Principal Team Report

Principal Team Report 

Dear MC Community,

It’s the end of Week 11, another very hectic week to end a longer term, and the holidays are here – for those lucky enough to have them! We wish our students, staff and families an enjoyable and relaxing two weeks, and encourage everyone to ensure they take time out for themselves.

Looking ahead, we already have a lot to look forward to in Term 3:

· Our staff Professional Learning Day on Friday 19th July in Week 1 (a student-free day);

· The subject expo on Wednesday 24th July – please refer to the flyer;

· Our P&CA Comedy for a Cause fundraiser night on Saturday 7th September;

A reminder that students’ Semester One Reports have been published to Compass, and that Term Three commences on Monday 15th July.

Staffing for Term 3

We welcome back Sue Haylock to the instrumental team. We thank Holly Brick and Emily Shaw for filling.

Naomi Jallais (currently on the Central Tour) heads off on long service leave for the term. We wish her ‘bon voyage’ and will confirm her replacement before the start of Term 3.

We welcome Holly Kruse to our administration team as the receptionist and first aider Monday to Wednesday. On those days, Louise Alford will move to targeted admin tasks like Cases, VASS, support to principal team etc.

Push Up Challenge – we're done!

Thanks to everyone who participated, and special thanks to the student leaders and Kathy Halpin, who made it all come together. It was a particular work of passion for school captain Keira Pontefract, who raised the program as an idea and led it in 2023. Today’s free dress day raised over $500. It’s not too late to contribute: https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/fundraiser/mullaunacollege

We celebrated today with a special sausage sizzle, thanks to the efforts of our student leaders and college captains, P&CA and community. Special thanks to Elisabeth Waycott (and sons!), Liesl Coulthard (and son James), and Carlie and Simon Huppatz. It was a highlight to be joined by MLC for Eastern Region Nick McGowan and his assistant Nathan Furlong. Nick helped with sausage serving and then joined us on the hardcourts for a final burst of push-ups!

Here’s looking forward to next year’s event – bigger, better and pushier!

Update from Central

In less than a week, our 2024 Central Australia Tour group have experienced opal mining in Cooper Pedy, viewed Uluru via foot and by air (with a helicopter scenic flight) at sunset and sunrise, Kata Juta, Kings Canyon and are now exploring Alice Springs and this is just the first week. Our intrepid explorers will soon head into the tropical north visiting Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks before concluding the trip in Darwin. All reports suggest they are having an amazing time with all staff and students making the most of the journey. We look forward to their safe return armed with many great stories and photos to share.

Year 10 Work Experience completed

We hope all of our Year 10 participants appreciated this opportunity. We encourage all eligible Senior School students to undertake this type of experience in their breaks, over summer etc. and not just in Year 10! It’s not a once-off event. Thanks to Nik Smith for coordinating the program and to all the staff who conducted visits over the week.

Year 7 Challenge Community afternoon

This week, our Year 7 students had the opportunity to showcase their semester's learning with a Challenge Community showcase where each class set up displays from each of their subjects to share with not just parents/caregivers, staff and fellow Mullauna students, but also our neighbouring Mitcham Primary students. Our Year 7 students displayed our core values of courage, community and curiosity throughout this event, confidently speaking with each group about their learning, helping our future Mullauna students from Mitcham understand the type of work and subjects they can look forward to in the very near future. Thank-you to the Year 7 Level Coordinator, Ms Chiappa, for organising this event.

Year 9 Skillz

Our Year 9s unfortunately missed our lunchtime bbq today, but they had the privilege of being in the CBD on their orientation activity. Thanks to Aaron Bear and his team for coordinating this innovative program.

Uniform donations

Our P&CA team is calling for donations of good quality second hand uniforms for their support program to our Wellbeing team. If your children have outgrown their uniform, please have them drop them off at Reception.

We are also always happy to receive donations of other items like functioning calculators, textbooks etc., and even some stationery.

Semester One Reports and holiday learning requirements

While the holidays provide the opportunity to rest and refresh, for our senior students, they provide the time to undertake critical revision and preparation, like organising notes (especially Unit 3-4 VCE students) and work on portfolios. For all students this is a chance to reflect on their achievements from Semester One, and to consider what needs to change for improvement.

Some changes you will notice this semester include the addition of an overall performance result for Years 7 – 11 reports which will assist you to determine how a student performs across all their learning tasks throughout the semester. As some tasks are more complex than others, they are now weighted accordingly and teachers determine the overall grade based on this. For year-long subjects, you will be able to directly compare a student's performance from one semester to the next. The other change you will notice is the 5 work habits that were reported on in the progress reports last term are repeated. Again, this is an opportunity to compare how a student is progressing from one term to the next. We urge all families to read students' reports carefully (together with the students), acknowledge and celebrate highlights, and discuss how to focus on addressing gaps and identify areas for growth.

So, if parents have been monitoring their child’s progress on their Learning Tasks, there will be no surprises when viewing their end-of-semester report. The semester report collates the learning tasks outcomes for each subject so they can be viewed on the one page. New information provided on the semester report is feedback about students’ work habits, the Victorian Curriculum Standard levels for Years 7 to 10, and Victorian Certificate of Education outcomes for students undertaking a VCE study.

To view feedback on Learning Tasks, please access the task through Compass. During your well-deserved break, make sure to rest up. In addition, Junior students should get a head start on Semester Two work by reading your English novel. Senior students should make sure they are clear about any holiday homework requirements. Remember to revise, organise notes and take advantage of those Edrolo accounts if you have access to prepare for upcoming outcomes and units of work. All students should take the time to consolidate the skills and knowledge gained in Semester One, and hopefully return from the break feeling energised and ready to tackle Term Three.

Year 12 English - holiday learning

We are gearing up for the culmination of the secondary school English journey and heading into Term 3. A well-earned rest is needed, balanced with carefully considered and targeted learning. Selected to support success, these are the key home learning tasks to complete over the break: 

1. Complete an Argument and Language Analysis essay on the supplied persuasive text: ‘Tech solutions to limit kids' access to social media are fraught.’

2. Complete units on Edrolo: VCE English Units 3 & 4 – Analysing argument [2024] Sections 1- 3. 

3. Read ‘Oedipus the King’ by Sophocles. As you read, annotate with any questions, ideas and wonderings. At the end of Week 3, we begin our study of the text.

Wellbeing Support

Some students may feel stressed or anxious over the upcoming school holiday period. If you are experiencing distress, we would encourage you to reach out to trusted adults in your world. If you are struggling to talk to a trusted adult at home, there are a number of community supports available via phone services and online chats. Please find attached a summary of supports available. Some of these supports offer 24/7 phone counselling and/or online counselling options to speak to trained mental health professionals. We hope you find some time for rest and relaxation during the break, ready to come back refreshed and ready for Term 3. 

Semester One staff priorities

Throughout the semester, our staff have engaged in Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) focusing on writing in our classrooms and providing students with more opportunities to write using a variety of writing styles. During our PLC meetings, staff shared and analysed writing samples to determine what was happening for our learners in this area and to

inform the learning and teaching sequences they were undertaking. This work culminated in our PLC teams presenting in a staff meeting, sharing the strategies they will continue to use and develop in future. As we begin Semester 2, our PLC focus will be on differentiation, ensuring we are providing our students with stimulating and appropriately targeted learning opportunities.

OPTIONAL DONATION – Open now on Compass

We wish to remind the Mullauna Community of the opportunity to donate to the Mullauna College Building Fund, especially before the end of the financial year, and that all contributions to the Mullauna College Building Fund are tax-deductible. The School Council, staff and the wider Mullauna College community are sincerely appreciative of all donations to the Building Fund. With your continued support, we can ensure Mullauna College continues its tradition of excellence, in facilities that are well-maintained and well-equipped. Our thanks to Jeff McMillin and our Facilities Manager, Luke Handley, for their tireless efforts in maintaining our grounds and facilities.

Course Counselling for 2025

A reminder to all families as we move into our 2025 Pathways and Course Counselling program of this next vital work undertaken by Nik Smith and the subschool teams. This program will commence early in Term 3 and will involve: numerous resources on Compass newsfeeds; year level assemblies; a parent and student subject expo for Years 9 and 10; and some individual course counselling for certain year levels. Year 9s have already undertaken preparatory work through their SkillZ classes. Choosing a course and subjects for 2025 is an important part of high school and enables students to develop an academic program that best suits their needs, interests and abilities. Parents and students are strongly encouraged to engage fully in this process, to ensure the best outcomes for all students.

Year 9 and 10 Family Subject Expo and Pathways evening – 6pm Wednesday 24th July (Week 2, Term 3)

All current Year 9 and 10 students have received a flyer about this evening, where each faculty will present 2025 subject offerings and key college leaders will present course selection advice (especially with regard to the more complex English, Maths and Science pathways).

All Year 9 and 10 students and their parents are required to attend to ensure they fully understand the process, requirements and pathway implications.

Each year level will attend an information session in the PAC and the subject expo with Heads of Faculty in F Block.

The evening commences at 6pm and should conclude around 7.00pm.

A third and compulsory information session for Year 10 students interested in the VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM) will be held at 7.00pm; this is in addition to the information and faculty sessions.

New subjects to be offered in 2025 include:

· Year 10 Literature (semester length elective)

· Year 11 (Units 1 & 2) Literature

· Year 11 (Units 1 & 2) Specialist Maths

Lateness to School – a reminder for Semester 2

As Period 1 classes start at 8:50 a.m. every day, we recommend that students arrive by 8:30am. This will allow them to be at their Period 1 class, with all required materials, by 8:45 a.m. so that they can start their lessons promptly.

It is essential that parents ensure that students arrive at school on time to prevent disruption to their child’s own learning and that of others. Children who arrive late are greatly disadvantaged because:

1.  They miss starting the day with their peers.
2.  They are unable to prepare effectively for classes.
3.  They miss the beginning of lessons, meaning that they are often unsettled and confused about the learning intentions and class tasks. As the class is already working, their teacher will not always be able to re-explain work.

It is also very important that high school students establish good routines and habits in preparation for the rest of their lives. Punctuality is a life skill that they need to develop whilst they are young.

We understand that there may be rare occasions when students are unavoidably late due to unforeseen circumstances. On these occasions, please make sure that you provide a written note for your child, or entry on the Compass portal, prior to arriving at school, to inform us of the reason for the lateness.

Uniform Reminder

School uniform has again been a topic of debate in the news media. We love to see our students wearing the correct uniform with pride, including when they are out in the community. As we continue through the winter months, students and families are reminded that our College uniform is compulsory and must be worn to school each day. Recently we have been having some cold winter days and we recommend students layer up their uniform to stay warm. Students are welcome to wear additional white undergarments beneath their polo shirt or school jumper as long as they are not visible.

Uniform passes are available for students who require a short-term exemption for their uniform. If a student is unable to wear an item of uniform at any time, please send your child with a note of explanation to the Year Level Coordinator before school, where they will receive a uniform pass for the day. Students will need to keep their uniform pass on them at all times and show it when requested.

If there are financial barriers that are preventing families from purchasing uniform items, we would encourage you to reach out to our Wellbeing Team. We would like to thank families for their support in ensuring that students wear the correct uniform each day.

2023 MC Annual report to the School Community

Mullauna's annual school report for 2023 is our evaluation of the school, its teachers, students and the school community during the year. The report details statistical information about the school, such as how our students have performed in the VCE, against national standards for reading, writing and numeracy in the NAPLAN tests and details of the learning outcomes of students, drawing from the school's internal assessment programs. The report also summarises the school's initiatives, targets, achievements and aspirations.

It can be found on the college website: https://mullauna.vic.edu.au/our-college/policies-reports/

All the best for the break – stay well and safe! See you in Term 3.

Jeff McMillin, Michael Bray & Harry Ruff

The MC Principal Team

Coming key dates:

Term 2

Friday 28th June – Final day of Term 2 – Semester One reports published – Links published

Term 3

Monday 15th July – Start of Term 3

Friday 19th July – Staff Professional Learning Day - Differentiation and Disability & Inclusion (student free)

Wednesday 24th July – 6pm - Year 9 and 10 Family Subject Expo

Saturday 7th September – P&CA Comedy for a Cause evening

Wednesday 18th September - Student Learning Conferences

Friday 20th September – Final day of Term 3

Term 3 Student-free Days – please take note

We have two student-free days scheduled for next term:

1.  Friday 19th July is our Staff Professional Learning day
2.  Wednesday 18th September is our planned Student Learning Conferences day (TBC)

Term 4

Monday 7th October – First day of Term 4

Monday 4th November (Cup Eve) - Professional Practice Day (student free)

2024-25 Headstart program:

1. Senior classes (current Years 9-11) – Week 9 (2nd to 6th December)
2.  Junior classes (current Years 7-8) – Weeks 9 and 10 (2nd to 11th December)
3.  Year 8 Camp – Monday 9th to Wednesday 11th December

Summer Program (current Years 7 & 8) – commences Week 10 (Thursday 12th December)

Staff Professional Learning and Time in Lieu acquittal – Weeks 10 and 11

Final Day – Friday 20th December (student-free)

2024 Term Dates Term 1 - 29 January to 28 March Term 2 – 15 April to 28 June Term 3 – 15 July to 20 September Term 4 – 7 October to 20 December

2024 Term Dates

Term 1 - 29 January to 28 March 

Term 2 – 15 April to 28 June 

Term 3 – 15 July to 20 September 

Term 4 – 7 October to 20 December