Year 11 - Year in Review

Right from the start of the year, the goal of the year 11 Coordinators was to develop connection amongst the year level going into the VCE program. The year 11s started the year with an entire week of excursions. The swimming and tree surfing led to loads of fun moments as well as some new friends and memories. The VCE students also received valuable insight into some university options available after they finish school. The University excursion included a tour of the campus and activities related to some of the subjects offered. The house swimming carnival also occurred at this time, and there was some fierce competition amongst the year levels! Out of the 6 age group champion awards (2 of which are exclusively for junior school students), three were won by our fabulous Year 11 students. Congrats to Brady Symons, Jack Gillespie and Tilly Chaffey for their amazing performance in the swimming carnival.

For the VCE VM students, there was plenty to do during Term 1. They received their RSA and food handling certificate after a day of hard work. The barista training occurred over multiple weeks and allowed the students to achieve their qualifications as baristas. They put their newfound skills into practice as they ran a café for students on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Later in the term, the VCE VM students had the opportunity to do on a Grand Prix excursion to Albert Park. This was so that they could gain the knowledge to be able to construct a scale model of both a race car and the race track for their mathematics program. In order to raise money for FoodBank, VCE VM students hosted the FoodBank Fundraiser. They ran a BBQ at lunch time, as well a crowd favourite colour fun run and teacher pie face event (which was also very popular). There was a food fight between the year 7s and the year 11s too! There was also an obstacle course for students to race their friends. Altogether, the students raised over $ 1,400 for the FoodBank organisation to support families experiencing food insecurity. Furthermore, the VCE VM students were given $20 to start their own business, which they ran for the duration of the school day. But what were the VCE students doing during this busy time for the VM students? Well, they were studying hard and doing their first few SACs, as well as finding their feet during their new subjects.

To start off Term 2, many Year 11s participated in the House Athletic Sports, in many sports such as many running races, relays that showcase one of the school values of connection, long jump, high jump, shotput and discus. One of our Year 11s, Aaliyah H, was runner-up for the senior girls as an individual champion! The next big event for the Year 11s was for VCEs, with their Career Action Plan incursion, where they spent around an hour reworking their career action plans and be recommended any changes that they could make, showcasing our school value of growth by changing their career action plan made last year in accordance to what they’ve learnt over the year. Following this was the House Music Festival, where a handful of Year 11s worked together in their individual houses to compete, showcasing respect for the other houses and connection within their houses, with Bass coming on top and winning the Festival, with two Year 11s performing from Bass. Next was the Try a Trade Expo, where Year 11 VCE VM students attended to investigate post-school education and employment opportunities. With an extensive range of exhibits, students could get face-to-face advice and learn about occupations and courses they may not have considered before. And to finish off the term, VCE Year 11s went through their Unit 1 Exams, toughing through a week's worth of exams to test their abilities to apply the knowledge that they have learnt throughout the first semester, showcasing the value of growth by extending themselves and learning how to apply their knowledge under timed conditions.

At the start of Term 2, our VM crew went on an excursion to the Yakult Factory and Dandenong Market. Students observed product manufacturing and learned about the work involved in running a business. Next, the Road Smart Interactive Incursion was also very helpful, as many Year 11s have begun learning how to drive and building our road safety awareness.

In History, the excursion to the Vietnam War Museum provided a meaningful and respectful insight into Australia’s past. The VM Careers Expo, attended by KWR Primary’s 5/6 students, was a significant event. Year 11s engaged with the younger students and assisted them in exploring their future directions. VM students and PE students also enjoyed Wheelchair Basketball, which was both fun and eye-opening, reminding us of the importance of inclusion and team spirit.

One of the biggest highlights this term was the school musical, Shrek. The show followed Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona on their hilarious adventure to save the swamp. It was full of energy, jokes, and heart. Several Year 11 students took part as cast and crew, helping bring the story to life through acting, singing, dancing, and behind-the-scenes work. The musical was performed for both our school community and several local primary schools, allowing younger students to experience live theatre. It was a considerable achievement and a great display of creativity and confidence.

Last, but not least, we have Term 4. This was an exciting time for all Year 11 students as the year was coming to a close. It started with an excursion to Swinburne University for the VCE students. Here, the year 11s had to find their own way into the city. Once they were at the university, they had a guided tour and then completed workshops. These workshops challenged the Year 11 students, and many incredible ideas were created. There was also a VCE biology excursion to the Moonlit Sanctuary. The biology class got their own tour at the sanctuary, and they had to go around to each animal and figure out their adaptations. The following Year 11 VCE excursion was for the media studies class. They all got to travel into the city and go see the hit show ‘Tipping Point’ being filmed. During this excursion, they got to be a part of the live audience. They also had a tour of the studio as well. After this, they even got to go into ACMI and look at some of the exhibits.

Next up was the exciting selection of the Year 12 Leaders. Year 11 students got to throw their hat in the ring and put themselves down to lead the school in 2026. First were the school captains, where five Year 11 students competed for the roles. Then came all the other captains, such as house captains, performing art captains and sustainability captains as well. Congratulations to all the successful applicants!

The VM students finished the year with a special end-of-year program. This involved the VM class splitting into two groups for a community service day. One group went down to the Koo Wee Rup men’s shed. Here, the VM group planted plants for the bandicoot habitats and had a well-deserved barbecue lunch. The other VM group stayed at the school and worked in the wetlands. The VM students also had the opportunity to gain their first aid certificates at the end of the year program.

After a successful term, the Year 11 VCE students finally sat their exams. They were ready to take these head-on, with some students even taking on year 12 exams. These exams were great practice for the Year 11s for their big step up into year 12 next year

It has been amazing to see the growth in our Year 11 students this year, and we can’t wait to see how they progress even further as leaders of the school in Year 12 2026!

By Tom Francis, Amber Gibb, Mylee Turner and Brady Symons

Term 1 2026 Dates
Curriculum Day - No Students	Tuesday, 27 January
Students Start - Years 7, 11 VCE and VM,12 VCE	Wednesday, 28 January
Students Start - Years 8, 9, 10, 12 VM	Thursday, 29 January
Whole School Photos	Tuesday, 17 February
Swimming Carnival	Tuesday, 24 February

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