’s diversity through Harmony Week. We look forward to having students participate in activities in the library during the week.

Wellbeing

Print Page Print All Pages

Read Time: ( words)

What’s new with Wellbeing?

At the end of December, we farewelled one of our wellbeing officers, Helen Nicola, and wish her well with her pursuits. However, we warmly welcome the addition of another mental health practitioner, Breanna Dimitrievski, who will be based at our Middle Years Campus on Tuesdays. We also welcome our visiting department nurse at the college, Natalie Studwick.

Welling team and contacts are:

Lukas Farfalla, Student Wellbeing Team Leader: Farfalla@education.vic.gov.au
Peta Bleazby, MYC Student Wellbeing Officer: bleazby@education.vic.edu.au
Stephanie Chee-Noguera, Senior campus Mental Health Practitioner: Chee-Noguera@education.vic.gov.au
Breanna Dimitrievski, Middle Years campus Mental Health Practitioner: dimitrievski@education.vic.gov.au
Natalie Studwick, Department nurse: studwick@education.vic.gov.au

Wellbeing space at Middle Years Campus

Over the long break in December and January, the wellbeing space at our Middle Year campus has commenced refurbishment (e.g., new carpet and paint), with plans for new furniture to provide a safe and support space for students. We have two counselling spaces as well as a shared space in the Literacy room (within the library) for group programs and meetings.

2024 Student Wellbeing Ambassadors (SWA)

The student wellbeing ambassadors (SWA) have been selected and have already commenced the year well. Congratulations to our SWA’s below:

Year 7: Yanzi and Shafeer

Year 8: Lilybelle and Qiyu

Year 9: Saathana, Jayden, and Sanaa

Year 10: Emma, Abdelmotaleb, Mustafa, and Scarlett

Year 11: Honey, Mohammad, and Savannah

Year 12: Nikki and Brock

SWA’s have participated in two ½ student leadership programs alongside school captains, scholarship students, which provides them an opportunity to come together as a large group, to support one another throughout the year with various initiatives. Our student voice and agency leader, student health and safety officer, and MHP, look forward to supporting student voice and leadership at the school, driven by our school values – Respect, Responsibility, Achievement, and Enjoyment.

Throughout the year, one part of SWA’s will be on promotion of mental health days throughout the year, the first of which this term that was selected is Neurodiversity week.

Student and Parent Information

Transitions to high school and final year of school

As we enter and commence the new school year, there may be different emotions, expectations, excitement, and challenges encountered. This may be particularly more for Year 7’s who are transitioning to secondary education, and Year 12’s adjusting to their final year of school. Parents, carers, and guardians are also riding the wave of their own and children(s) emotions, with shared goal of empowering them to flourish.

Young people often have mixed feelings and worries are normal as they move from familiar to the unknown, and new ways of doing things. Here are some tips to manage mixed feelings and worries:

Talk with your child(ren) about what they are looking forward to as well as their worries. Pause on problem solving or reassuring initially, with focus on actively listen, acknowledge, and validate, and continued curiosity to how they are feeling.
For the first few weeks of transition, you may organise for a close adult to be at home before and after school.
Make personal contact with your child(ren)’s teacher(s), introducing yourself, asking questions, and expressing any concerns you may have about your child(ren).
Try to setup a comfortable and quiet study space, away from distractions and monitor the websites your child(ren) may be using during study time.
Let your child(ren) know that new friends are welcomed in the home and encourage them to invite friends over or available to transport your child(ren) to their house.
Assist your child(ren) to explore new opportunities and participate in school activities during class and/or lunchtime.
Meet other parents at any school events and speak with others to share children’s experiences which may be like others.
Nutrition, physical activity and sleep will help with mood and energy, as returning to school after a break, can result in your child(ren) feeling more tired at first.

Signs that may indicate your child may be having difficulties.

Reduced involvement and participation at school
Little to no discussion about new friends / friends at school
Refusal to talk to you about school
Little to no interest in completing homework
Low self-esteem or confidence e.g., child(ren) comments about being dumb
School refusal or no desire to attend school
Decline in academic performance/grades

Be prepared for ups and downs as adjustments can take time. However, if things do not stabilise after a few weeks (e.g., 6 weeks), don’t wait for things to improve on their own. Attempt to get your child(ren) talking about how they may be feeling, which are normal, and attempt to work out some strategies together. You may also consider speaking with their year level coordinator, student engagement or wellbeing staff member, or local doctor.

Responding to Return-to-School Stress

Transitions

Surviving Year 12

Holiday Support

Although holidays can be fun, they can also be busy, stressful and at times boring. Please find attached some supports for students and families if needed over the holiday period.

Kids Helpline | Phone Counselling Service | 1800 55 1800

Lifeline Australia – 13 11 14 – Crisis Support. Suicide Prevention.

DFFH – 1300 664 977

Parentline Victoria – 13 22 89

What’s on in the Community?

Physical Education/Health

Print Page Print All Pages

Read Time: ( words)

Term 1 has started off fantastically with our sports program!

On Tuesday 13 February our Senior Boys Cricket team managed to come in second place winning the first game and not quiet getting over the line in their second game. On Wednesday 14 February our Year 9 Boys Cricket won the Division by 30 runs. The students played with incredible team spirit and should feel very proud of their efforts!

They will face off against the teachers in a game for the ages!

We were also successful on Monday 19 February with both our Boys and Girls Year 9 Tennis teams winning 6-0 and 4-2 to continue through to the next stages! In the Volleyball our students worked tirelessly to compete strongly against the opposition but just fell short! A mention should be given to the 7-9 Girls Cricket team who also advance through to the next stages. We were the only team to put forward a 7-9 team which is a huge achievement in itself! They will play off later in the year.

Congratulations!

Year 7 PE /Health

In Year 7 PE, students have been doing introduction classes to game classifications. So far they have done a striking and fielding lesson and a target games lesson where they have done a variety of modified games that relate to these game classifications. Students are moving to their 5 week athletics unit next week. They have been getting to know each other and learning to work collaboratively. They will be marked on participation on a rubric within the week.

In theory, students have been learning about the dimensions of health and are beginning their assessment to show their knowledge of the 5 dimensions through a poster or fold out card. They will be looking at a range of situations/ scenarios and determining which dimension it relates to.

Year 9 Recreation and Physical Activity

Students get to participate in a range of theory and practical sessions throughout this elective. This elective empowers students to gain a thorough understanding of the differences between, Recreation, Games, Outdoor Education activities. There is going to be a strong focus on team building, leadership skills, water safety and risk management and these will all be complimented by a range of activities such as rock climbing, soccer, basketball, volleyball, surfing as an example.

Year 10 PE / Health

In theory classes, students have just completed their Analysis of their food intake assessment task. This task required students to analyse their food intake by recording their food intake over 7 days and comparing it to the recommendations of Australian Dietary guidelines. Students were then required to reflect on their dietary habits and suggest possible changes they could make to follow a healthy diet. Students’ achievement level in this task will be available to both parents and students on compass over the next following 2 weeks. In practical classes, students have been focusing on the skills, tactics and strategies through the use of a developmental rubric required to be successful in Invasion games and sports such as Basketball, Netball, Soccer, AFL and Touch rugby.

Year 11 Health and Human Development

Students have made a positive start in their HHD classes and have been busy developing their knowledge and skills focused on the dimensions of health and wellbeing, Youth and indigenous Australians health perceptions and priorities and measurement tools used to measure the health status of Australia’s Youth. Students will undertake their first SAC in this subject during Week 6/7

Year 11 Outdoor & Environmental Studies

Year 11 Outdoor & Environmental Studies students have been engaged in learning about outdoor environments, indigenous perspectives on how they connect with the natural environment. The students walked around the senior campus to identify natural and unnatural items throughout the campus, some students identified the names of native flora. We watched a movie about Australia’s history regarding introduced invasive species and the impact these species have had on various ecosystems. Students are most excited about our upcoming bushwalking camp along the great ocean road coastal region.

College Athletics Day