From the Principal
Welcome back everyone. The term started with our annual ANZAC day ceremony. The sun was shining, our College Captains, Jess Randall and Eden Parry with Vice Captain Hamish O’Shea led our community through the ceremony in the presence of more than 40 dignitaries and our student body. The ceremony epitomised our values of respect and community.
Our newly formed Drum Corps led many of us, including Yr 12 VM students to the memorial park in Mornington on ANZAC day. They sounded amazing and I was very proud of them. A community member emailed me on Wednesday.
‘Hello I just wanted to say I sat behind your students at the Anzac Day 10 am service in Mornington today. I want to compliment those young people as they were attentive, interested and very well presented. Congratulations to all involved’.
Our College Captains laid a wreath on behalf of the college community and read the ANZAC Day thoughts - Patience Strong.
This week we welcome Julie Cameron. Julie has replaced Gill McQueen as Leading teacher in Disability and Inclusion. We also welcome back Anna Ganotis and Grant Olarenshaw. Jerry Crabb is on leave for this term and we have advertised for a Maths teacher to replace him.
Students in Year 9 met individually with an external consultant to unpack their Morrisby results. During the meeting, each student is recognised for their abilities, personality and ambitions. This is based on a survey each student completed last term. This information is matched with a suggestion of career pathways and forms the basis of each conversation. Students love learning more about themselves. The external consultants also love the opportunity to speak with our students as the conversations are always positive. Some comments were: “It was a great day!” “The interviews have been great…” “Enjoyed the day.” “Thanks for the opportunity to work with your lovely students.” “Lovely students. You must enjoy working with them.” “Your students were great.” “All of the students have been delightful.” “Always a pleasure.”
Next week, we will begin working with all students with the Attitudes to School survey. This is an opportunity for all students to have a voice. The results are always shared with staff and assists with future planning.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Linda Stanton
Principal
Important Dates
MAY
05/05/23 | VCE and Year 10 Careers Expo - Caulfield Racecourse
10/05/23 | Cross Country whole school trials
24/05/23 - 26/05/23 | Year 7 Camp - The Summit
29/05/23 | Year 10 Vaccination
JUNE
01/06/23 - 2/06/23 | Exams and PAT testing
08/06/23 | Year 12 Fancy Dress
09/06/23 | Staff assessment and reporting - Student free day
12/06/23 | Kings Birthday Public Holiday - Student free day
15/06/23 | GAT day
23/06/23 | Last day of Term 2 - School ends at 2.30pm
JULY
10/07/23 | First day of Term 3
ANZAC DAY
Mornington Secondary College has a long-standing tradition of honouring the ANZAC's through a whole school commemoration concluding at the Avenue of Honour recognising the lives lost from the Mornington community. This year, the service was supported by Minister for Veterans Affairs, Mr Tom McIntosh MP, Member for Mornington, Chris Crewther MP, Briars Ward Councillor MPSC, Councillor Despi O’Connor, Mornington District Basketball Association Ms Sam Brown and Ms Deb Kruger. Local heroes, and organisations such as, Lions Club of Dromana, Rotary Club of Mt Martha and Mornington, Freemason Grand Lodge of Victoria and Bunnings Mornington, along with representatives from the Department of Education Mr Simon Hamilton and Mr Stan Szuty were also present. Students from Mornington Park Primary School and Bentons Junior College came to lay a wreath.
A big thank you to the award-winning Police Pipe Band that attend every year.
It is especially admirable to see the involvement of the College's students in the service, with Year 12 Captains, Jessica Randall and Eden Parry along with Vice Captain Hamish O’Shea guiding the ceremony. Year 7 students served as flag bearers, and the Drum Corps leading the way. It was also inspiring to have the performances of students Baden Southurst and Teagan Williams, who added to the solemnity and dignity of the service.
Principal, Linda Stanton’s speech highlighted the bravery and sacrifice of soldiers throughout history, providing stories about individuals, added a personal touch to the service and made it more meaningful for the attendees. The Avenue of Honour ceremony that follows the service is a fitting tribute to the local men and women who have fought and died for our country's freedom. The laying of wreaths was a poignant moment of remembrance.
It is heartening to see our school community come together to honour and remember the service men and women who have given so much for their country, along with those who still give their life to ensure our freedom. The service is a testament to Mornington Secondary College’s school values and commitment to instilling a sense of responsibility and respect in its students towards their country and its heroes.
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them."
Lest We Forget.
Anzac Day - Mornington Main Street Walk
On Anzac Day, Mornington Secondary College were proud to walk with other schools and members of the community along Main Street to Memorial Park celebrating our service men and women both past and present.
School Captains led the way followed by the Drum Corps, Principal Team, other staff and students.
Thank you to everyone who worked hard to make this happen and to our College community for participating.
Apology to Australia's Indigenous Peoples
Mornington Secondary College is proud to display a beautifully framed copy of "The Apology Manuscript" given by Prime Minister, The Honourable Kevin Rudd MP on February 13th 2008 to Australia's Indigenous Peoples.
Please feel free to visit our main office to view.
The original manuscript is on permanent public display at Parliament House.
Middle School
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to Term 2.
I hope you had a lovely holiday break with your family, and I look forward to another great term working with you.
At the end of last term, we had some great assemblies and students received awards for excellence, effort, and attendance. I hope your child was one of the recipients.
We also had Easter egg raffles as well as barbeques to celebrate the term. The students who help on these occasions cooking the sausages or supporting the Coordinators at assembly, do a wonderful job.
As you know, we resumed Term 2 with our own ANZAC Day service on our first day of return. The service was supported by our newly formed Drum Corps and flag bearers who did a magnificent job.
The dignitaries and family members who attended the college ANZAC Day service praised the students for their solemn attention and respect. It certainly makes one feel very proud.
Parents and Guardian, I would really appreciate if you could reinforce the college routines especially being prepared for class.
Having a routine assists us in being organised, therefore, can I ask you to remind your child to ensure that each evening that they charge their laptops in readiness for the next day.
To start off the day well, another expected routine is that students have all the equipment with them ready for each lesson. The equipment needed for all lessons (unless advised otherwise) includes a pen, exercise book and their laptop.
Wishing you a great week.
Denise Leggett
Middle School Assistant Principal
Senior School
To students and families of the Mornington Senior School,
Welcome to Term 2. I trust you all enjoyed the Easter period and took the opportunity to recharge your batteries, spend some quality time with each other and made the most of the sunshine when it presented. We have enjoyed welcoming our students back and having them return to consistent & predictable routines that come with school life. We are happy to see them with clean uniforms, re-stocked educational materials, and a curiosity for learning.
This will be a fast-paced term for Senior School students, with just 9 weeks in the term, including an exam period for Year 10 and 11. Our Unit 1 & 3 classes will be concluding later this term, with attendance and completion of work to a satisfactory standard the keys to success in these endeavours. Families of students at risk of not succeeding in one or more units will be contacted through Compass as we try to intervene and get students across the line. It is important for families to be engaging in conversations with their children about their progress and checking Compass for marks and feedback about school-assessed coursework.
All students will be asked to reflect on their learning, their strengths and areas for improvement, in the coming weeks to help inform their future pathways and academic achievement for the next part of the year. Students will also be taking part in state-wide surveys in the next few weeks as we seek student voice about their experience with schooling at Mornington. We value our students’ input and will be seeking further insights into that experience.
Upcoming events for each year level include:
Year 10
Careers Expo excursion for all year 10 students on Friday 5th May
Semester one exams (week 7 – dates tbc)
Year 11
Semester one exams (week 7 – dates tbc)
Year 12
Year 12 Formal (Masquerade theme) on Thursday June 8th (6pm-10:30pm).
More details will be made available in the coming days via the Year 12 team.
Nick Evans
Senior School Assistant Principal
Wellbeing
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