Principal's Message

Dear Families,

I would like to warmly welcome all families to the start of the 2026 school year. I hope you and your family enjoyed a restful holiday break and are feeling refreshed and ready for a positive and successful year ahead.

The school is certainly off to a positive and settled start, with all Year 8 to 12 students having commenced their 2025 step-up programs at the end of last year, where they met their teachers and had an introduction to all subjects for this year. Other organisational matters such as the allocation of lockers were also attended to at the end of last year, which has helped to minimise disruption to students’ classes now. It is hoped that this uninterrupted start will assist students to sharpen their focus on their learning from the beginning of the year.

A very special welcome to our new Year 7 students, who are a delightful group, and to all those students who are new to other year levels, and to their families. We hope that you enjoy your time here at Victoria University Secondary College and that it is rewarding for you both academically and personally.

As is always the case, we look forward to working together with parents and carers to support our students to reach the levels of achievement they are individually capable of. 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.

   

The last point on ‘maximum effort’ is one that underlies all of the others, and it will be explicitly emphasised with the students throughout the year. Of course, the chances of this message being conveyed successfully will be much greater if it is also reinforced at home, so we would be most appreciative if parents/carers too can emphasise the importance of consistent and persistent effort.

A checklist is attached of what parents and carers can do to support their children with their schooling this year:

I encourage you to also take a look at the Department of Education's website called 'A New Year of Learning'. This website has information relating to each stage of schooling, as well as case studies and videos featuring teachers, students, and parents and carers sharing their transition experiences and advice.

School Captains 2026

As is the tradition at VUSC, the successful applicants for School Captaincy were announced at the Graduation and Presentation Evening on Wednesday 17th December 2025. Many congratulations to all applicants for the quality of their application, speech and interview. Each applicant gave a passionate, kind, and inspiring speech and interview and should be commended for their bravery in putting themselves forward.

I am very proud to announce our 2026 School Captains, who are: 

College Captains

Captains: Greta McCoy and Christina Anastasiou

Vice Captains: Phillip Adamovic and Afsara Rahman

Junior Campus Captains

Captains: Matilda Lambert and Barleen Kaur

Vice Captains: Cindy Nguyen and Ethan Panganiban

Music Captains

Junior Campus: Isabella Nguyen and Amelia Ly

Senior Campus: Rose Cilia and Timothy Tinao

Sports Captains

Junior Campus: Callum Lewis and Narvia Saumalu

Senior Campus: Oryn Waters and Icealan Afaese

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. 

Year 12 VCE and VCE VM Results

Our college congratulates the VCE Class of 2025 on their excellent results. The hard work and dedication of these students and teachers have meant that we maintained or improved upon most of our previous years’ results. The school continues to improve its median and mean ATAR (Australian Tertiary Entrance Rank) results significantly. 

Our VCE mean study score in English was 30.7 in 2025, which is well above the State average of 28.5 and the Education Department has certainly recognised this. Our highest individual study score was 49 in English. Our median VCE study score is steady at 29. A huge congratulations also to our VCE VM students and staff who worked hard all year to achieve a 100% completion rate, an absolutely fantastic achievement. Our aim and goal for 2026 is to continue to improve not only our VCE results but our students' overall learning outcomes across the college from Years 7 to 12. 

College Dux, Scholarships and Achievements

I am very proud to share that our College Dux of 2025 was Jasey Chu Pham, with an outstanding ATAR of 98.15. 

Jasey will be studying a dual Bachelor of Science/Master of Teaching at University of Melbourne as a pathway to Medicine. Jasey is the first person in her family to graduate from high school and attend University. As a child of Vietnamese immigrants, she grew up watching her parents work long hours so she and her siblings could have opportunities they never did. Jasey’s drive, hard work and determination has seen her excel in her studies, with the support of her teachers, to achieve her dream of studying medicine. 

Our 2025 Proxime Accessit, Caitlyn Lung also achieved an excellent ATAR of 95.95. Caitlyn will be studying a dual Bachelor of Design/Master of Information Technology at the University of Melbourne this year.

Overall, nine students achieved an ATAR in the 90s and 30% of the VCE cohort achieved an ATAR over 80, a brilliant result for our students. 

We also congratulate the following students on these amazing achievements: 

• Our 2025 College co-Captain, John Pakoti received a full scholarship at Newman College with residency at the University of Melbourne. This is an extremely generous scholarship worth $30,000 which includes accommodation, meals, and access to tutorials, sports, arts, and social events. John plans to study Law under this scholarship. 
• VCE student Ciara Allen who received the prestigious Hansen Scholarship worth over $100,000 through the University of Melbourne. With free accommodation and opportunities for mentoring, connections and further study, the scholarship is the University of Melbourne’s most generous equity scholarship.
• VCE VM student Victor Cilia, who was offered a full time apprenticeship in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology
• VCE VM student John Brisvokic, who was offered a full time apprenticeship in Carpentry.

2025 Yearbook

With 80 pages full of amazing events, works, programs and achievements, the 2025 Yearbook is a wonderful keepsake item and is available now at the Junior and Senior Campus offices for $25. 

The Importance of Goal Setting

At the start of the year, students will be encouraged to set personal and academic goals. Goal setting helps students to:

• Stay motivated and focused
• Track their progress and celebrate achievements
• Develop confidence and resilience.

We encourage families to discuss goals at home and support students as they work towards them throughout the year. We look forward to working in partnership with you to make 2026 a rewarding and successful year for all students. 

Summer Uniform

As we begin the year during the warmer months, students are reminded that the summer uniform is to be worn every day including the blazer. Wearing the correct uniform supports school pride, consistency and a positive learning environment. Thank you for ensuring your child is prepared. Students will be required to wear the winter uniform in Terms 2 and 3. Our Uniform Policy is available for downloading in this newsletter and on our website. 

Locks and Student Planners

A reminder that all new 7 students and any new student to the school are required to purchase:

• A school approved lock for their locker
• A school planner, which will be used daily to support organisation, and learning routines

Both items can be purchased from the main office at either the Senior or Junior Campus. These items are essential tools that help students build independence and responsibility.

Students' lockers should be locked at all times to keep their belongings secure. 

Attendance and Being on Time Matters

Regular attendance is a key factor in student success. The school is continuing to focus on attendance and punctuality, and all members of our community play a role in supporting students to be on time to school every day. Research shows that high attendance is one of the most crucial factors in ensuring student success. As well as attending school every day, it is critical we teach students to be on time to all their classes.

Being at school every day and on time help students to:

• Keep up with the learning and classroom activities
• Build strong routines and friendships
• Develop responsibility and commitment
• Ensure they are prepared for learning which sets them up for success
• Develop respect for other people and care about other people’s time as much as their own - when students are late it disrupts their learning, the teacher’s teaching and the learning of others
• Demonstrate that they are diligent and dependable, and care about their learning
• Honour their commitments and show they can be trusted
• Set a good example to others

• Be prepared for success in the real world.

   

Being late just 10 minutes a day adds up to over 17 days of learning across 13 years of school!  Missing one day of school a week, which is equivalent to 80% attendance, adds up to missing over 2.5 years of learning across a student’s schooling life. Even a 90% attendance (missing one day a fortnight) adds up to missing 1.5 years of learning across 13 years of school.  That is a lot of missed learning.

Our attendance target is for every student to exceed 90% attendance. It is no coincidence that our most successful Year 12 VCE and VCE VM students have all had very high attendance rates. 

We appreciate your support in ensuring your child arrives to school on time and every day, unless unwell or absent for a valid reason.

If families need support regarding attendance, please reach out to the relevant Coordinator for a meeting, so we can discuss the supports that can be put in place to strengthen attendance and punctuality.

Student Safety - Road Crossing at Cairnlea Campus

I would like to raise a serious safety concern regarding students crossing roads near the Cairnlea Campus.

It has been observed that some students are crossing Furlong Road at the roundabout on the corner of Ken Jordan Rd. This is an extremely dangerous location to cross, as vehicles move quickly and visibility can be limited. There is a significant risk of serious injury should this behaviour continue.

There is a school crossing on Ken Jordan Rd that all students should be using.

We strongly ask parents of students at the senior campus to please speak with your child about the importance of using the designated school crossing and always follow road safety rules.

The Senior Campus will also be addressing this issue with students during an upcoming assembly to reinforce the dangers of crossing at the roundabout and to remind them of safe crossing expectations.

Thank you for your support in helping us keep our students safe.

Compass & Emails to Staff

Compass is our main communication tool for parents at VUSC. 

It is very important that all parents/carers regularly log on to the parent portal on Compass. This can be accessed through the College’s website or the Compass app, with your unique username and password. On Compass you will be able to see your child/ren’s timetable, assessment results, progress and semester reports, approve and pay for excursions and events, and book Parent Teacher interviews. 

Parents/carers also have access to email their child's teachers via Compass. Please note our guidelines for communications with staff: 

• Staff are only expected to respond to emails during their working hours.
• Classroom teachers will only respond to emails that relate to your child's work or academic progress. Issues of well-being, etc. will be forwarded to the relevant Coordinator.
• Parents & carers are asked to abide by the same requirements of courtesy and consideration as would apply to all other forms of communication.
• Please avoid the discussion of other students, contentious, or highly-confidential issues via email.
• Be aware of and respect the three day turn around for a response.

If you have any difficulty logging on to Compass, please contact your campus office.

Students' Mobile Phone Ban

A reminder of the Department'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. This includes earphones/headphones as well. A copy of the Mobile Phone Policy is available to all parents and students in the student planner, and on our website.

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.

Any phones or earphones/headphones seen during the day will be confiscated by a staff member and parents will be contacted to come and pick them up from the general office.

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 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, rugby league events 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 ambulance and medical costs are the responsibility of the parent/carer.

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, laptops, iPads, jewellery 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.

Homework Club

Homework club will run at the Junior Campus this year in the Library after school every day during term except Wednesdays, and at the Senior Campus in Building E on Mondays after school. Parents/carers must provide consent for their child to participate via Compass under Events. 

Privacy Reminder and Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy

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. The consent form is provided at enrolment.

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

School Council Election (College Board)

School Councils play a key role in Victorian government schools. The School Council supports the Principal and College to provide the best possible educational outcomes for students. Participating as a School Council member is a rewarding and challenging experience. To be a part of the Council you don’t need any particular qualifications or experience – we are looking for enthusiastic Parents/Guardians who want to help improve College programs and facilities for all students. 

Nominations for Parent members will open on Monday 16th February. Nomination forms will be available at each campus office and on Compass. 

The College Board meets twice per term on Wednesday evenings at the Senior Campus. 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. 

Open Day - Monday 27th April

Parents/carers and their Grade 5 and 6 children who are interested in touring our school are warmly invited to our Open Day event on Monday 27th 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 visit our website at www.vusc.vic.edu.au.

Secondary School Immunisation Program

Each year, students in Year 7 and Year 10 can receive free immunisations under the Secondary School Immunisation Program (SSIP) as part of the National Immunisation Program (NIP).

Year 7 students will be offered:

• Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (whooping cough)
• Human papillomavirus (HPV).

Year 10 students will be offered:

• Meningococcal ACWY

Our school is working with the local council immunisation service to deliver this program.

A consent form must be completed for your child to be vaccinated. Parents and guardians of Year 7 and Year 10 students should look out for the vaccine information and consent form coming home from school with your child.

You might be asked to complete the consent form online through the local council immunisation portal, or by filling in a hard copy consent form. Please read the vaccine information, complete, and return the signed consent form by the due date. To learn more, refer to Secondary School Immunisation Program on the Better Health Channel.

Finally

Thank you to all our parents and carers for your excellent support in ensuring that your child/children have been well prepared for the start of the year. We have had such a positive start, and this is in part due to your efforts, especially with books, equipment, devices and uniform.

If you have any concerns or questions about how your child has settled in, please do not hesitate to contact their Year Level Co-ordinator.

2026 Year Level Co-ordinators:

Year 7       Ms Atzarakis (stepping in for Ms Wooles until the end of week 6)

Year 8       Mr Boulos

Year 9       Mr Morris

Year 10     Mr Downing

Year 11     Ms Stewart

Year 12     Mr Bird

School Leaders:

Atish Basant – Middle School Leader (Junior Campus)

Anna Bonanno – Senior School Leader (Senior Campus)

Enjoy the rest of the term and as always, please contact your campus office if you have any questions. 

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.