Principal's Report
As Term 3 draws to a close, it is a great opportunity to reflect on another busy and productive term at Epping Secondary College.
Across the past ten weeks, our students have been involved in a wide range of learning, leadership, wellbeing and community activities, while we have also continued to make significant improvements to the College environment and facilities.
A number of facilities projects have been completed during Term 3.
Our new double volleyball courts are now complete and open for use. They are already being well used during PE classes and have also provided another popular sporting space for students at recess and lunchtime.
The College’s new bike shed has also opened. The existing area has been substantially upgraded with a new base, roofing, bike racks and fencing, approximately doubling the bicycle storage available for students.
Over the upcoming holiday period, our classroom furniture replacement program will continue, with new tables and chairs being delivered to C Building and the D portables. This will provide upgraded furniture in a further 14 classrooms and continues the significant renewal of learning spaces that has taken place across the College this year.
Term 3 has again included a wide range of experiences beyond the classroom.
Highlights have included Science Week, including the popular reptile incursion; Book Week and the College dress-up day; the Islamic Museum Art Exhibition; Year 9 English activities connected to Romeo and Juliet; Year 9 Full STEAM Ahead activities at Whittlesea Tech School; Year 9 City experience attending Road to Zero at Melbourne Museum; the Year 10 Macbeth performance; and numerous sporting and excursion opportunities.
Our Senior Girls Basketball Team also achieved an excellent result, finishing runners-up at the Northern Metropolitan Region interschool competition. This was a fantastic achievement and a credit to the students involved and the staff who supported them.
Student wellbeing, leadership and engagement have continued to be an important focus throughout the term. Our students have supported a number of important community and wellbeing initiatives, including Wear It Pink Day, led by our student captains to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer, Wear It Purple Day supported by our Wellbeing Team, and R U OK? Day, which included a range of lunchtime activities involving both students and staff.
Our Year 10 students participated in the Courage to Care Upstander Program, while students involved in the Year 8 Raise Mentoring Program celebrated the completion of their program with a graduation at the end of the term.
Our House program has also continued to grow, with regular activities throughout the term and another successful House Week providing opportunities for students to participate, connect and contribute to their House.
This week has also been a particularly significant one for our Year 12 students as they reach the end of the formal teaching program for VCE and the Vocational Major.
Students have embraced Spirit Week with plenty of enthusiasm through Pyjama Day, Decades Day, Throwback Thursday and Crazy Hair Day.
It has been wonderful to see students enjoying this milestone together and celebrating the friendships and experiences they have shared during their time at the College.
For our Year 12 students, the coming weeks will bring final preparation for examinations, assessment and the many celebrations that mark the conclusion of secondary school.
We wish them every success as they enter this final stage of their studies and look forward to recognising their achievements later in the year at Valedictory and Awards night.
I would like to thank our students for the way they have participated in college life this term and our staff for the enormous amount of work that goes into providing these opportunities, and our families for their continued support.
I hope all members of our college community enjoy a safe and relaxing term break, and I look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 4.
Neil Baillie
Principal
Celebrating a Culture of Reading at Epping Secondary College
📚 What an incredible year of reading!
This year, students at Epping Secondary College embraced the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, collectively reading an impressive 572 books! This fantastic achievement reflects our students’ commitment, resilience and growing enthusiasm for reading across the College.
The Premiers’ Reading Challenge is an important part of our Literacy Improvement focus, supporting students to read widely, expand their knowledge and vocabulary, and develop positive reading habits that will benefit them across all areas of learning.
By engaging regularly with a diverse range of texts, students have had opportunities to discover new ideas, strengthen their reading confidence and stamina, and most importantly, experience the joy of getting lost in a great book. 📖
🌟 Celebrating Our Top Readers
We warmly congratulate all students who took part in the challenge and celebrate the outstanding commitment of our top readers:
- Years 7–8: Youran Wu (Year 7) — 51 books
- Years 9–10: Stefania Bozic (Year 10) — 19 books
- Years 11–12: Clara Khezri (Year 11) — 32 books
A huge congratulations to these students on their fantastic achievements!
We would also like to thank our families, teachers and Education Support staff for encouraging students and helping to keep the challenge alive throughout the year.
While 572 books is certainly something to celebrate, the real achievement lies in what those books represent — hundreds of opportunities for students to discover new ideas, build knowledge and vocabulary, broaden their perspectives and simply enjoy the experience of reading.
Together, we are continuing to foster a strong and vibrant culture of reading at Epping Secondary College — one book at a time! 📚✨
Parent Teacher Student Conferences
Thank you to our students, families and staff for their valuable participation in our recent Parent Teacher Student Conferences.
These conversations are an important opportunity to celebrate progress, strengthen the partnership between home and school, and identify the next steps for learning.
As we move towards the start of Term 4, we encourage students and families to take time to carefully read and reflect on Progress Reports, using the feedback on learning behaviours, engagement and progress to recognise strengths, identify areas for growth and set clear goals.
Meaningful reflection and positive learning habits can help set every student up to finish the year strongly.
