Principal's Report 

VSC FACEBOOK PAGE 

Vermont Secondary College is launching its Facebook page.  The site will be used as an additional method of communication and a way to interact with our students, both past and present, families, and the wider community. The site will also be used to inform the community of upcoming events and to celebrate student/school success. You will find us at Vermont SC and you are invited to follow us, like us, and share our link with anyone who you know is, or has been, connected with the college. 

CARD TRANSACTION SURCHARGE

College Council at its meeting held in November 2023 approved a 1% surcharge on all card transactions in 2024.  This surcharge has now been applied.  This surcharge will assist in deferring some of the merchant costs incurred by the college in providing this service.

 PARENT OPINION SURVEY RESULTS 2017 – 2023 

Each year the college participates in the mandated Department of Education Parent Opinion survey. The survey is optional for parents/guardians and all families are invited to participate. Below are two of the key areas in terms of feedback for the college which greatly assists our forward planning. I thank families for their participation in past surveys and look forward to your participation later in the year in 2024. 

Domain: School Ethos and Environment 

General Satisfaction – ‘Overall, I am satisfied with the education my child receives from this school’ 

2017 = 87% (283 responses) 

2018 = 88% (170 responses) 

2019 = 89% (231 responses) 

2020 = 91% (414 responses) 

2021 = 89% (291 responses) 

2022 = 88% (231 responses) 

2023 = 89% (185 responses) 

School Pride and Confidence 

‘I feel confident that this school provides a good standard of education for my child’. 

2017 = 88% 

2018 = 89% 

2019 = 90% 

2020 = 92% 

2021 = 90% 

2022 = 87% 

2023 = 92% 

Department of Education (DE) Management of COVID-19 in schools 

In any given week we have one or two staff absent due to COVID as well as several students. If your child is unwell, please keep them at home and if symptoms of cold or flu are present, please test for COVID. The following information/advice is via the Department of Education. 

It is recommended that staff members, students or visitors who have symptoms of cold, influenza or COVID-19 undergo testing for COVID-19. Parents of symptomatic students should be asked to collect their child from school and keep them home until they are no longer symptomatic. 

The Department of Health recommends that staff and students who test positive for COVID-19 isolate for a minimum of 5 days and do not attend school until their symptoms resolve.  

If well enough, students should be supported in the same way as students with an extended absence due to illness or injury, with learning material provided to support their continued learning. If well enough students can access the class work via Compass and contact staff via a Teams message. 

National COVID-19 phone line. 

A dedicated COVID-19 advice phone line is available for the general public: 

Phone: 1800 020 080 Hours: 24 hours 7 days a week 

STAFF LEADERSHIP TEAM 2024 

 Principal - Tony Jacobs

Assistant Principals

Cara Macfarlane (Acting)

Mike Stevens

Aidan Message

Business Manager

Pam Brutovic 

Student Services

HOUSES 

HOTHAM (Blue) 

MACEDON (Green) 

STIRLING (Red)

LT - Heads of House 

Ben Healey (Hotham)

Peter Henderson (Macedon)

Jeremy Shannon (Stirling)

Student Managers Year 7 

Alex Scott (Hotham)

Alexis Mitchell & Andrea Freeman (Macedon)

Andrew Nyhuis (Stirling)

Student Managers Year 8 

Sally Nettleship (Hotham)

Michael Malpeli (Macedon)

Alysha Eccles (Stirling)

Student Managers Year 9 

Kay Bird (Hotham)

Amira Muhtaseb & Kiri Caracasidis (Macedon)

Bill Duiveman (Stirling)

Student Managers Year 10 

Anthony Keatch (Hotham)

Alison Daly & Jerome Coles (Macedon)

Jenna Richards & Karin Hubble (Stirling)

Student Managers Years 11 & 12 

Victoria Adams & Lisa McIntosh (Hotham)

Fraser Murray, Tracy Mills & Amanda Jung (Macedon)

 Seamus Billings (Stirling)

Learning Diversity & Inclusion Leader Georgia Cox-Minahan

International Student Co-Ordinator 

Cindy Wu

Pathways & Transitions Leader 

Jenny Stevens

Program Managers

Ben Loh and Jaqueline Wilson

LT- Head of Learning Diversity and Inclusion Kelly Stals

Student Wellbeing Leader 

Leesa Moar

Student Wellbeing 

Alex Tiver

Learning and Teaching

LT - Head of Information Resources & Digital Technology - Kerri Simpson

LT - Head of Learning & Teaching -

Mary Zervos (Acting)

LT - Head of Learning & Teaching -

Flora Moraitis

Learning Area Leaders (LALs)

Commerce Leader 

Sally Jackman

EAL (English as an Additional Language) Leader - Sabine Kioussis

Geography Leader 

Sam Connell

Health/PE/OE Leader

Thomas Smyth

History Leader 

Sarah Grubelnik

Languages Leader 

Fraser Murray

LT - Head of English and Literacy - Senior Tarnya Greer

LT - Head of Numeracy / Mathematics 

Mary Zervos

LT - Head of Science 

Sara Schulz

LT - Head of Senior School Compliance & Assessment 

Laura Gerbing

Learning Specialist - Head of English and Literacy - Junior 

Dominique Doquile

Learning Specialist - Head of IT Operations Chris Paragreen

Learning Specialist - High Ability Practice Leader (HAPL) 

Fiona Cowen

Learning Specialist - Head of Mathematics & Numeracy 

Minhtu Nguyen

Learning Specialist - Head of Visual Art & Materials Technology 

Heather Aeschlimann

Learning Specialist - Science 

Alex Nevins

Performing Arts - Classroom Drama & Music Leader 

Caroline Leavey

Co-curricular Programs

Debating 

Amira Muhtaseb & Sam Connell

English Programs & Competitions 

Tracy Mills

Instrumental Music Leader 

Khristian Mizzi

Maths Programs & Competitions 

Anthony Keatch

Production Director 

Victoria Adams

Sport Leader 

Amy Malander

Sport Assistant 

Shaun Gillespie

College Operations

LT - Head of College Operations (Timetable) Rosemary Neilson

Daily Organisation 

Marianne Powell

Yearbook Coordinator 

Richard Walsh