College Matters
Thank you to our 2024 College Captains
Throughout 2024, I have had the absolute pleasure of working closely with our 2024 College Captains Olivia A and Lucy W and I would like to take a moment to acknowledge their outstanding leadership this year. Liv and Lucy are widely adored by students and staff at MGSC, not only for the way they have represented our school throughout their time as students, but for the way they have included and empowered students from across Years 7 – 12 as College Captains in 2024. Liv and Lucy led with grace, kindness, and care. They were positive role models, demonstrating how to balance the academic demands of VCE while continuing to be active participants in school events. Part of their legacy will be the motto “MGSC students support MGSC students”, which they reinforced through the year at college assemblies. At last week’s farewell assembly, the whole school watched as both Lucy and Liv received multiple awards for their academic endeavours, in addition to leadership awards acknowledging their commitment and impact this year. Some say the sign of a true leader is whether they have created more leaders, and we can say with absolute certainty that Lucy and Liv have achieved this. We wish them, and the entire class of 2024, all the best with their upcoming exams, and can’t wait to see them go on to achieve great things.
2025 Student leadership positions
The selection process for 2025 Student leadership positions is underway, with interviews for 2025 SRC President and College Captain being held this week. Shortlisted candidates will make a speech to their cohort before a student vote next week. Following the appointment of our 2025 Captains, interviews will begin for the rest of the student leadership team. Thank you to Ms Mary Lawler, Director of Leadership and Engagement, for her outstanding work in overseeing this important work, and to the various sub-school teams for their support with the process.
PAT sessions
Our Year 7 – 10 students completed the Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) reading and PAT Maths adaptive tests this week. Students undertake PAT testing in October of each year. Results from PAT provide objective, norm-referenced analysis of students' skills and understandings of key Mathematics and English skills to their teachers, enabling learners to demonstrate progress, regardless of starting point. PAT results are compared to the students’ previous results and provide an indication of the students’ learning growth across an academic year. Parents/carers and students will have access to PAT results at the end of the year – these can be accessed via Analytics on Compass. Thank you to Rochelle Dickson, Director of Assessment and Analytics, for her diligent work in coordinating PAT and supporting students and staff across the school again this semester.
Hayley Dureau
Assistant Principal, Student Learning Growth
Social media safety
Parents and carers play an important role in supporting their children to be safe online and on social media. You can help your children safely navigate their digital world and educate them to avoid harmful online experiences. You can explore websites, games, apps and social media together and set some rules and boundaries.
Your support and guidance can give your children the knowledge to make sound decisions online and confidence to ask for help when they need it. It is also important to stay informed about online safety.
The Department of Education recognises this important issue and has developed fact sheets about supports to help keep students safe online and what to do if they are involved in an online incident.
The fact sheets contain links to evidence-based information on supporting positive and safe online experiences, signs a child or young person might need support, what to do if something unsafe happens online, and where to reach out to for more support.
To access the fact sheets, refer to the Safe Socials webpage. The fact sheets are available in 19 community languages.
The government is also launching public consultation on age limits for social media.
You and your children can share your experiences to inform proposed changes via an online survey, before 5 pm on Friday 1 November 2024. For more information on the survey and to take part, refer to Proposed changes to social media age limits on the Engage Victoria website.
If you have any queries about this information, you can contact the department by email: bullystoppers@education.vic.gov.au
Carol Duggan
Assistant Principal, Student Engagement and Wellbeing