Andrew Chisholm

Principal

Dear Parents and Students,

The last few weeks have been highlighted by a range of activities preparing our Year 10 and 11 students for the rigours of 2026, recognising the outstanding achievements of our students across the year, waiting nervously for the Year 12 results to be published and assisting our graduating students with their transition into tertiary education.

Year 12 Results

Once again, we have been really pleased with our year 12 results. To have a median ATAR over 93 in a cohort of 227 students, and 65% of the group getting an ATAR over 90 is a tremendous result and gives our students numerous options for life beyond year 12.  We are looking forward to seeing what our students are offered in upcoming weeks with early round offers due on December 23rd. Congratulations to Georgi Demosthenous who was the Dux of JMSS with an ATAR of 99.8. Congratulations Georgi. 

Year 12 Graduation

Last week we held a new style of graduation event for our departing year 12 students that had students and their families celebrate the finish of their secondary schooling. This event that is probably the last time this group will get together in such large numbers, was a convivial affair that allowed families to connect with other families, receive official school references and get some formal photos taken whilst being served a range of catered refreshments. A highlight of the celebration involved the entire cohort singing a rendition of the Bruno Mars song “Count on Me” to their families from the balconies above the ground floor. (A picture of the event is shown below)

Presentation Night

The JMSS Annual Presentation night recognised students for their academic achievement, leadership and citizenship across the year. The guest speaker was Associate Professor Anna Phillips from the School of Physics at Monash University who talked about her journey in Science in the USA focusing on the importance of effective communication in science and how science can assist in solving the problems that concern society today. This event also showcased some excellent musical performances including a massed item involving more than 150 students. 

One of the highlights of the evening was awarding two Year 12 students platinum-level JMSS Diplomas. Congratulations to Kiana Pedram and Joel Tan, who have not only achieved excellent results but also participated extensively in the life of the school over their 3 years at JMSS. 

ASF 2025

The Australian Science Fair held in the last week of November was a real success. With delegates from Darwin, Bunbury, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Japan, 8 rural Victorian schools and our JMSS year 10 students, this fair was the largest since its establishment 6 years ago. The program involved the display of some outstanding scientific investigations, immersions at the Monash Tech School, a STEM challenge, oral presentations including a guest presentation from alumnus Emily Qiao, who works in AI at Google and opportunities to network with like-minded science students. Thanks to Kathryn Grainger, Penny Hale, the Monash Tech School and all teams who put an amazing program together. Pictured below are the visitors to the fair outside the exhibition buildings on the way to the Melbourne Museum.

Immersion days

Our year 11 students were fortunate in the last week of November to be able to participate in immersions into the Faculty of Engineering on the Clayton campus of Monash University and the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Parkville campus of Monash University. We really appreciate the efforts by both of these groups in putting these experiences together for our students.

Many JMSS students enter into both engineering and pharmaceutical sciences after completing year 12 and feedback from students shows that these days are invaluable in clarifying options for tertiary study. 

Evatt UN Debating Competition

For the second time in JMSS history and eleven years since this competition was last by a JMSS team, two of our expert debaters: Connor Russo of year 12 and Rapha Kempler of year 11 have won the National final of the Evatt UN debating competition held in Sydney in the first week of December. To represent Victoria is outstanding in its own right but to win the national competition is remarkable. Congratulations Connor and Rapha.

As of Friday December 19, JMSS is shut for the holidays. If there are any enquiries or matters to be followed up the first day back for staff is Tuesday January 27. All students returning next year will have tasks to complete that were given during orientation that are designed to get them prepared for courses in 2026.

I hope that all of our community has a safe and relaxing festive season and we look forward to another great year in 2026.

Andrew Chisholm

Principal