VCE VM News

Our Year 12 VCE VM students have now completed their Semester 2 units, officially marking the end of their 13-year school journey! This is an incredible milestone and a moment of pride for both the students and their teachers. Throughout the year, these students have demonstrated resilience, determination, and a commitment to achieving their personal and vocational goals. Their journey through the VM pathway has provided them with valuable practical experiences and employability skills that will serve them well beyond school. We congratulate each of them on reaching this important chapter and wish them every success as they move into further education, training, or the workforce.

Meanwhile, our Year 11 VCE VM students are busy finalising their Semester 2 assessments as they prepare to transition into the Headstart program for the 2026 school year. This is an exciting stage in their learning journey, giving them a taste of the expectations and opportunities that await them in their final year.

We would like to take this opportunity to recognise the dedication and effort shown by all VM students throughout the year in meeting their assessment requirements. Attendance and engagement have remained strong, and students have continued to show impressive growth in their academic, personal, and workplace skills. The scheduled catch-up sessions for Years 11 and 12 were well utilised, with many students taking full advantage of the opportunity to complete outstanding work, seek feedback, and consolidate their learning before the year’s end.

The dedication shown by both students and staff within the VM program has been outstanding. We look forward to seeing our Year 12 students take their next steps with confidence and our Year 11 students continue to thrive as they embark on their final year of schooling.

VET 

VET courses are now wrapping up, and students have been finalising their practical and written assessments. Many have also been busy completing and submitting work placement timesheets and reports for their Work-Related Skills outcomes. 

Orientation Day for 2026 classes is November 26th & 28th. Information will be sent to first year VET students two weeks prior to these dates.

Market Day

Last Term, our VCE VM/VPC Market Day, was held on Thursday 18 September alongside Parent–Teacher Conversations, was a fantastic success. Students showcased a wide variety of handmade products, including woodwork items, candles, jams, plants, and more. The afternoon tea, complete with coffee, tea, and spiders, was a highlight for many visitors.

All proceeds will be donated to the Churchill Neighbourhood House, supporting our local community. Thank you to everyone who came along to support our students’ hard work and creativity.

City Project Day

Our Year 12 VCE VM and VPC students participated in a Melbourne Project Day earlier this month as part of their Personal Development outcome assessment. The day included escape room challenges and city exploration activities designed to strengthen teamwork, problem-solving, and navigation skills. Students worked exceptionally well together, demonstrating maturity, collaboration, and confidence throughout the day. 

Reflection by Grace, Isabelle, Marissa, Kiara, Cianese and Jade

Our Melbourne day trip was a fun and memorable experience. We started the day by visiting Culture Kings, then everyone helped each other to find their way around Melbourne. We checked out the buildings while walking around, which was a good start to the day, apart from the minor disagreements we were having within our group when it came to directions!

After this, we went to the Adventure Rooms to do an escape room challenge. At first, it was a bit tricky because some of our group didn’t listen to each other properly, but after a while we started communicating better and working together as a team. Everyone played a part in solving the puzzles and we managed to escape, which felt really rewarding. It showed how much teamwork and patience can make a difference when things get tough.

Once we finished the escape room, we went to Melbourne Central to grab some food and explore the shops. This was nice to relax, have a laugh and spend time with each other. Before heading back to the bus, we stopped at a photo booth and took some funny pictures together. This was funny and overall a good way to capture some memories. 

While walking around, we got to see some of Melbourne’s popular street art, these designs were creative. This made us think a lot about how art can be a form of expression and storytelling. It shows how people use their emotions.

This trip taught us a lot about teamwork and communication, but also about being confident and trusting others. We think experiences like this really help build skills that we can use later on in life, like problem-solving and staying calm under pressure, oh, and finding our way around the city! 

Overall, it was such a good day and definitely one of the highlights of the year.

Reflection by Kady, Hallie, Ajay, Kade and Dean

The Melbourne excursion that we attended was an excellent experience for our group as we built on our valuable skills such as teamwork, resilience, problem-solving, and patience, particularly with navigating the city!  We also applied these skills during the escape room when we got stuck on the puzzles. Throughout the day, before the escape room, we went to the street art alleyways, the shops and had quite a good look around the main shopping district. Overall, it was a fun and enjoyable day out. 

Mock Interviews and Exit Interviews

Last Thursday, to conclude the term’s Work-Related Skills assessments, Year 12 VM and VPC students participated in mock interviews with local employers. These interviews provided invaluable experience and feedback on communication and employability skills.  Employers reported that all students were well prepared and presented and spoke well.  Well done to all of our Year 12s!

Following this, all Year 12 students took part in their Exit Interviews this week. These meetings allowed students, families, and staff to discuss post-school plans, ensuring that each student leaves Kurnai College with a clear and supported pathway for 2026 and beyond.

Upcoming Excursions and Camps

Year 11 Community Walk

Our Year 11 VCE VM students, together with PVPC, KYPS, and some FLO students, have been working collaboratively to plan and deliver an exciting community event. On Wednesday 30th October, students will be leading a 3-hour community walk through Churchill’s parks, highlighting important social issues such as homelessness, domestic violence, community safety, and the challenges faced by young parents.

The event will also include a colour run section for students who wish to take part, adding some fun and energy to the day. Community guests will be invited to join the walk, helping to strengthen local connections and raise awareness of these important issues.

The walk will begin and end at the Churchill Neighbourhood House, starting at 10:00am and concluding with a shared BBQ at 1:00pm.

Year 12 VCE Preparation Camp

Our current Year 11 students, who will be transitioning into Year 12 in 2026, will have the opportunity to attend a VCE / VCE VM Preparation Camp in Melbourne from Monday 24 – Wednesday 26 November.

Throughout the camp, students will take part in a range of teamwork and leadership activities designed to prepare them for the challenges and responsibilities of their final year of school. This valuable experience will help set them up for success as they enter their final stage of secondary education.

Further information will be available on Compass in the following week.

Karen Anders

VCE VM Team Leader