Secondary School News

 Curriculum Garden

An update on the Science Department's new curriculum garden. The year 7's helped  Sarah, our wonderful gardener, to plant out the curriculum garden and fernery. We are thrilled with how beautiful it is looking. Thank you Year 7 for your help!

Melbourne Zoo Excursion 

The year 7's recently went to the Melbourne Zoo and had a wonderful time learning about the different animals and the conservation work that the Zoo is doing. Students were well-behaved and were a credit to the school.

Year 9 Science 

The Year 9's have been learning about reflexes as part of our unit on Control and Regulation. Students tested their reflexes and used blindfold and tap, blindfold and voice, and no blindfold to see which experiment gave the fastest response time in catching a meter ruler. We actually had various results and didn't come to a firm conclusion.

Students in year 9 have also been learning about the Endocrine system. To consolidate their knowledge students traced their bodies and labelled all the different organs of the system.

Last Thursday, ANSTO, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organsiation, zoomed into the school from Lucas Heights in Sydney to talk to the Year 9's about the Day in the Life of Lutetium–177 a prostate cancer drug that they are developing. It was informative and interesting and hooked in well with the Year 9 course. They talked about radioactivity, the stages of trialling a drug, and animal welfare and linked in nicely on the topic of Control and Regulation that we are studying.

Humanities Captain Maddison Bowring's Remembrance Day Speech

We stand here together this afternoon on Boonwurrung land. We acknowledge the traditional owners of the country that we are on, and recognise their continuing connection to the land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging. 

Today we gather beneath a warm sun, to pay our respects, to remember and to honour the brave souls who have given their lives in service to this land, and to protect our people and the future of our nation. This day is a time to reflect upon the deep sacrifices made, to express our undying gratitude, and most importantly remember the profound bravery of those who died so we can live. 

The First World War was in its time the most destructive, cataclysmic event that humanity had yet experienced. Upon its beginning in 1914, no one had fathomed the toll it would bestow upon societies across the world, no one had imagined the course that it would take or the foreseeable toll it would have on the world. Throughout this war more than 60,000 Australians lost their lives, a devastating number for such a small country. 

We remember them as not mere names, we remember them to be larger than any number, we remember them as sons and daughters of this country, as the human embodiment of bravery this country is known for. The ANZAC's were everyday people, who made immeasurable sacrifices for a brighter tomorrow. 

The ANZAC'S who landed in Gallipoli, the diggers who fought in the trenches of the Western Front, to the brave souls who faced the relentless heat and disease of the Kokoda Trail - their stories, and their experiences are etched into the tapestry of our nation’s history. 

On this day we remember not just warriors but also the families left behind, waiting for someone to never reappear. We remember the loved ones who did not stop hoping for the return of their relatives. Their efforts at war are priceless, and their pain and loss is a part of the cost to pay back for our freedom. 

But as we gather here together, we must look forward. Remembrance Day teaches us to strive for a world where the horrors, and tragedies of war are but a distant memory, where peace, unity, and respect triumph over any kind of conflict. Let us be the keepers of our war hero’s legacy and the designers of a more peaceful future. 

As we remember, let us do so with gratitude, pride, and a determination to carry their memory forward. Lest We Forget. 

HAMPER FOR HOPE

VCE-VM Personal Development students are committed to helping those who experience food insecurity in our community. After learning about food insecurity and the effects this has on people's health, lives, and wellbeing, we have partnered with the Salvation Army to create 'Hamper's for Hope'.

Each bag will have 8-10 items that will be delivered to families around our community to help alleviate some stress this coming holiday season. 

We also hope to be able to put something special in each bag for extra cheer (packet lollies, biscuits etc)

We are committed to this project and doing our part for the community this holiday season, in the hopes we can support those living with food insecurity, and have committed to 25 'Hamper's for Hope' on behalf of Altona College.

Donations are welcome for all members of our community and can be dropped off in the main office in the tubs provided.

We thank you for your ongoing support of our projects and our commitment to helping those in our local area