Principal's Report 

2024 YEAR 12 VCE VALEDICTORY DINNER

On Tuesday 26th November, Vermont Secondary College held its Year 12 Valedictory dinner with 500+ people in attendance. 

A huge event by any standards the Valedictory Dinner is the largest single annual event we hold, and it is always fantastic to see so many parents, guardians, grandparents, siblings, friends, staff and special guests paying tribute to Vermont's graduating class. For the second year running the event was held at the Crown Palladium ballroom as we now require a much larger venue.

The evening allows the college to acknowledge the tremendous contributions that our Year 12 students have made across the breadth of school programs, both academic and co-curricular over their six-year journey. It really was a fantastic evening and the positive energy amongst the parents, students and staff was wonderful throughout the night.

The contribution of our Year 12 students to the College program is not just one of an academic nature. They have also significantly contributed to our student leadership program through the house system, instrumental music program, college production, the sporting field, and numerous other co-curricular programs. I would therefore like to thank the students for their substantial contribution to the ongoing success of Vermont Secondary College.

Major award winners on the evening were:

The Citizenship Award: Amelia R.

The Ampol Best All-Rounder Award: Cherise N.

2023 Student of the Year Award: Valerie G.

The above student scholarship awards are generously sponsored by the Lions Club of South Vermont and were presented by Georgina White, representing South Vermont Lion's Club.

Musician of the Year Award: Laila B.

Performing Artist of the Year Award: Elise B.

Congratulations to Elise and Laila for their outstanding contribution to the college performing arts program (college instrumental music program, annual production) over so many years, a fantastic achievement.

Vision 2024 – The Sarah Bussu Arts Award: Fritzi I.

Congratulations to Fritzi on her unique and colourful artwork which was a combination of fabric, oil and acrylic paint as well as many other artistic mediums. Her work seeks to raise awareness of her subjects’ stories and advocate for their right to a life of freedom and opportunity

Sportsperson of the Year – Evie P 

Congratulations to Evie for her outstanding contribution to the college sports program and for their individual and team involvement at VSC.

Well done to the seven outstanding students on receiving these prestigious awards and thank you so much for your significant contribution to the college program over the years.

Congratulations also goes to all the students who received recognition on the evening for their significant contribution to the performing arts, visual arts and college sports program. Thank you for your outstanding contribution to the broader college program and for your individual and/or team involvement throughout your time here. 

Thank you to the six House Captains for their significant leadership and contribution throughout the year -

HOTHAM HOUSE – Arwa M. & Akhila G.

MACEDON HOUSE – Maithili P. & Abby S.

STIRLING HOUSE – Amelia R. & Aaron W.

I commend these student leaders for their commitment to the house system and the broader college program and personally thank our two School Captains, Amelia and Akhila for the way they have so ably represented the college during their time here.

On behalf of the college, I would like to sincerely thank Jacqueline Wilson and Ben Loh for all their work in the schools Program Manager role over this year. Jacqui and Ben have played a significant role in organising, not only most school events from Years 7 to 11, but also running the many Year 12 activities that the class of 2024 have participated in throughout this year and during their time in Senior School. I thank Jacqui and Ben for their fantastic contribution and effort this year and for the meticulous planning that is required so the Valedictory evening can run so smoothly.

Thanks also goes to the three Heads of House for their commitment to the senior school program – Ben Healey for Hotham, Peter Henderson for Macedon & Jeremy Shannon for Stirling. 

Thank you also to the Senior School Student Managers for all their efforts this year:   Victoria Adams & Lisa McIntosh (Hotham), Ben Pearson, Tracy Mills & Amanda Jung (Macedon) and Sheree Avard & Seamus Billings (Stirling). This student support structure was further supported by the Assistant Principals Aidan Message - Hotham, Cara Macfarlane - Macedon and Mike Stevens – Stirling. 

Thanks also to Jenny Stevens (Head of Pathways) and Jenny Fagarasan for the outstanding job they have done this year in the Pathways team and no doubt will continue to do so over coming months in supporting the class of 2024 with their course selections and chosen pathways.  Thank you to the Wellbeing Team lead by Leesa Moar and the Inclusion team, led by Kelly Stals and Georgia Cox-Minahan for the significant support these departments offer our students and families over their six-year journey.

Also, on behalf of the class of 2024 I would also like the thank Richard Walsh for the fantastic job he has done, yet again, in producing the ‘Year 12 magazine’ and the College Yearbook that will serve as a lasting memory for all. 

Finally, a big thank you to the teaching and education support staff who have contributed to the development of this cohort of students over the last six years.

I congratulate and thank the class of 2024 for their contribution over their past six years at Vermont SC and I wish you all the best with your results and most importantly for a positive future.

VERMONT COLLEGE NEWS FOR 2024 

Thank you to all our contributors to our fortnightly newsletter for the 2024 school year. The college newsletter is a vital link with students, parents and staff to ensure that the community is well informed about college events. The newsletter is essential in ensuring that the many activities and events involving our students are publicised, celebrated and forecast. While the current issue of the newsletter is emailed out each fortnight to families back copies are also available on our website. 

We encourage you to let us know of any newsworthy events in 2024 particularly where students have achieved outside of the school as well as within the college. Finally, a special thank you to Khristian Mizzi, Pam Brutovic, Kay Dunn and Cara Macfarlane for all their work throughout the year in getting the fortnightly newsletter completed and distributed to the college community!

FOR VICTORIAN SCHOOL TERM DATES 2024 – 2030 GO TO - 

https://www.vic.gov.au/school-term-dates-and-holidays-victoria

https://business.vic.gov.au/business-information/public-holidays/victorian-public-holidays-2025