From the Principal 

Dear staff, parents, carers, students and friends of the College,

Monday’s final assembly and Valedictory were a wonderful celebration of the Class of 2026. It was a privilege to share these occasions with our students and families and see the pride, excitement and emotion that accompanied this milestone.

Valedictory was an amazing night and a fitting conclusion to our students’ time at Mornington Secondary College. Having spoken last week about the importance of relationships, it was especially rewarding to see those connections reflected in the conversations and celebrations throughout the evening. I hope our graduates carry fond memories of the night and their time at the College into whatever comes next.

As we farewelled our graduating cohort, I also had the pleasure of interviewing candidates for our 2027 College Captain positions alongside Evangeline Romage, who will oversee student leadership in 2027. I was incredibly impressed by the students’ maturity, enthusiasm and commitment to making a positive difference to our College community.

Congratulations to our 2027 College Captains, Natalia Althorp, Kayla Christie and Will Bassett. Their pride in the College and willingness to represent their peers were evident throughout the interviews. I look forward to working with them and Evangeline to strengthen student voice and create opportunities for students to contribute to College life. With these outstanding young people leading our student body, the College is in great hands.

Together, these occasions have provided an opportunity to appreciate the contribution of our departing students and look forward with confidence to the next generation of student leaders.

Kind regards,

Adam Slater

Principal

Senior School 

To students and families of the Mornington Senior School,

Celebrating the Class of 2026: Valedictory Evening

What a wonderful evening we shared on Monday as we celebrated the achievements of our graduating Class of 2026 at their Valedictory. It was a fantastic opportunity to come together with students, families and staff to reflect on the journey our Year 12 students have taken throughout their time at Mornington Secondary College, recognise their achievements and celebrate this important milestone in their lives.

We are incredibly proud of both our VCE and VCE VM students, who have worked hard to complete their respective programs and prepare themselves for the next chapter of their lives. While their pathways and experiences have been different, each student has their own achievements to celebrate, and it was wonderful to recognise these alongside the people who have supported them throughout their journey. A sincere thank you to the staff who helped organise such a memorable evening and to the families who have supported our students along the way.

A special congratulations also goes to Cassidy McCubbin, Ben Janssens and Madi Hawkins, who were recognised at the Peninsula Applied Learning Awards on Tuesday evening for their efforts and achievements in Applied Learning throughout 2026. This recognition is a wonderful reflection of their hard work, commitment and the opportunities that Applied Learning provides for students to develop practical skills, confidence and pathways towards their future careers. We are incredibly proud of all three students and their achievements.

For our VCE students preparing to sit their VCAA examinations next week, we wish you every success. Trust in the work you've put in, make the most of these final days of preparation and remember to look after yourselves throughout the examination period. You've come a long way, and now is your opportunity to demonstrate what you've learned.

Congratulations once again to the Class of 2026! We are proud of you, grateful for the memories you've given us and excited to see where life takes you beyond Mornington.

Study Tip of the Week: Stop Reading, Start Retrieving!

With VCAA (and Year 10 and 11) examinations just around the corner, now is the time to shift from reading your notes to testing your knowledge. Research consistently shows that actively retrieving information from memory is more effective for long-term learning than simply rereading or highlighting notes.

This week, focus on completing practice examination questions under timed conditions, without referring to your notes. Afterwards, check your responses against marking guides, identify where you've lost marks and revisit the concepts you found challenging. You can also use StudyPulse to practise exam-style questions and receive targeted feedback.

Remember, it's not how many hours you study that matters most, but how effectively you use them. Make every practice question count, prioritise your sleep and head into your examinations knowing you've prepared as well as you can.

Nick Evans

Senior School Assistant Principal

Student Progress Checks – Available Today

Our latest Student Progress Checks are available to parents and carers today via Compass. These checks provide families with a valuable snapshot of how their child is progressing in their learning and their approach to school.

Each classroom teacher assesses students against five key criteria:

• Completes and submits tasks on time: Keeps up to date with classwork, home learning and Performance Tasks, and submits work by the due date.
• Positive participant in class: Participates positively in learning activities, follows classroom expectations and treats others with respect.
• Prepared and on time: Arrives at lessons punctually and brings the equipment needed for learning.
• Works to improve: Demonstrates effort, takes on challenging work and responds positively to teacher feedback.
• Attendance: Attends scheduled classes regularly.

Teachers use a four-point scale to indicate how consistently students demonstrate these behaviours:

Progress Checks are not a measure of academic ability. Instead, they focus on the learning habits, behaviours and attitudes that contribute to success at school.

We encourage all families to take some time to review their child's Progress Checks together, celebrate areas of strength and discuss opportunities for improvement. Even small changes in organisation, effort, participation and attendance can make a significant difference to learning outcomes.

Students who achieve an average rating of 3.75 or higher across their Progress Checks are recognised with a STRIVE Award, acknowledging their consistently positive approach to learning.

By working together, families, students and teachers can help every student achieve their personal best.

Michael Parker

Assistant Principal - Curriculum and Student Wellbeing

Important Dates

Dates correct at time of posting and subject to change.

Students of the Week

Harvey Dallwitz - Year 7

Favourite food: Salt and Vinegar Pringles

Hobbies out of school: Building electrical circuits, riding my bike with friends, and swimming

What sports team do you follow? Geelong Footy Club

Favourite movie/TV show: Angel Has Fallen

Do you have any pets?  A dog named Tilly and a few Guppy fish

What are you excited for at Mornington Secondary College? Getting to learn new things I’ve not done before  

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? Drum Corps and new friends

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school? A Cinematographer

What's one skill you have that makes you unique? I am very creative

Your greatest strength: I am very resilient 

What three words best describe you? Clever, helpful, friendly 

Nick Cook - Year 7

Favourite food: Pizza 

Hobbies out of school: Mountain biking, footy and basketball

What sports team do you follow? Richmond Tigers

Favourite movie/TV show: Snatch and The Simpsons

Do you have any pets? A dog named Rex; a German Shorthaired pointer  

What are you excited for at Mornington Secondary College? All the opportunities like leadership, sporting teams and events

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? My friends

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school? No clue, maybe an engineer but I'm not sure yet

What's one skill you have that makes you unique? I’m confident to take risks  

Your greatest strength: Public speak

What three words best describe you? Confident, inquisitive, caring  

Year 12 Final Assembly

On Monday, the MSC school community came together to celebrate the Class of 2026, reflect on their time at the College and wish them well as they prepare for their final exams.

The morning began with a special breakfast provided by staff, before Year 12 students entered their final assembly through a guard of honour, joined by the wider school community to mark this significant milestone.

Class of 2031 representative Nicholas Cook spoke to the audience about the influence the Class of 2026 has had this year on his Year 7 peers, with the Year 12s leading the example of enjoying school life while also displaying a work ethic.

While the assembly marked the end of one chapter, it also welcomed the next, with the announcement of the 2027 College Captains: Natalia Althorp, Kayla Christie and Will Bassett.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026. Thank you for the contribution you have made to MSC, and we wish you every success in your upcoming exams and all that lies ahead.

Preparing for schoolies 

Many students are looking forward to celebrating the end of secondary school with their friends at schoolies celebrations. 

In Victoria, schoolies will run from Saturday 28 November to Saturday 12 December. Schoolies celebrations can go beyond these dates across Australia and overseas.  

We encourage parents and carers to speak early and openly with their child about their plans for schoolies. This includes any travel plans. 

This can help them to think ahead, make safer choices and know what to do if something goes wrong. It may help to talk about alcohol and other drug use, sex and consent, personal safety, and what to do in an emergency.  

You may talk with your child about other risks and staying safe while travelling overseas. The deaths of Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, 2 Victorian teenagers who died from methanol poisoning while travelling in Laos in 2024, are a tragic reminder of why this is important. 

Useful resources for families and young people 

We encourage you to talk about and share these resources with your child: 

• Raising Children Network, for advice on how to help students plan for and stay safe during schoolies  
• Better Health Channel, for advice on partying safely at schoolies 
• Alcohol and Drug Foundation, for advice on staying safe at schoolies and information on potential alcohol and drug harms when travelling 
• Victoria Police, for advice on staying safe at school leaver celebrations. The page includes videos about sexual assault, illegal drugs and road safety 
• Red Frogs Australia, a volunteer group that helps young people stay safe and seek help at events like schoolies, with tips and advice for students and families including a 24/7 hotline during schoolies 
• Smartraveller, for advice on overseas travel for school leavers and partying safely 
• Doctors without Borders, for information on methanol poisoning for travellers 
• MethaKnow methanol awareness Instagram page, to help raise awareness about methanol poisoning. 

Mornington Medal

Congratulations to Max Mathy, the recipient of the Mornington Medal for 2026!

Max is a dedicated, hard-working, and courteous student who consistently demonstrates excellence in all areas of school life. He maintains excellent attendance, actively participates in excursions and Connect activities, and proudly serves as a Year 9 Captain. Academically, Max challenges himself through Year 10 Advanced Mathematics, while also contributing to the wider school community as an active member of the MSC Drum Corps.

Max is friendly, kind and consistently demonstrates impeccable manners. His positive attitude, willingness to help others and commitment to representing MSC make him a wonderful example of excellence every day, in every class.

Chris Crewther, the creator of the Mornington Medal, presented the award to Max in person at the Year 12 Final Assembly this week. The medal is a school citizenship award open to all schools in the Mornington electorate, with recipients chosen by their school.

Artist of the Month

October Artist of the Month

The Little Lamb and the Missing Man, 2026

Inkjet print

“My dear child, do not go into the Redwood Forest alone. He will be there, my child.”  - Samantha Bouette, Year 10

2027 Booklists Opening Soon

For 2027, Mornington Secondary College has appointed Lilydale Books as its new booklist provider, offering families a more affordable and accessible range of booklist items.

Educational items for students to own:

These are essential resources that the school recommends students purchase through Lilydale Books to support their learning throughout the year. The booklist outlines the items students will use in the classroom and provides a convenient way to order these resources online.

Orders can be placed via the Lilydale Books website starting Wednesday, 4 November when the 2027 booklist goes live: https://www.lilydalebooks.com.au/schools/mornington-secondary-college

Flexible delivery options are available, including:

• Home delivery: Free delivery on all orders over $300 until Friday, 4 December 2026.
• Click & Collect: Collect your order from Lilydale Books at Unit 1, 25-27 Hightech Place, Lilydale VIC 3140. Click & Collect orders are processed through a priority collection queue.

For assistance, please contact Lilydale Books on (03) 9739 6186.

Remembrance Day Invitation

MSC students, staff and special guests will be in attendance at our Remembrance Day service on Wednesday 11th November, and we extend an invitation to all members of our school community to attend this event. If you would like to attend please RSVP by Friday 30th October via email to mornington.sc@education.vic.gov.au.

Support the Poppy Appeal

Poppy Appeal badges are currently available for purchase at the Administration Office, with prices ranging from $2 to $5.

Staff, students and families can buy a poppy to remember our veterans and help provide practical support, connection, dignity and stability for veterans and their families.

Donations can also be made directly via the Poppy Appeal website.

End of Year Activities: Don't Miss Out!

Bookings for End of Year Activities Week are open!

In the last week of Term 4 we move to celebration mode and encourage our students to enjoy a range of off-site and on-site activities in the wind down to school holidays. These events include, but are not limited to:

• Tree Surfing at Enchanted Adventures
• Le Mans Go Karting and Laser Tag
• Learn to Surf at Phillip Island
• Gravity Zone Jump and Laser Tag
• Cable Park Aqua and Climb

Bookings close Sunday 15th November, unless sold out prior.

In previous years many activities have booked out quickly, so to avoid disappointment please click below to book in early.

Interschool Sport

State Athletics

Congratulations to Charlotte Davies and Ethan Sheen, who recently represented MSC at the State Athletics Championships. Charlotte placed 5th in the State in the 15 Year Girls Triple Jump, while Ethan achieved 4th in the 16 Year Boys 800m and 9th in the 16 Year Boys 1500m.

Ethan led the 800m for much of the race before being overtaken in the closing stages. While narrowly missing out on a top-three finish, placing fourth in the State is an outstanding achievement.

Congratulations to both students on their efforts and results at State level. A fantastic achievement!

Lawn Bowling Division Competition

On Friday 16 October, Mornington Secondary College took six teams to Mornington Bowls Club to compete in the Division Lawn Bowls competition, with four senior teams and two junior teams representing the school. It was fantastic to see our students embracing the challenge of lawn bowls, learning more about the importance of the jack, mat, line, weight and bias, and improving their skills throughout the day. As students became more comfortable reading the green and judging the bias of their bowls, we saw some excellent results across the majority of our teams. 

Our junior team of Charlie Borthwick, Archie Hannaford, Ashton Blampied and Fenix Peirson produced a fantastic run through the competition to qualify for the junior final against Dromana Secondary College. Despite their best efforts to get their bowls close to the jack, Dromana proved too strong in the final, winning 7–1.

We also had success in the senior competition, with Makena Baard, Ellana Borthwick and Asha Harber progressing all the way through to the senior final against an all-male team from Somerville. Our students made an excellent start, taking the opening end, before Somerville fought back to eventually claim the final 6–2.

While we weren’t quite able to bring home the Division title, having teams reach both the junior and senior finals was a fantastic achievement! More importantly, it was great to see so many students learning a new sport, enjoying themselves and improving throughout the day.

Congratulations to all of our students who represented Mornington Secondary College so positively, and thank you to Mornington Bowls Club for hosting a fantastic day of competition.

Rob Horwill

Head of PE

Excursions

 Year 8 Martha Cove/Dromana Humanities Excursion

Tuesday saw our Year 8 cohort travel down the Peninsula to research their upcoming Shark Tank Presentations. We began the day at Martha Cove with students gathering evidence and brainstorming businesses that could be added to the area. We then headed off on our 6.5km walk, along the beachfront, to Dromana. 

Once at Dromana students explored the Dromana shopping area, taking note of the numbers and types of products and services offered. We then enjoyed lunch, a swim and beach games on a perfect day, weatherwise. 

Over the upcoming weeks students will use their Humanities classes to design their own ‘Shark Tank’ pitch, putting forward a business they would locate at Martha Cove.

We are looking forward to their presentations which will take place on Monday 16th November.

Kim Rattue

Year 8 Humanities teacher & Year Level Coordinator 9

Year 11 Business Management Excursion – Peninsula Hot Springs

Year 11 Business Management students, joined by a group of Year 10 students, recently visited Peninsula Hot Springs for a 45-minute industry presentation from Laura, Director of People and Culture, focusing on customer service and staffing a business. The presentation provided students with valuable insights into how a successful hospitality and wellness business operates, manages its workforce and creates memorable experiences for its guests.

Students explored how Peninsula Hot Springs’ purpose, vision and business objectives connect to employee performance and the overall customer experience. They learnt about the different employment areas and job roles within the business, the skills and attributes employers seek, and the importance of providing high-quality customer service. The presentation also highlighted how staff contribute to creating a welcoming, professional and positive environment for visitors.

A key focus was the process of staffing a business, including job analysis, recruitment, selection and employee induction. Students gained a practical understanding of the differences between job descriptions and job specifications, internal and external recruitment methods, and the steps involved in selecting suitable employees. They also considered how employee benefits, staff wellbeing, workplace expectations and corporate social responsibility can help attract and retain employees while supporting business performance.

This excursion provided an authentic industry case study that directly connected classroom learning with real-world business practices. Students also experienced the Peninsula Hot Springs bathing facilities first-hand, gaining an appreciation of the relaxing guest experiences the business offers. The information and examples gathered during the presentation will support Year 11 students in their Business Management assessment, where they will apply their learning to analyse how Peninsula Hot Springs meets its staffing needs in an upcoming SAC. For both the Year 10 and Year 11 students, the experience offered valuable insight into workplace expectations, career opportunities and the important relationship between effective staffing, customer satisfaction and business success. 

Tracey Watchorn

Numeracy Leader

Kim Rattue

Year Level Coordinator 9

Art Show

Please join us for a celebration of craft and creation from our Year 7–12 art students.

MADE. Art Show 26 will showcase the creativity, skill and dedication of our students across Years 7–12, with a diverse collection of artworks created throughout the year.

Where: The Gallery, M Block Art District

Gala Opening Night: Wednesday 11 November,  4.00–6.00pm

Gallery Showing: Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November, 3.30–5.00pm

We invite our college community to come along, view the work and celebrate the achievements of our young artists.

2026 Contributions Friendly Reminder

The Department of Education provides schools with funds to assist in the running of a school.  All government schools rely on parent subsidies that enhance and extend what our school can offer ensuring the best possible education and support for your family. 

It would be greatly appreciated if you could review all of the recommended contributions we have requested as well as any other payments requested, for example Music Lessons.

To assist you with reviewing this on Compass please follow these instructions.

Compass Portal on a computer

Please follow the CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION link in the Payments Centre box.  In this section, you will see all upcoming event and contribution links.

Click on the arrow next to ACTION REQUIRED to see more information and make any payments. 

Compass Portal using the phone app

Please find below a link to the Compass Parent User Guide for the mobile app.

Wellbeing

Doctors in School

Student scholarships

The Department of Education manages a range of student scholarships. These are available for students who: 

• complete Grade 4 to Year 11 in 2026 
• are enrolled in Year 12 in 2026 and plan to do tertiary studies in 2027. 

The department will evaluate applicants on their: 

• academic achievement 
• participation in school and community activities 
• financial need.  

Scholarships are either one-off payments or cover the duration of the student’s course. 

Applications for these scholarships open on Thursday 1st October 2026 and close on Monday 1st February 2027. 

To view all available scholarships and for more information on each, including how to apply, refer to Student scholarships. 

Don’t Miss a Moment at MSC!

Follow Mornington Secondary College on Facebook & Instagram for news, events, and more so you never miss a moment of your student's learning journey.

Community News & Opportunities

Class Clowns

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is on the lookout for young comedic talent aged 14-18. 

For 30 years, Class Clowns has nurtured emerging comedy talent, helping young people develop their comedic skills. Notable alumni include Joel Creasey, Rhys Nicholson, Annie Louey and Aaron Chen, just to name a few!

It’s FREE to participate and registrations are now open, with events held in Melbourne, Ballarat, Gippsland, Wyndham, Geelong, Albury/Wodonga in February and March 2027.

How it works?

• Participants attend a FREE 2-hour workshop to rehearse and refine a comedy act with the help of a professional comedian.
• Students then have the opportunity to perform at a Class Clowns Show in front of a live audience (workshops are held directly before the show).
• All students need is a 3-5min comedy routine which they can develop as a solo, duo or trio. 
• Selected winners from around the country will go on to perform at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Class Clowns National Grand Final!
• Please note that a teacher, parent or guardian must register young people to participate.

For more information on the Class Clowns program head to classclowns.com.au.

If you have any queries about the Class Clowns Program please reach out via email to classclowns@comedyfestival.com.au.

Robogals Monash

Robogals Monash are thrilled to announce their upcoming event, Engage Engineer 2027 for students in Year 9/10 of all genders.

Engage Engineer is a two-day event happening:

WHEN: Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th of January 2027, from 9:30am to 5pm

WHERE:  Monash University Clayton campus

This event introduces students to engineering through interactive workshops run in collaboration with other Monash engineering student teams. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops as well as attend a panel involving industry and academics. 

Parents of interested students can sign up for the event using this link: Engage Engineer 2027 Sign Up Form

To learn more or to reach out to us