Principal's Message
Dear Families,
As Term 3 draws to a close, it has been wonderful to see the many opportunities and experiences our dedicated staff have provided to students across all year levels over the last few weeks, and the continuous commitment of our Year 12 teachers who have supported and mentored our graduating class of 2025 to complete their final assessments for the year. From excursions and camps to Chinese sister school programs, high end music events, workplace readiness workshops and student wellbeing programs, our students have benefited from a vast array of experiences and have acquired new skills and knowledge that will last them a lifetime.
We sincerely wish our Year 12 students every success as they complete their senior studies, with some preparing for exams and others embarking on a new chapter in their life next term.
Congratulations
Congratulations to our Senior Campus Health & PE Teacher, Abbey White and her partner Matt on the birth of their son, Zavier Lucas last week! We wish them all the very best in this exciting phase of their life.
State Schools Spectacular - Saturday 13th September
Congratulations to Year 12 student Chloe Truong who played the Trombone as part of the 75 piece orchestra at the Victorian State Schools Spectacular on Saturday 13th September! Chloe even featured in the Brimbank Star Weekly recently to celebrate her fantastic achievement. Well done Chloe, we are very proud of you!
Wear It Purple Day – Friday 29th August
Wear It Purple day took place on Friday 29th August. Both the Junior and Senior SRC students worked extremely hard to recognise ways to support 'Wear it Purple Day" within our school community. The aim of the day is to focus on supporting LGBTQIA+ youth by promoting acceptance, inclusivity, and a safe environment. The event's theme for 2025 was "Bold Voices, Bright Futures," encouraging the sharing of personal stories and the uplifting of young LGBTQIA+ voices.
Students and staff wore purple accessories and enjoyed lunchtime activities to celebrate the day.
Parent Opinion Survey
The annual Parent Opinion survey took place this term. The Department of Education survey is an important way for us to gather information about parent perceptions of the school.
The anonymous survey invited parents to rate their experiences of the school across a range of areas including transition, approachability, student behaviour & safety, homework, etc.
Parent responses are collated by the Department and the information is then provided back to the school in Term 4. The results are extremely important to us - we analyse them carefully. This information is used in a variety of ways to inform planning for 2026.
China Cultural Tour and Sister School Visit
Last Wednesday evening, 20 students from Years 8 - 10 and 4 teachers from our school left Melbourne to travel to China for two weeks to learn about the Chinese culture and their education. The Jiangsu Victoria International Education Centre selected our school to receive funding to travel to China with six other Victorian state schools, see all the sites, visit our sister school, learn about China and immerse themselves in their culture.
While students are in China they will have the opportunity of a lifetime to learn about the country and complete a unit of work which will compare schooling and education in China with Australian schooling. Students will collect photos of Ancient Chinese culture and modern Chinese life. Students will be required to share their learning with other students in the school when they return.
Annual Music Concert
As usual our 2025 Annual Music Concert was a huge success! Our students performed like true professionals, showcasing their incredible talents and hard work.
A special thank you to our music staff for their dedication, effort and commitment to preparing our students for this event. Their hard work truly paid off, and the outstanding performances were a testament to their guidance and support.
A special thanks to our Music Leader, Robert Breen. Robert works tirelessly to lead the development of our music programme, and his dedication does not go unnoticed. His passion, long hours and commitment have greatly contributed to the success of our students and our music events. We are truly fortunate to have him guiding our team and inspiring our young musicians.
The Annual Music Concert was a remarkable celebration of our students’ achievements and the impact the music team together have made on our students’ musical journeys.
Course Counselling and Subject Selection for Students in Years 9 – 11
This term our school ran the course selection days for all Year 9, 10 and 11 students. These days allow us to provide every student with individual counselling regarding their pathway options so they can finalise subject selections for 2026. Students each have individual interviews with a year level coordinator or member of the Careers team. During the information sessions and interviews, students receive information to assist them to make informed decisions about subjects they should study which are aligned with their interests, course and career aspirations.
The care and thorough approach given to this process is a credit to the Careers/Pathways and Sub School Teams. The intensive work this involves is done with passion and integrity by all staff who support and assist students to make these decisions, in the knowledge they will have the support of all staff at the school to achieve success.
We wish all our students well with their course selections and thank all the staff and parents involved for their support in this process, in particular the Careers team lead by Ms Kristy Muratore, for their organisation and the support provided to both students and staff during this process.
Social Media Ban
The Federal Government’s social media ban will come into effect in December of this year. This will effectively remove the account of anybody under 16 years of age to a range of social media websites. All of our Junior School students will be impacted by this. Whilst the main obligation for managing this is with the website operators, it is clearly incumbent on all members of the community to be aware of the law and take appropriate steps to comply.
Mr Lawicki's Celebration of Life
On Saturday 30th August, we held a memorial for Mr Ray Lawicki, our VCE Mathematics teacher who passed away recently after a battle with illness. Despite the cold, wet and windy conditions, over 200 people attended and the event was conducted with dignity and respect.
Several SRC students volunteered to assist on the day and were dressed in full school uniform. They showed great pride and composure as they escorted guests to their seats. Their conduct reflected the values of our school and contributed to a meaningful and heartfelt tribute to Mr Lawicki's life and legacy.
Students past and present spoke about Mr Lawicki as their teacher and mentor. Staff past and present reminisced about their colleague and friend. Our Honours Band performed, and it was both moving and flawless. A slideshow of photos featuring Mr Lawicki played as Elvis’s rendition of “My Way”, echoed through the speakers.
Mr Lawicki was remembered not only for his 56 years of teaching but for the loving husband, devoted father, caring brother and loyal friend he was. He would have been truly humbled by the memories shared and the way his life was honoured. It was a moving occasion that brought together students, staff, and the community to honour Mr Lawicki's remarkable impact as a teacher, mentor and friend.
A recording of the event is available to view on our school's YouTube channel here.
The importance of regular school attendance
At VUSC,we prioritise regular school attendance. We will work with families to ensure students are in class with their peers and teachers and enjoying all the benefits that brings.
Attending school every day means experiencing what counts – the learning, friendship, fun and opportunities that can shape your child’s future.
We understand that there are times when your child will need to miss school but to ensure minimal disruption to their education, please consider scheduling family holidays or medical/dental appointments outside of school time. If your child is well enough to attend but is worried about friendships, schoolwork or exams, please encourage them to come to school. Avoiding school can make these feelings worse and can create a negative pattern of behaviour.
If your child is having difficulty attending school, please talk to their Year Level Coordinator about getting support.
We know that parents and carers can be juggling challenges daily to get your children to school. If your child must miss school, notify us as soon as possible via the Absence Hotline on 8312 0243 so we can work together to support them.
For more information about the importance of everyday attendance, see Attendance and Missing School.
Remember, Every Day Counts.
Summer Uniform
A reminder to parents/carers that students will be required to wear the summer uniform in Term 4. The College uniform may be purchased from PSW online or at their Ravenhall store (Unit 2, 51-53 Westwood Drive), and second hand items may be bought and sold via the Sustainable School Shop website.
Students will be dismissed on Friday 19th September at 1.30pm. I wish everyone a safe and restful break, and I look forward to seeing you in Term 4.
Elaine Hazim
College Principal
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Child Safety at VUSC
Victoria University Secondary College is committed to providing a child safe and child friendly environment, where students are safe and feel safe.
Our child safety and wellbeing policies outline the measures and strategies we have in place to support, promote and maintain the safety and wellbeing of our students:
- Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
- Child Safety Code of Conduct
- Child Safe Standards Risk Register
- Child safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedure
All of our policies are available on our school website here. As valuable partners in promoting and maintaining child safety and wellbeing at VUSC, we welcome and encourage your feedback.