Principal's Message

Dear Families,

Our School Review has been completed and our leadership team is now finalising our next Strategic Plan for 2025-2028. Once the Strategic Plan is completed and endorsed by the Department, it will be published on our website for parents and carers to view. We are also currently working on the Annual Implementation Plan for 2025 which outlines how our school will implement actions and activities to achieve the goals we have set ourselves to further improve student outcomes. 

We have also commenced work on the timetable for 2025. I ask that parents/carers please notify our school as soon as possible if your child will not be attending VUSC next year. This will assist us in our planning and teacher recruitment for 2025. 

Parent Opinion Survey 

The annual Parent Opinion survey took place this term. The Department of Education survey is an important way for us to gather information about parent perceptions of the school. 

The anonymous survey invited parents to rate their experiences of the school across a range of areas including transition, approachability, student behaviour & safety, homework, etc.

Parent responses are collated by the Department and the information is then provided back to the school in Term 4. The results are extremely important to us and we analyse them carefully. This information is used in a variety of ways to inform planning for 2025.

Upcoming China Tour

24 students and 4 teachers from our school have the chance of a lifetime – the opportunity to go to China for 2 weeks from the 8th – 22nd September to learn about the Chinese culture and their education. The Jiangsu Victoria Education Centre has selected our school to receive funding for VUSC to travel to China, see all the sites, visit our sister school, learn about China and immerse themselves in their culture, and spend time with their host families.

While students are in China they will learn about the country and complete a unit of work which will compare schooling and education in China with Australian schooling. Students will collect photos of Ancient Chinese culture and modern Chinese life. Students will then be required to share their learning with other students in the school. 

Annual Music Concert

I'm thrilled that our 2024 Annual Music Concert was a huge success! Our student musicians performed like true professionals, showcasing their incredible talents and hard work.

A special thank you goes to our music staff for their dedication, effort, and commitment to preparing our students for this event. Their hard work truly paid off, and the outstanding performances were a testament to their guidance and support.

A special thanks also goes to our Music Leader, Robert Breen. Robert works tirelessly to lead the development of our music programme, and his dedication does not go unnoticed. His passion and commitment have greatly contributed to the success of our students and our music events. We are truly fortunate to have him guiding our team and inspiring our musicians.

The Annual Music Concert was a celebration of our students’ achievements and the impact the music team together have made on our student’s musical journey. Well done to all the students involved.

Wear It Purple Day – Friday 30th August

Wear It Purple day took place on Friday 30th August.  Both the Junior and Senior SRC students worked extremely hard to recognise ways to support 'Wear it Purple Day" within our school community. 

The principles of Wear It Purple are to:

• Advocate for and empower rainbow young people
• Celebrate and promote the value of diversity and inclusion in all community settings
• Raise awareness about sexuality, sex and gender identity and challenge harmful social cultures and
• Champion rainbow role-models to help young people establish the confidence to be who they are.

It sits within our college’s school value, Respect Yourselves and Others and seeks to build Emotional, Social and Spiritual Wellbeing capacities. This also aligns with the Rights Resilience and Respectful Relationships curriculum by creating a safe environment for all students at VUSC.

This year VUSC implemented Wear It Purple day by:

• encouraging students to wear a purple accessory item or a purple ribbon
• providing information in home groups and
• making a pledge wall.

Student Insurance & Ambulance Cover

A reminder to families that neither the Department of Education or the school provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for students. Parents/guardians of students are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of an ambulance or any other transport for their child. Insurance policies can be purchased from commercial insurers. Ambulance cover can be purchased from Ambulance Victoria here. 

Uniform

A reminder that students must be in summer uniform in Term 4. Ties are optional when wearing the shirt in terms 1 and 4, and trousers may be worn all year round. Families are encouraged to buy and sell second hand uniform items on the Sustainable School Shop website, where uniform details and suggested prices are already preloaded. 

Finally, I wish all of our school families a relaxing break and I look forward to seeing you in Term 4. 

Elaine Hazim

College Principal

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Child Safety and Wellbeing at VUSC: Information for families and the school community

Victoria University Secondary College is committed to providing a child safe and child friendly environment, where students are safe and feel safe. 

The Victorian Government has announced new Child Safe Standards to further strengthen child safety across organisations, including schools. The new standards recognise the critical importance of families and the broader school community in maintaining and promoting child safety and wellbeing. 

VUSC has reviewed and updated our child safety policies and procedures to ensure they meet the requirements of the new standards. These are available to download below and can also be viewed on our school website. 

We are committed to continuous improvement in our approach to child safety and wellbeing and welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on ways we can further strengthen our child safety policies, procedures and practices. 

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, please contact your campus and speak to your Campus Principal.