Senior School 

Senior School update

It has been a busy start to Term 2 as students quickly move to the closing stages of Semester One. 

Our VCE Unit 3/4 students attended and have been inspired by various Top Acts, Top Arts, Top Designs and Top Screen displays while VM students have undertaken a range of events that have furthered their learning. Additionally, Year 11 students were afforded the opportunity to attend the VCE and Career's Expo at the Convention Centre; providing them with the invaluable experience of engaging with a vast array of career pathways. 

Please be mindful of the following key dates for Term 2: 

16 June: The GAT  

5 – 19 June: Year 11 and 10 Exams (weeks 8 and 9)

22 June: Unit 2 starts 

22 - 26 June: Year 10 Work Experience.  

25 June: VCE Formal 

26 June: Last day of term 

The General Achievement Test will take place on 16 June. All students completing Unit 3/4 subjects must sit the entire GAT while Year 12 VCE-VM must sit the first section. This assessment can influence the end of year results and safeguards against unforeseen circumstances during exams; it is important that students prepare diligently and resources will be provided over the coming weeks. 

Concluding the Term in style, the VCE Formal will  take place on  Friday 26 June at San Remo Ballroom in Carlton. Further information about the ticket prices and specific details will be published on Compass. 

Year 10 students will begin work experience in the final week of term. A big thank you to the Careers team who have done substantial work to ensure all students receive placements for a week in the workforce.  

The Senior School team encourages all of our  Year 10, 11 and 12 students to keep up the excellent work you are doing this term in all areas: your studies and classwork, your extracurricular work, and your interpersonal and social life at school and home. It has been pleasing to hear such positive feedback of the diligence our senior students are displaying in the classes and extracurricular activities. 

General reminders: 

• Attached to this article is the updated 2026 Student and Parent VCE Manual. This clearly outlines all VCE processes and expectations form the college. 
• At-risk communication is being sent out. Students should communicate with their classroom teachers to complete all tasks. 
• We place a strong importance on attendance, which must be above 90%, and being punctual to all classes. 
• The correct uniform must worn at all times (no hoodies and runners with academic uniform)
• There have been workshops during recent assemblies that place importance on having a well-balanced life in senior school. This includes: limiting screen time to less than two hours per day, prioritising eating healthy and drinking water, limit part-time work to what is reasonable, continue exercise and sport, getting 8 hours of sleep and having a study routine.  

Please reach out to the Senior School if you have any questions or concerns for your child. Looking forward to a successful term!

Senior School team

• Chris McKay   christopher.mckay@education.vic.gov.au   – Head of Senior School 
• Allana Edgell   allana.edgell@education.vic.gov.au     – Senior School Administrator
• Mia Poulton   mia.poulton@education.vic.gov.au    – Year 10 Coordinator
• Luke Marinelli luke.marinelli@education.vic.gov.au    – Year 11 Coordinator
• Nikita Natsis  nikita.natsis@education.vic.gov.au    – Year 12Coordinator
• Peter Scott   peter.scott6@education.vic.gov.au   –   Senior School Assistant Coordinator 
• Gavin Yates   gavin.yates@education.vic.gov.au   - Senior School Assistant Coordinator 

Chris McKay

Head of Senior School

Year 10 Earth and Space Odyssey excursion to Scienceworks 

On Monday 27 April, Year 10 Earth and Space Odyssey students visited Scienceworks as part of their unit on the Universe. The excursion gave students the chance to explore science outside the classroom and engage with a range of interactive and technology‑based exhibitions.

Throughout the day, students explored popular exhibitions such as Sportsworks and Think Ahead, where science and technology were combined with hands‑on activities. Many students particularly enjoyed the Beyond Perception exhibition, which allowed them to explore key physics concepts including energy, light, sound, and gravitational waves. The interactive displays helped bring complex scientific ideas to life in an engaging and accessible way.

The highlight of the excursion was a visit to the planetarium. Students experienced breathtaking 'fulldome' visualisations, including travelling inside a supernova explosion and drifting through a stellar nursery — a dense cloud of gas collapsing to form new stars. The presentation, Starlight, was narrated by multi‑award‑winning Australian actress Sigrid Thornton and took students on an out‑of‑this‑world journey through constellations, ancient cultures, the life cycle of stars, and the inner workings of our Sun.

Overall, the excursion was an enjoyable and memorable experience that helped deepen students’ understanding of the Universe through science and technology.

Chan Mi Chung and Shikha Tiwari 

Year 10 Earth and Space Odyssey Teachers 

Year 11 VCE Vocational Major Gardening Project

Year 11 VCE Vocational Major students at Koonung Secondary College have been busy getting their hands dirty as part of an engaging Gardening Project. The project challenged students to design a garden space while applying key employability skills, including problem‑solving, communication, literacy and numeracy.

Students began by measuring the area near the library and were provided with a selection of native plants to incorporate into their designs. Working collaboratively, they planned layouts, calculated spacing, discussed ideas, and justified their design choices. The process encouraged teamwork and real‑world application of classroom skills.

After presenting their designs, students voted on the final plan, with Alison Huang’s design selected as the standout. Congratulations to Alison on her thoughtful design.

A special thank you to Nicolle Earle and Peter Martin for their ongoing support and guidance throughout the project. This initiative has been a wonderful example of hands‑on learning in action.

Natasha Tuma

English and VCE VM Literacy Teacher