Secondary School News

Pathways Information Sessions

Hamish McGee is hosting two information sessions next week for parents and students of year 10, details below. 

1. The Course Selection Process - Wednesday, 7th August, 5:00 – 5.30 pm 
2. The VCE Vocational Major - Thursday, 8th August, 5.00 – 5.30 pm 

Location: Altona College Senior Centre, Room F4

During the presentation, Hamish will be introducing the digital resource that will assist parents when planning their child’s 2025 year 10 or VCE course. 

Year 11-12 Mini Olympics

This week begins the start of the 'Year 11-12 Mini Olympics'.  Students across both year levels formed into groups and were allocated one of the 2024 Olympic countries to compete under. On Monday we began with our opening ceremony, where students created their nations flag and paraded through the Senior Center to their National Anthems. Tuesday saw the first event "Olympic Trivia - General Knowledge" and Thursday will bring our qualifying rounds of Corn Hole

We look forward to sharing with you our Olympic commentary and team updates over the coming weeks. 

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Canberra Trip 

21st - 25th June 2025

An account of the trip by Taleea Limbrick

It’s quarter to seven on a Friday morning, and it's chilly. We’ve just piled onto this bus, waving goodbye to our parents; we’re bleary-eyed and half-dreaming, but we are so undoubtedly keen. It’s a bit of a drive but we manage to pass the time: smiling and snoozing and playing the world’s most competitive game of Spotto. 

Our first pit-stop is the Electoral Education Centre, tucked away against Old Parliament House, we’re taken through the ins and outs of an election. Mock elections are held, letting us participate and explore what we will all experience in the coming years. It’s interactive but it's quiet, a perfect reprieve from the long drive - while still engaging, it wasn’t overbearing. 

We make it to our home for the next few nights, armed with pizza and residual excitement. The Sundown Villas were a bit of a contentious topic, but our jabs were half-hearted. We were warm and we were comfortable, and that’s all we could have asked. 

Our first morning in the capital, we rugged up and ventured out to the Australian National University. Taking a tour around the campus, we got a glimpse of what life studying at ANU would be; one of their students was kind enough to host the tour, showing us some of the many buildings, and informing us of our course options. 

After a brief lunch, we visited the National Museum for a peruse around one of the exhibits, investigating elements of Australian history solidified through artefacts and memorabilia. A virtual reality tour of a conservatory base in Antarctica left us with knowledge surrounding the happenings of penguins and the real world consequences of climate change. The experience was interesting to say the least, but it also provided us with an insight into the melting of glaciers and the sustainability levels of the Antarctic. 

One of the most significant and moving events of our trip was our visit to the War Memorial. Each night the story of a soldier who lost their life fighting for Australia is shared with the community. Wreaths are laid as a sign of respect, reminding us all of the honour and bravery of each and every one of those defence personnel. 

We finished the night with dinner from the Viking Hotel, and a trip to the Dendie Cinema to watch the new Inside Out 2, another crowd favourite. 

Sunday morning brought about a frost and plenty of layers. Miss Meehan planned a scavenger hunt around town, sending us searching for statues, legal references, flags and historical buildings. Flynn and Bianca won souvenirs for their efforts. A quick picture at the High Court was taken before we moved on. 

Questacon was one of the most engaging parts of the entire trip; we were able to walk through 6 levels of interactive tasks that taught us all types of science. We took turns making paper rockets that we launched, watching lightning crack, attempting mind games, and learning about the rise of AI. Although a little overwhelming, we all had a great time. 

The National Capital Authority was the most inclusive activity; we learnt all about the creation of a planned city. From the naming to the multitude of roundabouts, we asked many questions. A scale model of the city put it all into perspective, showing Canberra and all it has to offer from a birds eye view. 

We had a bit of time to fill before our next activity, so we went and visited Telstra tower. Now, I can’t exactly explain our fascination with this telco tower, but our love for it was fostered by Mr Sperling, who was sure to point it out every time we drove past. Undoubtedly, the day the rotating restaurant reopens is the day we all go back to Canberra. 

Mt. Ainsley provided the views of the century. We stayed to watch part of the sunset before heading off to dinner at the Star Buffet. 

By Monday, we had gotten serious. Our day started with a tour of Parliament, where we got to sit in both chambers and learn all about what went into reinventing the Commonwealth Parliament. Following this, we imitated how to pass a bill; we discussed the pros and cons of having HECS free university for Austrlians, and ultimately decided against embedding the act into legislation.

Old Parliament House was next on the agenda; we walked through the Museum of Australian Democracy, learning about freedom of speech and Australian political history through their interactive monitors. We sat in the original Senate to replicate the Tasmanian Dams Case, which was a pivotal moment that solidified the existence of Section 109 of the Constitution. 

Back up the hill we walked for the ultimate highlight of the trip - question time. We stopped in with Tim Watts who was kind enough to answer some of our questions and bid us good luck for the rest of our trip before going back to the House of Representatives. We were able to see each politician's Manner of Speech, which provided them with the opportunity to address the concerns held by those in their respective electorates, and how they were involved with their communities. Question time was the best source of entertainment, although it almost felt like the Speaker was wrangling a herd of wild year 7s. Protesters came and went, exercising their (limited) freedom of speech before proceedings carried on as usual. It was definitely an experience, but we would all go back for more. As legal students, it was valuable to see our representative democracy in practice, and to witness one of the key roles of our politicians. 

Mount Stromlo was our final check-point on the Great Canberra trip; students from the Australian National University took us through a brief tour of ANUs extended campus, demonstrating the WOMBAT - a chamber that imitates zero gravity - and some of the history of astronomy at ANU.

Alpine School

This year we have seven year 9 students at the Alpine School – School for Student Leadership at Dinner Plains. The school is a DET initiative offering a unique residential education experience for year nine students. The curriculum focuses on personal development and team learning projects sourced from students' home regions. 

During their 9 week stay, our students will live and work in a very close environment with a range of students from other schools to participate in hands on recreational activities. There is a focus on teamwork, leadership, relationships and projects. 

Students attending the program this term are:

Liam Mortan, Aidan Ryan, Charlie Sarai, Niamh Davies, Caitlin Bree, Indee Hulstaert, Kuba Sobczuk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlpineSchoolCampus/ 

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