WELC & International Student Reports

Message from the International Coordinator and WELC Coordinator 

WELC Update

Ms Debby Morgan 

WELC Coordinator

We have come to the end of Term 2 and thirteen students in our Language Centre are getting ready to graduate and move to mainstream schools.  This term we have a variety of extra-curricular activities.

Several of the WELC students have started taking music lessons at school. Students are learning to voice, guitar, piano, violin and drums.  This is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn a new skill and we look forward to them being able to perform for us in future assemblies or graduations.

Two of our students performed well at the Westall Cross Country competition and went on to compete at the Kingston Cross Country. These students tried their best and finished their race successfully! We congratulate these students on their participation and effort and representing our school well at this event.

This week, about fifteen students from WELC and WSC attended the Westall Hub’s Refugee Week celebration. Ex-WELC students, Rezwana and Sana, gave a speech at this event and explained their journey to Australia including the hardships they had experienced but also the things they learned and skills they gained from their experience as a refugee. This event was a great occasion for students to meet with other refugees and hear their stories and to celebrate the wonderful contribution refugees have made to the land of Australia.

Students have continued to participate in swimming lessons at Monash University and will complete this program in Week 10. These skills are essential, life-saving skills and something students can use throughout their life. We encourage families to look into more swimming lessons for their children so they can further improve their skills.

This term we also had two excursions to the city. Our senior students went to Road to Zero and learned about road safety. They also made a presentation that will be shown at our graduation ceremony.  Other students went to Queen Vic market and explored what foods were on offer and where to find the cheapest fruit and vegetables.  On another day, students went to Old Melbourne Gaol and had a tour, learning about Ned Kelly and the daily life of prisoners in the 1800s and 1900s.  Students also went to the State Library and had a ‘Welcome to the Tour’ library. They were shown key places in the library which is the third-most visited library in the world!  They were also given information about how to use books and newspapers in the museum.

Our school will finish on 26 June. We will hold a graduation on this day and give transition reports to those exiting our program. School will finish at 2:30 pm on Friday and then students will have two weeks’ holiday.  Students should come back to school on Monday 13 July. 

We encourage students to spend time practicing English on the holidays. There are also many activities students can participate in over the holidays at various community events which would be a good way for students to practice their English in a fun and relaxed environment with other students.

South East Community Links – https://secl.org.au/secl-school-holiday-programs/

Kingston Libraries - https://library.kingston.vic.gov.au/whats-on/events-activities

Kingston Arts – https://www.kingstonarts.com.au/about/news/plan-for-fun-winter-school-holidays

We wish all families and students a warm and safe holidays and look forward to seeing you again in Term 3!

WELC Coordinator – Miss Debby Morgan

WELC Swimming Program

This term, WELC students had the opportunity to participate in the WELC Swimming Program, delivered in collaboration with Monash Sport at the Doug Ellis Swimming Pool on the Clayton campus.

The program provided students with the opportunity to develop their swimming skills, build confidence in the water, and participate in a healthy and active learning experience outside of the classroom.

Student attendance was very positive throughout the program, showing great enthusiasm and commitment from participants each week. The program was supported by WELC staff members Anastasia, Marlene, Namila, and Steven, who attended each session and encouraged students throughout the program.

It was wonderful to see students challenge themselves, gain confidence, and enjoy this rewarding experience.

Namila Wanniarachchi

WELC Teacher

'To Read or Not to Read? That is the Question'

At 8.30, every Tuesday and Thursday morning, the classroom door to A6A is opened to allow students from WELC to attend Reading Club sessions. There are always enthusiastic students who arrive punctually knowing it will be both Ms Debby and another teacher who will be taking the reading sessions. 

Students are asked to choose a book from the classroom reading level sets and, individually, read out loud, repeat corrected mispronounced words, answer comprehension questions as well as keep a written record each book title.

Information written up each week by students included the book title, the author, selected unknown vocabulary and the students’ opinion of the book. Most of the students who attend are from Groups 3 and 4 but the sessions are open to all students in WELC. These sessions are both confidence and skill building, enabling students to better decode words and articulate sounds more clearly.

Another extension to our class reading programmes is the literacy skills that are taught twice a week in the WELC timetable. Each week sees the four English language groups working on a different skill such as Prediction, Sequencing, reading for the Main Ideas and supporting details, reading tables and graphs, Skimming and Scanning, Reference Words and Inferential words. It is important for students to not only read comprehensively but also be able to decode words, use morphology, phonological awareness and phonics and contextual clues.

‘There is more to reading than meets the eye!’

WELC Road Safety Experience at the Melbourne Museum

On Friday 5 June, a class of WELC students attended the Road Safety Experience Program at Melbourne Museum. The Road to Zero program, developed by the TAC in partnership with Melbourne Museum, provides an engaging and interactive learning experience linked to Health and Physical Education.

The students participated in the “Getting the Message” program and explored Victoria’s vision to eliminate all road deaths by 2050. Through interactive exhibits and immersive experiences, the students reflected on the importance of making safe choices.

Students recorded their observations and worked collaboratively to create a 30-second health campaign video that promoted positive road use among young people.

Some of their  reflections about their experience were as follows:

“It was interesting to learn about Australia’s road laws as some of them were different to my country’s road laws. (Akif)

“The program about the road safety campaign was delivered in an interesting way with a hands-on approach, making learning a fun experience. We developed new technical IT skills to create a powerful  video advertisement encouraging pedestrians and drivers to use the road safely.. (Altair).

“The excursion was great because we not only learned about road safety but also explored how car safety has changed over time. One of the most interesting parts was the VR car experience, where we got to feel like we were sitting in the driver’s seat and travelling through different decades. This immersive activity showed us how cars and roads have become safer over the past 7 decades through the introduction of new safety features which have  played an important role in protecting drivers, passengers and pedestrians from the impact of road accidents.” (Maliya)

Overall, students found the experience informative, engaging and valuable, and they left with a greater awareness of road safety standards in Victoria and the importance of responsible road behaviour.

Ms Katerina Tetoros

WELC Teacher

WELC Art Elective

Take a journey into tomorrow with our Art students’ latest artwork. Using scratch paper, students have created stunning, vibrant impressions of futuristic cities. These artworks are currently on display in A Block, directly outside the WELC staffroom—be sure to stop by and take a look!

International Student Program 

 Term 2 Highlights

Celebrating Our May Birthday Students 

This term, we took the opportunity to celebrate our students with May birthdays. It was wonderful to come together, share some treats, and recognise these special occasions. Birthday celebrations are a great way to build connections and create a sense of community within our International Student Program. We wish all our May birthday students a fantastic year ahead!

Safe and Sound Wellbeing Program

Our termly Safe and Sound wellbeing session was held this term for homestay students. We were pleased to welcome Nurse Pamela, who delivered an engaging and interactive workshop focused on help-seeking strategies and support networks.

Students explored who they can turn to when they need assistance and learned about the many support services available to them both at school and in the wider community. A range of resources specifically tailored to the needs of international students was shared, helping students feel informed, supported, and connected.

Holiday Travel Reminder 

International students are required to attend school for the full term, which means you cannot leave early or return late. Please plan carefully and submit your travel details to the school for approval before finalising any bookings.

If you are considering travel arrangements, please contact the International Student Program team early to discuss your plans and ensure compliance with attendance requirements.

If you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to contact us.

Kind regards,

International Student Program Team

Westall Secondary College

Ms Summer Bao

International Coordinator