From the Principal

Hello everyone, 

What a week we have had, with the Year 7 Netball team winning the Southern Metropolitan Regional final competition and will now compete at the State level and then our senior Aerobics team ‘Boultify’ winning the State Championships in South Australia on the weekend. They scored in the 90’s and beat the school who had won 7 years in a row. Congratulations to everybody for their hard work and commitment. You have made us proud. 

Yesterday, the student leaders met with Dr Jasmine Keough and Mike Parker to unpack the student forum comments about racism. It was great to listen to their insights and I look forward to hearing more.  

Just a reminder to complete the Parent Opinion survey. You have until 8th September to have your say. This year the focus has been on: Parent/carer participation and involvement, High expectations for success, General school improvement, School pride and confidence and Student motivation & support. 

A reminder also about the Parent/Teacher interviews scheduled for 28th August. The interviews will be onsite this time. We look forward to having conversations face to face. The booking system is now open.  

We have received feedback about when this newsletter is published each week. Currently as you are aware, the newsletter is sent at 4pm every Thursday and the request has been to shift this time to suit our busy families. Therefore, the new time will be 9am every Friday.

I hope this is a better time for everyone. 

I hope you are having a wonderful week. 

Linda Stanton

Principal

Important Dates

AUGUST

22/08/23 | Year 7 Reptile Encounters Incursion

28/08/23 | Parent Teacher Interviews 12pm - 7.00pm  - REVISED DATE

SEPTEMBER

01/09/23 | Year 11 Formal

05/09/23 | Year 12 VM Market Day

06/09/23 | Speak & Share Incursion

07/09/23 | Year 7 2024 Parent Information Evening

11/09/23 | Year 12 Trial Exams from Monday 11th to Friday 15th

15/09/23 | Last day of Term 3 (2.30pm Finish)

OCTOBER

02/10/23 | First Day of Term 4

Don't forget to look on Compass for sport sign ups, excursions and any other information sent to students and parents. 

Below is a link to help guide you in your use of compass.

https://mornsc.vic.edu.au/for-parents/compass-parent-guide/

Middle School

Dear Parents and Guardians, 

Yesterday the Year 7 Dreamcatchers met with their Year 12 mentors in the Senior school centre. It was great fun as all the students were sitting in groups making friendship bracelets. I joined Ella, Heidi, Ashton, and Callum’s table. We spoke about different things such as Callum hoping to do physiotherapy at university next year and Ella was telling me about her dancing career and how she is applying for the Victoria College of the Arts. The students were talking about the opportunity of having visited their mentor during class time. There was such a happy and relaxed atmosphere in the room as the students chatted with one another.

The Year 12s in my group were talking about going to Federation Square to watch The Matildas play in the world cup semi-final.  They were saying that they want to share the occasion with others by watching it on the big screen. The conversation waxed and waned as we made the bracelets. It is such a privilege to be invited to share these experiences with our students.

It is Science week this week and everyday during Connect students have participated in a science activity such as matching a famous scientist with their discovery and playing Kahoot to answer questions such as:

1. Graphite is found in pencils. What element is it made from? 
2. Which gas makes up most of the air?
3. Water boils at what temperature?

It is not long until parent teacher interviews which will be on-site. You can book a time online to see your child’s teachers.

I look forward to catching up with you then. 

Wishing you a great week.

Denise Leggett

Middle School Assistant Principal

Senior School

To students and families of the Mornington Senior School,

With just over 3 weeks’ worth of classes for our Year 12 ATAR students before the week 10 trial exam period, this is crunch time. Many classes will be completing their final Unit 4 SACs and submitting SATs before moving into the important exam revision phase. It would be completely understandable if our Year 12s worked a couple less shifts in the next few weeks and we encourage them all to look after their health, staying warm, eating healthy foods and ensuring plenty of sleep in the lead up to the Term 3 break. Our Year 12 VM students also have a big four weeks coming up. If they can have all of their work signed off by their teachers and get final approval from Year 12 Leader, Mr Kirkby, they will not be required in classes in Term 4 (there will be a Compass post showing for each student who HAS successfully completed the VCE VM requirements. Any student who has not received this will be required to return in Term 4 until they have met the requirements to successfully obtain their VCE certificate.

Our Year 10 and 11 locker bay monitoring trial is continuing with mostly positive results. We have noted considerably fewer students needing to return to their lockers between Connect and Period 1, meaning they are better prepared for learning. There are far fewer students returning to the lockers after Connect. I have however noticed too many students arriving to school late. School commences at 8:49am and families have a role to play in ensuring students are arriving by 8:40am to give them time to be prepared for class. Being on time is the best way to start the day. The old saying ‘start as you wish to finish’ certainly rings true for our students. If students are going to be late for a particular reason (i.e., medical appointment), please provide that reason in Compass.

Have a fantastic week as we start to enjoy a bit more sunlight and move into the final part of Winter.

Kind regards,

Nick Evans

Senior School Assistant Principal

Students lead the way

On Wednesday this week Dr Jasmine Keogh and myself met with the student leaders from each year level. This was the first meeting of our student led anti-racism working group. The first task for the team was to look at all of the feedback from the student forums and to come up with key themes and actions recommended by the students. As a staff group we have been working with the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) and as part of that work we have identified a number of key activities that we could run with students. The leaders have been given a copy of these lessons and we have asked the students for feedback on them for our next meeting.  As a group we are keen to expand so if your child would like to participate in shaping the direction we take in this space then please get them to contact Dr Keogh or Mr Parker.

If you are interested in providing some feedback on the lesson suggestions they can be found here:

https://www.cmy.net.au/schools-standing-up-to-racism/  (Click the Student Voice area)

Parents Homework:

Parent opinion survey: Number completed 19; Target  700.

Link is on Compass, Star Menu.

We really need your input.

Kind regards,

Mike Parker

Assistant Principal

Congratulations to our "NATIONAL CHAMPIONS" Aerobics Team

Last weekend our senior aerobics team 'Boultify' represented Mornington Secondary College at the National Championships in Adelaide. The girls competed on Sunday in what was named “the toughest section of the competition” by the director of School Aerobics.

They competed against 8 other senior teams from around the country and were named NATIONAL CHAMPIONS with a total score of 92.98!!! The championship title has been held by another Victorian school for the last 7 years and this year MSC beat them by just 2.88 points – taking out the title!

Boultify consists of Caitlyn Green, Tully Hudson, Olivia Van Der Meer (Year 11), Eleanor Wright (Year 10), Seren Chespy, Sophie Van Der Meer (Year 9) and Mya Stynes (Year 8). And named after a special woman, Courteney Boulter, who lead the squad for years on end and coached these girls in their junior years. A special mention to Mya Stynes who is MSC’s youngest aerobics National Champion in history! This group of girls have work tirelessly on their routine since 2022 fast forward, continually working together, adapting to changes, and dedicating multiple hours a week to training. But it’s the connections that were built that I’ve enjoyed watching the most. No matter the age gap or experience with aerobics, these girls have been brought together and formed some of the best friendships that they’ll carry with them forever. The pure joy they expressed on stage made it hard for the crowd not to smile!

We are beyond proud of these girls and couldn’t ask for a better team to represent the school interstate. Not to mention the families and friends who came along to Adelaide and have supported the girls all year round. My last shout out is to the amazing Kate Atkinson – the roots behind this program. Kate has dedicated herself to the squad and gone above and beyond to support these girls this year, creating such a positive and welcoming environment for all students. We wouldn’t have been given this opportunity without her and the immense amount of care and passion she brings to the squad. 

A huge congratulations to Boultify, we are unbelievably proud of this achievement and so grateful to have been alongside them throughout their 2023 journey. 

Indie Jowett

Year 7

Ms Jo Reeman

Year 7 Netball

Friday 11th August our Year 7 Netball team made the trip to Dandenong to compete in the SMR Year 7 Netball competition. 

Our first game saw us take on Patterson River Secondary College. After a slow start and a few positional changes we won that game 20-8. The second game, against Berwick Secondary College was similar with a 21-8 win. Our third and final pool game saw us come up against the other undefeated team, Koowee Rup Secondary College. It was a tight first half with our defence holding strong. Our girls pulled away in the second half and won that game 20-13, putting us into the Grand-Final against a confident Parkdale Secondary College. Again it was a slow start and, after a positional change at quarter time, our girls pulled away, winning 17-8 and booking themselves a place in State Finals on the 1st September. 

I would like to congratulate the 10 girls (Makena Baard, Amber Firth, Abby Garlick, Asha Harber, Nataliya Heyward, Heidi Hoffman, Ella Holcombe, Zaya Lindsay-Rechter, Lacey Rattue and Chloe Smith) who have shown dedication to their team, training every Friday and all playing an important role in our journey through to State Finals. 

Let's finish it off now girls!

Mrs Kim Rattue

Netball Coach

Congratulations to Ella Holcombe who has been selected in the Victorian SSV 12 and Under Netball Team. Ella will fly to Perth the second week of September to take on the best 12 and Under netballers our country has to offer. 

Good-luck Ella!

Year 7 College Sport

On Thursday last week the Year 7’s participated in Southern Peninsula Division Sport. Congratulations to all teams who went out and represented the school. A special mention to the Year 7 Girls Netball Team who qualified for the State Finals on the 1st September along with the Year 7 Boys Basketball team who won their competition progressing them to the next round of sport in the Southern Metropolitan Regional competition which will be held on the 3rd of November.

The results for the teams were as follows, 

• Boys futsal 5th
• Girls futsal 4th
• Girls basketball 3rd
• Mixed table tennis 4th
• Girls table tennis 3rd 
• Boys basketball 1st 
• Girls netball 1st

Again a huge congratulations to all teams.

Year 8 and Year 9

                                                          Mr Pirrie                   Mrs Jones

Southern Metropolitan Region Intermediate Netball

SMR intermediate netball final. 

The girls played some fantastic netball and were super competitive losing only by 3 goals from making it to the grand-final and states. They showed excellent skills and were very tactical in their approach to each match. It was a pleasure to take these young sports stars out for the day. 

Well done girls! 

Jo Dixon

Physical Education

Year 10 

Mr Jake Uhlenberg 

Formal planning is in full swing and we hope that everyone who wishes to attend will be able to do so. Details for the event can be found on Compass to view and if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact a member of the Year 10 Team.

We have had some questions from students about being picked up by other people's parents/siblings/etc. on the night of the Formal. At this time we would like to encourage everyone to have a parent/guardian available to collect them at the end of the night, but if other arrangements are being made, these must be communicated in writing to the Year 10 Team well in advance, so that we can be prepared and ready to check identifications before releasing students to people on the night, as their safety is our utmost importance.

We would just like to once again broach the topic of uniform as we are seeing many hoodies each day due to the cold weather, we understand the chill of Winter is definitely lingering but if we could keep it to uniform specific items it would be appreciated. MSC uniform is school council approved and any changes to the policy must be approved by the council.

We, the Year 10 Team would also like to extend our warmest regards to Miss Maddie Jerkovic of 10J who is very soon heading off on a 5 month exchange program in Oregon, USA. We wish her all the best and hope to hear about her incredible experiences soon.

Year 10 - Year 12

Student from Year 10 - 12 Outdoor Education and Environmental Studies and Environmental Science classes were lucky to hear from Sean Willmore, the founder and Managing Director of The Thin Green Line Foundation https://thingreenline.org.au/. 

A former Australian ranger and President of the International Ranger Federation (IRF) Sean shared his story from Ranger, Documentary Maker to starting up 'The Thin Green Line Foundation' that looks after Rangers and the family of Rangers who's life have been taken from them. Sean shared many of his life stories and adventures from being chased by a heard of elephants to the connections he has made around the world.  

The over arching message to our students was about taking 'smart' risks to follow your dreams, to build strong relationships and to try and make a positive difference in the world.

The Thin Green Line Foundation - Protecting Wildlife Rangers.

The Thin Green Line Foundation protects Nature’s protectors, providing vital support to Wildlife Rangers on the front-line of global conservation. 

Follow the link to get more information https://thingreenline.org.au/

Year 11 

Dr Jasmine Keough

We are all getting ready for the event of the YEAR! The formal starts at 7.00 pm on 1st September. Many students have already purchased their tickets and, if you haven't yet…do it! Go to this link: 

https://www.trybooking.com/CKJHE

Year 11s will also be able to participate in a fundraiser on the 30th August in our Wednesday Connect class. As part of our fundraising effort, we are running a 3V3 basketball tournament in the Stadium on Wednesday 30th during period 5 Connect to find out who the best Year 11 ballers are. 

We will have 3 courts, 6 games all running at a time and the draw will be completed when all teams have been submitted. We will have a range of prizes for the winning team, the runners up and the team with the best uniform. Remember, all proceeds go to Speak & Share organisation which focuses on mental health.

VM students are well into their Unit 2 tasks, TAFE and work-related skills. ATAR students are utilising the subject study sessions well and showing focus and motivation.

Our lovely Year 11 students are showing apricity - when the sun shines in an icy day - quite like the weather we are currently experiencing in Mornington at the moment!

Year 12 

Mr Scott Kirkby

Term 3 is a very challenging time for students. Please feel free to reach out if you feel additional support is required. We do wish for all our students to do their personal best and part of that is offering supports to help them manage the pressures. 

Students have been completing their VTAC applications over the last two weeks. It is exciting to see students talking about education after school. Conversations at home are always valuable in this space, and websites provide valuable information about institutes and their course offerings.

Revision seminars

Connect seminars are now live as events.  The schedule aims to minimise clashes but cannot guarantee them. If a clash occurs, you may pay for both to get the resources and attend one or just choose which one you would like to attend. A minimum of 15 students are required in each seminar for the events to go ahead, so please ensure you register early to avoid cancellations. 

Events will be published this week and be accessible via Compass at a cost of $42 per seminar which will include a professionally bound text book and work booklet to complete during the session. 

Connect seminars will not clash with trial exams that week. Trial exam schedule will be published next week. No VCE ATAR classes will run in Term 3, week 10. Vocational Major classes will be running as normal 

Valedictory

The Year 12 Valedictory Dinner will be held on Tuesday 17th October at New Peninsula Baptist Church, 370 Craigie Rd, Mount Martha, from 6:30pm – 10pm.

We are pleased to invite parents, guardians, and family members to join our Year 12 students as they are formally presented with their graduation certificates and achievement awards, celebrating their successes at Mornington Secondary College. 

The event includes a three-course meal, and multiple photographers will be available on the night to capture the event, with a link sent out to all attendees to download the photos free of charge. Formal proceedings will be followed by dancing.

TICKET SALES AND SEATING INFORMATION

Ticket sales will close on Monday October 2nd, 2023. No further tickets will be available to purchase after this date. 

Ticket are prices at $102.50 plus 50c Trybooking fee and can be purchased through the following link: https://www.trybooking.com/CJJWI

Round 1 Ticket Sales

All families can purchase up to 3 tickets (student ticket plus 2 additional tickets).  Round 1 will close on Thursday 24th August 2023.

*Seating allocation is enabled via TryBooking upon purchasing tickets.

We understand that some families may require separate seating. For ease of booking, all odd table numbers are located on the left-hand side of the venue and even numbers on the right. Additionally, please note this preference in the comments section as table numbers are subject to change.  

If you plan to purchase additional tickets if available, please note this in the comment section on Trybooking.

Round 2 Ticket Sales

For families who have already purchased tickets in Round 1, extra tickets may become available for purchase from Friday 25th August until Monday 2nd October 2023. The number of tickets that may be purchased will be dependent on the balance of remaining tickets.

As per school policy, this event will be smoke and alcohol free. 

Mornington Secondary College is committed to creating and maintaining a child safe environment in which students feel safe and are safe. Mornington Secondary College has a Child Safe Policy and a Child Safety Code of Conduct.

Compass Hints

Positive Quotes for the week

"I have had a conversation with Adam Pirrie this week and want to say Congratulations to all involved in the Hands on Learning program, it is a fantastic initiative."

Member of the public who called office to give feedback.

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