Principled Learners

This year I have seen many examples of students in the Secondary Years making good choices and acting in a principled manner, all in the pursuit of personal excellence. Sometimes, individuals have made choices that have not always been honourable or proper, however, a redeeming quality I have seen in many of our students has been honesty - taking responsibility for one's choices and endeavouring to do the right thing in the future.

As we approach the end of the year, I thank all students and members of the community for striving to be principled learners.

Joanne Wegener

Deputy Principal - Secondary

Valedictory Celebration

What a fine send-off we gave to the Year 12 Class of 2024 on Friday 22 November at Werribee Mansion. It was wonderful to see the students dressed in their finery and looking like the young adults they now are. Thank you to all students, parents and staff who came along to make a memorable evening.

Joanne Wegener

Deputy Principal - Secondary

PC Class Placements for 2025

Next week SY students will be notified of PC classes for 2025. Year 7-9 PC class groupings will also be the core class for the year. Year 10-12 PC classes will be one of 7 classes with a different grouping of students for each class.

A great deal of time is spent organising classes to meet the complexity of needs, eg. individual learning needs, gender balance, distribution of new students. Because of this, it is difficult to accommodate every individual request without negatively impacting others. Therefore, once class lists are published, it will not be possible to change PC classes.

Parents and students are encouraged to view the PC placement of their child as an opportunity for growth and development; a chance to find new learning partners; and preparation for life beyond school.

We request that students respect the decision-making and collaborative planning that occurred to create classes that are fair, balanced and ultimately support the greater good of all students.

Joanne Wegener

Deputy Principal - Secondary

Step Up Week

This has been an action-packed week for stepping up to learn, serve, and lead. Year 10&11s have had a head start on their VCE learning. Year 9 students had great weather for their SOLO night, which included cooking on trangias and putting up tents. Year 7-8 engaged in an array of service-learning activities, including:

Planning an esports club, and leading sports training
Creating a banner for the Wyndham Kite Festival
Washing cars to raise money for the lost dogs' appeal
Visits to the West Welcome Wagon and Christ the Lord Slovak church
Designing and creating banners for our chapel space
German biscuit cooking for the Year 1s
Podcasts and drama events
Learning about the environmental protection of the Werribee River
Starry night mosaic garden art

It was impressive to see such energy and enthusiasm from students at this end of the year, with many finishing with projects they can continue into next year. Well done everyone for your energy & enthusiasm.

Joanne Wegener

Deputy Principal - Secondary

Principled Pieces: Building Unity Through Mosaic Art

Late last year, a group of dedicated, art-loving students brought the Starry Night Mosaic Project to life. On Harmony Day, mosaic volunteers Tashreet Sidhu and Iris Hintsa proudly laid and grouted the first "arm" of the design after school. While this segment needs a little more grout and sealing, the project is now truly gaining momentum!

This week, enthusiastic Year 7 and 8 students prepped the second, slightly larger arm for installation and began work on the third, and biggest arm yet. Meanwhile, another creative group painted pole covers featuring our school’s values, adding even more vibrancy to the Art Plaza.

Thanks to everyone’s hard work, this project is shaping up beautifully. If you’d like to leave your mark on this communal masterpiece, join us during select lunchtimes in AT1.

Here’s to ending 2024 on a high note!

Celeste Cameron and Annabella Helmer

Teachers

Year 8 English

The Year 8s have just finished their final English assessment where they filmed a new scene for the movie ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ (Waititi, 2019).

Students were able to demonstrate their understanding of the characters and themes through planning, storyboarding, filming and editing the new scene. This allowed them to build their creative thinking, collaboration and organisation skills.

The students had fun getting creative with their props, costumes and locations that they could film within the school grounds.

Natasha Brough

Teacher

Save the Date - Award Ceremony

We look forward to celebrating student achievements at the upcoming Secondary Years Awards Ceremony.

2pm on Friday 6 December at the College Gym

Creating with Integrity: Being Principled in Music Technology

On Friday, 25 October 2024, the Year 10 Music class visited The Channel at Arts Centre Melbourne to participate in dynamic Ableton Live workshops on music composition and podcasting. These sessions catered to all skill levels, focusing on Audio Production, Sound Design, vocal techniques, and dialogue creation. Students gained a comprehensive understanding of producing high-quality audio projects.

Despite sharing a recording space, students managed noise levels effectively, maintaining focus and ensuring a smooth experience. The composition workshop provided a strong foundation, enabling students to collaboratively create a song featuring harmonic, melodic, rhythmic, and lyrical elements using a Digital Audio Workstation.

The podcasting session followed, culminating in the successful completion of the Second Semester Podcast task. Students showcased their creativity and newly developed audio production skills, making the day an enriching and productive learning experience.

Annabella Helmer

Teacher of Music & Art

Free Parent Webinars

As part of the service supplied by external providers we use for the Secondary Years Pastoral Care program, we have access to a number of free parent webinars. These webinars touch on important topics relevant to students and parents during their secondary schooling. You are invited to join any of the upcoming parent webinars:

ELEVATE EDUCATION PARENT WEBINAR

- Wednesday 11 December: Setting up for Success

Refer to the attached flyer for details on how to register for free:

Joanne Wegener

Deputy Principal - Secondary

Date	Event
Friday 6 December	Secondary Awards Ceremony (Year 7-11) Primary Years Christmas Carols
Monday 9 December	Primary Awards Ceremony
Tuesday 10 December	Prep - Year 2 Athletics Carnival
Wednesday 11 December	End of Term 4

Upcoming Diary Dates

Important Dates Term 4, 2024

Term Dates 2025