Principal Report

Dear Families,

Welcome to Week 7 of Term 4. There is a lot happening across the college at the moment as we move toward the end of the school year, so please make sure you stay updated with daily events and notices. Thank you for your ongoing support as we work together to finish the year positively and smoothly for all students.

It was a pleasure to attend the Mortlake Remembrance Day service last Tuesday alongside our school captains, Molly and Jack, who represented the college with maturity and respect. It is important that we continue to acknowledge and remember significant events like Remembrance Day, honouring those who served and ensuring their sacrifices are never forgotten.

This week we will be announcing our 2026 College Captains and Student Leaders. Student Leadership will look a little different in 2026, with the introduction of two new positions: ‘Student Voice’ and ‘Community Engagement’. These roles will strengthen student agency and deepen connections across both our school and the wider community. Our student leaders will be guided and supported by Miss Amy Lodge as they step into these responsibilities. All leadership positions will be announced at a whole-school assembly and then shared with families via Sentral.

Our primary students are currently taking part in their Water Safety Swimming Program. This program is an essential part of their learning, giving students the opportunity to build confidence in the water while developing important safety skills. Learning how to stay safe around water is crucial, and these sessions help equip students with lifelong skills that support their wellbeing both in and out of school.

This week concludes 2025 exams for students completing Unit 3–4 subjects. Our Year 11’s and students completing Unit 1–2 subjects will also sit their exams this week, giving them valuable experience and preparation for the demands of senior study. We are incredibly proud of all our students, particularly our Year 12s. A reminder that we look forward to celebrating our Year 12 students’ achievements at the Graduation Dinner on Thursday, 4th December, followed by the Senior Presentation Night for students in Years 7–12 on Monday, 8th December.

This week marks the final week of 2025 classes for our Year 6–11 students. Next week we launch into our two-week HeadStart Program beginning Monday, 24th November. HeadStart is a fantastic opportunity for students to step confidently into their 2026 learning. It allows them to meet their new teachers, understand expectations early, organise their learning routines, and begin work on key concepts before the school year officially begins. Students can settle into new subjects, explore fresh content, and build positive learning habits without the pressure of assessments. Most importantly, HeadStart gives them a strong, calm, and motivated beginning to the new year, setting them up for success from day one.

Our Primary classes for 2026 will consist of a Prep–1, Year 1–2, Year 2–3, Year 4–5, and Year 6 class structure. Sadly, we will be saying goodbye to Dianne Britton, who has been a magnificent part of our Primary Team over the past two years. We also wish Nikki Robertson well as she moves into a new role in 2026, teaching Year 7 English and Humanities, and Year 6 Numeracy at the college. A new primary teacher will be joining our team, and I will share this information with all families once our staffing profile is finalised across the college.

Last Friday, our 2026 Prep students attended their first transition session. All students had a wonderful time, and we are excited to welcome them back for their next session this Friday, 21st November.

We were delighted to provide all our new Prep families with a welcome pack for them to take home to prepare for the exciting school year ahead.

2026 Prep Transition Program

Our transition sessions help prepare children for the beginning of their school journey. They give our future Prep students the chance to explore their new classrooms, meet their teacher, Kelly Reichman, and get to know their classmates while learning routines that help build confidence.

By the time school begins in 2026, we are confident our Prep students will feel comfortable in their new surroundings and ready for a smooth, positive start.

Dates:

Friday, November 21st
Friday, November 28th
Friday, December 5th
Tuesday, December 9th

Mortlake College Wins National Short Film Award

We are incredibly proud to announce that our Year 8 students have been recognised on the national stage at the 2025 Bell Shakespeare Shorts Festival, winning Excellence in Direction for their short film Puck’s Prequel.

This outstanding achievement reflects their creativity, teamwork, and dedication, as well as the unique character and community spirit of Mortlake College. A special thank you to Joel Barker and Rebecca Ledgard for their guidance, expertise, and support throughout the filmmaking process. Congratulations to our talented students — we are so proud of you!

Mortlake College 2026 Presentation Ball

Our College Presentation Ball will be held on Friday, November 28th. Tickets are $10 each, and all families and community members are warmly invited to attend.

Our students have been busy practising their dances and are looking forward to showcasing their efforts on the night. It promises to be a wonderful celebration of their hard work and teamwork.

A huge thank you to Melissa Fowler for her outstanding coordination and dedication in organising this magnificent event for our students and families.

Creating a Safer Online World for our Students

We’d like to share an important update with our school community: from 10th December 2025, a new national law will prevent children under the age of 16 from holding accounts on most social media platforms. This includes commonly used sites such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. The aim of this legislation is to protect young people from risks such as cyberbullying, exposure to harmful or age-inappropriate content, unrealistic body-image pressures, and the development of unhealthy screen-use habits. To support this, platforms will be required to implement age-verification systems, such as validated ID or digital age checks, before allowing users to create an account. Schools and parents play a vital role in supporting this shift: schools will continue to teach safe online behaviours, reinforce responsible technology use, and guide students toward positive digital habits; parents can assist by monitoring device use at home, having open conversations about online safety, and modelling healthy, balanced technology habits. Together, we can help provide a safer online environment that supports the wellbeing and healthy development of all young people.

Moving to Compass in 2026

We’re excited to share that from the beginning of 2026, Mortlake P–12 College will be moving from Sentral to Compass as our new school management and communication platform.

Compass will provide a more modern, efficient, and family-friendly system that brings everything together in one place — attendance, reporting, student progress, events, and communication. It will make it easier for families to stay informed and engaged in their child’s learning, and for staff to manage day-to-day tasks more effectively.

Some of the key benefits of Compass include:• A simpler, more intuitive interface for families and staff• Instant notifications and messages to keep parents updated with school events and student information• Streamlined attendance and reporting, with improved access to student learning data• Mobile app access, making it easy to connect from anywhere

Student Reports:

We recommend that families download or print all student reports from Sentral, especially families who are leaving Mortlake College at the end of 2025. Student reports will be stored digitally in Compass from 2026 onwards.

We’ll be providing information and support sessions for families early next year to help everyone become familiar with the new platform. This transition marks an exciting step forward for our school community as we continue strengthening communication and partnerships between home and school.

2026 Parent Payments

Parent Payments play an important role in supporting the college to deliver programs and resources that are not funded by the Department of Education.

For 2026, stationery will be supplied through Officeworks. A dedicated Parent Portal has been set up, allowing families to access our Business Account discount. When comparing previous stationery costs with the new Officeworks pricing, we have found that Officeworks is slightly cheaper across all subjects.

Families are welcome to purchase stationery elsewhere if they prefer; however, the Officeworks portal provides a simple and user-friendly way to select items by year level or subject and offers flexible payment options.

If you have not received your 2026 Parent Payment information letter, please contact the office urgently so we can ensure you have everything you need for the year ahead.

Changes to Digital Device use in Primary Schools

The Department of Education has announced upcoming changes to the use of digital devices in primary schools (Prep to Year 6).From 2027, schools will:

• No longer require families to buy or supply their own devices (such as iPads, laptops or Chromebooks) for school use.• Follow new daily screen-time limits: with very limited device use for Prep–Year 2 students, and up to 90 minutes per day for Years 3–6.

This means that from 2027, schools will be expected to provide shared class sets of devices rather than each child having their own. At this stage, we are still awaiting further information about how this initiative will be funded so that we can successfully implement these changes.

In the meantime, Mortlake College will continue in 2026 with our current digital technology program, where Year 3 students purchase a Chromebook to use from Year 3 through to Year 6. These upcoming changes will not impact current or 2026 students, as the new requirements do not begin until 2027. The cost of student Chromebooks in 2026 will be $335 each.

We will continue to share updates with families as more information becomes available from the Department.

2027 – Moving Towards a New School Uniform

We’re pleased to share some important updates regarding our school uniform as we work to ensure consistency, comfort, and availability for all students.

Lowes will become our new uniform supplier for the black jackets and black shorts. They will also complete the artwork and design updates for the remaining uniform items in preparation for supplying families from Term 4, 2026. This means we are now moving into the implementation stage, with the new uniform officially available to families at the beginning of Term 4 next year.

As part of these updates:• The white and red polo shirts and green windcheaters will feature a refreshed design.• The grey shorts will be removed from the uniform list.• The school dresses will remain unchanged and continue with the current design.

We are pleased to confirm that an order of school dresses will arrive at the college before Christmas, ensuring they are available and ready for 2026.

Once the new uniform becomes available in Term 4, 2026, our current uniform will be slowly phased out over the following years, giving families plenty of time to transition.

We will continue to provide updates as we move closer to the rollout.

Sun Smart Reminder

Just a reminder that we are a SunSmart school. It’s important that all students wear their school hats during outdoor activities and apply sunscreen as needed to protect themselves from harmful UV exposure.

We encourage families to support this by ensuring students bring a hat to school each day and understand the importance of sun protection during this time of year. Together, we can help keep our students safe and healthy while enjoying the outdoors.

Mortlake Christmas Carols Evening

Mortlake College will again be attending the Mortlake Christmas Carols evening on Friday, 12 December. We encourage all families to join us on this special night as the community comes together to celebrate the end of 2025 and the lead-up to Christmas. Our students will be performing Christmas carols, and the college will also be selling showbags to the community. We look forward to seeing many of our families there for this wonderful event.

Important Upcoming Dates

Please continually check Sentral and the newsletter for important dates, student information and highlights of events.

Year 11 Exams commence: Monday November 17th
Chalk Art Day (Selected Students) Wednesday 19th November
Year 7-12 Head Start Program: Monday November 24th (Two Weeks)
School Council Meeting: Tuesday November 25th
Presentation Ball: Friday November 28th
2025 Primary Celebration Assembly: Wednesday December 3rd (In the GGC starting at 6pm)
Year 12 Graduation Dinner: Thursday December 4th
2025 Secondary Celebration Assembly/Presentation Night: Monday December 8th (in the GGC starting at 6pm)
Statewide Orientation Day: Tuesday December 9th
Primary Bike Education Program: Monder December 8th to Friday December 12th
Mortlake Christmas Carols: Friday December 12th
Last Day of Formal Classes (all students): Tuesday December 16th
Last Day the School Office is Open: 4pm Friday December 19th

As always, thank you for your ongoing partnership and support. Please continue to stay connected through Sentral and our school calendar for the latest updates. If you have any questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to contact the office or your child’s teacher.

Together, we can ensure every student feels supported, engaged, and ready to succeed.

Linda Mooseek

Mortlake P-12 College Principal

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