Year of Growth and Achievement

As we wind down Term Four, we reflect on a year filled with growth, learning, and community. Our students have shown remarkable dedication and resilience, navigating challenges and achieving significant milestones.

Celebrating Our Year 12 Graduates

Our Year 12 cohort of 2024 concluded their secondary education with a well-deserved Valedictory ceremony on Thursday, November 21st. We commend their hard work, commitment, and positive contributions to the College community. We wish them all the best as they embark on their next chapter.

Year 11 Formal

Year 11 students celebrated the end of the year with a glamorous formal held in Toorak on Friday, December 6th. It was a night of fun, friendship, and unforgettable memories. We thank all students and staff for their respectful and responsible behaviour.

Exam Season

The Senior Studies Centre has been a hive of activity as Year 10 and 11 students completed their exams. We thank our dedicated teachers for their tireless efforts in marking and providing feedback.

Our Year 12 students successfully completed their VCAA exams on November 18th. We extend our gratitude to Senior Sub School Leader, Ms Lenehan Mustafa and our Chief Supervisor Ms Lilian Spear for their exceptional leadership in organising and overseeing this complex process. We eagerly await the release of Year 12 results in mid-December.

Preparing for 2025

As we look ahead to the new year, we kindly remind families to ensure their senior students are well-prepared with textbooks and stationery. Full school uniform is mandatory upon return. Please refer to Compass and our school website for detailed information on booklists and uniform requirements.

We thank all parents and carers for their ongoing support and partnership. Together, we have made a significant impact on the lives of our students.

A Successful End to the Year

We would like to extend our congratulations to all Year 11 and 12 students for their outstanding participation in the end-of-year program.

The program was designed to provide students with a motivating and inspiring experience, setting them up for success in 2025. Students engaged in a variety of activities, including subject-specific sessions, basketball shootouts, Minute to Win It games, and trivia.

We were thrilled to have insightful guest speakers share their wisdom and experiences with our students.

The positive feedback from teachers highlights the students' enthusiasm and readiness for the upcoming year. Their commitment to the school's values of Respect, Resilience, and Responsibility was evident throughout the program.

We look forward to seeing the continued growth and achievements of our Year 11 and 12 students in the year ahead.

Finally, we wish all our families a lovely holiday period and a happy new year.

Diana Kennedy

Assistant PrincipalSenior School

End of year program – Guest Speakers

Luke Kennedy – Guest Speaker

For 8 years of his life, Luke was an obese alcoholic & drug-addicted thug. Leading a violent street fighting crew, he was stabbed on two separate occasions: once in the lung, the other time in the head.

On the outside he looked strong & confident, on the inside his thoughts would come to haunt him. He was incredibly scared, depressed, anxious & awkward in social situations. Luke always worried what other people thought about him, which led to him committing some harsh acts & missing out on many positive opportunities.

Becoming a successful business owner, mental health advocate & one of Australia's top motivational speakers, his purpose is to now use his experience to inspire, motivate & enlighten others. To stop worrying what other people think. To develop personally & professionally. To shed the labels. Be free!

Eric Agyemen

BIO

After his fourth suspension in high school, Eric Agyeman was given a holiday ticket back to his birthplace, Ghana. He was told it was a 3-week holiday, a gift from his father. This so-called ‘holiday’ became the toughest but most life-changing 7 years of Eric’s life.

7 years of experiencing poverty, isolation, and deep depression led him to a breaking point; attempted suicide

TURNING POINT

Near the end of this dark period in Eric’s life as a teenager, he found a core group of people who believed in and mentored him. This would be the beginning of Eric’s transformation! Eric is now the author of 4 inspirational books. A nominee for the Young Victorian of the year for his work with youth and most recently, he received the 2022 African Australian Achievement award.

VISION

Eric and his team are on a mission to reach, inspire, and transform 1 million Youth by 2031. Some people allow their past to define them, while others allow it to refine them, Eric is an example of the latter!

Interact Club News - Friday 15th November

Year 11 Interact group visited Regis Aged Care Facility. Following our visit to Grade 5 stuents at Lyndale Green Primary School, the interact group had the primay school kids make the Aged Care Residents cards to brighten up their day.Following this the students had individaul chats with the residents, finding out stories about their past.

Remembrance Day Service at the Shrine of Remembrance – Monday 11th November

Every year, on 11 November at 11 am—the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month—we pause to remember those individuals who have served and those who have died in all wars and peacekeeping operations.

This year on Remembrance Day, the Shrine marks its 90th birthday. For nine decades, the Shrine has been the home of commemoration and remembrance for the Victorian community.

Our Interact students were grateful to be part of an iconic ceremony on a beautiful Melbourne day.

Parent Information Session – Tuesday 12th November

A wonderful turn out of over 25 parents who heard a seminar run by Police Office Kim Gannon

The session on Respectful Relationships covered:

The impact of different forms of abuse and mistreatment on adults and children
Recognising various forms of abuse
Understanding culturally appropriate support and pathways for victims of abuse and mistreatment

We look forward to running more parent information sessions in 2025.

It has been wonderful seeing many of the same faces throughout the year.

Discovering Your Future Path: Year 9C Mentoring Program

Year 9 students were taken through self-discovery, career exploration, and essential skill-building for their future over the year through the program Inspired By you!

The program involved:

Self-Discovery: Students gained insights into their strengths and passions to envision future career paths.

Tackling a Real-World Challenge: Tackling real-world challenges in teams, guided by industry experts.

Networking: Tips on building connections and lasting professional relationships.

Outcome: By the end of the program, students have developed a clearer understanding of their career aspirations and the reasons behind them, based on their individual values, interest and strengths.

Next Steps Beyond the Program: Encourage your child to explore online career tools.

We look forward to continuing our partnership with IBY in 2025 and supporting student’s journey’s to discover their future path!

Lyndale SC Year 11 Project Learning

For their final project in 2025, a group of Year 11 VCE VM Project Learning students undertook an exciting project to promote reading for early primary school students in our local community.

The journey began with a look into the Australian curriculum, as students set out to draft and create their own original picture books with young readers in mind. They brought their stories to life using Canva for illustrations and formatting. Some standout titles included A Ballerina’s Dream, Catching Stars, and Buzzy the Basketball.

The highlight of the project was a special visit to Lyndale Greens Primary School, where the Year 11s proudly shared their books by reading aloud to three classes of enthusiastic Prep students.

This hands-on initiative not only strengthened community ties but also fostered confidence and creativity among the Year 11 students. It's an example of how Applied Learning can empower young people to make a meaningful impact.

Thank you also to Ms Jackie Smith for supporting students on the excursion day!

Rotary – Educational Scholarships

These rotary scholarships are given to students to enable them to fully participate in the school curriculum.

We thank Leanne Byron from Rotary Endeavour Hills & Dandenong who has supported the school in ensuring the best opportunities for our students and their learning.

Congratulations to the following students who received an educational scholarship.

Dakota Corrigan - Year 11

Plaj Andrew - Year 11

Michael Benedetto - Year 11

Community Spirit and Leadership Award 2024 presented by Julian Hill MP Federal Member for Bruce to Sarina Yim of Lyndale Secondary College

This year, Sarina has taken the plunge into starting a School-Based Traineeship in Year 11. She has shown dedication to her studies and commitment to her busy schedule and is now finishing the year with a completed traineeship with Laing O’Rouke. Sarina is completing a Certificate III in Business and is a perfect example of how maturity and commitment can launch your future forward. Her enthusiasm and persistence are a credit to herself and is evident with the head start she has given herself into her business career.

Sarina has exceptional leadership and mentoring skills while also performing as a team player. Sarina was the dance captain of the 2024 college production of High School Musical. She took on her role with great pride and a conscientious commitment to guiding others to be their best.

Sarina is a hardworking, committed and diligent student who completes all tasks to a high standard. She is always first to help other students who need extra assistance.

Her enthusiasm and persistence are a credit to herself.

Sarina is a role model student who always demonstrates the core values at Lyndale Secondary College of respect, resilience and responsibility.

Lyndon Shane

(Year 12 Coordinator)

Congratulations to the students of Lyndale Secondary College on their outstanding achievements! Special recognition goes to:

Prerana Preeju for being named DUX with an impressive score of 96.5.
Ivana Dzepina for her excellent result of 93.9.

These remarkable achievements reflect your hard work and dedication. Well done, and best of luck with your future endeavors!

Diana Kennedy

Assistant Principal – Senior School

The Falcon Newsletter

Strength, Pride & Success

Issue 8 · 19 Dec 2024

In this issue