Senior School News

Behind the scenes, there's a lot of activity in Senior School as we prepare the year’s extra-curricular activities to complement and enhance our classroom curriculum. With school events, excursions, and camps fast approaching, we kindly ask parents, guardians, and carers to promptly approve these events.

Overall, we’ve had a fantastic start to 2025. However, as the weeks progress, Senior School can present various challenges for students, and at times, some may find themselves not performing at the expected level. For some, this could result in being classified as "At Risk," meaning they might not meet subject outcomes, which could impact their ability to complete Year 10, or obtain their VCE. To address this, teaching staff have collaborated to identify students who are at risk, and the families of these students will be contacted in the coming week to schedule an on-site appointment. During this meeting, we will either develop strategies for improvement or, in some cases, discuss alternative pathways and options.

To help minimize the risk of falling into the At Risk category, students are reminded to:

• Use class and study time effectively
• Establish a consistent homework routine in a quiet, suitable space at home
• Take advantage of the free school homework club program
• Use their diary to stay organized
• Communicate with teachers and/or the senior team if they are struggling.

If you don’t receive contact from the school but feel that you, as a student, or your child may be at risk, or if you’d like to schedule a one-on-one meeting, please reach out to Nicole in the senior team. She will assist in arranging an appointment with the appropriate staff member.

The 2025 Senior Team

Our team has changed slightly this year.

            Petra Hopkins | Senior Sub School Leader

            Marina Bruzzese | Senior School Coordinator

            Lachlan Davey | Senior School Coordinator

            Nicole Hobson | Senior School Coordinator, Distance Education Coordinator,  

                                              OOHC Contact, Careers and Pathways support.

            Nicole Ashton | VCE-VM Coordinator

            Kirsty Avery | Careers and Pathways, VET Coordinator

Year 11 Tertiary Camp Update

The Year 11 Tertiary Camp, scheduled for mid-May, has been approved by the School Council. We are thrilled with the positive response to the expression of interest and expect to send further details, including deposit requests, to families next week.

Depending on their VCE stream, students will either participate in a university experience or engage in more trade/workforce-focused activities. On Friday, all students will come together to attend the Victorian Careers Expo, where they can explore a variety of pathways options. 

Family Information Updates

Last week, family information sheets were distributed to all senior students to take home, update, and return. It is a Departmental requirement to maintain current contact information, which is particularly crucial in emergency situations. We kindly ask families to pay special attention to details such as phone numbers, living status, email addresses, and emergency contacts.

Additionally, the family details sheet includes employment information, including job role and place of work. This demographic data is submitted to the Department and is used as part of the school’s funding allocation.

Thank you to those families who have already returned the forms. For those who haven’t yet done so, please return them either in person or by email to Nicole.hobson@education.vic.gov.au. If you have any questions or concerns about this paperwork, please don’t hesitate to contact the school.

Important Reminders

A few important reminders for students and parents/guardians alike. 

• The school day now commences at 8.50am and classes concludes at 3.06pm for all students. Please ensure you arrive on time and be prepared for all classes, including a charged laptop.
• Everyday Matters – 90% attendance is required by all students. IF students are away (or late to school/class parents/guardians/carers must update the Compass system on the day).  Senior school classes move quickly, so missing one day puts extra pressure on your child. If you are thinking of a family holiday during the term, please seek approval from the Senior School team. In the past we have seen midterm family holidays be detrimental to student learning unless missed schoolwork is prepared in advance. This is especially important for students studying a year 12 subject. 

Out and About 

• Shakespeare Company Performance of Macbeth in the Botanic Gardens.

  Going to the Australian Shakespeare Company’s Macbeth performance was one of the coolest experiences I had ever been to. A live performance of Shakespeare in Melbourne after school with your own dinner? Count me in. If there was ever a chance to see this live again, I’d go within a heartbeat. 

   

  After school, just before we planned to leave, some of the group had permission to run to the shops to grab some grub for their friend groups’ feast. Because the show was after school and we wouldn’t be home until the witching hour, each little group had brought their own amounts of food for little ‘feasts’. Personally, I’d say the feasts were the best part of the evening. Seeing all the different foods, some sweet, some savoury. My “weird sisters” and I had brought juice boxes, lollies, meats and cheeses, crackers. Basically, enough to feed a king. No better experience than dinner and a show.

   

  The play was very engaging and helped us understand the play, which will certainly help when we study it in Semester 2.

   

  Chelsea Stanton, Year 11

• Year 11 XSEL

  On Tuesday the year 11 VCE cohort participated in an "XSEL wellbeing day", the first of 4 that we will partake in throughout the year. The purpose of these days is to help mentally prepare us for not only our VCE journey, but for life, and the challenges that might be thrown at us. 

   

  In the beginning, I was frustrated that we were missing a day of school. Six weeks into the year and I am already feeling the pressure. But, it turned out to be a fun and refreshing day. 

   

  We discussed a range of important topics including seeking help, healthy relationships, emotional literacy, gender diversity and sexual health. A key takeaway from the day was how easy it is to receive mental health support, due to Mirboo North Secondary Colleges extensive and committed wellbeing team. We are lucky to have such a supportive team! Another key takeaway was the importance of building healthy relationships throughout year 11 and 12, as these friendships will make VCE easier and more enjoyable. It is important to have a group of people who make you feel supported.

   

  Overall, Emma, Gail, Norm, Mr Ryan and Ms Hopkins organised an informative and fun day, and I look forward to attending future XSEL wellbeing days!

   

  Lily Smith, Year 11

• VCE-VM First Aid Training

  As part of the VCE-VM curriculum, our year 11 VCE-VM students polished up their 1st Aid skills in class this week, all successfully obtaining their 1st Aid qualification.

• Outside School Celebrations | We love to celebrate student achievements; this includes achievements which occur outside the school grounds.  This is an opportunity for students’ parents/guardians/carers to advise us and allow them to be shared. Please contact Nicole to advise (with a picture or two if possible) Nicole.hobson@education.vic.gov.au

Upcoming Dates

10th March                     Labour Day (no students required)

18th March                     MNSC House Athletics

21st March                     Yr 10 Party Program (selected students only)

25th March                     Inspiring Young People (selected students only)

1st April                           VCE-VM Mock Interviews

4th April                           Parent Teacher Interviews

Message from our School Captains

On Wednesday the 19th of February, the School Captains attended the South Gippsland Shire Youth Forum in Leongatha. 

Throughout the day we participated in three different activities with numerous council members involving topics such as: local sporting opportunities and events, our beautiful natural environment and the animals living in it, and other prominent topical issues within our shire such as inclusivity, accessibility, mental health awareness and connection. A highlight of these activities was being able to share our own thoughts and ideas with our peers and the council members, discussing topics we felt were important and bringing up things we wanted to see more of in our local communities as young people. 

We were also able to mingle, not only with representatives from the three other schools that attended: Leongatha Secondary College, Foster Secondary College and Korumburra Secondary College – providing us a great opportunity to connect with our peers – but we also got the opportunity to speak one on one with some local council members and share our ideas and thoughts about our communities and our shire as a whole. 

Overall, a fantastic experience and a great opportunity to have our voices heard by the local council.

Throughout the month we also had the chance to help VOS plan and run the Clean-Up Australia day for the school, in which every class in the school spent 30 minutes working to make the school a cleaner place. We assisted with setting up the event while helping out on the day, taking photos and picking up some rubbish ourselves. The day event ended up being a great way to unite the school while also encouraging kids to put their rubbish in the bin and take pride in their school grounds.

Jacob Daly, Billy Jennings, Olivia Henning and Jada Sutherland.

School Student Broadband Initiative 

The School Student Broadband Initiative is working toward bridging the digital divide for students. 

Through this initiative, 30,000 eligible families with school-aged children across the country will receive free NBN internet access, helping to enhance learning opportunities at home. 

This program is available to all Victorian families with school-aged students, and we want to ensure as many eligible families as possible can benefit. 

Please contact Gail in our school Welfare team for further information.