Junior Years Report
Enrichment & Scholarship Testing Update
On Wednesday 15th May, selected students took part in our enrichment and scholarship testing for entry into programs starting in 2026. This included both students currently in Year 6 who are interested in joining us for Year 7 next year, and current Year 9 students applying for senior pathways and academic scholarships.
At Lara Secondary, we use the High Ability Selection Test (HAST), developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), to help us identify students with strong academic potential across a range of areas.
We’re still waiting on the results from ACER, and will be in touch with families as soon as they are available.
A big thank you to all students who participated and to the families who supported them. We’ll keep you updated once we receive more information.
BioLAB Incursion Gets Enrichment Students Thinking like Sports Scientists!
Recently, our Year 7 and 8 Enrichment students took part in an exciting incursion delivered by the team from BioLAB – The Victorian Science and Sports Discovery Centre.
This program was proudly funded through the Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series (VCES), which supports high-ability students in government schools by providing opportunities to engage in deep, real-world learning.
During the session, students got active while wearing Fitbit devices, which tracked their heart rate and movement throughout a series of physical challenges. The goal? To collect real-time personal data that students could later analyse like real sports scientists!
This hands-on experience introduced students to the power of data-driven decision-making in sport and health, and sparked some great conversations around how athletes use technology to fine-tune their training.
We’re proud to offer these enrichment opportunities and look forward to seeing how our students apply their learning in future challenges!
Celebrating Our VHAP Students
We’re proud to share that two of our students are currently taking part in the Victorian High-Ability Program (VHAP) this term. This follows the success of eight students who completed the program last term, demonstrating excellent engagement and growth in their chosen subject areas.
VHAP is a Department of Education initiative that offers high-ability students in Years 7–8 the opportunity to participate in a 10-week online extension program in Mathematics or English, delivered by expert teachers.
While continuing with their regular classes, these students are also engaging in challenging tasks that extend their critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills beyond the standard curriculum.
We congratulate both our current and past VHAP participants on their commitment and enthusiasm, and we look forward to celebrating their achievements at the end of the program!
Year 9 Camp
The year 9 camp at City CYC was amazing, letting year 9’s navigate their way around Melbourne by themselves. Students alongside staff, we were able to walk all around Melbourne discovering new locations every day.
From the moment we saw where we were staying, everybody was ecstatic. After dropping off our luggage at City CYC, students were split into 4 groups. Group 1 and 2 are doing a tour of the MGC, while group 3 and 4 went around the Melbourne aquarium. The best part of the Aquarium was seeing and even getting to touch some of the sea life they have there. The challenge of navigating around Melbourne was difficult, but by the end, everyone was getting the hang of it.
Once dinner was over, students and staff members headed over to Kingpin for laser tag and arcade games. After two hours of fun and games, the students had a walk home in the night, taking in the beautiful city and all its night time glory.
Day 2, As everyone woke up bright and early to be greeted by a choice of cereal or bacon & eggs and/or toast with a glass of juice we were anticipating what was going to happen. After we had breakfast, we were on our way to our first activity. Groups 1 and 2 showed their bravery by going 88 stories high at the Melbourne Skydeck. Some Students even went 3 meters over the edge in a glass box! Groups 3 and 4 discovered the historic Melbourne Gaol, discovering the past of Ned Kelly and all his grimm stories.
Later that night, students went to the O’Brien Icehouse based in South Docklands to learn how to ice skate. Students and staff had so much fun skating around the rink. We all laughed watching friends fall over and wobble as they learnt how to skate. We managed to leave safely with no major injuries. After that, the students were mesmerised by Melbourne and its beauty at night.Students were greeted with hot chocolates served by Mr Graham at CYC.
On the last day, we were served ham & cheese croissants for breakfast (they were delicious).Then, we all headed up to our rooms to clean up and pack our belongings. Students had one final activity to complete. Groups 1 and 2 finding their way through the morning rush to the Old Melbourne Gaol, meanwhile groups 3 and 4 found their way to the Melbourne Skydeck. Once all the activities were finished, students collected their belongings and said goodbye to City CYC and made their way to Southern Cross station for their final journey home to Lara.
Abby and Darcy
