From the Principal
Good morning,
At Mornington Secondary College our vision is to create happy, healthy and resilient young people who are life long and respectful learners and our purpose is to provide a learning environment where all students can achieve success. All students can learn and will learn within a safe, positive environment.
As I walk around the College, I can see our vision unfolding. Our students are engaged in their work and they can tell you what they are learning by reciting the learning intention and success criteria of each lesson. Our classroom routines have also been effective in providing a calm and orderly learning environment.
Last year, we partnered with Real Schools using affective language and coupled with our classroom routines the experiences each and every day are positive.
It is well known student wellbeing and learning go hand in hand, you cannot have one without the other. Our very experienced wellbeing team support our young people to thrive, enabling them to focus on their learning. Nicole Boland leads the team and they are extremely proactive in providing opportunities within our local community to support our students. You are welcome to contact them and students can self refer.
Have a wonderful week.
Mornington Secondary College is lucky to have such a fantastic Wellbeing Team. With a wide variety of skills and experience the team is here to help support our students to do the best they can at school. Students can access the team by dropping in or asking one of their Coordinators. Parents can also reach out to the team if they feel their child could benefit from some wellbeing support. The major focus of the Wellbeing Team is to help students cope with the variety of demands that face a young person at school today.
Kind regards,
Mike Parker
Assistant Principal
Meet the Wellbeing Team
Bronwen Hocking
Hi, I’m Bronwen Hocking and this is my 4th year in the job that I love, my title is Student Wellbeing Counsellor.
Prior to this position, I have been working as an Outdoor Counsellor since ‘95, bushwalking through National parks, canoeing or rafting down rivers, ski touring, rock climbing and a few surfing road trips. They have been under the umbrella of an industry called Outdoor Healthcare.
I live locally with my partner Chris and children Tom and Jess. As a family we love camping trips, and coffees at cafes on the way.
Nicole Boland
Hi, I’m Nicole Boland and I started only a couple days after Bron so I too have been here coming into my 4th year. My role here is Mental Health Practitioner and I am a qualified Social Worker.
Prior to this position I have worked in Foster Care for 5 years as a worker and Team Leader, Disengaged Youth Program called Peninsula Youth Connections as the Team Leader for 1 year and as a Youth Alcohol & Other Drug counsellor/Team Leader for over 6 years.
Coming into Mornington Secondary College I have loved working with the students and seeing them grow and mature and completing their schooling.
Personally I am lucky enough to be a grandparent to 2 beautiful little girls. I love to travel, spend time with family and friends and try to keep fit and healthy.
Maddy Collinge
Hi, I’m Maddy Collinge and I started in Wellbeing in July 2023. My role in Wellbeing is Student Wellbeing Counsellor, and I am also currently working towards my Masters in Counselling. Prior to this position I worked as an Inclusion Aide at Mornington Secondary College. During my time at Mornington I have loved working with students of all ages and abilities, helping them to become kind, caring young people in our community.
In my free time I enjoy going away camping with my fiancé and friends, and I’ve recently becoming an Aunty for the first time, so I am enjoying spending time with my nephew and watching him grow.
Important Dates
Term 1
February
Tuesday 27th February - College Open Night
March
Monday 4th to Friday 8th March - Year 8 Camp - Phillip Island
Monday 11th March - Labour Day Public Holiday
Tuesday 12th March - College House Athletics Carnival
Thursday 14th March - School photos catch up
Wednesday 13th to 25th March - Year 7 and 9 NAPLAN
Monday 25th March - Year 7 Grandparent Morning Tea
Wednesday 27th March - Parent Teacher Interviews - Hybrid online and face to face
Thursday 28th March - Whole School Assembly
Thursday 28th March - Last day of Term 1, 2.30pm dismissal
Friday 29th March - Good Friday Public Holiday
Follow us on
Don't forget to look on compass for sport sign ups, excursions and any other information sent to students and parents.
Below is a link to help guide you in your use of compass.
https://mornsc.vic.edu.au/for-parents/compass-parent-guide/
Middle School
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Thank You for Joining Us at the Year 7 Meet and Greet Afternoon
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the parents and guardians who joined us for the Year 7 afternoon. It was a truly delightful event, and we are thrilled that you took the time to meet your child's teachers and engage with the school community.
Some highlights from the afternoon:
1. Parents had the invaluable opportunity to connect with their child's teachers, fostering open communication and collaboration in support of our students' academic journey.
Community Building: The Year 7 afternoon provided a platform for parents to connect with one another, fostering a sense of belonging and partnership within the school community.
Next Steps:
1. Stay Connected: We encourage parents to maintain open lines of communication with teachers throughout the academic year. Your involvement and support are instrumental in your child's educational journey.
2. Utilise Resources: Take advantage of the resources available through our school website, newsletters, and parent-teacher communication channels to stay informed and engaged.
Once again, thank you for your participation and support. Together, we will continue to nurture a positive and enriching learning environment for all our students.
Have a great week.
Denise Leggett
Middle School Assistant Principal
Senior School
To students and families of the Mornington Senior School,
I hope you have had a fantastic week. The weather has been pretty warm, this week but thankfully no huge storms like the one that hit last week.
Our Senior School students may have noticed a greater focus on the MSC classroom routines so far in 2024. We have a strong focus on creating a safe and orderly environment for all students as it is an important pre-condition for learning. Australia is ranked 69 out of 76 OECD countries for dysregulated behaviour in the classroom. These behaviours include calling out, being late, moving around the classroom without permission, name-calling, inappropriate use of technology etc. The behaviours are predominantly low level in their seriousness but high frequency. If each disruption takes 30 secs to a minute for a teacher to handle, then a class may lose 10-15 mins of a lesson. That’s up to 25% of learning time lost for students who are doing the right thing.
Every student has the right to learn, the right to feel safe in their classroom, the right to do their best in each subject or endeavour. They don’t have the right to disrupt others from their learning, to not follow reasonable instructions from staff, to intimidate others or verbally abuse staff and/or students. From time to time, some students will act outside these expectations. When they do, they will be reminded, retaught, and potentially relocated inside or outside the classroom. There may be further consequences for their actions. We are preparing students to be educated, kind, and respectful citizens when they graduate into the world and workforce. If any discipline is needed or consequences have been put in place, they have been put in place for a reason. Just like society, when the consequence has been completed and the learning occurred and the behaviour changed, we look forward to having each student functioning as part of the Mornington Secondary College community. We welcome your support.
Our Year 12s this week, worked on an important study skill used by all successful VCE students. The concept of pre-reading. While it has been taught to our year 12s, it is an extremely useful habit for year 10 and 11 students to embed before they get to their final year. Reading a few pages ahead and forming an initial idea about a new concept allows students to ask better quality questions when new material is taught. We have asked our VCE teaching staff to make week-by-week unit planners available to students. They will contain simple information about the key knowledge and skills to be taught each week. They are variable and subject to change, but they are designed to assist VCE students be better prepared and help them to achieve their personal best.
Enjoy the weekend,
Nick Evans
Senior School Assistant Principal
College Open Night - Tuesday 27th February
Everyone is welcome to attend!
Year 9/10 Tennis Team
On February 22nd our Year 9/10 boys Tennis teams competed at a District level at Mornington Tennis Club.
Both our A and B teams were extremely successful on the day in hot conditions. All students demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship and should be proud of how they represented Mornington Secondary College on and off the Court.
Our A team finished first overall and were undefeated on the day. B team finished 3rd winning most games convincingly and dropping one match to Dromana. An outstanding effort by all students and best of luck to our A team who have qualified for SMR Finals on Monday the 29th April at Pakenham Tennis Centre.
Year 10 Boys Ultimate Frisbee
We are thrilled to announce the Year 10 Boy's Team A as winners in the school sports tournament! With swift moves, precise throws, and unparalleled teamwork, our boys soared to success. Our Year 10 Boy's Team B also played outstanding winning 2 out of 3 games and improved more as time went on! Their commitment to teamwork and comradery was evident and a pleasure to see. Overall their hard work and perseverance truly paid off! Facing the sun and temperatures in the 30s did not slow the boys down.
Go Mornington!
Intermediate Boys Cricket Team
The Intermediate Boys Cricket Team travelled to Emil Madsen reserve for Intermediate Cricket Division Competition. Our Semi Final Match was played against Mt Eliza SC and despite a solid start in the field and with the ball, some late runs to Mt. Eliza meant they finished on 6/67 off their 10 overs.
Despite being confident we could score the runs needed for victory, unfortunately early wickets when it was our turn to Bat did not help our cause. We ended up on 43 off our 10 overs with a nice partnership being shared by Will Basset and Casey Davies in the middle overs.
Anti-Racism Initiative
Two Year 9 classes were fortunate enough to be part of the pilot program of Bigger Than This – Anti-Racism Youth Group on Friday 16th of February. This project is a collaboration between the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) and VicHealth, and is part of VicHealth’s Future Healthy initiative, which aims to support social cohesion and mental health.
The three presenters discussed the various types of racism prevalent and engaged three groups in a range of activities. The students were responsive and participated fully in creating short performances highlighting what they learned. Some students created raps to express various ways to deal with racism. MSC is pleased to be the first school for this pilot program.
Real Schools
College Production
Community Message
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
