Senior News

VICTORIAN PREMIER AWARDS - AWARDED TO RYAN MILLS

McClelland College is once again celebrating the outstanding achievements of our VCE Vocational Major students, with Ryan Mills named as a finalist for one of Victoria’s most prestigious student awards recognising the top 1% of students across the state.

Ryan is an exceptional VCE VM student whose leadership, determination and passion for community service truly set him apart. As School Captain, he has built strong connections across student leadership groups and championed inclusive initiatives that have enriched our school culture.

Ryan has embraced applied learning opportunities, completing a Certificate II in Light Rail Fundamentals, undertaking industry placements and volunteering at the Mornington Tourist Railway, where his dedication has seen him progress to the role of Conductor.

His commitment extends well beyond the classroom. As a dedicated SES Cadet and Army Cadet leader, Ryan consistently demonstrates the employability skills, compassion, resilience and leadership that VCE VM seeks to develop in every student.

Ryan proudly embraces autism as a strength, demonstrating exceptional focus, organisation and purpose in everything he undertakes. His willingness to contribute, lead and serve others makes him an inspiring role model for our school community.

And there is an exciting piece of McClelland history on the line…

In 2024, McClelland College’s Alyssa Vella received this prestigious recognition. Now, with Ryan in contention, could McClelland College achieve the remarkable feat of three consecutive years of recognition?From Alyssa Vella in 2024, to our outstanding VCE VM students who followed, McClelland continues to demonstrate the incredible opportunities and achievements possible through applied learning.

We are incredibly proud of Ryan and wish him the very best as he represents McClelland College on the state stage. Can McClelland VCE VM program do it 3 years in a row…we hope so!

CORNERSHOP CARNIVAL IS COMING 🎪

Get ready, McClelland families, the CornerShop Carnival is coming to our school on Tuesday 8 September 2026! 

As part of their Unit 4 Integrated Unit, our VCE Vocational Major students have been putting their planning, creativity, teamwork and problem-solving skills into action as they prepare to create and run their very own carnival stalls.After weeks of planning, implementing and evaluating their ideas, students will bring the CornerShop Carnival to life with an incredible 36 stalls offering something for everyone!

🎨 Art and creative activities🍔 Food and treats🎯 Games and challenges💦 And, of course… the highly anticipated Teacher/Student Dunking Machine!

During the school day, students will have the opportunity to enjoy the carnival during recess and Periods 3 and 4, with year levels attending at staggered times. This will give our students the chance to experience the carnival atmosphere while also supporting the VCE VM students who have worked hard to make the event happen.

But the fun doesn't stop when the school bell rings! Parents and the community are invited!

From 3:00pm–4:00pm, the CornerShop Carnival will open its doors to our school community and families. Tickets are available on site on the day, $1 = 1 ticket.

Come along, check out the stalls, have some fun and support our VCE VM students as they put their learning into practice. Every stall has been designed, planned and developed by students, giving them a genuine opportunity to develop skills in communication, teamwork, enterprise, budgeting, organisation, customer service and leadership.

The CornerShop Carnival is more than just a fun afternoon, it is applied learning in action.

Our students have taken an idea and turned it into a real event, learning what it takes to plan, promote, operate and evaluate a community experience.

So bring your family, bring your appetite and bring your competitive spirit!

We can't wait to see you at the CornerShop Carnival on Tuesday 8th September.

See you there!

VCE VM CAFE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS - NOW 2 DAYS A WEEK!

The VCE VM program is excited to announce that VCAFE is now open on Wednesdays, in addition to our regular Friday service, giving our school community even more opportunities to enjoy great food and coffee while supporting the learning of our VCE Vocational Major Hospitality students.

The VCAFE operates throughout the week as part of Work Related Skills, providing all Year 11 and 12 VCE VM students with authentic experience in the day-to-day operation of a cafe. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, service is limited to lattes, while Wednesdays and Fridays offer the full VCAFE experience, including toasted paninis, barista-made coffee and delicious cookies.

Our newest addition, the Breakfast Panini, has already proven popular, featuring crispy bacon, egg, tasty cheese and a golden hash brown, the perfect way to start the day!

VCAFE will also transition to EFTPOS, making purchases quicker and more convenient and bringing an end to invoicing for everyday café purchases.

VCAFE is much more than a cafe. For our VCE VM students, it is a real-world learning environment where they develop practical hospitality skills, confidence and workplace readiness.

Students gain valuable experience in food preparation, customer service, barista skills, teamwork, communication, food safety and cafe operations. Many of our students are currently completing, or have already achieved, a Certificate II or III in Hospitality, providing them with nationally recognised qualifications and skills to support their future pathways.

VCAFE provides our students with the opportunity to put their learning into practice, develop genuine workplace skills and build the confidence they need for further education, training and employment in the hospitality industry.

VCE Units 3/4 Practice Exams - Term 3 Holidays

To support students in their preparation for the upcoming end-of-year VCAA examination period, the college will be conducting Unit 3/4 Practice Examinations during the second week of the Term 3 school holidays (Monday 28th September - Thursday 1st October).

Attendance at the practice examination program is an important part of our VCE preparation program and is expected of all students completing a scored VCE Unit 3/4 subject in 2026. It provides one of the most valuable opportunities for students to experience examination conditions, receive meaningful feedback and refine their preparation before their final VCAA examinations.

The practice examination program is designed to:

• Provide students with an authentic exam experience by completing a full-length examination under timed conditions, mirroring end-of-year VCAA examinations.
• Consolidate learning by encouraging students to revise and apply knowledge and skills from across the entire Unit 3/4 course.
• Identify individual strengths and areas for improvement, allowing students and teachers to target revision in the lead-up to final examinations.
• Develop effective examination techniques, including time management, question interpretation and response planning.
• Build confidence and reduce exam anxiety by increasing familiarity with examination conditions and expectations.
• Receive valuable feedback from teachers to guide individual revision and improve examination performance.
• Promote positive study habits by providing a meaningful revision milestone during the Term 3 holiday break.
• Maximise student outcomes by using evidence from the practice examination to inform final preparation before the VCAA examination period.

Students who are completing their VCE without the calculation of an ATAR (non-scored VCE) are not required to attend the practice examination program.

Please find the Practice Examination Schedule below.

We thank you for your support.

Stellar Students Steam Ahead in Staff vs Student Showdown

The Staff vs Student competition has burst into life in Term 3, and the students are beginning to build some serious momentum.

After finishing Term 2 locked at 4–4, the latest round of challenges has seen the students edge ahead 7–5 - but there is still plenty of competition to come.

Staff Hold Firm in Volleyball Thriller

First up was the annual continuous volleyball match, with the staff determined to take an early advantage. They did exactly that, opening up a lead before the students fought their way back to 15-all.

The staff then managed to establish a five-point buffer and held their nerve as the game progressed, stretching the margin to ten points as the end of lunch approached.

But the students weren't finished. A frantic flurry in the final few minutes saw them claw their way back to within striking distance. In the end, however, the staff held firm, taking out the match 48–43.

That gave the staff a 5–4 lead and left the students needing something special in the next challenge.

Students Find Their Creative Spark

The battle then moved from the volleyball court to the art room, with three challenges spread across three rounds of competition.

The students produced an impressive performance, with James Campbell emerging as the overall winner to secure the point for the student team.

For the staff, Mr Nguyen was comfortably the standout performer - although unfortunately for the staff, one star performance wasn't quite enough to prevent the students from levelling the contest at 5–5.

Hemsley Takes on Eight

Next came one of the most anticipated events of the competition: the annual lettuce-eating contest, organised by Mr Hemsley.

Perhaps somewhat optimistically, Mr Hemsley decided to take on eight hungry Year 12 students, each tasked with eating an iceberg lettuce as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately for him, the students had recruited a lettuce-eating specialist.

Scott Lamrock proved far too good for the opposition, powering his way to first place and securing another point for the students. The student team moved into the lead for the first time, 6–5.

Trivia Goes Down to the Wire

With the staff needing a win to level the overall competition, attention turned to trivia.

The staff team dominated the early stages, leading after each of the first four rounds and taking a two-point advantage into the final round of ten questions.

Then came the comeback.

The staff could manage only four correct answers, while the student team - the aptly named Velisoraptors - produced seven.

That late surge was enough to steal the victory, with the students pipping the staff at the post and claiming another crucial point.

Students 7 – Staff 5.

With the students now two points clear, attention turns to the Book Week debate and the much-anticipated end-of-term Australian Rules football match.

Can the staff mount a comeback, or will the students continue to march towards victory?  Stay tuned - the battle is far from over!

Year 11 Careers Excursion to ACU

On 29 July our Year 11 group with Mrs Andrews, Miss Pate and Carol, caught the train into the city and walked up from Parliament Station to Australian Catholic University. It's only about a ten minute walk, so we got there pretty easily.

The campus we went to was ACU's Melbourne Campus (they also call it St Patrick's) on Victoria Parade in Fitzroy, just outside the CBD. There are over 8,900 students there, including more than 1,000 international students. One of the coolest things was the basketball court on the 8th floor, which none of us were expecting. 

It also turned out to be orientation day, which was lucky timing. There were stalls everywhere for all the different clubs you can join, so we got to see what students actually do outside of class. We also got free popcorn.

First up was a presentation about the uni. They told us about ACU's seven campuses around Australia, in Adelaide, Ballarat, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and two in Sydney, plus the campuses they have overseas. They went through the courses you can do there, like law, business, nursing, education and psychology, and explained the different pathways to get in if you don't go through ATAR. They also talked about the scholarships they offer. 

After that we went to the fake courtroom where law students practise. It looks like an actual court and a lot of people took photos in there.

Then we went up to the health floor, which was really impressive. They had full sized model ambulances that paramedic students train in with all the proper equipment, and a hospital 

ward where nursing students get to try out their skills. We found out that room was actually used as a COVID ward back in 2020 during the pandemic.

Once the tour finished we had an hour to go out and get lunch, then we met back up with the teachers and headed home.

It was a good day out and it gave us a much better idea of what studying something like nursing, paramedicine or law is actually like

Victoria C