Principal's Message
Dear Families,
Welcome
On behalf of all staff, I would like to warmly welcome you all to the 2024 school year, particularly to those students and families who are new to our College community. It was wonderful to see our Year 7 students taking part in a dedicated orientation program which provided students with the support they need to ensure a successful start at Victoria University Secondary College. We certainly wish them all the best in their first year at secondary school.
I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the following new staff to the College this year:
Teaching Staff:
Melis Ali - English
Michael Molinari - Food Technology
Dana Heyes - English
Melda Gonen - English
Annette Lawrence - English
Junya (Amy) Wang - Chinese
Nick Chiarello - Health & Physical Education
Cass Da Silva - Humanities
Alisha D’Souza – Maths
Deepak Manchikanti – Humanities
Adam Sakareassen – Physics/Maths
Amelia Sheng – Science
Paul Moons – English
Lynda de Kretser – English
Mark Tuia – Building & Construction and Woodwork
Education Support Staff:
Natalie Boicovitis – Personal Assistant
Zeynep (Zip) Genc – Learning Support
Sam Chandler – Learning Support
Vivian Than – Learning Support
At VUSC, we are committed to providing students with the opportunity to succeed as learners and as confident and competent citizens who can make a valuable contribution to a global society, underpinned by our values of Aspire to Achieve, Respect Ourselves and Others, and Strengthen the Community. The academic program at the college is supported by a relevant and contemporary co-curricular program with student accomplishments recognised and celebrated across a range of endeavours.
We recognise the important role that both parents and schools play in developing positive attitudes towards learning and education for children, building their motivation and confidence and fostering their enjoyment of learning. At VUSC this partnership, based on mutual trust and respect and shared responsibility, provides the educational foundation for the creation of a learning environment where every student can experience success, pursue their passions and contribute to their community.
We invite parents and carers to work together with us to ensure students are meeting the basic requirements necessary for success in their studies. These include:
- Excellent attendance and punctuality
- Bringing the appropriate books and equipment each day
- Using class time effectively
- Completing homework
- Keeping to deadlines for submission of work
- Always putting in maximum effort.
A checklist is attached of what parents and carers can do to support their children with their schooling this year:
Be Well Stay Well Days
We started the new year by running a student wellbeing day called 'Be Well Stay Well', on 30th January at the Senior Campus and 31st January at the Junior Campus.
All students participated in four sessions:
- Healthy Living
- Mindfulness
- Exercise - Soo Bahk Do, Zumba, Pilates or Games
- Homegroup - Making connections with HG teachers.
At lunch time students were treated to free smoothies and community stalls hosted by Albanvale FC, St Albans FC, DHA Tennis Academy, IPC, Headspace, and Reclink (Bulldogs Community Foundation). A great day was had by all, both staff and students. I would like to thank our Student Wellbeing Manager, Kimberly Emtsis and her highly competent team for all their hard work in putting this wonderful program together. Here are some highlights of the day:
VCE Results
Congratulations to our 2023 College Dux, Linda Nguyen (right), who achieved an ATAR of 99.25, and our Proxime Accessit, Jia Ze Lim, who achieved a result of 94.90. Linda will be studying Optometry at Deakin University and Jia Ze will be studying Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne.
Other students who achieved an ATAR in the 90s were Crislin Rosete 92.40 who is studying Creative Writing at RMIT, and Astra Yol 92.00 who is studying Journalism at RMIT.
Our school's Median VCE Study Score has increased to 29, up from 28 in 2022. Our Mean VCE Study Score is 29.30 (29.31 in 2022) - this is higher than the State mean 28.90.
Our school's Mean VCE English Study Score 30.18 (31.08 in 2022) - this is also higher than the State mean 28.48. Last year the percentage of students with at least one VCE study score of 40 or more was 13.3% (State 14.9%).
These are excellent results and I congratulate our staff and students for their hard work throughout the year.
Scholarships
Congratulations to these Year 12 graduates who received scholarships for tertiary study this year:
- Abby Taite – studying Bachelor of Arts at University of Melbourne - Melbourne University Principals Scholarship $5000
- Taylar Phongthai – studying Arts/Law at ACU – Hall and Wilcox Scholarship and Clerkship Program
VCE Vocational Major Achievements
Congratulations to the following 2023 VCE VM students who have transitioned to a full time apprenticeship this year as part of the HEADSTART program:
Jayde McCarthy – Hairdressing
Ding Manrhing – Electrical
Bawi Thang – Cabinetmaking
Mercy Lealea – Automotive
Kevin Nguyen – Automotive
Lucas Hilschansky completed year 11 and transitioned to a full time apprenticeship in auto paint and panel.
The following students have been offered full time apprenticeships after a HEADSTART trial late in 2023:
Aydyn Tran - Carpentry
Teina Apimaera - Diesel mechanic
Ben Thang Eng - Diesel mechanic
We wish them all the very best in their new careers and congratulate all the VCE VM students on their achievements.
Careers Update
Parents/carers are advised that the Careers Team will begin having careers and pathways meetings with all Year 12 VCE and VCE VM students throughout Term 1 and Term 2. Students will be advised of their meeting time through Microsoft Teams. Parents/carers who are available at the meeting time are welcome to attend this meeting to discuss their child’s career interests and pathways for next year. Please contact the Careers Team on 8312 0200 if you are planning to attend.
Open House - Monday 22nd April
Parents/carers and their Grade 5 and 6 children who are interested in touring our school are warmly invited to our Open House event on Monday 22nd April. There will be tours in the morning as well as an evening presentation with information packs and interactive tours of several classes. Bookings are not required. Come along to see our students in action! In the coming weeks, our leadership staff will be visiting local primary schools with more information or see the details below.
2023 Yearbook
The annual yearbook is full of great memories of the year and amazing achievements by our students. It's available for purchase at the general offices for $25. Stocks are limited.
Tutor Learning Initiative
This program has again been provided by the Department this year for students who require tutoring assistance to support them in their learning. Selected students from Years 7 through to Year 10 will participate in this Tutoring Program. We have employed six English tutors and three Maths tutors this year. Some of the tutors will also run the homework club at the Junior Campus along with a teacher.
College Captains 2024 - Enhancing the Student Culture
Congratulations to the following students who have been elected to leadership positions at the College this year:
College Captains: Aaron Dado and Bibi Asma
College Vice Captains: Lawrence Raponi and Layla Apimaera
Junior Campus Captains: Emily Milne and Darleena Lung
Junior Campus Vice Captains: Lofani Faiva and Devreaux Beazley-Folomu
Junior Sports Captains: Pharisee Ioane and Ken-Andrew Kapeli-Manuele
Senior Sports Captains: Denzo Atileo and Lataia Aue
Music Captains: Macie Caguiat and Jordan Doidge
We look forward to working with these amazing young people this year and know that they will do an excellent job in representing the student voice and the College.
Congratulations
A huge congratulations to three of our students for their fantastic achievements on the sporting field -
Musemma Cilek in Year 8 who was runner-up in the 12/U Australian Tennis Junior Tour Masters competition in December last year! Musemma made it all the way to the Girls' Singles Final but was narrowly beaten by her South Australian rival and best friend Hannah Park 7-5 5-7 6-3. Musemma and Hannah then teamed up to win the Girls' Doubles Final 6-1 6-4.
Click on these links from Tennis Australia's website to find out more:
https://www.tennis.com.au/news/2023/12/15/park-becomes-dual-champion-at-2023-december-showdown
Lockyer-Azile Foliola in Year 11 (left) was given the wonderful opportunity to train with The Storm NRL squad on Monday Feb 19 from 9am – 1pm. Lockyer also had some 1 on 1 time with Harry Grant the current Australian hooker.
Elijah Po Ching in Year 11 (right) has also been invited to train with the Storm NRL team next Wednesday February 28 from 8am-12pm.
This is a fantastic opportunity for Elijah to get some guidance and tuition from an elite player about what is required to be successful in the NRL.
We are very fortunate at VUSC to have two of the best 17 year olds in the state and who are in the sights of the Melbourne Storm.
Well done Musemma, Lockyer and Elijah, we are very proud of you!
Daily Planner Usage
Effective Planner usage is an organisational skill that is an essential ingredient to a successful study program. As such, time and effort must be devoted to cultivating it as a habit. Parents/carers are asked to ensure that their child has a planner which is critical to our curriculum program every year - they are available at the general office for $15.
Many of the beneficial features built into our planners have little effect unless the students are very clear on the correct day to day usage of their planners.
Following are some tried and proven “musts” for efficient planner usage that parents and carers are encouraged to discuss with their child:
- The students and their planners must be inseparable partners at school and be brought home each night.
- In every class, all works set and the date that it is due should be recorded; this must be done immediately the teacher tells them; don't wait till afterwards, it's too easy to forget.
- After school, before they leave for home each night, they should look at the homework that has been recorded in their planner during the day for each subject and then take the required books and binder home. It is important to look extra closely on Friday nights before the weekend.
- If they haven't a great deal of homework to do on a particular night, they should look ahead in their planner for what is coming up, and make an early start, especially on assessment tasks. They may start revising for an upcoming test next week or do extra study to add depth to their understanding and knowledge.
- That night or before they leave for school the next morning, a good idea is to check what is coming up for the day ahead. Any preparations or prereading required? Any work due in? Any sport or music practise? When they know this, they can plan their day more effectively.
- Every Sunday night, they should spend 15 minutes planning their upcoming week. Also, on individual days highlight work that is due in. This puts them in control.
Learning to use a planner is a lifelong skill.
Should you have any queries or concerns regarding your child's progress please do not hesitate to contact their Year Level Coordinator.
College Board 2024 (School Council)
Information has been published on Compass about our school council election. We currently have a number of parent, staff and student member vacancies. The College Board meets twice per term on Wednesday evenings at the Senior Campus and provides valued input into the direction of our school. We greatly appreciate the contributions of our parents, students, staff and community members and I invite anyone who is interested in joining to nominate themselves. The outgoing members of the College Board have made a significant contribution to the governance of the College and I wish to thank them for their commitment, interest and participation in the life of the school.
EVERY DAY COUNTS
Secondary School Attendance
Parents/carers are reminded that the school requires 90% attendance for all students.
If your child will be absent from school for any reason, please call 8312 0243 or email absence@vusc.vic.edu.au before 10am that day.
Going to school every day is the single most important part of your teenager’s education.
Students learn new things at school every day - missing school puts them behind.
School is better when your teenager is there.
Why it's important:
- We all want our children to get a great education, and the building blocks for a great education begin with students coming to school each and every day.
- Students develop good habits by going to school every day – habits that are necessary to succeed after school, whether in the workplace or in further study.
- Missing school can have a big impact on students academically and socially. It can affect their test results, including VCE & VCE VM, and, just as importantly, it can affect their relationships with other students, and lead to social isolation.
- There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind and can affect their educational outcomes.
- Each missed day is associated with falling behind in subject topics and assessment tasks, and lead to fewer subject choices and may impact on achievement in years 11 and 12 and post-school pathways.
Getting in early
It’s never too late to improve attendance. Even in the middle years, when school can seem the most challenging for students and when attendance rates can be at their lowest, going to school more often can make a big difference. Every day counts!
We are here to help – if you’re having attendance issues with your child, speak to your child's Year Level Co-ordinator about ways to address those issues.
Reasons for Student Absences
The main reasons for absence are:
Sickness – There are always times when students need to miss school, such as when they’re ill. It’s vital that they’re only away on the days they are genuinely sick, and setting good sleep patterns, eating well, and exercising regularly can make a big difference.
Family holidays - It's vital that holidays are planned during school holidays where possible, and not during the term. If you are planning to go on holiday during term time, make sure that you talk to your child’s Year Level Co-ordinator in advance, and work with them to develop an absence learning plan.
“Day off” – Think twice before letting your teenager have a “day off” as they could fall behind their classmates – every day counts.
Truancy – This is when students choose not to go to school without their parent’s permission or skip out of school during the day. There can be many reasons for truancy; the best way to address this is for the Year Level Co-ordinator and parents to work together.
While all absences can affect academic performance, DET’s statistics show that unexplained absences are a much stronger indicator of lower reading and maths achievement.
School refusal - School refusing children experience significant emotional distress not only when going to school but also at the thought of going to school; they may be absent from school for weeks or even months at a time. School refusal differs from truancy as children generally stay home with the knowledge of their parents and despite their best efforts to encourage their child to go to school.
BEING AWAY FROM SCHOOL FOR 1 DAY A FORTNIGHT EQUALS MISSING 1.5 YEARS OVER 13 YEARS OF SCHOOL
If your teenager is away
If for any reason your teenager must miss school, there are things you can do with your school to ensure they don’t fall behind:
- Inform the school via the absence hotline.
- Find out what work your teenager needs to do to keep up.
- Develop an absence learning plan with your teenager’s Year Level Co-ordinator and ensure they complete the plan.
If you’re having attendance issues with your teenager, please let the Year Level Coordinator, Home Group Teacher, Campus Principal or other relevant staff member know so you can work together to get your teen to school every day. Our staff want to work in partnership with parents and carers – act early if you have any concerns by contacting us and asking for advice and support.
Students' Mobile Phone Ban
A reminder of the Dept's strict policy on mobile phone use - all student mobile phones are not permitted to be used or seen from the first bell to the last bell of the day. A copy of the Mobile Phone Policy is available to all parents and students in the student planner.
I am aware that many members of the school community welcome this ruling and I urge all students, teachers and parents/carers to take time to read, understand and respect the policy. Whilst I also understand that some students will require mobile phones, for safety purposes to and from school, students will not require these during the day and will need to leave their phones in their locker. Any learning required through a digital platform will be done with the use of student laptops.
From all the research, mobile phones are becoming a real distraction for students within the classroom which are having a significant impact, not on their learning but also on their health and wellbeing. We are seeing more and more examples in the community where mobile phones are becoming a distraction (eg whilst driving, at work) and education is no different! Often the unauthorised use of a mobile phone during the school day also becomes a management issue. Class time is learning time, and this is what we expect in all students. Any phones seen during the day will be confiscated by a staff member and parents will be contacted to come and pick it up from the general office. Feedback has been very positive, and we have only seen a small number of phones collected by teachers each day.
Camps, Sports, and Excursions Fund Payment Arrangements (CSEF)
A reminder that applications have opened for the Camps, Sport, and Excursion Fund (CSEF) for 2024. Families that received the funding in 2023 will not be required to resubmit a form UNLESS there have been changes to your circumstances OR an additional child has commenced at the school. To be eligible all applicants must hold an eligible financially-means tested card OR be a temporary foster parent e.g. have a valid Health Care Card i.e. as at January 29th, 2024.
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps ensure that no student will miss out on the opportunity to join their classmates for important, educational, and fun activities. This initiative is part of making Victoria the Education State and the Government's commitment to breaking the link between a student's background and their outcomes. I encourage any eligible parent to complete a form at the general office.
Student Drop Off and Pick Up
Parents, carers and licensed students are reminded of the following:
- The school carpark is for staff only. Parents are asked not to drive in to drop off students, and to park outside if they have a meeting at the school.
- Please avoid waiting close to the exit gates and in the school’s driveway for your child after school. We want to avoid crowding - for everyone's safety.
- Please check the council parking signs at the front of the school very carefully. Police and Council Inspectors will be patrolling U-turns, double parking and blocking residential driveways, as well.
Student First Aid - Medication / Injury / Emergencies
Each campus has a sick bay and qualified first aid officers. Parents and carers are advised that we do not store paracetamol for student use. If a student requires medication, there is a form at the office that the parent/carer needs to complete with explicit instructions for the first aid officer to administer.
Parents and carers are reminded that the Department of Education DOES NOT provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for students. Parents and carers are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for their child, including any transport costs. This includes students who may be injured during school or interschool sporting competitions. In a first aid emergency we shall always call an ambulance should it be considered necessary by the treating staff member regarding the duty of care to the injured student. Fortunately, this does not happen very often, however, we strongly recommend that parents do have ambulance cover for any such contingency as any costs in such a matter are the responsibility of the parent.
Communication from the school
Our college mostly uses electronic communication for sending out a range of information throughout the year. Compass is used for this purpose as well as direct email. Parents have live access to student attendance for their own child, on a period-by-period basis, including any lateness to class via Compass. I would ask parents to ensure that we are updated whenever an email address or phone number changes.
The newsletter is also in an electronic format and available on both Compass and our website. Important information which is emailed directly to parents is also sent by post where parents have not provided an email address. Any families new to the College should have received their Compass parent log ins at the end of last year. Please ensure you keep these secure as you do have more access in Compass than your children do. Also, if any parents need their passwords reset, please call or come to the front office and the administration staff will be able to help.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the College if you need any assistance with Compass.
Payments at the General Office
I remind all parents and carers that you are encouraged to make all payments electronically on Compass. Signed permission slips must accompany any payments for camps or excursions if being paid at the office. The office does not print permission slips. Students can print off permission slips in the library. Just a reminder that Office hours for taking payments are from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.
Personal Property at School
A reminder to all parents, carers and students that the College or the Department is not responsible for personal belongings brought to school. This can include all personal property including books, phones, earphones, netbooks, iPads etc. We request the support of parents and carers in ensuring students are discouraged from bringing any unnecessary or particularly valuable items to school, and that any such items brought to school are always looked after.
Uniforms
A reminder to all students and parents/carers that students should be in full summer uniform this term, including the blazer and black leather shoes (no other colours/no boots or sneakers). Please see our full Uniform Policy here.
Families may request assistance with purchasing school uniform from the following organisations:
Smith Family Learning for Life provides support and financial assistance to help disadvantaged children stay at school. The program runs in select disadvantaged areas.
A Start in Life provides financial assistance to disadvantaged students and families to ensure they can access the same learning opportunities as their peers. For information phone (02) 9264 3017.
Opening the Doors Foundation provides education assistance for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students enrolled in an independent educational institution in Victoria.
The Queen’s Fund Financial assistance with the cost of educational expenses for children. Applications must be completed by a social worker or a community agency that works with you.
Good Shepherd Micro-finance is a great initiative that has financial programs to assist families on low or limited incomes with educational costs and other expenses. One of their programs is the No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) which gives access to fair and safe credit up to $1,200 for essential educational items.
Saver Plus This is financial education and up to $500 in matched savings for education costs for individuals and families who have at least some regular income from work. For information phone 1300 610 355.
Second hand uniforms are also bought and sold by local families on the Sustainable School Shop website.
Homework Club
Homework club will run at the Junior Campus this year in the Library after school every day during term except Wednesdays. Parents must provide consent for their child to participate via Compass.
Privacy Reminder
Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.
Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn. We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Microsoft 365 applications safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Microsoft 365, please contact the school.
For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages:
* Amharic
* Arabic
* Dari
* Gujarati
* Mandarin
* Somali
* Sudanese
* Turkish
* Urdu
* Vietnamese
and finally…….
We greatly appreciate the support we receive from parents/carers to make sure that your child attends school regularly and punctually, in full school uniform, and is ready to learn in all classes with correct books and equipment. We are looking forward to working with each and every one of you.
As always, if you have any concerns or wish to discuss your child's progress, please contact their Home Group teacher or one of the staff below:
Year Level Co-ordinators
Year 12 - Jonathan Polizzi
Year 11 - Jeanu Sayachack
Year 10 - Chalsea Chappel
Year 9 - Damien Downing
Year 8 - Atish Basant
Year 7 - Broady Kata
Senior & Middle School Leaders
Anna Bonanno – Senior School Leader (Senior Campus)
Debbie Chapman – Middle School Leader (Junior Campus)
Elaine Hazim
College Principal
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Child Safety at VUSC
Victoria University Secondary College is committed to providing a child safe and child friendly environment, where students are safe and feel safe.
Our child safety and wellbeing policies outline the measures and strategies we have in place to support, promote and maintain the safety and wellbeing of our students:
- Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
- Child Safety Code of Conduct
- Child Safe Standards Risk Register
- Child safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedure
All of our policies are available on our school website here. As valuable partners in promoting and maintaining child safety and wellbeing at VUSC, we welcome and encourage your feedback.