From the Principal 

A Busy Week at Mornington Secondary College

It has been another very busy and positive week at Mornington Secondary College, with our students involved in a wide range of learning, sporting and community opportunities.

It was fantastic to welcome in excess of 150 future students and family members to our Year 7 Information Night held this week. The strong turnout was a wonderful reflection of our community’s engagement and provided families with an opportunity to learn more about Mornington Secondary College, meet our staff and explore the many opportunities available to our students.

Twenty-three of our students officiated at the Primary School District Athletics Competition, providing valuable support to our local primary schools and demonstrating great leadership and community spirit. Thank you to Alex Mackenzie, who organised our involvement, and Amelia Vecchi, our AFL trainee, who supported our students on the day.

For our Year 12 students, this week also marked the commencement of trial examinations. This is an important stage in their final year of schooling and provides an opportunity to consolidate their learning, experience examination conditions and identify areas to focus on in the remaining weeks. I encourage our Year 12 students to make the most of the feedback and support available to them as they prepare for their final examinations.

Our School Review is scheduled for 7, 8 and 16 October. Reviews occur every four years in all Victorian government schools and provide an important opportunity to reflect on where we have been, celebrate our achievements and determine our priorities for the future.

Led by an independent reviewer, the process examines:

• student achievement and wellbeing data, 
• school practices, and 
• feedback from students, staff and families. 

The review will inform the development of our next four-year School Strategic Plan, which will set the future direction and priorities for Mornington Secondary College.

An important part of this process is hearing directly from our families. We are therefore inviting parents and carers to participate in a Parent Focus Group on Wednesday 7 October at 2.40pm at the College. The session will take approximately 35 minutes and provides an opportunity to share your experiences, perspectives and ideas about our College.

If you are interested in participating, please complete the attached form by Monday 14 September Parent Focus Group – Fill out form

I strongly encourage our families to consider being involved. Relationships matter, and the voice of our students, staff, families and wider community is critical as we work together to shape the next four years of Mornington Secondary College.

Leadership Review

Concurrent with our School Review, we are also undertaking a comprehensive review of the College’s leadership structures to ensure we are best positioned to meet the current and future strategic needs of Mornington Secondary College.

We have engaged Ross Bevege, an experienced educational consultant through the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals (VASSP), to lead this work. Ross will consult with staff and College leaders and examine our current leadership structures, roles and ways of working.

The key question guiding this review is: “How do we re-imagine leadership and its supporting structures to meet the current and future strategic needs of the College?”

Conducting these two reviews concurrently provides us with a significant opportunity to ensure that our future leadership structures align closely with the priorities that emerge from our School Review and next four-year School Strategic Plan. Together, this work will help ensure Mornington Secondary College is well positioned to continue improving outcomes and opportunities for every student.

Kind regards,

Adam Slater

Principal

Important Dates

Dates correct at time of posting and subject to change.

Students of the Week

Levi Keisoglu - Year 7

Favourite food: Lasagna 

Hobbies out of school: Soccer and the gym

What sports team do you follow? Geelong Cats 

Favourite movie/TV show: Ted Lasso

Do you have any pets?  English Staffie called Drago and a Cavoodle named Kobe

What are you excited for at Mornington Secondary College? Year 10 VET Trade and the lunchtime World Cup Soccer competition

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? Seeing my mates 

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school? Professional soccer in Spain

What's one skill you have that makes you unique? My humour 

Your greatest strength: Everything, especially my arm strength 

What three words best describe you? Athletic, humorous and one in a million

Eden Chant - Year 7

Favourite food: Plain spaghetti

Hobbies out of school: Mount Martha Football (full back) and Bentons Basketball

What sports team do you follow? Melbourne Demons 

Favourite movie/TV show: The Black Phone 

Do you have any pets? A dog named Kobe

What are you excited for at Mornington Secondary College? Interschool sport 

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? Sport 

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school? Primary school sport teacher 

What's one skill you have that makes you unique? Feisty but passionate

Your greatest strength: Being kind and courageous 

What three words best describe you? Funny, hyper and sporty 

Incursions

Year 11 Health and Human Development: Infant, Baby and Child Visit

Our Year 11 Health and Human Development students recently had the wonderful opportunity to welcome some very special visitors as part of our Parenting, Prenatal and Early Childhood Development unit.

Students were able to put their classroom learning into practice as they observed and interacted with children at different stages of early childhood development. The visit provided a wonderful opportunity to see developmental milestones, behaviours and skills happening in real life.

A huge thank you to Britt and Chris Nelson, who visited with Hazel (3 years) and Maisie (6 months); Amanda Symons, who visited with Evie; and Kate Wilson, who visited with Rudy. We are very grateful to our families for taking the time to share their children and their experiences with our students.

There were plenty of memorable moments throughout the visit. For some students, it was their first time ever holding a baby:

“Oh wow, I’ve never held a baby before!”

Others were busy observing developmental milestones as they happened right in front of them:

“Oh, look at how she holds the pencil!”

The visit even resulted in some new friendships! Hazel invited Jess and Sienna to come back and share lunch with her. She was clearly fascinated by our Year 11 students and seemed determined to be just like them! 

We are grateful to our families for taking the time to visit our classroom and share these experiences with our students, certainly one of the highlights of the unit!

Jo Dixon

Year 12 Coordinator

Excursions

Primary School Athletics Helpers

A big thank you to our Mornington Secondary College students who represented the College at the Primary School District Athletics Championships.

Our students were exceptional in their support of the School Sport Victoria representatives throughout the day, assisting marshalling both track and field events and helping the competition run smoothly. They showed outstanding leadership, maturity and initiative while working alongside primary school students and officials.

Officiating at the Primary School District Athletics is a fantastic opportunity for our students to represent Mornington Secondary College while developing their confidence, communication and leadership skills. It was great to see our students step up, take responsibility and willingly lend a hand wherever needed.

We are incredibly proud of the way they conducted themselves and the positive impression they made on the day. Their efforts were a great example of the leadership and community spirit we value at MSC.

Congratulations and thank you to:

Well done to all involved. Your exceptional support, leadership and willingness to help made a real difference to the success of the day.

Alex Mackenzie

Health and PE Teacher

Year 10 Environmental and Marine Science

Earlier this week the Year 10 Environment and Marine Science class ventured off to Mills Beach to complete a Crab Survey. Students worked hard to collect as many crabs as they could find. We even found some crabs carrying eggs. Luckily students knew to leave these crabs alone and were very respectful!  

Some of the species found included Brachynotus spinosus (Little Shore Crab) and Cyclograpsus granulosus (Purple Mottled Shore Crab). It was a superb day to be at the beach, and we were lucky enough to have a pelican sitting right near us the whole time. 

Students are now able to collate their data and report on their findings for their Performance Task. A very big thank you to Michelle Austin for driving the bus and helping to make it a great session.

Emma Kirkos

Maths/Science Teacher

Intermediate Band Day

Mornington Secondary College Music students recently joined musicians from other schools for the South Eastern Victoria Region (SEVR) Intermediate Band Day at Carrum Downs Secondary College.

Students formed a mass concert band, rehearsing and performing under guest conductor Quinn Kellock. It was a fantastic opportunity for our musicians to develop their ensemble skills, work with other young musicians and experience the excitement of performing as part of a large-scale band.

Joe Tobias

Music Teacher Brass

Year 7 Ancient Rome Excursion

This week, our Year 7 students stepped back in time as they explored Ancient Rome at the Melbourne Museum’s ROME: Empire, Power, People exhibition.

While more intimate in scale than anticipated, the exhibition offered a vibrant insight into Rome’s political, cultural and social life. 

Beautifully curated, it featured original statues, mosaics, frescoes, jewellery and everyday objects, ranging from the humble to the extravagant.

Students also enjoyed exploring the museum’s other attractions, including the Dinosaur Walk and Triceratops, The Melbourne Story, and the ever-popular Bugs Alive exhibition.

Our Year 7 cohort was engaged, curious and exceptionally well behaved as they shared the museum with students from schools across Melbourne.

It was a wonderful day of learning and discovery for all.

Sarah Walker

Year 7 Humanities Teacher

Year 11 Art Making and Exhibiting: Cartier Exhibition

Our Year 10, 11 and 12 Art Making & Exhibiting students recently had the opportunity to visit the Cartier Exhibition at the NGV, exploring its humble beginnings to the globally recognised name it is today.

The day began with an in-depth talk from David, an NGV curator, who provided invaluable insight into the exhibition and important context for the pieces we were about to view. We then made our way through the exhibition, which was an experience in itself. The thoughtful design and curation of the spaces offered our students another layer of learning beyond the objects on display. For our Year 11 and 12 students in particular, it provided excellent inspiration as they study the processes of art making and exhibiting. 

This exhibition was supported through the NGV schools support program. Students were provided with free entry, 1 hour lecture and lunch. They also presented us with a copy of the Cartier Book.

On the journey home, we reflected on the experience with the students, with many saying it was one of the best exhibitions they had ever seen. The exhibition runs at the NGV until 2 October and comes highly recommended.

Lea Gilbert

Head of Art

Shani Hodson

Art Teacher

Interschool Sport

Year 7 Boys and Girls Futsal

On Thursday 10th September the Year 7 Boys and Girls Futsal competitions were held at Mornington Secondary College. The competition was high energy with some exceptional skills on display. 

• Our boys team played Rosebud Secondary College first, coming out victors 8-1. 
• Unfortunately, we had a reversal of fortune in our next match up against Mt Eliza Secondary College, losing 0-8. 
• The next match against a very skilful Somerville Secondary College team was a tough contest. Our goalkeeper Sima Barnikov kept us in the game with some very impressive saves. The result in the game was a 0-2 loss. 
• Our boys came back in their fourth game, defeating Western Port Secondary College 4-2. 
• The boys played Dromana Secondary College in their final game and did an exceptional job to contain Dromana SC who were undefeated at this point to a 3-6 loss. 

With two wins and three loses our boys team placed fourth in the competition. 

Boys Team

The girls only had three schools representing in their competition which was a little disappointing for them. 

• The girl’s played Dromana SC in their first-round match which was a very close encounter with both teams evenly matched. The game resulted in a 1-1 draw. 
• The girl’s second match was against Somerville SC with resulted in a scoreless draw. 

With two draws the girls placed runners up behind Somerville SC.

Girls Team

I would like to thank our student officials from Year 8 , 9 and 10 who refereed and scored the entire competition. 

Coaches: Meadow Payze and Aida Grace Moses

Umpires: Flynn Jobso-Mauger, Noah Sheen, Harvey Austin, Nick Tihalia

Scorers: Antonio Barbieri, Leyton George, Hugh Motram

John Walker

College Sport Coordinator

Year 7 Girls Basketball

On Thursday our Year 7 Girls Basketball team competed in the divisional round robin at Rosebud Secondary College. Players Paige, Eden, Bonnie, Zalenka and Sienna improved in every game as the day went on. They had some close fought games against Somerville and Rosebud, as well as beating Westernport. 

With only five players, the girls had to run out every game with no bench. They showed great sportsmanship all day and it was great to see their confidence build as the competition went on. A big thank you to Lacey and Grace who coached the team, as well as scoring and umpiring throughout the day. 

Jenny Vanin

Health & Physical Education Teacher

Year 7 Mixed Hockey

On Thursday, September 10, our Year 7 Mixed Hockey Team competed at Dromana Secondary College. With just eight fierce and determined players, our team performed exceptionally well, finishing an impressive 3rd overall!

For many of our students, this was their first real experience playing hockey, but their newfound passion for the sport was certainly shining through. Emmett was outstanding in goals, making some fantastic saves, while Hugh and Koby showed great attacking skills and determination. Antonio and Ash defended extremely well, and Cadence, Lucas and Tyler demonstrated excellent movement and teamwork around the field.

Our students enjoyed the day so much that they are now planning to start a lunchtime hockey club at school!

It was fantastic to see everyone having so much fun, supporting one another and, most importantly, demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship throughout the day. We are incredibly proud of the way our students represented the school.

Well done, Year 7 Hockey Team!

Alex Mackenzie

Health and PE Teacher

Learning Snapshot

Year 9 Class vs. Class Dodgeball Competition

Tuesday saw our Year 9 classes play off in a Dodgeball round robin competition during Connect to finish off our Health & Nutrition unit.

All five classes played competitively to win, whilst also demonstrating sportsmanship and some great skills. A huge thankyou to Mr Olarenshaw for running the event and Miss Jeffs for helping umpire the second court.

Placings:

• 1st 9E
• 2nd 9A & 9B
• 4th 9C
• 5th 9D

Our Year 9’s should be commended for their behaviour, attitude and sportsmanship.

Kim Rattue

Year 9 Coordinator

Wellbeing

R U OK? Day

On Thursday, 10 September, MSC celebrated R U OK? Day with a fun-filled lunch break of connection, creativity and conversation. Students were able to enjoy a delicious BBQ while listening to music, with plenty of opportunities to relax and spend time together. The money raised from the BBQ will be given to the school charity Speak & Share. Other activities on the day included colourful face painting and chalk drawing, bringing lots of smiles and creativity to the day. It was a great reminder that a simple “Are you okay?” can open the door to meaningful conversations and help us look out for one another.

Maddy Collinge

Student Wellbeing Counsellor

Doctors in School

Student scholarships

The Department of Education manages a range of student scholarships. These are available for students who: 

• complete Grade 4 to Year 11 in 2026 
• are enrolled in Year 12 in 2026 and plan to do tertiary studies in 2027. 

The department will evaluate applicants on their: 

• academic achievement 
• participation in school and community activities 
• financial need.  

Scholarships are either one-off payments or cover the duration of the student’s course. 

Applications for these scholarships open on Thursday 1st October 2026 and close on Monday 1st February 2027. 

To view all available scholarships and for more information on each, including how to apply, refer to Student scholarships. 

School Sport Victoria

2027 Team Vic Triathlon Registrations Now Open

Victoria's emerging student-athletes can now register to trial for the Team Vic Triathlon team, to participate at School Sport Australia Championships in 2027. 

To find out more information regarding the registration and selection process, click below

Don’t Miss a Moment at MSC!

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Community News and Opportunities

Sorrento Young Writing Prize 2027

myLearners Free Lesson

Help your learner get on the road with a free driving lesson!

The myLearners Free Driving Lesson program offers a FREE 60-minute lesson with a professional driving instructor for learners aged 16–21 who have completed 10–50 hours of driving practice.The lesson is taken alongside their supervising driver, helping both the learner and supervisor build safer, more confident driving habits together.

This program supports families by making the learning experience more positive and less stressful. It aims to reduce crash risks for young drivers, strengthen supervising skills, and encourage safer driving behaviours early on all at no cost to participants.

Find out more go to - https://mylearnersdrive.com.au/

Free Driver Coach Webinar for Parents of Learner Drivers 

This practical workshop updates parents on latest research and road safety approaches, outlines some of the conversations and strategies our facilitators share with their teens at Ryda, and provides an opportunity to ask questions and get advice from the experts. 

• Unlock the mysteries of the teenage brain: What makes driving a challenge?
• Decode risk factors for Young Drivers
• Setting up the first driving lessons
• Learn the art of coaching a learner driver
• Help you support the transition to solo driving
• Set a plan for collaborating with driving instructors
• And much more

Register to attend now 

To learn more or to reach out to us