Junior School Update

Year 7 Update

Tiegan Whitby, Sophie Balfour and Keeley Aglinskas

As we reach the end of Term Four, we are incredibly proud of our Year 7 cohort and the way they have grown, learned, and supported one another throughout their first year of secondary school. Their transition into high school has been outstanding, and they should be commended for their resilience, enthusiasm, and positive attitude.

This term has been filled with highlights, beginning with our Year 7 Hang Out Day, where students enjoyed a fun and engaging day focused on building friendships and celebrating their achievements. We also held our Best and Carest celebrations, recognising students who consistently demonstrate our school values and strive to be their best selves each day.

We were also excited to have a group of our Year 7 female students participate in the STEM Innovators Program, where they explored a range of future-focused STEM careers. Students visited both Microsoft and Scienceworks, engaging in hands-on activities, hearing from industry professionals, and discovering the many pathways available in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Currently, our Year 7s are enjoying Activity Weeks, an exciting chance for them to try new experiences, strengthen friendships, and finish the year on a high. We are very proud of everything our Year 7 students have achieved this year and look forward to seeing them continue to flourish as they move into Year 8.

Year 8 Update

Jade Kairys, Tim Bunawan and Jaydn Mcgruddy

As we come to the end of Term 4, we are delighted to share some of the wonderful learning, achievements, and experiences our Year 8 students have enjoyed this term. As I’m sure many can agree, this year has flown by, and the Year 8 Team feel incredibly proud and privileged to have been apart of  this busy, rewarding, and memorable year, filled with growth both inside and outside the classroom.

Learning Highlights

In ICARE, students became Entrepreneurs, collaboratively working to design and pitch their own products during our SHARK TANK event. Staff and students browsed the stalls, where our Year 8s utilised their business and marketing skills to entice the customers into voting for their product. Congratulations to Summer Farrell, Isabel Mason, Milla Kerber, Richelle Chea, and Alexa Ryan who came in first place for their mystery books ‘Secret Stories’. STEM challenged the students to show off their creativity and biology skills, by producing life size anatomy posters to accurately display the body systems of a teenager. And in English, all they did was watch movies. Joke’s aside, our students explored and discussed the importance of family, belonging, and finding your place in the world through the critically acclaimed film ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’. 

Extracurricular and Enrichment Activities

Term 4 also brought a variety of opportunities beyond the classroom, where 20 – 30 of our female and gender diverse Year 8 students participated in the STEM Innovators Program. This program ran over 3 sessions, where students were introduced to the world of coding at Microsoft and Science Works, and collaboratively partnered with real-world Engineers and Programmers to code and craft items for Astronauts living in Space. And to finish off a fantastic 3-day event, Science Works treated us to front row seats at the planetarium where both staff and students discovered the reason behind our moon phases, and that Ms Kairys easily gets motion sick! 

Celebrations and Awards 

Student of the Week continued throughout term 4, where each week a year 8 student was nominated by their teachers for displaying academic success, respect to all, and enthused engagement in their classwork. In addition, this student received a ‘gold star’ for their Home Group, and any Home Group that received 5 Gold Stars won a class lunch and party! A big congratulations this term to Addison Proud, Hope Southgate, Hamish Deans, Maegan Marson, Charlie Barrett and Rani Lowe. An even bigger congratulations to 8A and 8D who received 5 Gold Stars and celebrated with a class lunch party and hot chips!  

To finish off the term, we celebrated one last time as a Year 8 cohort with our Term 4 Best and CARE’st Assembly to award numerous students who have continuously demonstrated our Western Port CARE Values and have gone above and beyond with their studies. A HUGE congratulations to Balin Bellinger, Sylas Waddell and Savannah Stephens who received the highest number of Best and CARE’st votes from our staff. They walked away with big smiles, a certificate and a gift card to treat themselves for all their hard work. 

Farewell and Best Wishes

As we say goodbye to Year 8, we would like to congratulate all students on a fantastic year. They have grown in confidence, maturity, and ambition, and we are incredibly proud of their progress. We wish every one of them the very best as they step into Year 9—may they continue to learn, thrive, and make the most of every opportunity.

Thank you for your continued support throughout the year. We look forward to seeing what our students achieve next.

Year 9 Update

Robyn Williams, Georgia Skilton and Lenita Engelke

As we come to the end of an exciting and productive year, it is a pleasure to look back on the many achievements and experiences that have shaped our Year 9 cohort in 2025.

A standout highlight this term was the opportunity for a selected group of Year 9 students to visit Fuji Film as part of an Emerging Leaders Program. The program was designed to build confidence, communication skills and leadership capabilities, while giving students valuable exposure to the corporate environment. The day was highly engaging and offered our students a unique insight into how leadership operates in a professional setting.

This term also marked the completion of our Morrisby Unpacking Program. Students explored their personalised Morrisby results, gained a deeper understanding of their strengths, and investigated pathways and careers aligned to their interests. With ongoing access to their individual Morrisby accounts, students now have a powerful resource they can draw on throughout the next three years to support their senior school planning and decision-making.

We also successfully completed our Redemption process in November. We are incredibly proud of the effort, maturity, and growth our Year 9 students have demonstrated throughout the year.

At Awards Night, we celebrated outstanding student achievement across the cohort. It is with great pride that we acknowledge our Learning DUX Award recipients: Ruby Blake and Chaz Harrison, and our Best All Rounder Award recipients: Murphy Goodwin and Hayley Greensmith. Congratulations to all Year 9 award winners for 2025—Awards Night was a wonderful reflection of the dedication and success shown throughout the year.

As we wrap up, I would like to thank our students and families for their support, enthusiasm, and resilience. Wishing every family a safe, healthy, and happy break, and all the very best as our Year 9 students begin their senior school journey.