VUSC News

Principal's Message

Dear Families,

Welcome

Welcome to a new year at VUSC! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, filled with joy and relaxation. As we embark on a new year and a fresh semester, we are excited to welcome back our students and families to another enriching year.

 

We recognise the important role that both parents/guardians and schools play in developing positive attitudes towards learning and education for children, building their motivation and confidence and fostering their enjoyment of learning. At VUSC this partnership, based on mutual trust and respect and shared responsibility, provides the educational foundation for the creation of a learning environment where every student can experience success, pursue their passions, and contribute to their community. 

 

We invite parents/guardians to work together with us to ensure students are meeting the basic requirements necessary for success in their studies. These include:

  • Excellent attendance and punctuality
  • Bringing the appropriate books and equipment each day 
  • Using class time effectively
  • Completing homework 
  • Keeping to deadlines for submission of work
  • Always putting in maximum effort.

The last point on ‘maximum effort’ is one that underlies all the others, and it will be explicitly emphasised with the students throughout the year. Of course, the chances of this message being conveyed successfully will be much greater if it is also reinforced at home, so we will be most appreciative if parents/guardians too can emphasise the importance of consistent and persistent effort.

 

A checklist is attached of what parents and carers can do to support their children with their schooling this year:

Parent Checklist.pdf

 

The Department of Education has published a new website called 'A New Year of Learning'. The website has case studies and videos featuring teachers, students, and parents and carers sharing their transition experiences and advice.

 

New Staff

We are very pleased to welcome the following staff who are joining the teaching and education support teams this year:

 

Maths – Tuncay (TJ) Islek (JC)

Maths – Anthony Huynh (SC)

Maths – Anthony Zarka (JC)

Maths – Isuri Dona (JC)

Maths – Mimi Luong (JC)

Maths – Stephen Wood (JC)

English – Steven Ho (JC)

English – Alex Chambers (JC)

English - Caroline Willie (iCan)

EAL/English – Leigh Sun (JC)

EAL/English – Didem Aydin (SC)

English – Ben Gibson (JC)

Music / English – Liam Krebs (SC)

Art – Mackenzie Fisicaro (SC)

Youth Worker – Courtney Toangutu  (JC)

VCE VM Work Related Skills – Paul Nucci (SC)

Health & PE – Erin Kypreos (JC)

Daily Organiser & VASS Administrator Support– John Bijelic (JC/SC)

Learning Support - Pamela Salvosa  (JC)

Learning Support – Sophie Heys (SC)

Learning Support – Tevita Kafoa (JC)

Personal Assistant - Kimberley Charles (SC)

SWL / Community Liaison - Ebony Warner (SC)

Food Tech Assistant - Emma Muscat-Charman (SC)

 

Welcome Year 7 Students and Students new to the College

We would like to officially welcome all the new Year 7 students as well as students and families new to the College. The students have settled in well, and have been making friends, learning the new processes and understanding the ways of our secondary school. A particular thank you to the Middle School Team, and all the Year 7 teachers for their support of the Year 7 students. If you have any concerns about how your child is settling, or have any other questions, please contact the relevant Year Level Coordinator: 

 

Year 7 Coordinator - Rebecca Hogarth

Year 8 Coordinator - Broady Kata

Year 9 Coordinator - Damien Downing

Year 10 Coordinator - Vanessa Galea

Year 11 Coordinator - Chalsea Chappel

Year 12 Coordinator - Jeanu Sayachack

 

Compass & Emails to Staff

A reminder that it is very important that all families can log onto the parent portal, Compass. This can be accessed through the College’s website or the Compass app, and usernames and passwords have been sent out previously. On Compass you will be able to see your child/ren’s timetable, assessment results, progress and semester reports, and approve and pay for excursions and events. This year again, we will also be using Compass to book Parent Teacher interviews. 

 

Parents/carers also have access to email your child's teachers via Compass. Please note our guidelines for communications with staff: 

  • Staff are only expected to respond to emails during their working hours.
  • Classroom teachers will only respond to emails that relate to your child's work or academic progress. Issues of well-being, etc. will be forwarded to the relevant Coordinator.
  • Parents & carers are asked to abide by the same requirements of courtesy and consideration as would apply to all other forms of communication.
  • Please avoid the discussion of other students, contentious, or highly-confidential issues via email.
  • Be aware of and respect the three day turn around for a response.

If you have any difficulty logging on to Compass, please contact the General Office on 9363 1155.

 

Congratulations Class of 2024

Victoria University Secondary College congratulates all our Year 12 graduates in 2024 for their hard work and the fantastic outcomes achieved as a group collectively. The college has been very pleased by the level of aspiration and collaboration demonstrated by this cohort, who worked well together across the year and throughout the examination period. 

 

I want to congratulate all the Year 12 VCE and VCEVM students for their excellent results and accomplishments at the end of 2024. Their hard work, dedication and resilience have truly paid off, and they should be very proud of themselves.

 

We commend each graduating student in the class of 2024 for their achievements and we are confident that they are well prepared to take their next steps in life.

 

VCE Results

Congratulations to our 2024 College Dux, Steven Giang who achieved an ATAR of 97.35. Steven will be studying Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne. The 2024 Proxime Accessit was a tie between Justin Giang (Steven’s cousin) and Adin Mulahusic  who both achieved an ATAR of 96.4. Both will be studying Science/Engineering at the University of Melbourne.

 

Overall, there were eight students with an ATAR in the 90s, 11 students in the 80s and 20 students in the 70s. The school’s VCE English median increased from 30 to 31 (mean 30.8) equalling its highest ever median. 

 

The college’s VCE General Mathematics median jumped from 30 to 32 (mean 31.4) which is also its highest ever median.

 

The percentage of 40+ VCE study scores was the highest ever at 6.8 percent. The highest study score attained was 49, both in Health and Human Development, and Applied Computing Data Analytics. 

 

University offers for students includes 11 in Accounting/ Business, 4 in Biomedicine, 4 in Engineering, 12 in Health Science, 6 in Information Technology, 9 in Law/Justice, 4 in Music Performance and 4 in Nursing. 

 

We also congratulate several students who have obtained full time apprenticeships after commencing their trade during Year 12 under the HEADSTART program. HEADSTART is a Department of Education program that bridges the gap between education and employment, enabling students to commence their apprenticeship or traineeship during their senior school education. HEADSTART supports and mentors students to complete their academic learning with hands-on industry experience and offers an opportunity to gain practical skills and industry knowledge in their chosen career path. 

 

Congratulations to the following HEADSTART students at VUSC: 

■ Gabriel Estoseres who is completing his Certificate II in Automotive Body Repairs Technology and has started a full-time apprenticeship with the employer this year.

■ Harry Fisher who completed his first year of a Certificate III in in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Technology. 

■ Sitiveni Tavita who is completing a Certificate III in Carpentry and will continue as a full-time apprentice with his employer this year. 

■ Jayden Tran who is completing a Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology and will continue as a full-time apprentice this year. 

■ Oscar Brown is completing a Certificate III in Carpentry and will continue a full-time apprenticeship with his employer this year. 

■ Daimler Marcos who is completing Certificate III in Automotive Body Repair Technology and will continue a full-time apprenticeship this year.

 

MYLNS - Literacy & Numeracy

A small proportion of students in Year 10, who have been identified through the Year 9 NAPLAN data last year, will again benefit from additional support to improve their overall English and Maths skills in 2025. A qualified teacher in each of these Learning Areas will work with small groups of students in class to improve their knowledge, understanding and skills in English and Maths. It is anticipated that this support will provide them with a better overall foundation that will assist them to make improvements in their other areas of study. The longevity of this program will be determined by ongoing DET funding.

 

Tutor Learning Initiative

This program has again been provided by the Department this year to support students who require additional support in both Literacy and Numeracy. We have several students who have been identified through student engagement and learning data who have not made the same progress in their education as we would anticipate in normal circumstances. These students come from a wide range of backgrounds, year levels and ability levels. Selected students from Years 7 through to Year 10 will participate in this Tutoring Program. Parents/Guardians will receive an email from Mr On if your child is part of this program. 

 

School Captains 2025 - Enhancing the Student Culture

As is the tradition at VUSC, the successful applicants for School Captaincy in 2025 were announced at the Graduation and Presentation Evening on Wednesday 18th December 2024. Many congratulations to all applicants for the quality of their application, speech and interview. Each applicant gave a passionate, kind, and inspiring speech and interview and should be commended for their bravery in putting themselves forward.

 

The 2025 School Captains are: Charlotte Katoanga and John Pakoti and the Vice Captains are: Anna Ha and Tydo Nguyen. I know they will do an excellent job leading the student body.

 

At the Junior Campus, the Campus Captains for 2025 are Aashka Parmar and Justine McCoy, and the Vice Campus Captains are Jessica Dang and Lucy Williams.

 

We look forward to working with these amazing young people this year and know that they will do an excellent job in representing the student voice and the College. 

We will also appoint Music Captains and Sports Captains this term. 

 

Occupational Health and Safety College Audit

I am thrilled to share the results of our recent Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) assessment and audit conducted in Term 1 2025.

 

These are the outstanding scores we achieved:

  • Brimbank: 97.1%
  • Cairnlea: 92.8%
  • Deer Park: 95.5%

The auditor informed us that the state average for Victorian Government schools is 90.1% and VUSC’s average is 95.17%, so I am very proud to report we are above the state average. Our results reflect an excellent outcome and demonstrate our commitment to maintaining a safe working environment.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt thanks to Claire O’Meara, Seren Mustafa, Joyleen Auld, Deanne Clark and Lana Mokdsi for their exceptional hard work and dedication throughout this process. Their efforts were 100% instrumental in achieving these brilliant results across three campuses in just two days!!!!!

 

Careers Update

Parents/carers are advised that the Careers Team will begin having careers and pathways meetings with all Year 12 VCE and VCE VM students throughout Term 1 and Term 2. Students will be advised of their meeting time through Microsoft Teams. Parents/carers who are available at the meeting time are welcome to attend this meeting to discuss their child’s career interests and pathways for next year. Please contact the Careers Team on 8312 0200 if you are planning to attend. 

 

Open Day - Monday 28th April

Parents/carers and their Grade 5 and 6 children who are interested in touring our school are warmly invited to our Open Day event on Monday 28th April. There will be tours in the morning as well as an evening presentation with information packs and interactive tours of several classes. Bookings are not required. Come along to see our students in action! In the coming weeks, our leadership staff will be visiting local primary schools with more information.

 

2024 Yearbook

The annual yearbook is full of great memories of the year and amazing achievements by our students. It's available for purchase at the general offices for $25. Stocks are limited. 

 

Daily Planner Usage

Effective Planner usage is an organisational skill that is an essential ingredient to a successful study program. As such, time and effort must be devoted to cultivating it as a habit. Parents/carers are asked to ensure that their child has a planner which is critical to our curriculum program every year - they are available at the general office for $15.

 

Many of the beneficial features built into our planners have little effect unless the students are very clear on the correct day to day usage of their planners.

Following are some tried and proven “musts” for efficient planner usage that parents and carers are encouraged to discuss with their child:

  • The students and their planners must be inseparable partners at school and be brought home each night.
  • In every class, all works set and the date that it is due should be recorded; this must be done immediately the teacher tells them; don't wait till afterwards, it's too easy to forget.
  • After school, before they leave for home each night, they should look at the homework that has been recorded in their planner during the day for each subject and then take the required books and binder home. It is important to look extra closely on Friday nights before the weekend.
  • If they haven't a great deal of homework to do on a particular night, they should look ahead in their planner for what is coming up, and make an early start, especially on assessment tasks. They may start revising for an upcoming test next week or do extra study to add depth to their understanding and knowledge.
  • That night or before they leave for school the next morning, a good idea is to check what is coming up for the day ahead. Any preparations or prereading required? Any work due in? Any sport or music practise? When they know this, they can plan their day more effectively.
  • Every Sunday night, they should spend 15 minutes planning their upcoming week. Also, on individual days highlight work that is due in. This puts them in control.

Organisation is a lifelong skill.

Should you have any queries or concerns regarding your child's progress please do not hesitate to contact their Year Level Coordinator.

 

EVERY DAY COUNTS

Secondary School Attendance

Parents/carers are reminded that the school requires 90% attendance for all students. 

If your child will be absent from school for any reason, please call 8312 0243 or email absence@vusc.vic.edu.au before 10am that day. 

 

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your teenager’s education. 

Students learn new things at school every day - missing school puts them behind.

School is better when your teenager is there.

Why it's important:

  • We all want our children to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day.
  • Students develop good habits by going to school every day – habits that are necessary to succeed after school, whether in the workplace or in further study.
  • Missing school can have a big impact on students academically and socially. It can affect their test results, including VCE & VCE VM, and, just as importantly, it can affect their relationships with other students, and lead to social isolation.
  • There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind and can affect their educational outcomes.
  • Each missed day is associated with falling behind in subject topics and assessment tasks, and lead to fewer subject choices and may impact on achievement in years 11 and 12 and post-school pathways. 

Getting in early

It’s never too late to improve attendance. Even in the middle years, when school can seem the most challenging for students and when attendance rates can be at their lowest, going to school more often can make a big difference. Every day counts! 

We are here to help – if you’re having attendance issues with your child, speak to your child's Year Level Co-ordinator about ways to address those issues.

 

Reasons for Student Absences

The main reasons for absence are:

Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they’re ill. It’s vital that they’re only away on the days they are genuinely sick, and setting good sleep patterns, eating well, and exercising regularly can make a big difference.

Family holidays - It's vital that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term. If you are planning to go on holiday during term time, make sure that you talk to your child’s Year Level Co-ordinator in advance, and work with them to develop an absence learning plan.

“Day off” – Think twice before letting your teenager have a “day off” as they could fall behind their classmates – every day counts.

Truancy – This is when students choose not to go to school without their parent’s permission or skip out of school during the day. There can be many reasons for truancy; the best way to address this is for the Year Level Co-ordinator and parents to work together.

While all absences can affect academic performance, DET’s statistics show that unexplained absences are a much stronger indicator of lower reading and maths achievement.

School refusal - School refusing children experience significant emotional distress not only when going to school but also at the thought of going to school; they may be absent from school for weeks or even months at a time. School refusal differs from truancy as children generally stay home with the knowledge of their parents and despite their best efforts to encourage their child to go to school. 

BEING AWAY FROM SCHOOL FOR 1 DAY A FORTNIGHT EQUALS MISSING 1.5 YEARS OVER 13 YEARS OF SCHOOL

If your teenager is away

If for any reason your teenager must miss school, there are things you can do with your school to ensure they don’t fall behind:

  • Inform the school via the absence hotline.
  • Find out what work your teenager needs to do to keep up.
  • Develop an absence learning plan with your teenager’s Year Level Co-ordinator and ensure they complete the plan.

If you’re having attendance issues with your teenager, please let the Year Level Coordinator, Home Group Teacher, Campus Principal or other relevant staff member know so you can work together to get your teen to school every day. Our staff want to work in partnership with parents and carers – act early if you have any concerns by contacting us and asking for advice and support.

 

Students' Mobile Phone Ban

A reminder of the Department's strict policy on mobile phone use - all student mobile phones are not permitted to be used or seen from the first bell to the last bell of the day. This includes earphones/headphones as well. A copy of the Mobile Phone Policy is available to all parents and students in the student planner.

 

I am aware that many members of the school community welcome this ruling and I urge all students, teachers and parents/carers to take time to read, understand and respect the policy. Whilst I also understand that some students will require mobile phones, for safety purposes to and from school, students will not require these during the day and will need to leave their phones in their locker. Any learning required through a digital platform will be done with the use of student laptops.

 

Any phones or earphones/headphones seen during the day will be confiscated by a staff member and parents will be contacted to come and pick them up from the general office.

 

Camps, Sports, and Excursions Fund Payment Arrangements (CSEF)

A reminder that applications have opened for the Camps, Sport, and Excursion Fund (CSEF) for 2025. To be eligible all applicants must hold an eligible financially-means tested card OR be a temporary foster parent e.g. have a valid Health Care Card. Application forms are now available at your campus office.  

 

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps ensure that no student will miss out on the opportunity to join their classmates for important, educational, and fun activities. This initiative is part of making Victoria the Education State and the Government's commitment to breaking the link between a student's background and their outcomes. I encourage any eligible parent to complete a form at the general office. 

 

Student Drop Off and Pick Up

Parents, carers and licensed students are reminded of the following:

  • The school carpark is for staff only. Parents are asked not to drive in to drop off students, and to park outside if they have a meeting at the school.
  • Please avoid waiting close to the exit gates and in the school’s driveway for your child after school. We want to avoid crowding - for everyone's safety.
  • Please check the council parking signs at the front of the school very carefully as some areas are No Parking zones. Brimbank Council inspectors will be patrolling U-turns, double parking and blocking residential driveways, as well.

Student First Aid - Medication / Injury / Emergencies

Each campus has a sick bay and qualified first aid officers. Parents and carers are advised that we do not store paracetamol for student use. If a student requires medication, there is a form at the office that the parent/carer needs to complete with explicit instructions for the first aid officer to administer. 

 

Parents and carers are reminded that the Department of Education DOES NOT provide ambulance cover for students. Parents and carers are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for their child, including any transport costs. This includes students who may be injured during school, rugby league events or interschool sporting competitions. In a first aid emergency we shall always call an ambulance should it be considered necessary by the treating staff member regarding the duty of care to the injured student. Fortunately, this does not happen very often, however, we strongly recommend that parents do have ambulance cover for any such contingency as any ambulance and medical costs are the responsibility of the parent.

 

Personal Property at School

A reminder to all parents, carers and students that the College or the Department is not responsible for personal belongings brought to school. This can include all personal property including books, phones, earphones, laptops, iPads, jewellery etc.  We request the support of parents and carers in ensuring students are discouraged from bringing any unnecessary or particularly valuable items to school, and that any such items brought to school are always looked after.

 

Uniforms

A reminder to all students and parents/carers that students should be in full summer uniform this term, including the blazer and black leather shoes (no other colours/no boots or sneakers). Please see our full Uniform Policy here. 

 

Families may request assistance with purchasing school uniform from the following organisations: 

Smith Family Learning for Life provides support and financial assistance to help disadvantaged children stay at school. The program runs in select disadvantaged areas.

A Start in Life provides financial assistance to disadvantaged students and families to ensure they can access the same learning opportunities as their peers. For information phone (02) 9264 3017.

Opening the Doors Foundation provides education assistance for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students enrolled in an independent educational institution in Victoria.

The Queen’s Fund Financial assistance with the cost of educational expenses for children. Applications must be completed by a social worker or a community agency that works with you.

Good Shepherd Micro-finance is a great initiative that has financial programs to assist families on low or limited incomes with educational costs and other expenses. One of their programs is the No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) which gives access to fair and safe credit up to $1,200 for essential educational items.

Saver Plus This is financial education and up to $500 in matched savings for education costs for individuals and families who have at least some regular income from work. For information phone 1300 610 355.

 

Second hand uniforms are also bought and sold by local families on the Sustainable School Shop website. 

 

Homework Club

Homework club will run at the Junior Campus this year in the Library after school every day during term except Wednesdays, and at the Senior Campus in Building E on Mondays after school. Parents must provide consent for their child to participate via Compass - this will be available shortly. 

 

Privacy Reminder and Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.

Privacy Collection Statement VUSC.pdf

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn. The consent form is provided at enrolment.

Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy.pdf

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages:

* Amharic

* Arabic

* Dari

* Gujarati

* Mandarin

* Somali

* Sudanese

* Turkish

* Urdu

* Vietnamese

 

School Council Election (College Board)

Our annual school council election will begin in the next week or two. Please keep an eye on Compass for updates. We currently have a number of parent, staff and student member vacancies. 

 

School Councils play a key role in Victorian government schools. The School Council supports the Principal and College to provide the best possible educational outcomes for students. Participating as a School Council member is a rewarding and challenging experience. To be a part of the Council you don’t need any particular qualifications or experience – we are looking for enthusiastic Parents/Guardians who want to help improve College programs and facilities for all students. 

 

The College Board meets twice per term on Wednesday evenings at the Senior Campus. We greatly appreciate the contributions of our parents, students, staff and community members and I invite anyone who is interested in joining to nominate themselves. The outgoing members of the College Board have made a significant contribution to the governance of the College and I wish to thank them for their commitment, interest and participation in the life of the school. 

 

And finally…….

 

Thank you to all our parents /guardians for your excellent support in ensuring that your daughters and sons have been well prepared for the start of the year. We have had such a positive start, and this is in part due to your efforts, especially with books, equipment and uniform.

 

If you have any concerns or questions about how your child has settled in, please don’t hesitate to contact their Year Level Coordinator:

 

Year Level Co-ordinators

Year 7 Coordinator - Rebecca Hogarth

Year 8 Coordinator - Broady Kata

Year 9 Coordinator - Damien Downing

Year 10 Coordinator - Vanessa Galea

Year 11 Coordinator - Chalsea Chappel

Year 12 Coordinator - Jeanu Sayachack

 

Senior & Middle School Leaders

Anna Bonanno – Senior School Leader (Senior Campus)

Atish Basant – Middle School Leader (Junior Campus)

 

 

Elaine Hazim

College Principal

 

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Child Safety at VUSC

Victoria University Secondary College is committed to providing a child safe and child friendly environment, where students are safe and feel safe. 

 

Our child safety and wellbeing policies outline the measures and strategies we have in place to support, promote and maintain the safety and wellbeing of our students: 

  • Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
  • Child Safety Code of Conduct
  • Child Safe Standards Risk Register
  • Child safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedure

All of our policies are available on our school website here. As valuable partners in promoting and maintaining child safety and wellbeing at VUSC, we welcome and encourage your feedback.