Middle School Report

Message from the 

Director of  Learning

Middle School

 Ms Michelle Collins

What a great to start to the term we have had in Middle School! It has been wonderful to witness our students settling into their routines in Term 2 with such ease and grace, creating an atmosphere of order and productivity within our school community. This orderly environment not only fosters academic achievement but also cultivates a sense of responsibility and respect among our students so well done to everyone.

A reminder that the weather is getting cooler, and the students should now be in full winter uniform. If you have any issues with purchasing the uniform items, please reach out to your child’s Year Level Coordinator.

Term 2 is full of events and activities in Middle School. The Year 9s and 10s have been on excursions to enhance their learning, participated in cross country, explored future career pathways and competed against other schools in round robin sport. In a matter of days, some of our fortunate students will be off to camp to have even more unforgettable experiences and create lasting memories! 

It was so delightful to meet so many parents, guardians, and families at our Parent/Teacher interviews recently. Your involvement with your child’s education is crucial to their success. You are your child’s first and most important teacher. There are many ways that you can be involved in our school community or support your child’s education. You will find lots of helpful ideas in the below resource from the Centre for Multicultural Youth. Please feel free to reach out to us if we can assist or support in any way. Stay warm!

Year 10 Immunisations

­On Friday, April 19, students in Year 10 students were provided with the opportunity to receive their free meningococcal vaccine as part of the National Immunisation Program. If consent was provided, students received their immunisation from the Kingston City Council on this day. If your child missed out on receiving their immunisation at school, you can still book them in directly with the Kingston Council or your local GP. You can book an appointment at any of the Kingston Council locations using this link: https://www.kingston.vic.gov.au/services/families-and-children/immunisation 

Year 10 Work Experience

Year 10 students have been preparing for their Work Experience placements coming up from Monday 24th June until Friday 28th June. Students should have found a placement at this stage and returned their form to the Careers Office. If students have not found a placement yet, please encourage them to make an appointment with the Careers Office to assist them in finding a placement as soon as possible. Work Experience is a great opportunity to be immersed in the world of work and we would like all students to be able to take advantage of this opportunity. 

Middle School Camp

A select number of students from  Years 9 and 10 will be attending camp at Philip Island Accommodation for one night on Thursday May 23 and returning to school on Friday May 24. Students will have the opportunity to explore the island and its natural environment over the one night camp, whilst also building skills in resilience and teamwork.  Unfortunately, the deadline to sign up for camp has now passed and any students not attending camp will attend their normal classes at school during this time.

Year 10 Holocaust Museum Excursion

Earlier this week, Year 10 students had the chance to visit the new Melbourne Holocaust Museum in Elsternwick and hear a talk from a survivor of the Holocaust. Students shared their experiences below:

The holocaust museum excursion was a great opportunity to learn more about the history of the holocaust and the experience of the survivors. It is especially important to this generation not only to learn but also to prevent those events that happened in the past that could happen again in the present or future. 

Kirby Volfango, Year 10

I've personally found that schools have a hard time bringing their curriculum into tangibility for the students, and this is never more prominent than with history. It is hard to conceive of past horrors when the numbers are too big, the events too distant. But in a museum – especially one as intricate as M.H.M. – it is a vastly different experience. Through photos, artifacts, and accounts, tragic stories of suffering and hatred can be retold in their purest state, bringing them physical form in the minds of the audience; through this tangible manifestation, its lessons will be carried in the minds of the new generation, never forgotten.

Margaret Martin, Year 10

Year 9 Shrine of Remembrance Excursion

On Thursday the 9th May, we took the train to the city to start our excursion to the Shrine of Remembrance. We spent about an hour exploring historic statues and small war memorials around Botanical Gardens. Afterwards, we were honoured with a tour of the museum from an inspiring volunteer at the Shrine, who went into a lot of detail.

"I was glad to hear Andre's experience about the Holocaust. The Holocaust event itself tells us about many things, such as never give up to fight for your freedoms, and to always have hope, no matter on how dire the situation may be. I was so sad to discover that the last time he was with his parents, he was just under five years of age. His story made me reflect on how lucky I am to this day to not be treated like  how the Nazis treated the Jewish people." 

Simarpreet Kaur

While listening to the guide talk about the ANZACS who selflessly fought in Gallipoli and the Western Front, and Sir John Monash who saved countless soldiers with his genius battleplan, we headed up to the sanctuary. There we stood, while paying respects to the many soldiers who died in war, while staring at the stone of Remembrance which had etched in it, “Greater Love Hath No Man.” All up, the Shrine is a beautiful place of many broken memories, which our grade will reminisce about for much time to come. 

Jade Petersen, Year 9

CSEF – Camp, Sports and Excursions Fund

As you may be aware, the Victorian Government provides a Camps, Sports, and Excursion Fund (CSEF) to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps, and sporting activities. For secondary students, this amount is $250. The cut-off date to apply for this funding in 2024 is June 28th.

If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families.

For more information or to complete an application form, please speak to your child’s YLC or the front office.

Ms Michelle Collins

Director of Learning Middle School