Term 3 is traditionally a busy term as VCE and VM students work towards their final unit outcomes, students in Year 8-11 choose their subjects for the following year, and events and excursions are organised for students in all year levels.

On August 6th, we welcomed back educational consultant and best selling author Glen Pearsall to continue our work on effective classroom practices to support positive learning experiences and engagement for our students. It was an excellent day with lots of learning and opportunities to consolidate on and build our practices across the College.

NAPLAN 2025

Families of Year 7 and 9 students should have received their child’s individual NAPLAN summary report in the mail from 28th July.

There are key points of celebration with this year’s school wide data, especially in students’ learning growth. At Year 9, close to a quarter of our students have made high levels of growth in writing from Year 7 to 9 and were recognised with certificates provided by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). Our Year 7 students have also performed well in the tests; the percentage of students working at or above expected standard in reading and numeracy is equal to or higher than other schools in the network.

Parent teacher conferences

A big thank you to all our Yr 10 - 12 parents and guardians who visited the school for our Year 10 - 12 Parent Teacher Student interviews. This provided yet another opportunity for feedback and communication in relation to student progress. All Year 7 - 12 parents should note our next cycle of interviews on Tuesday the 16th September. Bookings for these interviews will open in the coming weeks and be communicated via Compass.

Course Selection

Over the past few weeks, students in Years 8 to 11 have been finalising their subject choices as part of the course selection process for 2026. The course counselling sessions for students in Year 10 were very well attended by students and their parents/carers, and students in Year 8 and 9 also spent time talking about the subjects they would like to study next year. Thank you to all staff who have been involved in supporting this process, and engaging in discussions with students and their families.

Thank you to Ms Christine Polonidis, Ms Brie Berzins and the Careers team, and members of the Senior School team for leading the interviews and supporting students with their subject choices.

Nagano High School Visit

During their visit to Sunbury College, John Lane and Becky Annetts had the pleasure of accompanying our Japanese students on two separate excursions to Deborah Gold Mine in Bendigo, and to Phillip Island to watch the penguins as they came up the beach at sunset, visit the chocolate factory, the koala sanctuary and enjoy some Japanese food in Australia. Thanks to Jo Little for her leadership in organising the excursions, and to Lukas Qoon and Shaoyuan Huang for accompanying the students on their days out.

Naarm Engagement Program

Thank you to all staff and students for their engagement in the Naarm Program organised and led by Ms Rachel Harris and Ms Myroforidis-Papadopoulos. So far this term, students have participated in ice skating, and visits to the Holocaust Museum, Old Melbourne Gaol, and the MCG and been actively engaged in associated learning activities.

The majority of our students have conducted themselves with respect and responsibility when interacting with members of the public and using public transport, though we’d like to take this opportunity to remind all students that during excursions, it is an expectation that College values are demonstrated at all times.

Students signing in after 9:00 am

Parents and students are reminded that when students arrive after 9:00am to school, students must complete the following steps:

1. Sign in at the front office using the Compass kiosk. When signing in, note the reason for the lateness.

2. Report to the Education Support person at reception with or without a note explaining the reason for the lateness. (All late students are required to report to the Education Support person at reception, with or without a note.)

3. Collect things for class from their locker and get to class promptly.

Parents are strongly encouraged to note student lateness on Compass.

Students who are late and without a note on Compass or a written note will be issued a brunchtime detention as a deterrent for being late to school without a valid reason or parent permission. The detention will appear in a student’s schedule.

Walk Through Zones - Toilet safety and comfort

In the coming weeks, ‘Walk Through Zones’ will be established outside of the A block toilets and the portable toilets. The establishment of these zones is designed to further increase the perception of safety and comfort at student toilets. Students are not permitted to stand/gather in these spaces. If students are waiting for a toilet in these spaces they must check a toilet in a separate location.

Our toilets are cleaned professionally each evening and prepared, ready to use each day. On occasions, some toilets may be shut for repairs due to damage and are fixed as soon as possible to allow them to be reopened.

Students found to be in repeat breach of walk-through expectations will have their parents contacted and graduated consequences put in place.

Walk through zones have been communicated to students via assemblies and Compass. Walk through zones will be very visible with sky blue paint and signage indicating where the zones are.

Parent / Care Giver / Guardian feedback survey

The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey will be open online from Monday 18 August to Friday 19 September 2025. A random sample of parents / caregivers / guardians have been selected to participate in this year’s survey. The survey is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation.

Our school will use the survey results to assist in identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs in the school, to target school planning and improvement strategies.