Senior School Report

Message from the 

Director of  Learning 

Senior School 

Ms Kristina Vasilakis 

As Term 3 draws to a close, it is a great opportunity to reflect on what has been a busy and productive second half of the term across our Senior School. Our students have worked through a demanding period of coursework, SACs, pathway planning and preparation for what lies ahead, and they should be proud of how far they have come. 

The second half of Term 3 has also provided students with a range of opportunities beyond their regular classroom learning. We have continued our Elevate Education sessions, welcomed Swinburne University to speak with students about tertiary pathways and Early Entry opportunities, and celebrated student effort and achievement through our Doughnuts for Doing recognition at Senior School assemblies. 

A significant focus has been supporting students with their pathways beyond Westall. Our Year 12 VCE students have participated in individual VTAC and pathways interviews with Ms Lyndal Yardas, receiving personalised support with course preferences, applications and future options. Our VCE VM and VPC students have also participated in individual pathway interviews with Ms Geraldine Borgonha, helping them plan their next steps beyond school. 

Wellbeing has also remained an important focus through our Study Space program. Our Year 11 students will finish the term by participating in the Out of the Shadows Walk for Lifeline, completing a 9km walk together as an opportunity to connect, be active and raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention. It is a meaningful way for students to step away from the classroom, spend time together and reinforce the importance of looking after themselves and one another. 

Students have also been encouraged to make the most of the many VCE revision opportunities available through universities and other organisations. ACU, Monash and others are offering revision lectures and workshops across the September holidays, with many available free of charge. I strongly encourage students to take advantage of these opportunities where relevant to consolidate their learning and prepare for their final exams. 

For our Unit 3&4 students, the finish line is getting very close. Students are reminded that all Unit 4 coursework must be completed by the school deadline. The September holidays also mark an important shift towards exam preparation, with our VCE Trial Exams taking place during the holidays. This year, Trial Exams will be externally marked to closely replicate the end-of-year examination experience and provide students with rich, targeted feedback. This will give students an invaluable opportunity to practise under examination conditions, identify knowledge gaps and use feedback to guide their final weeks of preparation for the VCAA examinations. 

We are also looking forward to our Year 12 Formal, where we will celebrate our graduating students and recognise how far they have come. For our Year 11 students, Term 4 will bring the completion of Unit 2 coursework followed by Unit 2 examinations, so there is still an important stretch of learning ahead. 

As we head into the holidays, I encourage all students to rest, recharge and refresh their study battery. Take some genuine time to switch off, spend time with family and friends, exercise and do things you enjoy. At the same time, particularly for our VCE students, use the break to reset your study schedule and complete purposeful revision. Balance is key. Consistent, focused study alongside looking after your wellbeing will put you in the best position for the weeks ahead. 

As exams approach, it is also normal for students to experience some stress or nerves. Knowing how to manage this is an important part of exam preparation. The Reach Out Exam Checklist included with this newsletter provides practical strategies students can use in the lead-up to and during their exams. Students and families may also find the resources below helpful for managing exam preparation, stress and wellbeing. 

Exam preparation & wellbeing resources: ReachOut – Exam Checklist Headspace – Preparing for Exams and Reducing Stress Kids Helpline – Exam Stress 

I wish all of our Senior School students and families a safe and restful September break. Term 4 is an exciting and important one, and I look forward to seeing our students return refreshed and ready to finish the year strongly. 

Ms Kristina Vasilakis 

Director of Learning Senior School

Year 11 Business Management Visits Goodman Fielder 

On Thursday 27 August, our Year 11 Business Management students had the opportunity to visit Goodman Fielder at their local Clayton site. 

Students walked from Westall Secondary College to the site, where they were welcomed by the Goodman Fielder team for a presentation and site tour. Students gained valuable insight into the operations of a large multinational food business, including the production of bread at the Clayton facility. The team also shared insights into Goodman Fielder’s marketing strategy and the introduction of their new Just Bread product, giving students a real-world example of how businesses bring products to market. 

The excursion directly supports students’ Unit 2 Outcome 2 Marketing Project, where they are developing a marketing strategy for one of Goodman Fielder’s products. The experience provided students with valuable information and real-world context that they can now apply directly to their SAC. 

A big thank you to Goodman Fielder for generously hosting our students, sharing their time and expertise, taking us on a tour of the facility, and even providing bread for students to take home. We greatly appreciate the opportunity to connect our students’ classroom learning with a local business in our community. 

Year 11 Egg Parenting Challenge 🥚

Our Year 11 students recently took on the challenge of becoming parents — with a twist! As part of their learning, students were required to care for an egg for five nights, experiencing some of the responsibility, planning and challenges that come with caring for another life.

Students had to keep their “babies” safe throughout the challenge, with their eggs accompanying them through their daily routines. While most students successfully completed the challenge, there were, unfortunately, a few casualties along the way!

The activity provided students with a fun and engaging opportunity to reflect on the responsibilities involved in parenting, including the importance of commitment, organisation, care and making responsible decisions.

Mr Kristian Gropel

VM Coordinator 

Year 12 VM / VPC Mock Interviews 

On Thursday the 27th of August, Year 12 Vocational Major students participated in Mock Interviews as part of their Unit 4 assessment. 

This was an opportunity to present their career portfolios that they had been tirelessly working on over the last term and experience the atmosphere of a professional prospective interview, whilst having opportunity to receive feedback and reflect on their performance. 

The students left a lasting impression, and the guest interviewers were blown away by the professionalism and passion exhibited by our VM students. A monumental expression of gratitude must be extended to Ms. Geraldine Borgonha for her role in facilitating this opportunity and a gracious thank you to our guest interviewers for giving their time and expertise in the growth of our students.

Mr Stephen Skarvellis

VM Teacher

Year 12 VM & VPC – Making a Difference Around Our School

Our Year 12 VCE VM and VPC students have been putting their skills into action through their Personal Development Skills (PDS) school improvement project. 

Students have been working together to improve different areas of the school, developing practical skills while making a positive contribution to our school community. Their projects have included replacing and repairing bench seating, painting, and revitalising garden areas around the school.

These hands-on projects provide students with valuable opportunities to develop teamwork, communication, problem-solving and practical workplace skills. More importantly, students can see the direct impact of their work and take pride in helping to make Westall Secondary College a better place for everyone.

We look forward to seeing the continued progress of their projects throughout the year!

Ms Donna Yuan

VM Teacher 

Year 12 Physics - Synchrotron Excursion

Year 12 Physics students recently visited the Australian Synchrotron in Clayton to bring Unit 4 Area of Study 2 to life, seeing how the wave behaviour of light (diffraction and interference in particular) is used in the real world to reveal the structure of matter. Students toured the accelerator ring and beamlines, heard from research scientists about how a light wave's wavelength and intensity determine what it can detect, and took part in hands-on diffraction activities to collect and analyse their own data, helping them build a deeper understanding of the wave model of light and see how physics is applied across science, medicine and industry.