Middle School Report

Ms Michelle Collins

Message from

the Director of Learning

Middle School

Ms Michelle Collins

We have had another busy start to Term 3 in Middle School with a focus on future career pathways. We have started the process for our 2026 subject selections and have supported students in their decision making with several events including course transition presentations, a Domain Expo, course selection interviews and our Year 10’s have participated in their Beacon Polish workshops.

As winter starts to fade, this is an excellent opportunity to pause, reflect, and refocus on the learning habits that support our growth. At Westall, our priority is our students, and we're committed to helping you continuously improve and thrive. We take great pride in our vibrant community and are dedicated to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment. We're always striving to enhance our teaching practices and strengthen our connections with you.

It was wonderful to see so many parents and guardians at our recent Parent/Teacher conferences and this was a great time to reflect on the foundations that help to support learning in the classroom:

Being prepared! – Ensure you arrive in full uniform, with all your class materials, and your devices fully charged.
Being punctual! – Make it a priority to get to school and each class on time.
Being ready to learn! – Enter each class with a mindset ready to explore, ask questions, and engage fully.

Parents and guardians, please continue to stay in contact with your child’s teachers so that we can all work together to get the best out of the students for the rest of the year.

Let's keep up the momentum and finish Term 3 strong!

Year 10 Beacon High Impact ‘Polish’ Program

Our Year 10 students recently had an incredible experience participating in the POLISH - High Impact Program, hosted by the BEACON Foundation. This program gave them the unique opportunity to visit top-performing corporate organisations, where they honed essential job interview skills and engaged in real-world networking.

The feedback from both students and the hosting companies has been overwhelmingly positive. Prestigious law firms, leading accounting firms, and major engineering companies were among those that welcomed our students, and they had nothing but praise for the way our students conducted themselves.

Their professionalism, communication skills, and active participation in all activities truly impressed everyone. Students reported that the experience was eye-opening, giving them valuable insights into the challenges they may face in the workforce. We believe these sessions will greatly support them as they navigate their future career paths.

A big congratulations to all the students and staff who took part in these impactful sessions!

Course Selection

We would like to remind you that Year 10 Course Counselling interviews are taking place at the school on Monday 1st September. Year 10 classes will be cancelled for the day for students to attend their 15 minute interview. We strongly encourage parents and guardians attend with their child as the transition from Year 10 to Year 11 is a critical time in a student’s life as a secondary student. For more detailed information on the Year 10 interviews, please see Mr McIntosh’s post on Compass.

Year 9 students will be completing their course selections interviews during school on Tuesday 26th August. We hope that all of the Year 9 students arrive prepared and approach their interviews in an enthusiastic manner.

Year 9 ‘Future You’ Week

Week 11 of Term 2 was an exciting change of pace for our Year 9 students, with Future You Week giving them the chance to step out of their regular classes and into a week full of discovery, exploration, and future planning.

Students had the opportunity to trial some of the 2026 elective subjects on offer and take part in hands-on workshops focused on personal development, road safety, career planning, and pathways beyond school. Just as importantly, they’ve been out and about in Melbourne, experiencing some of the city’s most iconic venues. From exploring history at the State Library, diving into film and digital storytelling at ACMI, marvelling at optical illusions at ArtVo, and soaking in the sporting culture at the MCG, our students have been immersed in real-world learning that sparks curiosity and builds independence.

A huge thank you goes to our amazing Careers Team, Middle School Team, teachers and ES staff for making the week such a success, as well as to Road to Zero, Kingston Youth Services, and our incredible past students who returned to share their wisdom with our Year 9 students.

Now in its second year, Future You Week has been all about trying new things, making connections, and starting to imagine what the future might hold. Well done Year 9s — you’ve made the most of every opportunity!

Year 10 Work Experience

We would like to extend a huge thank you to all of the local employers who supported our students in last term’s Year 10 Work Experience program. All of our students gained valuable skills working with their employers. We would also like to thank our wonderful Careers Practitioner, Ms Geraldine Borghona, Year 10 Coordinator, Mr Luciano Murray, and support staff Linda-Marie McDowell and Barbara Hose for all of their hard work in running this program.

( Refer to Careers section of newsletter for photos of students on Work Experience.)

Ms Michelle Collins

Director of Learning Middle School