Principal's Report 

2022 YEAR 12 VCE VALEDICTORY DINNER

On Wednesday 16th November 2022 Vermont Secondary College held its Year 12 Valedictory Dinner with approximately 548 people in attendance. The Valedictory Dinner is the largest single annual event we hold, and it is always fantastic to see so many parents, guardians, siblings, friends, and staff paying tribute to Vermont's graduating class. 

The evening allows the college to acknowledge the tremendous contributions that our Year 12 students have made across the breadth of school programs, both academic and co-curricular over their six-year journey. It was a great evening and the feeling amongst the parents, students and staff was wonderful throughout the night.

The contribution of our 2022 Year 12 students to the College program is not just one of an academic nature. They have also significantly input into our student leadership program through the house system, instrumental music program, college production, the sporting competitions, and numerous other co-curricular programs. I would therefore like to thank the students for their substantial contribution to the ongoing success of Vermont Secondary College.

Major award winners on the evening were:-

The Citizenship Award:                     Mandela R 

Ampol All Rounder Award:               Beau H 

2022 Student of the Year Award:   Zachary P 

The above student scholarship awards are generously sponsored by the Lions Club of South Vermont and were presented by Bill Bennett, representing South Vermont Lion's Club. Thank you, Bill for attending and for the ongoing support of the South Vermont Lions Club.

Well done to the three outstanding students on receiving these prestigious awards and thank you so much for your significant contribution to the college program over the years.

Congratulations also goes to the students who received recognition on the evening for their significant contribution to the performing arts, visual arts, and college sports program. Thank you for your outstanding contribution to the broader college program and for your individual and/or team involvement throughout your time here. 

Thank you to the six House Captains for their significant leadership and contribution throughout the year -

Hotham – Zachary P  and Mandela R 

Macedon – Milly M and Ben D 

Stirling – Beau H and Olivia He 

I commend these student leaders for their commitment to the house system and the broader college program and personally thank our two School Captains, Mandela and Zac for the way they have so ably represented the college during their time here.

On behalf of the College, I would like to thank Laura Churcher, Minhtu Nguyen and Laura Gerbing for all their work in the Senior School Program Manager role. 

Minhtu and the two Laura’s have played a significant role in organising and running the many Year 12 activities that the class of 2022 have participated in throughout this year and during their time in Senior School. I thank them for their fantastic contribution and effort this year and for the meticulous planning that is required so the Valedictory evening can run so smoothly.

Thanks also go to the three Heads of House for their commitment to the senior school program – Kelly Stals for Hotham, Peter Henderson for Macedon and Jeremy Shannon for Stirling. Thanks also to the six Senior School Student Managers for all their efforts this year; Caroline Leavey & Sarah Gerrard (Hotham), Cathy Dwyer & Seamus Billings (Macedon) and Kylie Angland & Kristy Arthurson (Stirling). This student support structure was further supported by the Assistant Principals Aidan Message - Hotham, Suzanne Plant - Macedon and Mike Stevens – Stirling. 

Thanks also to Jenny Stevens, and the Pathways Team, for the outstanding job they have done this year in the Pathways role and no doubt will continue to do over the coming months in supporting the class of 2022 in their course selections and chosen pathways. 

I would like to personally thank Laura Gerbing for taking on the challenging leadership role of Head of Senior School Compliance and Assessment on short notice. Laura your work ethic and skill base is greatly appreciated.

On behalf of the class of 2022, I would also like the thank Richard Walsh for the fantastic job he has done in producing the ‘Year 12 magazine’ and the College Yearbook that will serve as a lasting memory for you all. 

Finally, a big thank you to the teaching and education support staff who have contributed to the development of this cohort of students over the last six years.

I congratulate and thank the class of 2022 for their contribution over their past six years at Vermont Secondary College  and I wish you all the best for a positive future.

TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY,

Thank you so much in supporting us, and your child, in getting the current Year 12 students through their VCE exams under some trying circumstances around COVID over the last three years. Our priority over this time has always been to get the students through their Unit 3 & 4 exams unscathed, and despite some difficult moments along the way we were able to achieve this. Credit also goes to the staff for all their hard work in preparing the students for their final year.

I wish all students who completed a Unit 3 & 4 external exam all the best with their results which will be released from 7.00 am on Monday 12th of December. You must register for the Results and ATAR service before you can log in to the website or App and it is highly recommended that you set this up now. Below is a table from the VCAA website that may give results some perspective. On average there is around 50,000 students doing their VCE each year.

Note: The maximum study score is 50. For studies with many enrolments (1000 or more) the following table shows the approximate proportion of students who will achieve a study score on or above the stated values. For studies with fewer enrolments the proportions may vary slightly.

https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/administration/vce-vcal-handbook/sections/Pages/14FinalResultsReportingStudents.aspx

Best wishes for the future, 

Tony Jacobs, Principal