Principal Report

It is hard to believe that there are now only four weeks remaining of Term 3. As usual, it has been an incredibly busy term at Mortlake College, but also a very productive and rewarding one. There continues to be so much happening across the College, both inside and outside the classroom, and it has been wonderful to see our students embracing the many learning, leadership and extracurricular opportunities available to them.

Last week, I had the pleasure of joining our Year 9 and 10 students on camp in Melbourne. One of the great privileges of being a Principal is having opportunities like this to spend time with our students outside the usual school environment. Camps provide a very different opportunity to get to know our young people, see their personalities shine and watch them support and encourage one another. They are also an incredibly important part of a young person’s development. Being away from home, navigating new experiences and sharing challenges with peers helps students build independence, resilience, confidence and stronger friendships. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the students and was proud of the way they represented themselves and our school while we were away.

Our Student–Teacher–Parent Conferences will be held on Thursday, 10th September. Appointments for these interviews can be made through Compass or by contacting the office. These conferences are an important opportunity for students and families to sit down with teachers and discuss how learning is progressing, celebrate successes and identify areas for continued growth. With the end of the 2026 school year approaching quickly, these conversations can help students understand their next steps and what they can focus on over the remainder of the year.

Families will also receive Term 3 Student Reports before these interviews, which are designed to provide feedback specifically on each student’s attitudes and behaviours towards their learning. These reports differ from our Mid-Year and End-of-Year Reports, which provide more detailed information about students’ academic achievement and growth across the semester. I encourage families to use the Term 3 report alongside the upcoming conferences as an opportunity to talk with your child about their learning habits, effort, organisation and engagement at school.

Planning for 2027 is also well underway. We have commenced the process of finalising subject selections for students who will be undertaking a VCE subject in 2027, and we will shortly begin finalising elective subjects for students in Years 7–10. This is always an exciting time as students begin thinking about their interests, strengths and future pathways. A considerable amount of work occurs behind the scenes to develop a timetable that provides our students with the broadest possible range of learning opportunities.

The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey is also currently available for families to complete. Information on how to complete the survey was forwarded to all families via Compass. I strongly encourage families to take the opportunity to share their views. Your feedback helps us understand what our school is doing well, while also identifying areas where we can continue to improve. Feedback from our school community is an important part of our ongoing planning and improvement processes.

Of course, feedback does not need to wait for a formal survey. We welcome feedback at any time throughout the year. If you have a concern, a suggestion, or simply want to share a “thank you” or acknowledge something that a staff member or the College is doing well, please pop in, give us a call or get in touch. Positive feedback is just as valuable as constructive feedback, and hearing from our families helps us continue to strengthen the partnership between home and school.

This week, we are excited to celebrate Book Week across the College. Book Week is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the importance of reading and the role that books and stories play in developing our students’ literacy, imagination, creativity and understanding of the world around them. Reading is fundamental to learning across every curriculum area, but Book Week also reminds us that reading can simply be about enjoyment, curiosity and discovering a story that captures our imagination.

There will be a number of activities happening throughout the week for both students and staff to enjoy.

Book Week 2026 - Symphony of Stories

This week, we are excited to celebrate Book Week 2026. The following activities will take place across the College this week:

Book Fair

We are excited to once again host our annual Book Fair during Book Week. The Book Fair provides a wonderful opportunity for students and families to discover new authors, stories and interests, while also supporting our school library.

We encourage families to take the opportunity to explore the books available with their children and perhaps find a new favourite! Further information regarding opening times and purchasing will be shared with families.

Guess the Book: Song Challenge

Keep your ears open throughout the week!

Songs played during the school day will be connected to different book titles, and students and staff are all invited to work out which books they represent.

For example:

Arabian Nights → Aladdin
I Am the Grinch → The Grinch

Entries can be submitted in the library throughout the week. The student, or staff member who correctly identifies the most book titles will be announced at our Book Week Parade on Friday.

Guess the Book: Emoji Challenge

How well do you know your books when the words disappear?

Students can visit the Library throughout Book Week to take part in our Guess the Book - Emoji Challenge. A series of emoji clues will represent different book titles, and students will need to put their literary knowledge and problem-solving skills to the test to work them out.

Entry boxes for both the Song Challenge and Emoji Challenge will be in the library.

Book Week Dress-Up Day & Parade: 9:10am Friday, 28th August

We will finish our Book Week celebrations with one of our favourite events of the year - our Book Week Dress-Up Day and whole-school parade.

Students and staff are encouraged to come dressed as a favourite book character.

This year, however, we are adding an extra challenge!

Can You Guess the Staff Book?

Rather than simply dressing as individual characters, many of our participating staff members will be attempting to bring an entire book title to life through their costume.

Students will have the opportunity to look carefully at the staff costumes and guess which book title each staff member is representing. We expect there will be some clever, creative and possibly very unusual interpretations on display!

Families Are Invited!

We warmly invite our families and wider school community to come along and enjoy our whole-school Book Week Parade which will take place in the undercover area.

We would love to see as many families as possible joining us as we celebrate our students, their creativity and, most importantly, the joy of reading.

We can't wait to see the College come alive with characters, book titles, music, emojis and plenty of imagination as we celebrate our very own Symphony of Stories!

Year 7 & 8 Enterprise Market

This Wednesday will mark the third of our Year 7 and 8 Enterprise Markets, and it has been fantastic to see this exciting learning experience come to life over the past few weeks.

Our Year 7 and 8 students have been working incredibly hard behind the scenes to prepare for this year's Enterprise Market, applying the knowledge and skills they have developed throughout their Humanities studies in a real-world setting.

The first two markets have been a wonderful opportunity for students to put their planning into practice, and we encourage students across the College to continue supporting our young entrepreneurs at the remaining markets.

There is a fantastic range of food and treats available, including BBQ items, hot chips, pancakes, cakes, cookies, drinks and more, with something for everyone. Items are very reasonably priced, generally ranging from $1 to $3.

We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm, creativity and dedication our Year 7 and 8 students have demonstrated throughout this project. It has been particularly pleasing to see students grow in confidence as they have progressed from planning their businesses to interacting with customers and putting their ideas into action.

Community Invited to Our Final Market

Our students will bring their Enterprise Market experience to a close with their final market on Wednesday, 2nd September, and we are pleased to invite parents, carers, families and members of our wider community to come along and support our young entrepreneurs.

Opening the final market to our community provides students with another valuable opportunity to experience operating their businesses for a broader customer base and to showcase the work they have put into their businesses throughout the unit.

Attendance at the final market will be by RSVP. This is particularly important as many of our students are selling food and drinks and knowing approximately how many visitors to expect will allow them to plan their production, purchase appropriate quantities and cater accordingly. This is also another important part of the authentic business experience, as students learn to forecast customer demand and manage their stock and costs.

We encourage our families and community members to RSVP via the Compass invite if they would like to attend the final market and come along with some spare change to support our Year 7 and 8 businesses.

We look forward to another successful market this Wednesday and an exciting final Enterprise Market on Wednesday, 2nd September, where our students will have the opportunity to share the results of their hard work with the wider Mortlake community.

Great Victorian Bike Ride – fundraising

Fourteen of our students are gearing up to take part in the Great Vic Bike Ride this November.

To help subsidise the full cost of $750 per student, the group will be fundraising through the canteen each Tuesday, selling a rotating selection of tasty treats such as dim sims, chicken nuggets, party pies and sausage rolls, and nachos. Every purchase will help make this exciting experience more affordable for our students, so keep an eye out for the weekly menu and support our riders by enjoying a delicious Tuesday snack!

The team is also seeking sponsors for its Great Vic Bike Ride jerseys. Local businesses or community members interested in this sponsorship opportunity are encouraged to contact the school for further information.

Father and Friends Fun Evening

The Primary team is excited to invite all students and their dads, grandfathers, uncles and other special father figures to our annual Father and Friends Fun Evening.

The evening will be held on Tuesday 1st September, commencing at 6:00 pm, and promises to be a fun-filled opportunity to spend quality time together as we celebrate the important men and role models in our students' lives ahead of Father's Day.

Events like these are a wonderful way to strengthen family connections, build relationships within our school community and create lasting memories. Whether you're competing in activities, sharing a laugh or simply enjoying time together, we hope it will be an evening that everyone enjoys.

We look forward to welcoming many of our families for what is sure to be another fantastic community event. Further details will be shared with families via Compass closer to the date.

Parent/Carer-Teacher-Student Conferences

Our Parent/Carer–Teacher–Student Conferences/Interviews will be held on Thursday, 10th September, from 12:00 noon to 6:00pm. A reminder to families that students do not attend school for regular classes on this day. Instead, students are strongly encouraged to attend their scheduled conference appointments with their parent/carer and participate in the discussion about their learning.

Prior to the conferences, families will be able to access their child's Term 3 Attitudes to School Learning Report through Compass. This report provides valuable insight into students' learning behaviours, engagement and work habits, and will help support meaningful discussions during the conferences.

While the conferences are an important opportunity to connect, we encourage families not to wait if they have questions or concerns about their child's learning or wellbeing. Our staff value strong partnerships with families and are always happy to arrange a meeting at a mutually convenient time throughout the year. By working together, we can continue to ensure every student is supported, challenged and encouraged to achieve their very best.

2026 Parent and Caregiver Opinion Survey

Each year, Victorian government schools participate in the Parent/Carer Opinion Survey, and we are inviting Mortlake P–12 College families to share their feedback for 2026.

The survey is conducted by the Department of Education and provides families with an important opportunity to share their views about their experiences of our college, including school climate, student behaviour and student engagement.

Your opinions are important to us

The feedback we receive through the survey helps us understand what we are doing well and where we can continue to improve. It also assists us in identifying areas where further development, professional learning or additional focus may be beneficial.

Survey results contribute directly to our school planning and improvement strategies, helping us make informed decisions about the priorities and actions that will have the greatest impact on our students and families. The Department of Education also uses broader survey results for research and to support improved outcomes for students across Victorian government schools.

Families can feel confident providing open and honest feedback as the survey is anonymous and completely confidential. Details on how to access the survey was sent to all families on Compass. If you require assistance to complete the survey, including support in another language, please contact the College office on 5599 2204.

We strongly encourage our families to take the time to complete the survey and thank you in advance for taking the time to share your views and support our school's ongoing improvement.

Finalising 2027 Student Enrolments

As we move towards the end of Term 3, we are currently finalising enrolments for Prep and Year 7 students commencing in 2027. This is an important stage in our planning for the year ahead, and we encourage any families who have not yet submitted their enrolment forms to do so as soon as possible.

Early confirmation of enrolments allows us to effectively plan for 2027 by ensuring we can:

Develop appropriate class structures and staffing.
Provide comprehensive transition programs for our new students.
Allocate resources and support to meet the needs of every learner.
Maintain clear and timely communication with families throughout the transition process.

If your child will be starting Prep or Year 7 in 2027, or if you know a family considering Mortlake P-12 College, we encourage you to contact the College Office for further information or to obtain an enrolment pack.

We have also sent a 2027 re-enrolment form home with all current students. We ask families to please complete and return this form as soon as possible, even if your child will be returning to Mortlake P-12 College next year.

Having accurate information about which students will be returning in 2027 is extremely important for our planning. Student numbers directly inform decisions regarding class structures, staffing, subject and elective offerings, resources and student support. Receiving this information early allows us to plan appropriately and ensure we are best placed to meet the needs of our students from the beginning of the new school year.

If your family's circumstances are changing and your child will not be returning to Mortlake P-12 College in 2027, we also ask that you indicate this on the form so that this can be incorporated into our planning.

Thank you to our families for assisting us by returning enrolment and re-enrolment information promptly. Accurate enrolment information helps us make the best possible decisions for our students and College in 2027.

2026 Parent Payments

A sincere thank you to all families who are up to date with their 2026 Parent Payments or are actively following an agreed payment plan. Your contributions make a significant difference to the programs, resources and learning opportunities we are able to provide for students across all year levels.

We encourage families to familiarise themselves with the College's Parent Payment Policy, which provides information about the different categories of payments and contributions requested by the College. Extra-curricular activities are offered on a user-pays basis and, while participation in these activities is optional, they provide valuable opportunities that complement and enrich students' learning and engagement at school.

As we begin planning and budgeting for the 2027 school year, we kindly ask families with outstanding 2026 Parent Payments to finalise these as soon as possible, or to contact the College if you need to discuss your individual circumstances.

Timely payments assist the College with forward planning and help us continue to provide the broad range of educational experiences and opportunities we want for our students.

We understand that family circumstances can vary, and we encourage anyone experiencing difficulty with payments to contact the College office for a confidential discussion. We are always happy to work with families to explore available options and appropriate payment arrangements.

Thank you again for your continued support and partnership. The contributions of our families are greatly appreciated and play an important role in supporting the opportunities we are able to provide for our students.

Bushfire Readiness

With the warmer weather and longer days of spring just around the corner, we are beginning our annual preparations for the upcoming bushfire season. As part of this planning, we review our emergency management procedures and communicate important information with our school community to ensure everyone is well prepared.

We have recently been advised that Mortlake P-12 College is now classified as a Category 4 school on the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR). As a Category 4 school, the College will close on days when a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating is forecast for the Southwest Fire District. If a closure is required, families will be notified as early as possible through Compass and other Department communication channels.

We encourage all families to familiarise themselves with the College's bushfire arrangements and to review their own bushfire plans at home. Taking the time to prepare now will help ensure everyone can respond safely should bushfire conditions arise later in the year.

Further information about our bushfire procedures and any updates throughout the fire danger period will be communicated to families as required.

Vaping: An Important Message for Secondary Students and Families

We would like to bring an important health and wellbeing concern to the attention of our secondary students and families.

Unfortunately, we have recently had a number of incidents involving students vaping at school. We want to be very clear with our students and families that vaping is not permitted at Mortlake P-12 College, and we take incidents involving vaping seriously.

Under Victorian law and Department of Education policy, smoking and vaping are prohibited on all school premises, within four metres of any pedestrian entrance to school grounds, and at school-sanctioned events and excursions held away from the College. This applies regardless of whether an e-cigarette contains nicotine.

Vaping is not simply a behavioural issue - it is a significant health and wellbeing concern for young people.

Many e-cigarettes contain nicotine, even when they are labelled or promoted as being nicotine-free. Nicotine is highly addictive, and young people can become dependent on nicotine more quickly than adults. The Department of Education also advises that nicotine can interfere with the way a young person's brain develops, potentially affecting memory and concentration.

E-cigarettes can also expose users to harmful chemicals associated with lung disease, heart disease and cancer. Vaping can cause acute breathing difficulties and may trigger asthma attacks, while swallowing vaping liquids can result in nicotine poisoning.

What Happens if a Student is Caught Vaping at School?

Students found vaping or in possession of a vaping device at school can expect the matter to be taken seriously. In accordance with Department of Education guidance and our college behaviour processes, responses may include:

confiscation of the vaping device, which will be securely stored for collection by a parent/carer
contact with the student's parent/carer
referral to health, wellbeing or other support services
Consequences may include suspension

Our approach is not simply about consequences. We also want students who may already be vaping or experiencing nicotine dependence to know that asking for help is different from being caught vaping at school. Students who approach a trusted staff member because they are concerned about their vaping and want support will be treated as a wellbeing matter and supported to access appropriate assistance.

We Ask Families to Talk About Vaping at Home

We strongly encourage all parents and carers of secondary students to have a conversation with your child about vaping, even if you do not believe they are currently using e-cigarettes.

Talk openly about what they know about vaping, whether they are seeing it amongst their peers and the pressure young people may experience to try it. Having these conversations at home, alongside the education and support provided at school, is an important part of helping our young people make informed and healthy choices.

We ask families to reinforce our clear expectation: vaping has no place at school.

At the same time, if you are concerned that your child is already vaping or may be dependent on nicotine, we encourage you to contact the College so that we can work together to support them.

Working together as a school and parent community is essential in helping our young people understand the risks associated with vaping and make positive choices for their health, wellbeing and future.

Student Mobile Phones Reminder

A reminder to families and students that student mobile phones are not to be used during the school day. In line with our school expectations and the Victorian Government mobile phone policy, phones should remain switched off and securely stored throughout the day.

If a staff member observes a student using or carrying a mobile phone during school hours, the phone will be confiscated and returned to the student at the end of the school day. We appreciate the support of families in reinforcing this expectation, which helps minimise distractions and supports student engagement, wellbeing, and positive learning environments across our school.

With four weeks still ahead of us, there is plenty more learning and activity to come before the Term 3 break. I look forward to seeing our students continue to make the most of every opportunity and finish the term strongly.

Linda Mooseek

Mortlake P-12 College Principal

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