From the Principal

I have had a busy week this week learning more about the school community, including our whole school assembly. 

Congratulations to the College Captains for their excellent hosting and important messages to their peers. I enjoyed seeing the students come together, especially the Drum and Flag Corp and the Year 12 band, the OFC. 

In coming weeks I look forward to visiting more classes and learning about what Mornington students love about their school. 

Lisa Holt

Acting Principal

Important Dates

Senior School

To students and families of the Mornington Senior School,

I trust you’ve had a wonderful week, basking in the beautiful autumnal weather (which appears to be coming to end from Sunday ☹).

The pace of Term 2 (and how to handle it)

We’re now a couple of weeks into Term 2 and, as expected, the pace has lifted quickly across the Senior School. SACs are coming regularly, coursework continues to build, and for our Year 12 students in particular, the term can start to feel quite relentless. This is a normal part of the VCE journey, but it’s also the point where students need to be deliberately deliberate in how they manage their time and energy.

What we often see at this stage is students trying to treat each subject in isolation, focusing only on the next SAC or the next task. The more effective approach is to step back and look at the term as a whole. Planning ahead, spreading study across subjects, and starting preparation earlier reduces pressure and leads to better outcomes. It’s not necessarily about doing more hours, but about being more organised and more consistent with the time that is available.

A key strategy we’ve been reinforcing with students is to use feedback effectively. The students who perform strongly aren’t avoiding mistakes, they’re identifying them early, getting feedback, and improving before the assessment. That might mean completing a practice SAC, asking a teacher to check a response, or comparing answers to a marking guide. Small adjustments, made early, can have a significant impact when it matters most.

Term 2 has a habit of rewarding the organised and exposing the unprepared. The difference is usually decided well before the assessment. There’s no secret formula here — just consistent effort, good organisation and acting early. It’s not always exciting, but it works.

 “In 2026, the number one issue facing young Victorians is…”

A question that our wonderful college captains, Isobel Reed, Emerson Mellor and Noah Almond had the opportunity to present at a forum of school leaders from across the peninsula early on Friday at the Committee's School Leaders Presentation. Our team were escorted by Year 12 Coordinator Ms Dixon, and next week we hope to share their speech with you. It was a fantastic opportunity for politicians, business and community leaders to hear from young people from across the peninsula about the issues they feel are impacting on them the most.

Study Tip of the week:

Sleep is study. 7–9 hours consolidates memory better than a midnight cram. Also sleep before midnight may be better (as your sleep hormone aka melatonin levels are likely to increase in the evening) as you may be more likely to fall asleep faster and get more ‘deep sleep’ earlier in the night.

What is coming up this term in the Senior School? 

Kind regards,

Nick Evans

Senior School Assistant Principal

Progress Checks will be commencing this week and will be available to families via Compass in approximately two weeks. These provide an important snapshot of how students are progressing across their subjects, particularly in relation to their effort and completion of coursework. It is important that students are putting their best effort into their classwork during this time, as this will directly impact the feedback provided. We encourage all families to review the results carefully and have conversations at home about areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.

We wish our Year 7 students all the best as they head off to camp next week. Camps are a valuable part of the school experience, allowing students to build relationships, develop resilience and challenge themselves in a supportive environment outside the classroom.

Our Year 9 students will be completing their Morrisby assessments over the coming period. Morrisby is a careers and destinations platform that helps students better understand their strengths, interests and potential. It provides guidance on future pathways, including subject selection, university courses and apprenticeship opportunities. The program supports students to make informed decisions about their future learning and career directions, and forms an important part of our careers education program at the College. Students are encouraged to approach the assessments thoughtfully and give their best effort to ensure the results provide meaningful insights.

A reminder regarding uniform expectations as we move into cooler weather. Students are required to wear tailored uniform pants. Tracksuit pants are not part of the standard uniform and are not permitted. Families are asked to ensure students are dressed appropriately for the season.

Mike Parker

Assistant Principal - Curriculum and Student Wellbeing

Students of the Week

Baye Kill Year 7

Favourite food: Nachos

Hobbies out of school: Basketball, footy and golf

What sports team do you follow? Basketball - South East Melbourne Phoenix. AFL - West Coast

Favourite movie/TV show: Hustle

Do you have any pets? A dog named Malibu

What are you excited for at Mornington Secondary College? Camp

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? The different subjects

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school? A sports physio 

What's one skill you have that makes you unique? Very sporty

Your greatest strength: Team leadership

What three words best describe you? Happy, Sporty and Leader.

Mya Tatterson Year 7 

Favourite food: Mango

Hobbies out of school: Netball

What sports team do you follow? Essendon

Favourite movie/TV show: Gilmore Girls

Do you have any pets? Dog called Snowy, cat called Larry and two chickens Britany and Nuggie

What are you excited for at Mornington Secondary College? Camp

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? The opportunities with sport

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school? A lawyer

What's one skill you have that makes you unique? Being kind

Your greatest strength:Helping people

What three words best describe you? Kind, Thoughtful and Funny

Ben Alston Year 8

What's one skill you have that makes you unique? Being able to keep staying positive

What's one goal you are currently working on outside of class? Trying to do better in sport

What's your greatest strength? Playing sport and understanding / learning in class

What's your superpower? Caring and being able to bounce back

What three words best describe you? Positive, sporty, caring

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? Being with my friends

Mia Newman Year 8

What's one skill you have that makes you unique? I like trying new things and I like making jokes and my curly hair

What's one goal you are currently working on outside of class? Making the basketball grand final

What's your greatest strength? Trying hard

What's your superpower? I can fly

What three words best describe you? Funny, curly, hardworking

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? I enjoy all the sporting opportunities

Year 8 Assembly - Award Winners

Congratulations to all award recipients at this week's Year 8 Assembly.

House Athletics Carnival

We were exceptionally lucky to have such great weather for our House Athletics, held on Tuesday 21st April at Ballam Park. It was great to see everyone participating in all the track, field and novelty events and having fun.

Congratulations to our record breakers on the day*, including:

*records held at the MSC House Athletics since 2023

The Best Dressed competition was very hotly contested with some great costumes on display. Thank you to all the contestants who entered the competition creating an amazingly colourful parade. Congratulations to our three winning fancy dressed teams Sesame Street, the Croods and the crowned champions the Smurfs.

It was a great carnival atmosphere with great music being played, continuous events throughout the day and even our very own school canteen team feeding the troops. Any profits made by the canteen are going towards supporting our aerobics squad. 

At the end of the carnival, we ran a 4 x 25 metre staff verses student relay down the main straight. It was great to see so many teams get involved. We had two teacher teams take on the students, but they were just too quick for us! One of the teacher teams did place third so even some teachers received some ribbons.

I love whole school carnivals as it is great to see everyone enjoying themselves and working together to create such a fun day. 

The overall House Athletics results are as follows:

• In fourth place on 875 points are Balcombe House
• In third place on 1020 points are Beleura House
• Our runners up for 2026 on 1108 points are Coolart House
• Our 2026 House Athletics Champions on 1166 points are Tuerong House.

Congratulations to the Tuerong Sharks!

John Walker

College Sport Coordinator

ANZAC Day March

On Saturday 25th April, Mornington Secondary College was proud to take part in the ANZAC Day march in Mornington, standing in remembrance alongside our wider community.

Led by our Drum and Flag Corp, the MSC procession of students and staff marched with pride, while families looked on with great support. We were also honoured to have School Captain Isobel Reed and Year 12 Captain Alex Classon represent our college, speaking at the Memorial Park service with maturity and respect.

We are proud of the way our community came together to honour and remember.

Lest we Forget.

Whole School Assembly

Mornington Secondary College’s Whole School Assemblies, held once each term, are a valued opportunity for our entire school community to come together as one. These assemblies celebrate recent achievements, highlight upcoming events, and showcase the many talents of our students.

Led with confidence by our School Captains, each assembly is the result of planning and collaboration behind the scenes. From speech writing and rehearsals, to the dedication of our Drum & Flag Corps, audio-visual preparation, band soundchecks, and assembling all students after roll check, there are many moving parts that come together seamlessly.

It is truly a whole-school effort.

Behind the scenes assembly preparation:

Year 7 Divisional Sport 

Boys & Girls Tennis

Our Year 7 tennis teams enjoyed a glorious Autumn day for their interschool competition.

The Girls team, consisting of (Charlie, Marisa, Isabella and Paige) were challenged in their first round against Dromana and played all boys teams for the rest of their games. They improved with each game and had a whole lot of fun. 

The Boys A team had some great wins, especially Nick and Ajarne (who volunteered to join the boys comp as we were one boy short, and while doing so played some amazing shots). 

The Boys B team were all new to tennis and improved throughout the day.

Michelle Barnes

Curriculum Implementation Leader

Boys Cricket

It was a perfect day out in the middle for our Year 7 boys, with plenty of action, tight contests, and some standout performances across both games.

We kicked things off against Rosebud, winning the toss and getting straight into our work with the bat. The boys built a solid innings, rotating the strike nicely and punishing the loose deliveries to post a competitive total of 57 runs. In the field, the energy was electric—sharp work in the ring, disciplined bowling lines, and a few handy wickets at key moments kept the pressure firmly on. Rosebud gave it a real shake, but our boys held their nerve in the death overs to seal a hard-fought 57–49 run victory. A great all-round team effort and a strong start to the day.

Our second match against Westernport proved a tougher challenge. Despite a promising start, we lost a few quick wickets which slowed our momentum, eventually finishing on 35 runs. Westernport came out firing with the bat, finding the gaps and keeping the scoreboard ticking over. To our credit, the boys didn’t drop their heads—there was some gritty bowling and committed fielding—but Westernport chased it down comfortably, finishing on 48 runs.

A big shoutout to our best performers on the day: Max Ainsworth, Charlie Borthwick, Baye Kill, and Will Nailon. Each of these players made valuable contributions, whether it was with the bat, ball, or in the field, showing great skill and determination.

Well done on your efforts.

Rob Horwill

Head of PE

Boys Volleyball

On 24th April, our Year 7 Boys Volleyball Team competed in their first interschool sport competition, representing the school with pride and enthusiasm. Throughout the day, the boys demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship both on and off the court, supporting one another and playing with great determination.

It was fantastic to see their skills develop as the tournament progressed, with each match building their confidence and teamwork. While the team finished in 6th place overall, there were some excellent highlights, including a strong win against the Dromana A team and an impressive effort taking a set off the winners, Western Port Secondary College!

I am incredibly proud of the boys’ efforts and positive attitude throughout the day. Well done to Asher, Cruz, Harvey, Ethan, Sima, Ryder, and Levi on a great first competition.

We look forward to seeing how the team continues to grow and perform next year!

Alex Mackenzie

Health and PE Teacher

Girls Volleyball

On Friday 24th April the Year 7 Southern Peninsula Division Volleyball Championships were held in our stadium with all six of our SPD schools representing. There were 6 teams in both pools with each round robin having 12 rounds, making it a massive competition. 

The standard of play improved dramatically throughout the day with many epic rallies. The competition was played in a very friendly manner with all schools supporting each other and taking responsibility for scoring. 

The A team competition was exceptionally tight with the top three teams finishing the tournament with four wins and one loss. The winner of the competition was Dromana SC Our girl’s placed 6th. Our B team also placed in 6th position in their competition.

Year 7 Volleyball Players:

John Walker

College Sport

Aerobics State Qualifiers Competition

This Saturday, the 2nd of May, our Aerobics Squad are competing at the Victorian State Qualifiers at Patterson River Secondary College. 

The Aerobics Squad have been training tirelessly over the last few months to create, learn and polish the various routines our squad has. This year, we have four teams and a duo representing MSC at the State Qualifiers, making up 28 students. 

Our teams consist of:

Duo ‘Dynamite’: Makena (Yr10) and Mya (Yr11)

Team ‘Ignite’: Kayla (Yr7), Paige (Yr7), Ella (Yr7), Charlie (Yr7), Chelsea (Yr7), Maria (Yr7).

Team ‘Ascend’: Quinn (Yr7), Addison (Yr7), Alyssa (Yr7), Indy (Yr7), Chelsea (Yr8), Madi (Yr8), Alina (Yr8), Addison (Yr8)

Team ‘Energise’: Fern (Yr9), Grace (Yr9), Emma (Yr9), Emily (Yr9), Hannah (Yr9), Lily (Yr10)

Team ‘Nova’: Paula (Yr9), Charlotte (Yr9), Makena (Yr10), Phoebe (Yr10), Lulu (Yr10), Matilda (Yr10), Anna (Yr12)

This is their first competition for the year and the most local, so please come down to support our students if you can! Our duo is competing in an 11:40am section, and all of our teams are competing in a 12:23pm section. 

A huge thank you to Elise Bristow for her assistance with coaching this term! Elise is an ex-MSC student and competed at the Aerobics National Championships last year. We are very lucky to have her expertise and support in the lead up to our first competition.

Indie Jowett

Aerobics Squad Coach

Year 10 Humanities - Law & Order

This week the Year 10 Law and Order class visited the Melbourne Law Courts. 

Students went on a tour of the County Court and the jury room and witnessed a criminal case which involved drugs. The Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal were also visited. Afterwards students were taken to the State Library to view Ned Kelly's armour, Melbourne Central for lunch, and then to the Shrine of Remembrance for a tour of the Shrine.

Paul Papettas

Drum Corp Manager and Humanities Teacher

MSC Footy Tipping

Calling for Host Families - Japanese Visitors

School Sport Victoria Team Vic Registrations Open Now

Victoria's emerging student-athletes can now register to trial for several Team Vic teams, to participate at School Sport Australia Championships. Before registering please read the updated 2026 Information Sheet and the Trials Information and Selection Guidelines for your sport/team. 

Don’t Miss a Moment at MSC!

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Community News & Opportunities

Careers at Kingswim - Swim Teacher training

Kingswim are currently recruiting for their Swim Teacher Training Program which will run in July school holidays 2026.

Are you fun, energetic and customer-focused?

Do you have a a passion for the safety, wellbeing, and education of children?

Then join the Kingswim team and teach children skills that last a lifetime.

Australian Army Cadets 

Term 3, 2026 is set to commence for the 36 Army Cadet Unit Frankston (36 ACU) and they are seeking applicants aged between 13 and 16 years who wish to join the Australian Army Cadets and experience the opportunities, training, and personal development offered by Australia’s leading youth development organisation.

Royal Australian Navy Band Work Experience Program

To learn more or to reach out to us