Secondary News

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Term 1 is well and truly underway and there is much to report on the happenings of learning occurring in and outside our classrooms.

This term has already blessed us with some incredible excursions, incursions, and sporting events which have all been invaluable learning experiences and memories for our students.

Our inter-school sporting calendar saw our intermediate team, Year 9 & 10 students, compete at the inter-school Cardinia Division volleyball competition. Our Girls won on the day, making them the Cardinia Division Champions. The team will go on to represent the College at the Regional Finals later in the term.  Our boys teams also placed 3rd and 5th in their respective pools. Our Year 8 students also competed in the interschool volleyball competition, displaying outstanding teamwork, sportsmanship, and determination. Although they didn’t secure a victory, their positive attitude and commitment were truly commendable. They supported each other throughout the matches, showing resilience and respect for both teammates and opponents. Their excellent behaviour made them a credit to the College, and they should be proud of their efforts. Photos of the events can be seen later in the newsletter article.

Our Years 9, 10, and 11 students participated in their Wellbeing Day in week 5 with our external hosts, Man Cave and The Big Sister Experience coming in to run sessions that motivate and inspire our students in all areas of their Mental and Social health and wellbeing. Both workshops were whole-day experiences designed to encourage students to build healthier relationships between themselves and those around them.  Students were empowered to challenge their view of themselves and how they communicate with others in the community and many shared personal experiences with their peers. Forging new bonds and strengthening many others with their peers. We would like to express our sincere gratitude and thanks to Ms Michelle Roberts our Senior Wellbeing Co-ordinator for organising this incursion and making it a memorable experience for all our students.

The Secondary school also celebrated its annual House Athletics carnival last Friday the 7th of March venturing off to a new venue in 2025, IYU Athletics Track in Pakenham.  Despite the intense heat, our students represented their house courageously and many achieved a personal best result in various athletic events. Toomuc House were victorious as the Shield winners on the day! 2025 also marks the first time in over 8 years that the Year 12 student relay team has beaten the PE staff in the Staff/student 4x100m relay race. Well done students! We wish to sincerely thank our incredible PE team; Jake Keirnan, Ben Hillard, Tayla Entwistle, and Anya Gross for their dedication and commitment to planning and organising this event.  Without them, our house events would not be possible for our school community to enjoy and we are very grateful for all their hard work.  

The Year 7 and 9 students began NAPLAN this week. NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) is an annual standardised test in Australia for students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9. It assesses skills in reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar, punctuation), and numeracy. The test helps measure student progress, identify areas for improvement, and inform educational policies. The tests provide insights into individual and school performance.

Listed below are the remainder of the events planned for Term 1:

Wednesday 19th March - Year 7 Volleyball

Friday 21st March - Harmony Day - wear a splash of orange

Friday 21st March - PTFA Lunch Order Day

Friday 4th April - Secondary Cross Country

Friday 4th April - End of Term 1

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Joanne Rothwell                                                                                          Mrs Amanda Trewin

Head of Middle School                                                                                      Head of Senior School

Luna Park – Rides Again!

Sunny skies and 600 other physics students greeted us, not literally, as our year 12 physics students walked under the gaping, smiling mouth that is the entrance to a one of the only two remaining theme parks of its type in the world, Luna Park, St. Kilda. The day was March 6th and the event was the annual Vic Physics teacher organisation’s day where the park was booked exclusively for the use of VCE secondary school students who came from all over Victoria to be there. 

The students rode the rides, and later calculated forces, velocity and acceleration experienced by persons on them. Gravitational and potential energy are important engineering and concepts in their analysis of the machines, where g forces arise due to changes in direction and various types circular motion. The students use this as an excellent preparation for problem-solving in physics, an essential componentof the VCE course.

Mr Nevil Schultz

Physics Teacher