Welcome to Term 1, 2026

Welcome to the 2026 school year at Mirboo North SC.

Our college has a long and proud history within the community, and we are fortunate to live, work and learn together in such a beautiful setting with excellent facilities. As we begin the year, we remain guided by our shared vision: we are committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment where everyone can learn and excel.

Staffing updates

Over the holiday break, we experienced several staffing changes. We farewelled Amanda Vosper (Applied Learning), Gail Lamb Hale (School

Counsellor) and Nicole Hobson (Senior School Assistant and Careers). Nicole

Ashton is also on leave for the year, and we continue our search to fill the

Chaplain vacancy.

At the same time, we are delighted to welcome a number of

wonderful new staff members to our community:

• Dee Franssen – English and Humanities
• Julie Jones – Mathematics and Science
• Jack Vogan – Education Support
• Tristan Cross – Woodwork and Mathematics
• Jayne Scott – Food Technology

We are also pleased to have Geoff Williams stepping into the Senior School Careers role, and Noel Hough returning to lead Trade classes. Recruitment for a new School Counsellor is currently underway.

Working together as a community

Like many schools across the state, we are operating in a challenging financial environment. Rising costs and reduced parent contributions place real pressure on school budgets and staffing. In this context, we ask for your continued partnership and understanding. By focusing our collective energy on matters where we can make a meaningful difference for students, we can best support high-quality teaching, staff wellbeing and positive outcomes for young people.

To support this, we would like to be clear about some areas where expectations are set and will not change.

·       School Uniform: State Schools are as advertised. In other words, we

have a school uniform, and we expect students to wear it. We have recently had a review of our uniform policy and changes were made based on feedback from our community. Because of the cost involved in purchasing uniform both for the school and for parents, carers, and guardians, we will not be making changes to the uniform within the next four years.

·       Communication and Appointments: All our Leadership Team teach which is a practical necessity. To ensure we can give matters the time and attention they deserve, we ask that appointments be made to speak with staff. Urgent matters can always be communicated through the General Office, or via the Senior or Middle School Assistants.

·       Respect and Inclusion: Our employer, the Department of Education is

an inclusive employer. I have noticed over the past three years that at times

our community likes to excuse poor behaviour by blaming a political agenda,

i.e. “Schools are too woke.” In summary, there may be different views across

Australia about gender, racial, and religious equity but in terms of schools,

we value EVERYBODY irrespective of disability, gender, race, religious beliefs

etc. We will not entertain comments from the community which demean or disrespect any members of our school community, and this includes staff. 

• Policies and procedures: Most school policies and processes are

set within Department of Education guidelines and legislation. This includes areas such as behaviour management, suspensions, and expulsions, all of which are tightly regulated and externally overseen. Decisions by staff are made carefully, fairly and without personal bias. Behaviours such as violence, racism, homophobia, religious vilification, or serious disrespect will result in appropriate consequences, in line with our legal and organisational responsibilities. We believe that children will at times make mistakes, this is part of growing up, and we encourage our     students to ‘Own It’ when this happens. Taking responsibility for our     mistakes makes us all better people. Consequences are a natural part of making amends or owning our behaviours and experiencing forgiveness, or a natural conclusion to an issue. Every action has a consequence and by experiencing consequences, we are teaching children what happens out in society.

Celebrating progress

We are pleased to see strong improvement in our school

data over the past three years. Student opinion survey results highlight the

positive impact of learning programs such as XSEL, particularly in students’

self-regulation and emotional development. A school review scheduled for 2027 will provide an important opportunity to reflect on this progress during a

period of stability and continued growth.

Social media and student safety

In light of recent changes to social media regulations and increasing concerns about the misuse of children’s images online, we are reviewing our current social media presence. Student voice will be central to this process. Once these discussions are complete, we will share further information with the community about any changes.

Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. By working together with shared expectations, care and respect, we can ensure MNSC continues to be a place where all students feel safe, welcomed and supported to achieve their best. We look forward to a positive and productive year ahead.

Kind regards,

Vaya Dauphin

College Principal

Important Dates 

10th Feb    House Swimming Sports

17th Feb    School Photo Day

18th Feb    Year 7 Meet the Teacher BBQ (After School)

9th Mar      Labour Day Public Holiday – NO School

19th Mar    House Athletics Day

CSEF Information 

Swimming Sports

🏊‍♂️ Mirboo North Secondary College Swimming Sports 2026! 🏊‍♀️

Get ready for one of the most fun days of the year — Swimming Sports 2026 is almost here! 🌞💦

📅 Tuesday 10th February

📍 Mirboo North Pool

We’re looking forward to a fantastic day of house spirit, races, cheering, and plenty of fun in (and out of!) the water. Don’t forget there will be a sausage sizzle for $2.50 as well! 🌭

🚌 Morning Routine

All students must:

✔️ Meet at school first

✔️ Have roles marked in Home Group

✔️ Walk down to the pool together as a school

Please do not go directly to the pool.

🎒 What to Bring

To make the day safe and enjoyable, students should bring:

🩱 Swimmers / rashie

🧢 Hat

🧴 Sunscreen

🏊‍♂️ Towel

💧 Water bottle

🍎 Snacks or lunch (or money for the sausage sizzle)

🌈 House colours — go Allambee, Mardan, Mirboo and Narracan!

We can’t wait to see everyone getting involved, supporting their house, and enjoying a great day in the sun! ☀️💙💛💚❤️

Let’s make Swimming Sports 2026 our best one yet! 🏆💦

Chloe Hogg

Sports Coordinator

Year 7 Meet the Teachers Evening

We are looking forward to welcoming families to our Year 7 Meet the Teachers Evening on Wednesday 18 February.

Event details:

3:06–4:30pm:

• Year 7 students will remain at school and take part in a supervised program of fun activities.

4:30pm:

• Parents and carers are asked to arrive at 4:30pm to collect their Year 7 students.

From 4:30pm:

• After collecting students, families are warmly invited to stay for a BBQ in the Agora area. This will be a relaxed, informal opportunity to enjoy a sausage, have a chat, and meet staff and other Year 7 families.

This evening is designed to support a positive start to secondary school and help build connections between families and staff.

We look forward to seeing you on the night.

Nichola Cummaudo

Middle School Coordinator

School preparations for the bushfire season

Each year, we undertake a range of activities to ensure the safety of our school and to prepare for bushfires and grassfires. 

An important part of this process is communicating to parents what will happen when certain fire danger ratings are issued to help ensure the safety of students and staff. 

Our school has been identified as being at risk of bushfire or grassfire and is a Category 3 school. 

Our school will close on a day forecasted as Catastrophic fire danger rating in fire weather district - West Gippsland and South Gippsland fire districts. 

Closure of the school due to a Catastrophic fire danger rating will be enacted when the Bureau of Meteorology forecast and related public safety messaging are confirmed. Due to uncertainties in the forecast, the timing of this confirmation may vary. Information regarding potential or confirmed Catastrophic fire danger days will be communicated to you by Facebook and Compass/ email.

It is also important to be aware that: 

• No one will be on site on days where the school is closed due to a forecast Catastrophic day.
• All bus routes that travel through the Catastrophic area will be cancelled.
• School camps will be cancelled if a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is forecast for fire weather district in which the camp is located, or if the travel involves passing through areas that have Catastrophic fire danger.

As part of preparing our school for the fire season, we have updated and completed our Emergency Management Plan and reprioritised any maintenance works that may assist in preparing for the threat of fire and cleared our facility’s grounds and gutters.

What can families and the school community do to help us prepare?

• Ensure we have your current contact details, including your mobile phone numbers. 
• Keep in touch with us by reading our newsletters, checking our website www.mnsc.vic.edu.au and the school’s social media.
• Make sure your family’s bushfire survival plan is up-to-date and includes alternative care arrangements if our school is closed due to Catastrophic fire danger. Further information can be found on the CFA’s website.
• Action your family’s bushfire survival plan if your own triggers are met. Our school community may be spread out across many areas and some families may be at higher risk than others. Your family’s safety is critical, so please let us know if you are actioning your bushfire survival plan and if your children will be absent on these days.
• If your child is old enough, talk to them about bushfires and your family’s bushfire survival plan. 

Families are encouraged to action their Bushfire Survival Plan on Catastrophic fire danger rating days in their district. The safest option is to leave the night before or early on the morning of the Catastrophic day. On such days, children should never be left at home alone or in the care of older children.

You can find more information on emergencies, warnings and preparedness actions here:

• VicEmergency app – that can be downloaded on your android and iOS mobile devices
• VicEmergency Hotline (1800 226 226)
• Website https://emergency.vic.gov.au
• Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/vicemergency)
• Twitter (https://twitter.com/vicemergency)
• ABC local radio, Sky News and other emergency broadcasters

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the department’s policy?

The Department of Education annually assesses the fire risk of all schools and early childhood services with the support of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). They are allocated a category of risk (categories 0 to 6). Schools and services that are Categories 0-3 are published on the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR). 

The department’s Bushfire and Grassfire Preparedness Policy requires all schools and early childhood services on the BARR and the Category 4 List to close when a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is forecast in their fire weather district. All school bus routes which travel in or through a district with Catastrophic fire danger must also be cancelled. 

The policy also requires that schools at the highest risk of bushfire (those in Categories 0, 1 and 2 of the Bushfire At-Risk Register) enact pre-emptive action plans based on the fire danger forecast for their Local Government Area (LGA).

Who issues fire danger forecasts?

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) provides public fire danger rating forecasts each day of the fire danger period using fire weather district areas. In Victoria, there are 9 fire weather districts, which are based on Local Government Area boundaries. 

The department uses these forecasts when supporting schools to enact their pre-emptive bushfire actions plans. 

VOS - Voice of Students

Attendance & Absence Reporting

Why going to school is important

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day. Attending and participating in school will help your child develop:

• important skills and knowledge to help them learn
• social and emotional skills such as good communication, resilience and team work.

Children who attend school every day and complete Year 12 have:

• better health
• better job opportunities
• higher income across their lives.

There are no safe number of days for missing school. Each day a student misses puts them behind.

What to do if your child can’t go to school

Let the school know as soon as possible and explain why your child can’t come to school. Each school will have a preferred way to do this. It may be by phone call, email or app.

If you do not let the school know, they must contact you on the same day to make sure your child is safe. They may also call your emergency contacts.

Talk to your school if your child needs to take an extended period of time off. There might be flexible options to keep your child from falling behind.

If your child misses a lot of school

Your school will work with you if your child has more than 5 days of unapproved or unexplained days off in a school year.

If this does not work, your school might refer your child to a school attendance officer. The school attendance officer will monitor and investigate your child’s attendance. You might receive a warning, an attendance notice or a fine.

Example situations

Sickness

If your child is sick they do not need to go to school. It’s important they’re only away on the days they’re genuinely sick. Your school might give them work to do so they don’t fall behind.

Medical appointments

Make medical appointments for before or after school or during the school holidays. If this is not possible, tell your child’s school before the appointment.

Family holidays

Take holidays during school holidays and not during term time. Your school will decide if it is okay for your child to miss any school for a holiday. They might give your child work to do so their learning is not affected. If they do not approve the holiday and you decide to go, the absence will be marked as unapproved.

A death in the family

Contact the school and let them know how long your child will be away. The school can offer counselling and keep an eye on your child’s wellbeing when they return. For Sorry Business absences, find more information below.

Koorie cultural absences (including Sorry Business)

For families of Koorie students, we encourage you to let the school know when there is Sorry Business. Teachers can work with you, your child and the Koorie Engagement Support Officer to identify the right support. The school will record the absence in a specific category for Sorry Business. The category accounts for the unique responsibilities that come with this type of absence.

Culture plays an important role in a Koorie student's education and overall wellbeing. If a Koorie student needs to be away for a cultural activity or obligation, families are encouraged to discuss this with the school in advance. In some cases, these absences can be recorded under the 'educational' absence category.

Truancy

This is when your child chooses to not go to school without you knowing or giving permission. Your school can help you improve your child’s attendance at school.

Children who refuse to go to school

Your child might refuse to go to school. This is different to truancy. Your child may be upset at school or the thought of going to school.

This could be because of:

• bullying
• feeling lonely or not having friends
• falling behind in work or poor grades
• not liking their subjects, teachers or other students
• illness or mental health
• disability
• behaviour or developmental delays
• bad sleep habits
• relationship breakdowns
• hobbies or family commitments
• cultural differences between home and school.

It can be normal for children to go through a stage where they refuse to go to school.

It’s important to find out why they don’t want to go to school. Speak to them about what’s happening. Then work with them and the school to find solutions. You can speak to your child’s year coordinator, school counsellor or principal.

Refusal's cannot be entered into compass by parents, please contact Keith Kerstjens keith.kerstjens@education.vic.gov.au or your year level coordinator.

Students with a disability

If your child has a disability they might not have to attend school full time. This will depend on the type of disability your child has and if it is the best thing for your child.

Arriving late , please remember to go to the office and enter your arrival in the kiosk.

• Recording Absences
• Put in an attendance note in via Compass, or
• Call the office
• Email keith.kerstjens@education.vic.gov.au
• Write an absent note

With date/s and reason for absence.

If you cant see the correct option in Compass please call or email Keith, as we are aware that some students are helping out the recovery efforts.

Every school day if you are absent in the morning, your parent will get an SMS to notify them you are not at school.

Head Lice

Just a reminder that schools are a regular place for head lice whilst normally in primary schools they can appear in secondary schools as well.  Please take the time to check you child.