Mentone Girls' Secondary College Newsletter

Principal's Message

Welcome Back everyone! 

 

I was on leave for the last week of Term 3 and would like to take the opportunity to thank Carol Duggan for stepping into the role of Acting Principal during that time.  As always, the school was left in good hands at a busy time.

 

I was not able to attend the Trivia Night in the last week of school due to being on leave, however, Detta Gordon and the Parents and Friends' Association (PFA) brought together our community (who travel from over 45 different suburbs) to hold a fun-filled Trivia Night.  It was an outstanding achievement raising over $6,000 for the college.  The PFA use these funds for their annual grants, so it benefits everyone.

 

Thanks to Sylvia Christopoulos for coming in over the holiday break to run the Year 12 practice exams. We employed additional staff to supervise the practice exams and it went very smoothly.  Approximately two-thirds of the Year 12 students attended which was a great turn-out. Opportunities such as this strengthen a student’s ability to work effectively in exam situations.

 

Last week we hosted the Annual Art Show.  This was the first time since 2019 that we have been able to hold the Art Show onsite. The VCE artwork on display was outstanding and I congratulate every student who has undertaken Visual Art, Media and Visual Communication and Design this year.  It was also terrific to see the work of the junior and middle school students on display.  My thanks go out to Lauren Caridi, Stefanie Cappuccio, Eva Glac, Amy Willett, Charlie Ning, Luigi Spoto, Geoff Perks, and Robyn van den Berg for their work in planning for, and the installation of, the Art Show. I also wish to acknowledge the judges Cheryl Taylor from Beaumaris Art Group, Kirrah Thompson representing Art Shed and Eva Cummin and the continued sponsorship from Barry Plant.

 

There have been two performing arts events already this term.  We held an information night for our future Year 7 students who have an interest in being in a band form.  The event was very well attended, and we anticipate having three band forms in 2024.  The Vocal Night was an opportunity for our students across the year levels to showcase their talents to their families in solo and group performances. 

 

The Year 12 students concluded their studies at the end of last week.  In their last week the students organised several activities across the week whilst they are making the most of their last few lessons with their teachers. They were:

  • Monday – students wore their primary school uniform and pigtails.
  • Tuesday –  a themed dress day for students plus a staff vs students dodge ball game in the gym.
  • Wednesday – students put together a teacher song dedication video and opened their Year 7 time capsules.
  • Thursday – a BBQ lunch in the quad.

 

On Friday morning there was  whole school Reflection Assembly. It was a terrific opportunity for our students in Years 7 to 11 to be part of this occasion. The College Captains, Georgie Grubb and Candice Prior, spoke well as they summed up the journey for themselves and their peers. For the first time in many years, our Parents were able to attend the assembly and celebrate this milestone with the students. There were many staff, students, parents and carers that shed a tear at this moving occasion. 

 

 

The Valedictory Dinner was held on that evening, and it was very well attended.  It was really lovely to see the families having such a wonderful time. I also enjoyed talking with many parents about how much they appreciated the efforts of the school over the year. 

I wish our Year 12 students all the best as they prepare for the exam period.

Dealing with distressing online content

With the tragic and distressing events unfolding in the Middle East, Australia's independent regulator for online safety, eSafety, has issued guidance to help parents and carers support their children in dealing with distressing online content.

The eSafety website has resources for parents and carers about online safety. These include information on extra precautions you can take to protect your children from seeing disturbing content online.

eSafety encourage parents and carers supporting young people who may be more vulnerable to check in with them. If they are presenting with signs of distress, support is available through external services including:

Best wishes

Linda Brown