Year 9 News

We would like to warmly welcome all Year 9 students and families to the new school year. The beginning of the year is an important time for establishing routines, expectations, and positive learning habits, and it has been encouraging to see students settling into campus life with enthusiasm and maturity. We look forward to working in partnership with families to support our Year 9 students as they continue to grow academically, socially, and personally throughout the year.

Positive Learning Behaviours

It has been pleasing to see many students demonstrating positive learning behaviours, including active participation, respectful communication, and persistence with challenging work. These habits are essential as students begin preparing for the increased expectations of senior school.

NAPLAN 

Year 9 students will be participating in NAPLAN testing in Week 7. The assessments will cover Reading, Writing, Language Conventions, and Numeracy. NAPLAN provides valuable information about student progress and helps identify areas of strength and areas for improvement.To support students, we encourage:

• Regular attendance during the testing period
• Ensuring students are well rested and arrive at school on time

Attendance Matters

Regular attendance continues to be a key focus for our Year 9 cohort. Being at school every day gives students the best opportunity to stay on track with their learning, assessment tasks, and classroom activities. We encourage families to support strong attendance habits and communicate with the school if any concerns arise.

Wellbeing and Support

The well-being of our students remains a priority. Year 9 can be a time of significant social and personal growth, and we encourage students to reach out to their teachers, Year Level Coordinators, or the Wellbeing Team if they need support. Building positive relationships and maintaining a healthy balance between school, activities, and rest is important.

Around the Classroom

Food Technology: Passport to Flavour

Our Year 9 students have been busy in the Food Technology kitchen this term, taking part in the exciting Passport to Flavour program. This unit has encouraged students to explore a variety of cuisines, develop practical cooking skills, and build confidence working in a team environment.

Throughout the term, students have focused on kitchen safety, hygiene, organisation, and the importance of presentation — learning that great food should look just as good as it tastes. The program has also highlighted the value of teamwork, responsibility, and trying new and unfamiliar flavours.

Here’s what some of our students had to say about their experience:

“Passport to Flavour has been a great experience, with trying new recipes and discovering new flavours. We’ve learnt how teamwork and responsibility is engaged in the kitchen, and proper safety regulations. And most importantly on presentation to make food look more appetizing, while also tasting it.”– Latisha

“Passport to Flavour has been a great learning journey. I have learned so many new skills about cooking and food preparation, and I’m sure many others have too. I have made many foods that I didn’t even know existed, such as focaccias. Food Tech has been wonderful and an eye-opening experience.”– Emilia

It has been fantastic to see students step outside their comfort zones, support one another, and take pride in their creations. We look forward to seeing their skills continue to grow throughout the year.

Thank you to families for your ongoing support of our Year 9 students.

Contact Details 

If you have any concerns regarding Year 9 students, please don’t hesitate to contact me at (03) 5165 0600 - option 2 or Jeff.Derkacs2@education.vic.gov.au 

Jeff Derkacs

Year 9 Team Leader