Secondary School

Head of Secondary

Celebrating a Strong Finish to the Year

As we approach the end of another vibrant and fulfilling school year, it’s a wonderful time to pause and recognise the perseverance, focus, and character our students have shown. Across Years 9–11, students have been working diligently as they complete their end-of-year exams. Their commitment to finishing well—despite long revision hours, competing priorities, and the natural fatigue of Term 4—has been commendable. We are proud of the maturity and determination they continue to demonstrate.

Soon after exams conclude, our 2026 two-week Headstart Program will begin. This valuable transition period allows students to step confidently into their next year level, meet new teachers, and establish the routines that help create strong beginnings. Headstart reflects the wisdom of Proverbs 21:5: “The plans of the diligent lead to profit.” By preparing early, students position themselves for success not only academically, but also in their sense of readiness and purpose.

After Headstart, our Year 7–9 students will enjoy two special celebration activity days to end their year on Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 December. These days are designed to bring joy, build friendships, and acknowledge the growth our junior students have shown in their learning and wellbeing. After a year filled with curiosity, challenges, and discovery, these celebrations serve as a reminder that God delights in both our work and our rest.

As a community, we look forward to gathering for the Secondary Awards Presentation Night on Tuesday 2 December. This evening is an important moment in our school year—an opportunity to honour students who have exemplified excellence, perseverance, and positive character. We encourage all families to join us as we celebrate not only achievement, but also the attitudes of effort and resilience that sit behind it.

Throughout these final weeks, we return often to the words of Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” As we encourage students to finish well, we also remind them of the deeper truth that God strengthens and sustains us in every season.

May the close of this year bring a sense of accomplishment, gratitude, and hope. And as summer approaches, we pray our students and families enjoy a period of rest, renewal, and joyful connection.

James Kumnick, Head of Secondary

2026 Secondary Leadership

2026 Secondary Year Level Coordinators 

We are delighted to share an exciting update on the structure of our 2026 Secondary Leadership team. While each Coordinator will have a primary focus on their respective year levels, the true strength of this group lies in its collaborative approach. 

Throughout 2026, the team will continue to broaden its reach across the Secondary School—working together more intentionally, supporting one another, and enriching the experience of both students and staff.

Years 7–9 Coordinators

• Jay Johnstone
• Josh Thorne (joining our Maths/Science/Bible team in 2026)

Years 10–12 Coordinators

• Amy Partridge
• Paris Farr

2026 Secondary Heads of Faculty

The appointment of Faculty Heads is an important step forward as we continue strengthening our structure, collaboration, and overall performance across the College. After a strong field of expressions of interest and thoughtful conversations, the following staff have been appointed:

• Chay Williamson & Tim Clark, Arts & Technology
• Janna Becker & Katie McCann, English & Humanities
• Peter Beissmann & Nigel Kuipers, Maths & Science
• Peter Zwiersen, Physical Education & SIS Sport

This team brings a wealth of expertise, passion, and vision to their faculty areas. Their leadership will play a key role as we sharpen our scope and sequence, build greater consistency across curriculum and assessment, and strengthen teamwork and accountability in every subject area. 

These appointments mark a significant step forward in elevating the learning experience for our students and supporting staff collaboration in meaningful and practical ways.

Peninsula Applied Learning Awards 

Three of our Year 12 VM students received awards at the recent Peninsula Applied Learning (PAL) Awards. Hendricus Versteegen (Industry), Detroit Roncon (Excellence) and Liam Treacy (Achievement) thoroughly deserved their awards and enjoyed this wonderful night of celebration with their families.

Ken Berry, VM Coordinator

Elective Taster Day

The Year 6’s had a wonderful time in Food Tech during the Elective Taster Day. Four groups of students came through, and they all made sushi rolls! A big thank you to Mrs Forrest, our amazing chef who prepared the delicious food!

Steven Reid, Secondary Teacher

Year 8 Food Technology

The Year 8 Food Tech class are seen here making Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip cookies. This session was enjoyed by the entire class but some students (mainly boys) ate all their cookies and felt a little sick afterwards!

Steven Reid, Secondary Teacher

Year 8 Humanities 

As part of Year 8 Humanities, students were required to create  Mesoamerican models.

Gabriel Hingley, Secondary Teacher

Outdoor and Environmental Studies News

Year 7 OES has been busy exploring some of Victoria’s most stunning outdoor locations. Students recently took to the waves at Phillip Island for a day of surfing and adventure, and hiked through the rugged coastline of Point Nepean National Park. 

Along the way, they’ve been learning about the area’s rich history, from its military tunnels and lookout points to the old quarantine station that once protected Melbourne. These experiences are helping students build confidence in the outdoors while developing a deeper understanding of Victoria’s unique coastal environments.

Year 8 OES has been on some incredible adventures lately! From soaring through the treetops at Enchanted Adventure in Arthurs Seat to exploring its stunning gardens and winding mazes, students have embraced every challenge with energy and enthusiasm. Beyond that, they’ve been discovering the natural beauty of the Mornington Peninsula through scenic hikes and kayaking experiences on the sparkling waters of Port Phillip Bay - learning, laughing, and adventuring every step of the way.

7OES Point Nepean & Bushrangers Bay Hikes

This term our Year 7 OES classes took part in two day hikes at Point Nepean and Bushrangers Bay. Students clocked up plenty of kilometres while exploring some of the most stunning parts of our local coastline. 

They learned about the unique environment, local wildlife and the rich history connected to these areas. The groups showed great enthusiasm, teamwork and curiosity throughout each hike, making both excursions enjoyable and memorable experiences for everyone involved.

8OES Enchanted Adventure and Kayaking at Sandringham

This term our Year 8 OES classes enjoyed two exciting outdoor experiences. At Enchanted Adventure in Arthurs Seat, students tackled the Tree Surfing course, explored the mazes and raced down the giant slide, all with plenty of laughs and encouragement for one another. 

They also spent a day kayaking at Sandringham on Port Phillip Bay, where they learned how to prepare safely for time on the water, including understanding wind conditions and paddling techniques. Working together to keep their kayaks steady and moving well was a real highlight, and students quickly discovered how teamwork makes paddling far more effective. Both days were full of energy, learning and adventure for everyone involved.

Year 9/10 OES 

This term the 9/10 OES class have continued with their learning about God’s creation and the impact we as humans have on this. Students have looked at several areas of modern society and how this has impacted on creation. 

Students have also investigated safety in the outdoors with a special focus on beach and river safety. Highlights for the class have been the excursions to Phillip Island surfing, white water rafting and a hike along the Woolamai coast. 

Years 9  & 10 Agriculture

Students were able to build garden beds in the new herb garden, learning valuable construction and landscaping skills. They were also able to interact with our new chicks, thanks to the Williams family Incubator and hutch. This has been amazing for our students to engage in this space and learning how to care for animals.

ELC3 & 4 North Campus visits

Our Year 11 VM students ran animal awareness and feeding sessions with 3 and 4 year old ELC students as a part of the Certificate II in Active Volunteering. These were wonderful opportunities for both the ELC and Year 11 students and a great time was had by all. Thanks to our amazing ELC director, Amy Hu for helping to put these sessions together.

Ken Berry, VM Coordinator

Moonlit Sanctuary

Year 11 VM students participated in two working sessions at the Moonlit Sanctuary this term where they mulched the Koala fodder plants and helped to clean up the Wallaby Walk area. They were able to learn valuable applied learning skills whilst working with Moonlit’s Horticultural expert, Holly and thoroughly enjoyed being in the wonderful environment at Moonlit Sanctuary.

Ken Berry, VM Coordinator

Year 10 VM Showcase

James Siede and Russel Svigos ran the Year 10 Showcase night where students were able to demonstrate to their parents’ projects they have worked on throughout this year. It was great to see Jacob MC and many other students help prepare food and run activities with our animals.

Ken Berry, VM Coordinator

Village Baxter

The Year 11 VM students have been visiting Village Baxter to work with the residents as a part of their Personal Development Skills course. They’ve had a ball playing darts and making pottery with residents. A huge thanks goes to Marg Millikan and James Siede for putting this wonderful program together.

Ken Berry, VM Coordinator

11VM Literacy

The Year 11 Numeracy class recently completed their most recent assignment - designing and writing children’s books with a Numeracy focus. After working on them for several weeks, they decided to present these to a grade 1 class. We were privileged to be invited by Mrs Chester’s wonderful class. 

The students were very well behaved and enjoyed being shown the broad range of books the Vm students had written and illustrated. As a “Thank You” we were being rewarded with a performance of grade 1 and 2 students singing a worship song - it was lovely! The books have turned out so well that we will laminate them and donate them to the College.

Ken Berry, VM Coordinator

SIS News

Junior Girls Basketball 

Congratulations to the junior girls’ Basketball team in this terms SIS competition. The girls played a fantastic brand of team orientated basketball which helped all players have some fun and success on the court. It was great to see the girls grow as the season went on and they managed to come away with a couple of wins. Well done girls. 

Intermediate Boys Basketball 

This year the boys started the season well with a couple of big wins. In their third game they were tested by a very good side with the score being very close. Unfortunately, when the siren went, they were behind and lost by 2 points. They finished the season strong. The boys played extremely well as a team both defensively and offensively. 

Peter Zwiersen, Secondary PE Coordinator

Upcoming Dates