Secondary School News

Assistant Principals Secondary

Dear Families,

As we are inching closer to the half-way mark of term 4 it fills me with joy to reflect on what a successful and jam packed term it has been so far.

Firstly, congratulations to our student cohort of 2025. Our year 12s returned to Collingwood College, for what hopefully won’t be the very last time, to say hello and goodbye to their teachers, spend time at the ‘place where it all started’ and to share many wonderful memories from over the years. We wish them all the best with what comes next on their journey of life, and hope that all those sitting exams do their best to the very end. Well done on completing this chapter of your journey!

As always, we are camps galore with our second year 10 outdoor education cohort enjoying another climbing camp with Amy and Geordie. 8C experienced the beach vibes of the Cumberland River for a week, learning how to surf and spending time together as a group. Still to come, 8A & 8B will have the pleasure of the beach, hopefully with warmer weather, and to see if they can mast the waves. Our year 9s head out on their final Journeys Programme, paddling up and down the Murray River and taking in the serenity of the quiet and untouched. A mixture of year 9 & 10s will get to experience the scientific exploration of the University of Melbourne Dookie camp, nurturing curiosity and creativity every step of the way. Lastly, our year 7 cohort will have the opportunity to play games, engage in team bonding activities, share meals and reflect on their first year of Secondary School as a group at their Forest Edge camp in December. With so much happening in the many expeditions run at Collingwood College each year, I would like to thank all of our community and wonderful teachers for planning, leading and supporting our school camps.

Just as we are busy with camps, we continue to be busy with end of year celebrations, learning experiences and activities. Coming up, we will say farewell to our year 10 cohort as they make their way to the Senior campus for the first time, committing to two weeks of their 2026 studies in week 9 and 10 of this term. On Thursday, week 8, we will say goodbye with our annual Rose Ceremony which will involve student performances, student speeches, time to laugh together and time for photos and reflection before they embark on their Senior years. To celebrate this, our students will visit the Senior Campus in week 10 to compete in the Disappointment Derby Match, a game established last year, that we want to continue to grow the connection between our two campuses. I know students from both campuses are very excited to see who takes home the trophy this year.

As always, this year was another spectacular Adams production, students celebrated a successful show of Shakepeare’s Twelfth Night, showcasing their raw talent on and off the stage. Each year, the students continue to grow and develop to reach new heights and deliver a wonderful annual school production. Well done to all involved in your tireless effort and energy, including our student alumni who continue to come back and support this wonderful endeavour. Lastly, thank you to everyone, staff, parents, carers and the wider community who shared a morning tea with staff last week to say thank you for all the work that they do. Our school is built on our community and values, last week was no exception to this rule.

Reminders for all, mobile phones are to be locked away or stored in safe places whilst students are at school. If you need to contact your child, please do so via reception as teachers are ensuring devices are not being used whilst at school. In connection to this, our students have done an amazing job in putting away their laptops, IPads and more at recess and lunch so they can talk to each other, play card games, run around or just simply take some time to read. We are very proud of how responsive they have been to no screens during break times, and it is great to see students learning in the library at lunchtime and asking for help with their studies. The library will continue to remain open, as this is a vital educational learning space that students can continue to utilise to complete homework or engage in further studies at lunchtime.

Forward thinking, we will be able to send out a final weeks activities table to years 7 - 9, please keep an eye out of what is coming up, including any payments or consent that is needed. This year, we will have a specified cut off date where we can no longer accept consent so that excursions can leave on time and not impact the time students have on the day. If you require support or have further questions when this timetable is released, please contact your child’s Home Group teacher.

That is all for now, I look forward to seeing you on yard duty at the gate, at the Thursday Market or coming to experience the learning activities that happen within our four walls.

Until the end of the year,

Kind regards,

Rachel Wood

Acting Assistant Principal Secondary

International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB, MYP)

Middle Years Programme (MYP) Showcase

Next Wednesday, our MYP Showcase is taking place. This is an opportunity for families to see the amazing work completed by our current Year 7 and 8 mainstream students. You will be able to undertake a Gallery Walk of student achievement and creativity across all subjects. This semester we will have student work set out in subject displays for both Year 7 and 8 so that families can see the progression across the year levels.

We are very proud of what our students are achieving and would love to share it with you.

This event is open to all Collingwood College families - I encourage parents with children in the primary mainstream to attend as you will be able to gain an understanding of the type of learning ahead for your child.

It is also on the same night as the Art Show so you can attend both events in one night!

International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme

Consultation Visit

Our school recently hosted our assigned MYP consultant for two days. The MYP Consultation Visit is an important stage of the candidacy process. During the visit our consultant met with Leadership and the School Council President, Learning Area Leaders, and students and parent focus groups to discuss the implementation of the program. Our consultant was very impressed with our school community and the programs being offered at our college.

I am happy and proud to say that we received positive feedback and have been approved to apply for authorisation to become an IB World School. An application for authorisation is presently being worked on for end of year submission.

I would like to thank all involved and recognise the collective effort of this success.

Year 10 Examinations

It is a very busy time for Year 10 teachers and students as the end of the school year is coming to an end. Many students are presently working on completing final learning tasks for their subjects. For this reason, it can be stressful for students at school and at home at this point of time, and it is important for all students (and families) to find balance and provide support for one another. A reminder that the Learning Hub (Homework Club) operates Monday to Thursday from 3.15 to 5.00 in the school library; students can receive additional support with learning tasks and exam revision.

Year 10 students will complete exams in Week 7 - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The experience of completing exams is most important in developing students’ ability to write, think and solve problems under test conditions.

Students are encouraged to develop a study schedule to assist with exam preparation; it is always best to avoid cramming and instead work to an organised schedule with specific times dedicated to each subject. It is also important that students establish healthy routines such as eating breakfast, limiting screen time in the evening and going to bed at an appropriate time.

We wish the Year 10 cohort the very best throughout the exam period.

Year 9 exams will commence Week 9 and will include Science, English, Math and Humanities. An additional exam is added (Science) at Year 9 in Semester 2 so that students consolidate skills and build towards managing the same required exams in Year 10.

Thank you,

Lori Michael

Acting Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

Horse Riding Camp with Class 7C

With the Steiner Class 7 focusing on the Middle Ages, horse riding provided an excellent way to experience this period of history, as it was the main form of transport at the time. During those times, horse riding was also an essential skill for both warfare and sporting competitions.

On camp, the students had the opportunity to learn the skills of horsemanship while also discovering how to care for their horses. Like any living creature, horses need to be loved, respected, and cared for, yet also firmly guided to bring out their best. This proved to be a valuable lesson for the students. Once they mastered sitting astride and guiding a being so much stronger than themselves, they felt empowered and proud of their achievement.

The staff at Spring Creek Horse Rides were excellent and took wonderful care of both our students and staff. We all had the most wonderful time!

Anna Ephraim

7 Steiner Teacher and Secondary English

Learning Hub (formerly known as Homework Club!)

I would like to remind secondary families that Learning Hub is and excellent support available to families.

Lori Michael

Acting Assistant Principal - Teaching and Learning

Inter school sport

Inter School Sport Awards

This year we saw more participation and success than ever before in inter school sport. We sent boys and girls teams to soccer, cross country, badminton, futsal, and basketball, as well as a girls netball team, to represent our school in our division. A giant thank you to the coaches who volunteered their time and energy, and a high five to all our athletes. We recognised some MVPs, most sportsmanlike, and some great leaders at a ceremony last week.

Basketball

With representation from all year levels, boys and girls interschool basketball was a big success! Coaches Simon, Aaron, Chris, and Elena all took teams who represented our school with skill and sportsmanship. Congratulations to all the students involved!

Basketball 9/10 Girls Interschool

Basketball 7/8 Boys Interschool

Nicola Smith

Careers Teacher and Pathways Practitioner

Head Start Program

Get a Head Start with a School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SBATs)

Did you know that students enrolled in VCE can do an apprenticeship or traineeship and get credit toward their senior studies? It’s a great way to get into a career while completing Year 12. SBATs earn a wage, receive specialised training and complete their schooling all at the same time. The Head Start program is here to help. Speak to Nicola Smith, in the careers office Rm 320 to see if this is for you!

Adam Hutterer

Head Start Program

The Learner Profile

Below are a range of ways that you can promote the Learner Profile attributes at home within the family.

A simple approach is to model and recognise. Enjoy 🙂

The Learner Profile

Inquirers	We nurture our curiosity. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and value a love of life-long learning.	Encourage your child’s interests by visiting places such as the Local/State Library, Museum, NGV… Model being an inquirer: admit when you don’t know the answers to a problem or a question and seek out answers with your child Use the internet as a tool for inquiry and have conversations around reputable sites Discuss the role of inquiry in your personal and professional life
Open-Minded	We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, and those of other people. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.	Encourage your child to try new things - food, games, places, activities… Expose your child to different festivals, celebrations and traditions Encourage your child to listen for understanding Discuss issues and consider opposing points of view and reasons
Thinkers	We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.	Encourage your child to independently think of different solutions to problems Pose different real-life problems/questions to your child Ask your child questions when they are working on a problem: Do you have any ideas about how you will begin? Tell me about your thinking How could you do it differently? What do you notice and wonder?
Caring	We show empathy, compassion and respect. We act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.	Role-model the kind of behaviour you want to see in your child: helping others without being asked, being an active listener, acting in ways to show that you care… Reflect on the actions of characters in texts (prin/audio/film) Were they kind or caring? Recognise this quality in people’s actions
Knowledgeable	We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global decisions.	Encourage your child to make self/text/world connections with what they read/view. Include first language books/films. Ask your child what they are learning at school and engage in conversations about it: Why do you think that is an important thing to know about? Encourage your child to become familiar with current local/national/global events and issues
Principled	We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.	Discuss the importance of honesty/truth Talk about global issues and fairness/social justice Encourage your child to engage in team and independent sports/games Discuss the idea of norms Talk about the importance of effort over winning and being a gracious loser
Balanced	We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives - intellectual, physical and emotional - to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognise our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.	Encourage your child to participate in a wide variety of structured activities as a balance between school and leisure Discuss what you are eating with your child - is it a balanced diet? Emphasise that boredom is okay too - good for us! Put devices away Encourage your child to take timeout and go for a walk, engage with nature or read a book (Brain Breaks)
Communicators	We express ourselves confidently and creatively in different languages. We collaborate effectively, actively listening to the perspectives of other individuals or groups.	Encourage your child to stay in contact with relatives in other parts of Australia or different countries Encourage your child to explain their thinking orally or by drawing a picture Talk about what effective communication can look/sound/feel like Have family dinner-table conversations Play a game that requires a specific communication skill. e.g. Charades
Reflective	We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experiences. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.	Review your child’s report with them; talk about successes and opportunities for improvement Reflect on sport outcomes Talk about recent events/actions and what you have learned, or adjustments you would make Set goals with your child Talk about a growth mindset
Risk-takers	We approach uncertaining with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change. We see making mistakes as a natural part of the learning process.	Encourage your child to attempt new things and then reflect on it - whether they liked it and how it made them feel Discuss the difference between being a risk-taker and dangerous behaviour Recognise the learning gains that result from risk-taking and making mistakes Talk about comfort zones and the benefits of goal-setting Share your own growth stories from taking risks

Lori Michael - MYP Coordinator

INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE (updated 4 May) - Contact Person - Marguerite Boland

Please click on the attachment below to see a list of Stringed instruments for sale. If you have an instrument for sale please email Margeurite at: marguerite.boland@education.vic.gov.au

List of instruments for sale - 4 May 2025.pdf

COLLINGWOOD COLLEGE ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM

Collingwood College is online! Feel free to follow us on:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/collingwood.college/ and like us on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/collingwood.vic.edu.au/ to keep up to date with everything that our school has to offer our students and the community.