High Abilities and Excellence at Koonung 

Welcome to an exciting term filled with opportunities for enrichment and excellence at Koonung Secondary College! We are thrilled to share just a few of many programs on offer this term in our commitment to nurturing high abilities and excellence among our students.

VHAP: Victorian High-Ability Program

This term, we have 16 talented Year 8 students who have been selected to participate in the Victorian High-Ability Program (VHAP) for Mathematics and English. The VHAP program aims to challenge and inspire students who excel in these subjects, providing them with an enriched learning experience that goes beyond the standard curriculum. 

ESV: Emerging Sciences Victoria

ESV continues this year with 23 students across Years 8, 9 and 10 engaging in STEM-based electives through Emerging Science Victoria. These electives aim to foster their passions and interest in one of the following fields whilst empowering them with the critical skills and knowledge to succeed in future endeavours.

Biotechnology, Astrophysics, Neuroscience, Medical Physics, Sustainable Technology and Mathematics.

MHAP: Maths High Achiever Program 

For our Year 9 students, we have 26 participants in our Maths High Achiever Program. This program is designed to provide advanced mathematical challenges to further develop problem-solving skills and higher order thinking skills, equipping students with the skills and confidence to be successful in achieving at high levels in Mathematics.

CHES: Centre For Higher Education Studies 

New to 2025, we have 6 year 10 students participating in an additional semester long online enrichment elective. CHES offers four electives to students in Year 10 to prepare for future study of VCE Algorithmics or VCE Extended Investigation and to extend and challenge students who are interested in these important foundations of successful university study: research, critical thinking, and computational thinking.

As the term progresses, we eagerly anticipate sharing the enriching experiences and achievements of these students with you. We believe that these enrichment opportunities not only enhance academic achievement but also contribute to the holistic development of our students, preparing them for future challenges.

Warm regards,

Ms Lydia Tomic

High ability and excellence practice leader

Competitions and Challenges to join during term 1:

English: Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards – Years 7 to 12

The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards seek to capture the imaginations of school students across Australia, inspiring them to express their thoughts and feelings through the medium of poetry in their pursuit of literary excellence.

Please contact Mr Gavin Yates for more details – Gavin.Yates@education.vic.gov.au

Mathematics: Kangourou sans Frontières – Years 7 to 12

Inspired by the AMT’s Australian Mathematics Competition, Kangourou sans Frontières (KSF) is now the largest maths competitions in the world, with more than 6 million participants each year. Held in March, the KSF is a great opportunity for students to experience maths in a competition environment prior to the AMC in August.

Please contact Mr Hok Chan for more details – HokChun.Chan@education.vic.gov.au

Science: Australian Brain Bee Challenge – Year 10

The Australian Brain Bee Challenge is an annual competition for students in Year 10 to learn about the brain and its functions, learn about neuroscience research, find out about careers in neuroscience and to dispel misconceptions about neurological and mental illnesses.

Please contact Ms Rekha Phulara for more details – rekha.phulara@education.vic.gov.au

English: Debaters Association of Victoria - Womens Competition – Years 9 to 12

The DAV Women's Competition is a debating tournament held exclusively for women, with the aim of supporting and encouraging female-identifying students. Historically women have been underrepresented in debating and as such we would like to offer this unique opportunity for them to further develop their skills in a friendly environment outside of the main Schools Competition.

Students will register individually and be randomly allocated to a team of three on arrival. The day will begin with a training session led by some of the DAV's best female trainers. All debates will be secret topics with one hour of preparation time. Applications directly via DAV are closing soon.

Mathematics: Micro Mathematicians – Years 7 to 10

Micro Mathematicians is an enrichment program aimed at advanced Y7/8 and Y9/10 students who have an interest in maths beyond the classroom. The program offers a range of free virtual and in-person workshops during the school holidays. Families are encouraged to applying directly via Melbourne University.

YEAR 7 SEE@K 

Our year 7’s rose to the challenge to share a little bit about themselves using creative mathematical techniques during our getting to know you activities in week 1.

Lydia Tomic

Mathematics Teacher | Excellence & High Ability Practice Leader