Dear Families, Students and Community Members,

Celebrating Our Aboriginal Mordialloc College Community

Throughout Semester 1, Merinda-Gunya, a local artist and proud Peek Whurrong woman, worked with our Aboriginal students, and student leaders to design an Aboriginal mural for Mordialloc College.

The final design shares themes of growth, connection, and cultural identity, and centres around six circles representing our six years together as we move through school. It is a symbol of community, learning and respect. This mural will remain for many years, and it was amazing to see so many of our students watch it come to life.

Students involved in painting included Leo, Samuel, Jack and Ewan.

Student leaders who supported on the day and also helped with the final design were Vincent, Zed, and Anoushka.

A huge thank you to Merinda-Gunya, and to our students for creating something so genuinely wonderful for our college community to enjoy for years to come.

The mural will be officially unveiled in a special ceremony later this year.

2025 NAIDOC Assembly

Our school captains lead our 2025 NAIDOC whole school assembly, where we were visited by Alan Johnson (our new KESO), Ganga Didjeridu Giri who shared an incredible performance with us.

The 2025 theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy,” celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the legacy of our ancestors.

NAIDOC Week marks a powerful milestone: 50 years of honouring and elevating Indigenous voices, culture, and resilience.

A big thank you to Julia Hockey for bringing this all together for our community so successfully.

Reporting to Parents and Parent Teacher interviews

A reminder about our arrangements for our online Parent Teacher interviews for Years 7 - 12 to be held on Wednesday 3rd September from 10.00 am - 6.30 pm. On site classes will not run on this day as students are expected to attend each of their online interviews.

Students must attend their interview with a parent, or adult member of their family.

Each student will be set meaningful work for every lesson, and this must be completed throughout the school day; this work will be accessible through Compass.

Bookings will open next week (Thursday 21st August from 10am) through Compass; please contact the general office if you have any issues or need assistance in making the bookings.

Assistant Principal, Tracey Bastin will be sending out instructions to families and students regarding how the online interviews will work on the day utilising your child/ren’s Google account for a Google Meet interview.

Parking Around Mordialloc College

It is great to lead a school with so many supportive members of the community and so, it is rare to share concerns from local residents.

However, please can I respectfully remind the wider school community of Kingston Council’s parking rules, and the power that Kingston Council has to investigate infringements. If you are concerned, please would you contact Kingston Council on 1300 653 356.

We have also shared with concerned residents that if a vehicle is preventing them from leaving their home, the police have the power to remove a vehicle parked illegally, and they should contact Mordialloc Police if they feel a crime has been committed.

Parent Opinion Survey 2025

All families will be contacted next week (Monday 18th August) about the opportunity to complete the yearly Parent Opinion Survey.

Your opinions are important to us and contribute to identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs within the college. The department will use the results from the survey for research purposes and to improve outcomes for students.

The survey will be conducted online and only takes 20 minutes to complete. It can be completed on any internet enabled device (desktop computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone) and is compatible with most browsers.

There are three key factors that are included in this year’s survey:

1. Community Engagement in Learning: Communication and School Improvement

In response to family feedback, Mordialloc College families now receive a new improved Progress Check that more effectively summarises progress. Moving forward, we will continue to work with the community to evolve our semester reports.

In response to student and family feedback, we have successfully introduced a new sub-school, making it easier for students and families to remain connected with key members of our college. To further support students and families, in 2026, we will increase staffing in each space by recruiting sub-school teacher assistants

2. Excellence in Teaching & Learning: Student Cognitive Engagement and Student Development

In response to evolving research, staff, student and family feedback, we now have an Instructional Model that puts Mordialloc College at the forefront of pedagogical delivery. Our students have shared positive feedback about how this approach is positively impacting on their learning, and families continue to engage positively with the lesson plans that are now showcased on Compass. Our bespoke Mordialloc College Professional Learning programme will continue into 2026, with a sharp focus on improving Guided and Independent Practice within the classroom.

Our Positive Behaviours for Learning Matrix has continued to evolve throughout 2024/2025; in Term 4 we will be engaging families in seeking how best we can role this out throughout the wider school community.

3 Positive Climate for Learning: Wellbeing

We rolled out our wonderful Wellbeing Team at the start of Term 3; they will work closely with the Student Services team, and Sub-School Directors to support our tiered approach to interventions. The Wellbeing Team’s work has already showcased lunchtime clubs, drop in sessions, and targeted interventions to make sure that no student at Mordialloc College is left behind. In August 2025, all teaching and educational support staff will engage in an intensive one day professional learning opportunity focusing on ‘Meeting Every Student At Their Point Of Need’.

I really do hope you have a great fortnight.

Rachael Stone

Principal

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