From the Principal

As we start Term 3, it is appropriate to reflect on the 2025 National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) theme – The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy.

This year NAIDOC Week took place from 6 to 13 July, celebrating 50 years of NAIDOC and the future for First Nations people in Australia, empowered by the strength of our young people, the vision of our communities and the legacy of our ancestors.

Yesterday, we held a whole school assembly, where we welcomed our community back to school. The theme for the assembly was achievement. I have included my speech:

'Good morning, everyone, welcome back.

I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet today. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.

I would also like to introduce you to some new members of staff. Brenda Barker is our new Business Manager, Wendy is retiring. Ms Burns is teaching Science and Psychology and Ms Thompson teaching Humanities. We also welcome Caillin McLeod, an ex-student working in Inclusion and Mia Dimech also in Inclusion.

Last time we had a school assembly, I spoke to you about community as one of our values. Today I want to focus on another value, and that is achievement. Achievement is a word we hear many times, but do we really understand what it means? It is more than just a word we see on the walls of classrooms; it needs to be a guiding principle that shapes everything we do here.

For this reason, I would like to share with you a new vision for Mornington Secondary College, “Excellence for every student, in every class, every day.” Achievement is deeply connected to this vision. To strive for excellence means to pursue achievement in all aspects of learning and life. It means believing that every student can reach their highest potential, that every classroom is a place where growth happens, and that every day brings an opportunity to improve and succeed.

At its core, achievement means setting goals, working hard, and reaching milestones. It’s about celebrating the progress you make, whether it’s understanding a new concept, mastering a skill, or contributing to your community. Achievement is not just about final results or awards; it’s about the effort, resilience, and determination we show along the way.

Achievement teaches us many important lessons:

1. Hard Work Leads to Excellence 

Our vision calls for excellence every day, and this can only be realized through consistent effort and dedication. Achievement shows us that success is earned step by step.

2. Belief in Yourself and Others 

When you achieve, you build confidence. This belief in yourself inspires you to tackle new challenges and helps others believe in their abilities too.

3. Learning from Challenges 

Not every effort leads to immediate success, but achievement is also about learning from setbacks, persevering, and growing stronger.

4. Contributing to Our School Community 

Excellence and achievement are shared values. When each of us does our best, we uplift the entire school, creating an environment where everyone thrives.

Our vision of “Excellence for every student, in every class, every day” reminds us that achievement is inclusive and continuous. 

• Every student has the potential to achieve greatness in their own way. 
• Every classroom is a space where excellence is nurtured. 
• Every day is a new chance to learn, improve, and shine.

So, I encourage you all to embrace achievement as a personal and collective value. Set your goals high, work with purpose, support one another, and never lose sight of the excellence we strive for every single day.

Let me leave you with a quote by an American author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar: “Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have.” Each one of you has unique abilities. Use them fully, strive for excellence, and celebrate every achievement — big or small.

Thank you, and let’s make today, and every day, a step toward your next achievement.'

Term 3 may be a short term (9 weeks) but there are so many things for students to look forward to, including selecting subjects and courses for next year. This term, we begin developing the 2026 timetable. The subjects running are dependent on student numbers and trained staff, so please make sure you select more subjects than you require. Don’t forget to sign up for a Course Counselling Interview if you are in Year 9 or 10.

Linda Stanton

Principal

Important Dates

Term 3 2025

Middle School

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to Term 3! I hope you all enjoyed a refreshing break and had a chance to soak up some sunshine in preparation for the exciting term ahead.

We started the term with a wonderful whole-college assembly Thursday 24th July. It was inspiring to reflect on the many achievements of Term 2 and to hear about the fantastic events coming up. Our students looked terrific, proudly wearing their uniforms. Merit Awards were also presented—well done to those recipients! Today, at the Year 7 and 8 assemblies, students who achieved a Gold Star were presented with their certificates. Congratulations to those students!

Year 9 Course Counselling

A reminder to parents of Year 9 students: please register via Compass for the upcoming Course Counselling Interviews. Our students are enthusiastic about the opportunities that lie ahead, and we look forward to supporting them in making informed decisions.

Primary School Connections

We always value the strong connections we have with our local primary schools. This term, we have several exciting events planned, starting with Osborne Primary Grade 5 students visiting Mornington SC on 30 July for our Science Day. We're thrilled to welcome them and can't wait to ignite their curiosity with some hands-on science learning!

Congratulations!

Melbourne Victory

A huge congratulations to Kendal Christie, who has been training with the Melbourne Victory Victoria A-League Women’s Junior Pathway Program at Maribyrnong. We’re proud to share that Kendal has now been selected for the Junior Reserves Squad for Melbourne Victory—an incredible achievement!

State Cross Country

On Thursday July 24, we had six students representing our college at the State Cross Country event. Congratulations to:

• Bailey Barrett
• Hannah Cooper
• Rafael Merchan
• Amelia Pascuzzo
• Kai Peel
• Ethan Sheen

They were accompanied by Mrs Mackenzie, who will provide an update on their results for next week's newsletter. We’re proud of their dedication and hard work!

Year 7 Humanities

This week, Will Kirby excitedly brought in a Roman helmet he made for his Roman History assignment. Will shared how much he enjoyed the project and even had some help from his family. A wonderful example of creativity and teamwork!

Science Achievement

At the end of last term, Mrs Lamb nominated Year 8 student Max Mathy for the Junior Science Olympiad. We’re thrilled to announce that Max was awarded a Distinction. What an outstanding accomplishment—well done Max!

We love celebrating the diverse talents and achievements of our students, both in and out of school. If your child has done something special, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office or email me—we’d love to share their story with our community.

Wishing you a fantastic week ahead.

Warm regards,

Denise Leggett

Assistant Principal

2026 Course Selection - closes 30th July

2026 Subject Pre-Selection for 2025 Year 8-11 and students, which opened online Wednesday 2nd July, closes Wednesday 30th July.

Course Selection Interviews

Current Year 9 and 10 students will participate in Course Selection Interviews early next month. All students are required to attend an interview and we would encourage parents to attend if possible.  The booking system for these interviews is open on compass, just like a parent teacher conference.

• Year 9 into 10: Friday 1st of August 9:00-3:00 
• Year 10 into 11: Friday 8th of August 9:00-3:00

Families are able to book to see a specific staff member who will be listed in the booking system.  Year 10 students can select either a Vocational Major or an ATAR interview, this allows students who know what their next step is to have a more focused interview. If your child is not sure then select either of the 2 interview options.

Mike Parker

Assistant Principal - Curriculum and Student Wellbeing

 Students of the Week

Year 7 Piper Davies

Favourite food: Chips

Hobbies out of school: Hanging out with friends, Basketball and AFL

What sports team do you follow? The Richmond Tigers

Do you have any pets? 2 guinea pigs, a cat and a kitten

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? Seeing my friends, lunch and recess, interschool sport

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

Year 7 Harvey Allan  

Favourite food: Pizza 

Hobbies out of school: Fishing and Soccer

What sports team do you follow? Manchester United and Saint Kilda

Favourite TV show: Friends

Do you have any pets? None- I’d like a dog

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? Seeing friends, PE & sporting opportunities 

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school? Soccer player 

Year 8 Archer Trenwith 

Favourite food: Pasta – Basil in particular

Hobbies out of school: Gaming

What sports team do you follow? Collingwood

Favourite TV show: Young Sheldon

Do you have any pets? A golden retriever named River and a Chocolate Lab named Hendrix

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? Being with friends and Math; I like that I can be a part of VHAP

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school? Something to do with banking

Year 8 Fern Jenner  

Favourite food: Pasta

Hobbies out of school: Volleyball and sports

What sports team do you follow? Collingwood

Favourite TV show: The Summer I Turned Pretty

Do you have any pets? A dog, a Groodle named Eddie

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? My friends and I enjoy doing Food Tech

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school? I’m not sure yet, I am hoping to figure it out over the next few years when I do my electives.

2025 Production FROZEN JR - Tickets on Sale

Our FROZEN JR production cast and crew worked tirelessly over the mid year break, putting the final touches on costumes, props and performances. They can't wait to perform in August and are looking forward to seeing the theatre seats filled!

Tickets are available to purchase via trybooking - DON'T MISS OUT!  Remember we have a sing-a-long session on our open night so you can join in the fun!

When:        Tuesday 5 August 2025 SING-A-LONG SESSION     7-8:30pm

                     Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th August 2025     7-8:30pm

                     Saturday 9th August 2025     2-3:30pm

Location:   Performing Arts Theatre, 1051 Nepean Highway, Mornington Vic 3931

Tickets can be purchased via trybooking, on the below link.

Whole School Assembly

The focus of this week's assembly centred on one of our school's core values - achievement, and achievements were on show throughout the assembly.

Once again our school community were treated to a demonstration by the MSC Drum and Flag Corp and song by the MSC school band, performing I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor by Artic Monkeys.

College Captains Carter Nicholson and Ethan Barker reminded our Class of 2025, Year 12s, that this is their final term, and although “the pressure can feel real”, they were encouraged that “achievement is a journey, not a single destination” and that “ATAR and study scores are just one chapter in their story. No path is better than the another. What matters is that you walk your path with purpose.” 

Sports Captain Alex Keily highlighted the achievements reached by our students achieved in the sporting field in Term 2; ranging from representation at Divisional level and progression to Regional, State and National level. Term 3 sporting opportunities were announced for Year 7-10 students who wish to participate in basketball, futsal, table tennis and hockey.

Head of Art, Lea Gilbert, proudly presented People's Choice Awards from our recent Mid-Year Art Show to the following winners:

• Year 7 Art: Mya George, 'Lava Lamp'
• Year 8 Art: Jackson Sweatman, 'Bruno Mars Painting'
• Year 9 Art: Deyvina Kanthan, 'Gerald the Turtle'
• Year 9 Art: Fraser O'Shea, 'Frog on a Log'
• Year 10 Art: Chelsea Turko, 'Flower Painting'
• Overall People's Choice Winner: Archie McGarry

The MSC Merit Award system recognises student involvement in extra-curricular activities over and above their academic and curriculum program. Points are awarded throughout the school year in one of three categories; School and Community Service, The Arts, and Sport and Recreation. Bronze and Silver recipients were acknowledged at assembly and Gold badge recipients were presented with their badges and certificates by Principal Linda Stanton. Congratulations to all recipients!

To finish the assembly random 'achievement' winners from each year level were gifted a box of chocolates (always a popular prize amongst the winners friends!). To be in the running, students were required to have achieved a Progress Check Score in Term 2 above 3.75 or have shown an improvement of at least 1.0 (from Term 1 to Term 2). 

Senior Girls Southern Metropolitan Region (SMR) Badminton Championships

On Wednesday 24th July our Senior Girls’ Badminton team comprising of Larni Thomas, Mia Karpas, Maddison Lillecrapp and Summer Schwarz competed at the Senior Girl’s SMR Badminton Championships which were held at the Springers Leisure Centre in Keysborough. There were 8 teams in the competition which was divided into two pools of 4 teams. 

Our team was competing against McKinnon SC, Cranbourne East SC and Elisabeth Murdoch SC. The first match was played against McKinnon SC which was to be the girls’ toughest encounter of the pool, losing 5 games to 1. Many of the games were very tight with the score not truly representing how close the match was. The second match was played against Cranbourne East, with the girls match score improving to a 4-2 loss. Our final pool game against Elisabeth Murdoch SC was the girls’ best result of the day winning 6 – 0. 

The standard of the games was very high, with some truly excellent rallies on display. All matches in the competition were played with great team spirit and sportsmanship with the girls’ supporting each other and appreciating their competition. The girl’s represented our school with distinction, with the big winner of the day being school sport. 

John Walker

College Sport Coordinator 

Aerobics Showcase Night

On Friday 1st of August, we will be holding an Aerobics Showcase Night to celebrate and raise funds for our incredible Aerobics Squad. We would like to invite all staff, students, families and friends to attend this night to support and cheer on our teams before they head off to Nationals later in August. 

The showcase will begin at 5:30pm in the Robert Herbert Gym and will consist of performances by all of our teams along with some games and raffles. Please bring a gold coin for entry and some spare change for the raffle and games. 

Raffle tickets and entries in the 'Guess The Lollies In The Jar' can be bought from Student Services prior to the showcase, or on the night. 

We would like to thank all of the businesses who have donated to our raffle so far. Please see below what you could win!

1st Place

• Fernwood Mornington: One month membership + 1 PT session (valued at $259)
• CorePlus Rosebud: 10 Class Pack voucher (valued at $280)
• The Private Sea: The Resilien-Sea Pack (valued at $109)
• Chemist Warehouse Mornington: Variety of products

2nd Place

• Bayside Osteo Clinic: Initial consultation/ 45-min appt (valued at $140)
• LUUP: Gift box
• Fernwood Mornington: 5 Pack Reformer Pilates (valued at $125)
• Farrell’s Book Shop: $30 voucher

3rd Place:

• Fernwood Mornington: 5 Pack FiiT30 (valued at $125)
• Zen Living: Gift Voucher (valued at $25)
• Chemist Warehouse Mornington: Variety of products

PLUS … many more raffle prizes up for grabs from KX Pilates Mornington, Enchanted Adventure, Warrior One Mornington, Bunnings Warehouse Mornington, Mornington Golf Club, Strong Pilates and The Winey Cow.

We can't wait to see you there! Let's come together to celebrate our hard-working students and the incredible year they've already had in the aerobics program. 

Indie Jowett

Aerobics Squad

Food Tech - Year 7

Class 7B became professional sensory taste testers today in Food Tech. They explored how we experience food by analysing six different items using appearance, aroma, texture, and taste. There were some funny faces for the pickles and plenty of descriptive words for the lemons! We had lots of fun overall learning about how we evaluate our food. We saved the chocolate for last, of course!

Shani Hodson

Food Technology Teacher

The Power of Rest

Sleep might seem like a luxury when you’re juggling school, sports, social life, and hobbies, but for teenagers, getting enough quality sleep is absolutely crucial. 

Teenagers need about 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night to function at their best. Yet, many get far less. Early school start times, homework, screen time, and social activities often push sleep to the back burner. This sleep deprivation isn’t just about feeling tired — it impacts every part of a teen’s life.

Sleep plays a vital role in memory and learning. During deep sleep stages, the brain processes information from the day, helping teens retain what they’ve learned in class. Without enough sleep, concentration, problem-solving, and creativity take a hit. Simply put: tired brains don’t learn as well.

Growth hormones are mostly released during sleep, so it’s essential for physical development. Sleep also supports a strong immune system, helps regulate appetite, and reduces the risk of obesity and other health problems. Teen athletes especially need good rest for recovery and performance.

Teen years can be an emotional rollercoaster, and sleep has a huge impact on mood regulation. Lack of sleep increases irritability, anxiety, and risk of depression. When well-rested, teens can better handle stress and build positive relationships.

Tips for Better Sleep

• Stick to a schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.
• Limit screen time before bed: The blue light from phones and computers disrupts sleep hormones.
• Create a relaxing bedtime routine: Reading, gentle stretches, or listening to calm music can help.
• Keep the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet: A comfortable environment promotes restful sleep.
• Avoid caffeine and heavy meals close to bedtime.

Sleep isn’t a waste of time,  it’s an investment in health, happiness, and success. Encouraging teens to prioritize sleep will help them thrive now and into adulthood.

Shaun Doherty

Year 9 Coordinator

New Staff 

I’ve been warmly welcomed by the MSC community this week, and it’s been a wonderful start to my journey here. My name is Brenda Barker, and I’m excited to introduce myself as the new Business Manager. Having recently transitioned from a local secondary college, I’m looking forward to becoming an active part of this community.

With over 20 years of experience in the education sector, I’ve truly found my passion in working within schools, and I’m eager to contribute to the continued success of MSC. Outside of work, I love spending quality time with my family and enjoying camping holidays to unwind and recharge.

Looking forward to getting to know everyone and contributing to the great work here at MSC.

Brenda Barker

Business Manager

Warm greetings to you all.  My name is Francis Thompson and I am an experienced  Literacy and English teacher.  I have taught in New Zealand and Melbourne schools from Prep to Year 10.  I look forward to working at MSC and meeting all of the wonderful staff, students and their families.  I also enjoy gardening and beach walks in my spare time.

Francis Thompson

English Teacher

Hi, I’m Greta Burns and I’ve joined Mornington Secondary College this term. I’ve taught in a secondary setting for around 11 years, and very much look forward to teaching the subjects I am passionate about; Psychology and Science. When I’m not teaching, I’m kept busy with my two little daughters, experiencing the world through their eyes. I love reading, coffee and getting outdoors as much as possible!

Greta Burns

Science Teacher

Dr Billy Garvey

Dr Billy Garver, a Paediatrician with over 20 years experience working with children and a senior specialist in both the Centre for Community Child Health & the General Medicine department at the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) Melbourne, is holding two free sessions through the Mornington Peninsula Shire at the Peninsula Community Theatre in Mornington on 28 August. 

With the overarching theme being Supporting your Child, the first session is on Supporting children and young people with neurodiversity, and the second session is on Supporting children and young people who are school refusing. 

Dr Billy Garvey is a developmental paediatrician who started up Guiding Growing Minds to support communities to assist all children to have the best opportunity to reach their potential.   He also co-hosts a regular podcast called Pop Culture Parenting which explores honest, real-life parenting: Pop Culture Parenting — Guiding Growing Minds. 

Booking can be made via the QR code on the flyer.

Mornington Library Program

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