Middle School Report

From the Director of Learning 

Middle School

Ms Michelle Collins

As we enter the final weeks of the school year, we’re excited to see our students giving their best right to the end! Term 4 is a busy one, and we encourage everyone to keep up those positive habits—arriving on time, staying organised, and putting consistent effort into every lesson. Take a moment to be proud of how far you’ve come this year and stay focused on the finish line—you’re nearly there! Remember to look after your wellbeing by eating well, getting plenty of rest, and keeping active.

Regular attendance continues to be one of the strongest indicators of success at school and beyond. Attending school every day helps students achieve their best, stay connected with learning, and build strong foundations for future opportunities. If you are experiencing any challenges with attendance, please reach out to your child’s Year Level Coordinator (YLC) for support—together, we can help every student stay on track.

A reminder that our Headstart program will begin in Week 9 (starting 1st December). During this time, students will move into their new year level classes for 2026. Current Year 9 students will begin their Year 10 timetable, while current Year 10 students will transition to the Senior School and commence their Year 11 VCE/VM studies. Students will be introduced to Senior School policies during Headstart, and it’s important for parents and guardians to be aware that some expectations differ from the Middle School. In the Senior School, absences must be supported by a medical certificate or statutory declaration, and students are required to attend at least 90% of classes in each subject. 

Let’s all finish the year strong—every day counts, and we’re proud of the effort and resilience our students continue to show. You’ve got this!

Year 10 Exams

Year 10 students will be undertaking exams on Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th November. Regular classes on these days will be cancelled and students will sit a total of four exams over the two day period. 

Please note that Year 10 students will be dismissed from school at 1:07pm on Wednesday 26th November after their final exam. 

For many students, this will be their first experience with a formal exam. It's essential that they prepare thoroughly and reach out to their teachers for help when needed. We know exams can be stressful, but good preparation makes a big difference. Encourage students to stay organised, start studying early, and take regular breaks. Below is a checklist from Reach Out to help students prepare for their exams:

Middle School Captains trip to Multicultural Youth Conference

On Wednesday 29th October the Middle School Captains and the Activities Coordinator travelled into the city for a Multicultural Youth Conference. It was held at the Melbourne Town Hall; we arrived to be greeted by hundreds of students from all over Melbourne.

The day was embraced with enthusiasm and kindness, our students expressing the Westall Way in all their interactions. They put themselves into the wobble zone whether it be dancing on stage or sharing their leadership ideas and networking with students from other schools. 

A broad range of cultures were represented in a vibrant and positive manner. Presentations by young leaders promoted inclusiveness and discussions of how to approach racism and other challenges in our schools was a feature.

We headed home with lots of positive memories. A more mature outlook on what leadership is and how to take complex cultural concepts into the real world. 

Congratulations captains on a great day, I was very proud of you, Representing Westall Secondary College in such a respectful and positive manner, taking on board the complexities of student leadership in the future and being open to new ideas that I am sure will impact all our students in the future.

Lee Read 

Activities Coordinator 

Taking place in the gorgeous Melbourne Town Hall, the 3rd Multicultural Youth Leadership Conference commenced on Wednesday, 29th October. It is a conference held with the purpose of empowering future generations of leaders, multicultural leaders in particular. We were truly honoured to join with hundreds of students across Victoria, all to gather in the heart of Melbourne to be inspired on their leadership journeys by learning from guest speakers including some of the greatest youth workers and advocates in the state. We were encouraged to socialize with students from other schools, sharing our views on diversity, inclusion, leadership, racism awareness and embracing your culture and identity within schools in modern Australian society. By the end of the conference, we gained a greater understanding that leadership doesn’t end once a leader takes off their badge or moved on from a title. Leadership is the impact you can make in this world and it is a journey to speak up, to have encourage and to take initiative to prevent racism, to celebrate one’s culture or even, let your own voices be heard. 

‘Confidence is not feeling ready. It is TRYING anyway.’  

Thanks to Ms Read for organising this event, it was truly empowering to head the relevant speakers experiences and I will always remember it.

Thanks to my co-captains: Danny, Rangga, Kayla and Sokhuy for attending the event with me!

Amy Tran Nguyen, Year 10 Middle School Captain

Year 9 Melbourne Zoo Excursion

The Year 9 students visited Melbourne Zoo on the 14th of October as part of their Science curriculum. Students were given the opportunity to explore the zoo in small groups and observe a wide range of animals in their habitats. Their learning task during the excursion was to photograph animals representing each of the five classes of vertebrates. After completing their observations at the zoo, students travelled to Melbourne Central for lunch before returning to school.

Mr Jeffery Chau

Maths/ Science Teacher

Classroom Corner

Classroom Corner is back for 2025!

In Year 9 Global Literacy, students have been learning about Biomes and Food Insecurity for their Geography unit. Ms. Herod’s students participated in a group carousel activity for a festive lesson that took place on Halloween. Students researched the ideal biomes suitable for growing pumpkins, compared different map projections depicting the global production of pumpkins, and analysed the SHEEPT factors of a case study. Students concluded with researching different festivals and recipes around the world that use pumpkins, brainstormed how to be more sustainable by using every part of the pumpkin, and even got the chance to participate in a “Pumpkin Decorating Contest!”  

In Year 10 English, students have been learning about different genres and their characteristics, styles, and tropes for their unit “Crafting Texts.” During a Halloween themed lesson, Ms. Herod’s students studied the difference between the Horror and Thriller genre before reading “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. To spark their creativity and practise crafting texts themselves, students were asked to participate in a “Black Out Poetry” activity. Students took one page from Poe’s short story, boxed words that stood out to them, and attempted to create new meaning from them by "blacking out" the rest of the page!

Ms Emily Herod

Humanities Teacher