From the Principal

Today marks the end of the 2024 school year for Mornington Secondary College. It has been a great year for many reasons. The data from various surveys conducted throughout the year and our NAPLAN results have clearly indicated we are achieving success in many areas of learning and wellbeing.

This week was the final week of Yr 12 exams and given the errors that occurred, the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority have asked all schools to send communication out to families.

A message from the CEO of VCAA regarding Yr 12 exams:

‘Dear parents and carers,

I’m writing to share information from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s Interim Chief Executive Officer, following the errors with this year’s VCE exams:

On behalf of the VCAA Executive, I unreservedly apologise for the impact these errors have had on students, families, school staff and the broader community.

The following is the process we will now follow to ensure each student is marked fairly.

When the marking of each examination is complete, the VCAA will use statistical analyses and additional student data to identify whether there is evidence that any student has gained an unfair advantage over other students. This is called the Anomalous Grade Process

Following this process, if questions are identified as providing any student with an unfair advantage, appropriate adjustments to student marks will be made. This includes invalidating questions and awarding all students full marks for that question, if necessary.

Please be assured that if students have accessed the published material on the sample examination covers, this will not be considered a breach of the rules.

The VCAA has published information including Q&As on their website, see: www.vcaa.vic.edu.au’

For other questions or additional support, please speak to Nick Evans or Jo Reeman.

In the last newsletter I mentioned the Remembrance Day service. I have since received an email from the office of Tom McIntosh MP. The email refers to a link on YouTube, where Tom is speaking in State Parliament. He mentions Mornington Secondary College. I thought I would share the link with you. https://youtu.be/96CBXs7vS2w

I hope you have had a wonderful week and everyone is looking forward to the start of the new school year on Monday.

Regards

Linda Stanton

Principal

Important Dates

Term 4

November

Friday 22nd November - Professional Practice Day for all teachers - Student free

Monday 25th November - Fast Forward commences - students transition into their 2025 year level and classes

Thursday 28th November - Year 10 Formal - Frankston Arts Centre

December

Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th December - Japanese visitors from Nara

Friday 6th December - Students in Year 11 and 12 2025 final day

Tuesday 10th December - Grade 6 Orientation Day for students joining MSC in 2025

Monday 16th December - Presentation Evening - New Peninsula Baptist Church - 6.30pm

Tuesday 17th to Thursday 19th December - 3 day activity program

Friday 20th December - Last day of Term 4

Middle School

Newsletter Update: Farewelling 2024 and Welcoming Fast Forward 2025

Dear Families,

It’s that time of year again when we prepare to farewell our current year levels and transition into the new year for 2025. The festive season is also fast approaching, and many of us are busy planning for Christmas as well!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the privilege of attending many assemblies to present awards for academic excellence, outstanding attendance, green posts, and recognition of our school values. These moments truly highlight the achievements and growth of our students, and it’s wonderful to celebrate their hard work.

This morning, I had the pleasure of joining Ms. Neale’s Year 7 woodwork class to judge their Marble Run projects. This fantastic activity challenges students to apply teamwork, analytical skills, mathematical reasoning, and creativity—all essential 21st-century skills. The students’ enthusiasm and innovation were incredible to see.

At a broader level, our leadership team has been deeply engaged in implementing the new Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 and Classroom Mastery. These frameworks offer us a valuable opportunity to refine our teaching practices to align with how students learn best.

Key aspects of this approach include:

Explicit Instruction: Breaking down content into manageable chunks.
Mastery Learning: Ensuring concepts are fully understood before moving forward.
Spacing and Retrieval Practice: Helping students move knowledge from their working memory to long-term memory.

To achieve this, we focus on optimizing cognitive load by:

Sequencing information logically.
Using models, worked examples, and scaffolds to support understanding.
Creating a learning environment that promotes focus and engagement.

This exciting work will enhance the quality of teaching and learning at our school, ensuring that every student benefits from research-based, high-impact practices.

As we wrap up this busy term, I’d like to thank all our families for their ongoing support. Your partnership is vital to our students’ success.

Have a wonderful week!

Warm regards

Denise Leggett

Assistant Principal

Senior School

To students and families of the Mornington Senior School,

Well that’s a wrap for the Senior School’s 2024 academic year. The class of 2024 have officially finished and after almost 800 individual exams now our ATAR students await their final results which will be released to students on the 12th December.

Thank you to our chief supervisor, Peta Foley and her team who have run the VCAA exams with calmness and professionalism. Also to Jo, Jo and Victoria (our year 12 team) for ensuring students were calm and ready to go for their exams, even greeting them with ice creams and snacks as they finished. Our year 10 and 11s have completed their end of year exams, either finalising their in-school examinations (for those heading into the VCE VM pathway) or honing those important revision skills as they continue on their ATAR pathway.

Fast Forward – a fresh start

For our Senior School students, the next two weeks (3 for incoming year 10s) provide a fantastic opportunity to take stock of the year passed and make the necessary adjustments to strive for improvement and personal best. Success is the sum result of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. If each student gets just a little bit better every day, then over a week a month and years, it can make a huge difference.

I expect our Senior School students to start Fast Forward with purpose, with a positive attitude, a well-presented uniform and to attack their learning with vigour. The purpose of school is not really to learn things but to learn a love of learning and to understand through curiosity, how we learn and how we make the most of every learning opportunity.

For our VCE VM students, we have a innovative structure awaiting you, one designed to reduce your cognitive load, and increase opportunities for those vital work-ready skills we are looking to develop before you go into the adult world. For our ATAR students, we look forward to the first steps on your journey to your version of ATAR success. For our year 10s, this next 6-8 months is about exploring your passions and finding out what you like (and even what you don’t like), what you are good at in preparation for choosing your senior pathway.

Work hard for these next 2 (or 3) weeks and then have a good rest over the summer holidays. Dare to dream…

Thank you to the following:

With the start of the 2025 timetable on Monday, our staff are starting new (or continuing in) new positions of responsibility. I would like to publicly acknowledge several staff who have been critical to the learning success of students in the Senior School throughout 2024.

My dedicated and hard-working year level leaders who are continuing to lead their respective year level cohorts in 2025. Jo Reeman at year 12, Jasmine Keough at year 11 and Jake Uhlenberg at year 10. They put in a power of work each day and I’m grateful to have them leading in the Senior School.

To outgoing coordinators - Jen Rolls (year 10), Heidi Bremner (year 11) and Victoria Milner (year 12), thank you for so much hard work on the ‘front-lines’ of student management. These amazing people are the first port of call for students and parents alike. Schools don’t run effectively without great people like this and many of you will have been contacted by them over the last few years.

To the returning year level coordinators, Jo Dixon (year 12), Mick Williams (year 11) and Alex Malligan (year 10), you have been fantastic contributors to the coordination team and our 2025 cohort will be in very good hands.

To Fiona Cornwall (Senior School Education Support) who has handled an incredibly wide range of administrative tasks for the Senior school (and myself in particular), thank you for your work and I’m pleased that our students will have the benefit of your work in the pathways team from 2025. I’ll talk more about our pathways leader, Teena Borshoff and her amazing work in later newsletters.

I had a Principal tell me once that the time and money that is given to staff who apply and hold positions of responsibility is not in any way commensurate with the actual tasks they perform. The state education system has been built for a long time on people going above and beyond to make sure the students have the chance to be successful.

Congratulations

I wanted to quickly congratulate a class of 2024 student, Harvey Langford on being drafted at pick 6 by the Melbourne Football Club on Wednesday night in the AFL draft. Harvey has been a positive influence throughout his time at Mornington and it was great to see him selected so high in the draft. He was taken one pick before his beloved Tigers had the opportunity to take him but who knows, he may end up at Richmond one day. I wish Harvey all the best in his AFL career.

What is coming up this term?

Friday 22nd Nov - Professional Practice Day for all teachers - Student free

Mon 25th Nov – Fri 6th Dec - 2025 Fast Forward program (year 10s and 11s finish on this day)

Thursday 28th Nov – Year 10 Formal

Thurs 12th Dec – VCE ATAR results released to students

Mon 16th Dec – 2024 MSC Awards evening

Kind regards

Nick Evans

Senior School Assistant Principal

Road Safety Alert!

Road safety is an important issue for students at school. While they are younger we like to talk about looking both ways before they cross the road, while as they get older we talk about wearing a helmet on their bike through to being a responsible driver. But as you know the road is a shared space and we need to not only look after our actions but also keep our eyes out for others.

Over the past few weeks we have had 2 students involved in separate road accidents, one while being a pedestrian and another riding a bike. Both students are fine, but I would encourage all families to have the conversation with their children about keeping themselves safe around the roads.

Student Leadership update

This coming week will see the start of the 2025 academic year. In 2025 we will be looking to expand the leadership opportunities for students. To start the ball rolling next week we will be calling for nominations for year level captains. This is a great opportunity for students and we would encourage all interested students to register their interest once the forms are made available via year level assemblies.

Mike Parker

Assistant Principal

Year 8 2024 Celebration Day

Our Year 8 cohort this year have been fantastic.

To celebrate their achievements and success this year we began the day with a celebration assembly with a number of students receiving awards as nominated by their teachers, the Year 8 team and Denise Leggett, our middle school Assistant Principal

Following on from the assembly we gathered our belongings and headed to Mills Beach.

Whilst down the beach students cooled off in the water, played games and generally just chilled out with friends and teachers. The Year 8 team put on a bbq lunch for all students and after a sweaty walk back to school, finished the day cooling off with an icy-pole.

We would like to thank our Year 8 teaching Team for their dedication and efforts with our cohort this year. We would also like to thank the parents of our Year 8 students who have been supportive and helped create a great learning environment for our students this year.

Year 8 Team

Leader – Adam Pirrie

Year Level Coordinators – Shaun Doherty & Kim Rattue

Middle School Student of the Week

Sophie Staunton-Clarke 7D

Favourite food: Italian

Hobbies out of school: Swimming, baking and roller skating

What sports team do you follow: Melbourne City

Favourite TV show: Modern Family

Do you have any pets: A dog named Milo and fish named May, Suzie, Fredie, Dorie and Nemo

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College?

I like that there is lots of other opportunities, such as Drum Corps and Swim Squad.

What are you most looking forward to about Fast Forward?

Getting to meet my new classmates and teachers

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school?

Childcare

Otis Burley Year 8

Favourite food:

Butter Chicken

Hobbies out of school:

Playing footy and cricket

What sports team do you follow:

Hawthorn FC and Melbourne Renegades

Favourite TV show:

I like watching footy and cricket games

Do you have any pets:

A Maltese Shiatzu named Buddy

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College?

All the sporting opportunities that are available to me

What are you most looking forward to about Fast Forward.

Meeting my new classes and learning about my new subjects

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school?

Construction Management

Year 9 Will Griffith

Favourite food:

I love KFC

Hobbies out of school:

Hanging out with mates and playing footy for Mount Eliza

What sports team do you follow:

Hawthorn FC

Favourite TV show: Watching footy on the tv

Do you have any pets: I have three dogs, two harries and a staffy, named George, Lynas, and Tink

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College?

Spending time with my friends

What are you most looking forward to about Fast Forward.

Finding out about all my new classes and having a change to year 10

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school?

I want to do a trade but I’m not sure which one yet.

2025 Student Subjects and Contributions

2025 Student Subjects and Contributions are now available on Compass, via parent access. Click into the payment centre to view your child's 2025 subjects.

Below are the detailed 2025 subject contributions by year level:

Parent Payment Information - Year 7 approved and signed.pdf

Parent Payment Information - Year 8 approved and signed.pdf

Parent Payment Information - Year 9 approved and signed.pdf

Parent Payment Information - Year 10 approved and signed.pdf

Parent Payment Information - VCE approved and signed.pdf

Don't forget to look on Compass for Orientation Day Events and End of Year Activities. Get in quick so you don't miss out!

Below is a link to help guide you.

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

School Saving Bonus

The Victorian Government is delivering the School Saving Bonus – a one-off $400 support for government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025.

From Tuesday 26 November 2024, you will receive an email from the Department of Education with your unique $400 School Saving Bonus code.

The School Saving Bonus will help families cover the cost of uniforms, textbooks, excursions, activities and more.

If you have multiple children enrolled in Victorian government schools for 2025, you will receive one School Saving Bonus code email per child. These emails might arrive on different days. Please make sure to check your spam/junk email folder.

Parents and carers can use the School Saving Bonus code in store at school-nominated suppliers. Parents and carers can also choose to access the School Saving Bonus online system, where they can allocate part or all the $400 bonus to use at school nominated-online suppliers or for school activities.  A step-by-step user guide will be available on the webpage on 26 November.  

For more information visit https://www.vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus

If you have not received your School Saving Bonus code via email by Friday 29 November, please contact the Department of Education by emailing school.saving.bonus@education.vic.gov.au

Once you have received your email with your link, please click on the attachment below for instructions to access the portal:

school-saving-bonus-system-guide-for-parents-and-carers-2975.pdf

2025 Booklist and How to Order Flyer

2025 booklists are now available for purchase.

Please see the attached "How to Order" flyer for details on ordering online. All orders placed by the 11th December will be delivered to home addresses by Fri 24 January 2025.

NB: Orders placed by the due date, 11th December will only incur a processing fee of $5.95 and free delivery. After the 11th December a processing and delivery fee will be applied to all orders.

Campion Education Customer Support

Ph: 1300 433 982

Email: help@campion.com.au OR digitalhelp@campion.com.au

Or complete the Contact Us form on our website: https://campion.com.au/contact/

How to Order Flyer - Mornington Secondary College.pdf

Mornington SC 2025 Resource List Year 7.pdf

Mornington SC 2025 Resource List Year 8.pdf

Mornington SC 2025 Resource List Year 9.pdf

Mornington SC 2025 Resource List Years 10-12 VCE VM.pdf

Below is a link from Campion Education with further information for parents regarding the School Saving Bonus. Here is the link below: