Classroom Reports

 Foundation

Over the past week, the children have been diving into a wonderful series of emu-themed narratives, making thoughtful connections and enjoying every moment of discovery!

We began by exploring Edward the Emu and Edwina the Emu, two engaging stories that captured the children’s imaginations. Along the way, we stumbled upon another emu character — Enock the Emu — adding a fun new layer to our reading experience.

Using our Reading Response books, the children recorded their observations and insights, identifying exciting links between the stories. Together, we took a closer look at the characters and found that both Edward and Edwina shared a sense of curiosity — Edward wanted to try being different animals, while Edwina explored different jobs. These comparisons sparked great conversations and deepened our understanding of character development in narratives.

We are now shifting our focus to non-fiction as we explore information booklets about emus. The children are excited to learn real-life facts and will soon be writing their very own emu fact files! We even got to make some emus with the year 11 students. 

Mrs Tanya

Year 1 & 2B

Mrs Torney, Classroom Teacher

Year 3/4A

Welcome back to Term 4!

Hopefully you are feeling well rested and ready to go for our last term of the year. We have plenty to look forward to which is always exciting!

In reading we are continuing with novel study throughout the term with grade 3’s reading ‘The Wild Robot’ and grade 4’s reading ‘The Wild Robot Escapes’. Please be aware that there will be times where students will need to read some chapters for homework.

In Maths we are currently learning data and statistics. Students will learn to collect data and represent them in various ways that include graphs and tables!

For Inquiry, we are undertaking a geography unit. Students have already investigated world, street and weather maps while also creating their own classroom maps!

We were also lucky enough to experience some cooking in our first week back. Everyone did such an amazing job, photos will be sent out soon! 

Below are the dates for some upcoming events at school:

• Wheelchair Basketball Incursion: Wednesday 3A
• Whole School Assembly to say goodbye to Year 12’s: Friday 1B - 10am

Mr Campbell, Classroom Teacher

Year 3/4B

We are already at term 4! The year has flown by so fast. 

At the end of last term we were lucky enough to head over to the science room and get to listen to a Palaeontologist/Geologist speak about their work. We got to look at some pretty amazing rocks and fossils! 

This term we will get to experience some exciting learning as well. This Wednesday, we get to experience a wheelchair basketball clinic in Steel Stadium. We also have Ms Mclean coming into our class to teach us about robotics. This links super well with our reading this term as we are focusing on the wild robot books. 

Miss Lockhart, Classroom Teacher 

Science

Exploring Earth’s History with a Visiting Scientist

Last week our Year 3–9 students were treated to a special visit from geologist and palaeontologist Rebecca Ballard from Museums Victoria. Rebecca shared her expertise on fossils, dinosaurs, megafauna, rocks and crystals, bringing to life the incredible story of our planet’s history. Students were fascinated to learn how fossils form and about the megafauna that once roamed around Wedderburn, including giant marsupials that lived thousands of years ago.

For our secondary students, Rebecca led a hands-on “fossilick” around the school grounds. With her rock hammer she cracked open rocks to reveal hidden crystals, fossil traces and rock types, showing students that discoveries can be made close to home. The engaging sessions inspired plenty of curiosity, questions and excitement, connecting classroom learning with the real work of geologists and palaeontologists.

Year 7 Science - 

Chocolate Chip Mining

Year 7 students modelled the impacts of mining using chocolate chip biscuits as the “land.” They extracted the “resources” (chocolate chips) with toothpicks, then attempted to rehabilitate the damage using icing sugar. The activity helped them see how mining changes the environment and how difficult it is to restore land once resources have been removed.

“Mining the biscuit was fun, but it made a huge mess that I was hard to fix.” – Year 7 student.

The World of Electricity and Energy

Year 7 students explored the exciting world of electricity and energy using the regional STEM kit, generously sponsored by Toyota. With energy sticks, they investigated how electric current travels through different objects, observing firsthand which materials conduct or insulate electricity. This hands-on activity encouraged curiosity, critical thinking, and safe experimentation as students tested a variety of everyday items, sparking lively discussions about the science behind conductivity.

In another engaging activity, students powered thaumatropes using both human energy through a hand crank and renewable solar power. They saw how motion and energy can be transferred to create visual effects, connecting the concepts of mechanical and solar energy in a tangible, memorable way. These interactive experiences not only brought abstract science ideas to life but also highlighted the role of innovation and sustainability in modern technology, inspiring the next generation of STEM enthusiasts.

Miss McLean, Science/Stem Teacher.

Year 8

Miss Milne, Mr Pettifer, Mr Braybrook and Mr McCallum, Homeroom Teachers 

Year 9

Ms Piccoli and Miss Van De Wetering, Homeroom and Duke of Ed Teachers

Year 11

Welcome back to Term 4! 

It’s hard to believe we’re in the final stretch of the year — and what a busy term it’s shaping up to be. There’s plenty happening across the college, and we’re looking forward to making the most of these last few weeks together.

At the end of this week, we’ll say a fond farewell to our Year 12s as they finish their time here at the college. We thank them for their contributions, leadership, and impact they’ve had on our school community. We wish them all the best with their upcoming exams and their next steps beyond Wedderburn College.

Subject selections are complete, and we’re excited about what’s ahead for next year’s studies. Our new-look VCE jumpers are also in the works — and yes, it’s true, Mr Lockhart actually said yes to hoodies!

Camp preparations are ramping up, with Mrs Postle busy planning some great farm tours and experiences around the Geelong and Surf Coast region. It promises to be a fun and valuable opportunity for students to come together, reflect on the year, and prepare for what’s ahead.

It’s going to be another big term — let’s finish the year strong!

Mr G’s Study Tip – Using Edrolo for Exam Success

For our Unit 3 & 4 students, exams are just around the corner, so now’s the time to study smart. Edrolo is one of the best tools available to help you prepare.Use it to:

• Watch short video explanations to revisit tricky concepts.
• Complete the exam-style questions and check your answers.
• Review the chapter summaries and exam preparation modules for targeted revision.

Make a plan to focus on one topic per study session — watch, take notes, quiz yourself, then move on. Small, consistent effort now makes a huge difference come exam time.

Keep going — every bit of effort now sets you up for success later! 💪

Mr Fowles & Mr Gretgrix, Homeroom Teachers

Year 12

The end is here!  Farewell Year 12.

Casting our minds back to January 2014, who would even imagine what your last week of school would look like? You were all fresh preppies and your school life had just begun.  Your mind was full of fun and adventure.  You were making new friends and learning new independence.  Fast forward to 2025 and we have just begun the last week of Year 12. Time has flown and so many fantastic memories have been created.  Your mind is now full of exam preparation and making plans for your future.

The time is tinged with sadness as you leave behind good friends and great relationships that you have formed with your teachers.  You are leaving what is familiar and stepping into the unknown. The main thing you need to keep in mind is that you are doing your best.  Don’t get to the end of this time and have regrets about what you could have achieved.

Know that as you step off into your future life, you are supported.  You have your network of family and friends and work mates to help you. You also still have us!  We are here if ever you have questions or concerns. We are still here to give guidance for courses, careers and counselling.

REMINDERS:

This term will be a quick one, with our Year 12 students completing their formal classes on Friday October 17. A morning celebration and lunch will take place for our Year 12s then, with SWOTVAC (Study Without Teaching Vacation) and exam preparation taking place between Monday 20 and Monday 27 October. 

Students are encouraged to still attend school, in uniform, and use their regular class time to catch up with their teachers to get extra assistance.

There will be no formal rolls, so students will need to go to the office upon arrival and departure.

Year 12 end of year VCAA examinations:

All Year 12 examinations will take place between Tuesday October 28 and Friday November 14. All examinations will take place at Donaldson Park.  Students are to meet in the school library 20 minutes ahead of their exam time.

Individual examination timetables have been provided to students. If you would like an additional copy, please speak to Mrs. Woodman. 

ATAR Results:

Individual student ATAR results will be available to students from 7am on Thursday 11 December. Students are required to register through VTAC to receive their results.  You will then be required to meet with Mrs. Woodman to discuss your results and look at change of preference if required. Please follow the link below to complete the registration process:

https://resultsandatar.vic.edu.au/results/an/students/register.htm 

Upcoming key dates:

Friday October 17                                                         Last day of Unit 4 classes

Friday October 17                                                         Year 12 Morning Celebration, lunch & departure (last day)

Monday 20– Monday 27 October:                            Year 12 SWOTVAC

Tuesday October 28:                                                    VCAA Examinations begin – English Exam 

Thursday 14 November:                                              Year 12 Graduation (further details to come)

Thursday 11 December:                                              Year 12 Study Scores and ATAR results released (support meetings will be pre-arranged for students as requested or required)

                                                                                          Awards Night – all Year 12s are required to attend in full school uniform.

Mrs. Postle and Mrs. Woodman, Year 12 Homeroom Teachers

VCE Art Students Explore Shepparton Art Museum

VCE Art Students Explore Shepparton Art Museum

In the final week of Term 3, our Year 11 VCE Art Making and Exhibiting students travelled to the Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) to explore its dynamic exhibitions and gain insight into how professional gallery spaces are curated and presented.

Students viewed Stories from the SAM Collection and Brett Whiteley: Drawing is Everything. The Stories from the SAM Collection exhibition, which highlights works drawn from SAM’s own holdings, offered students the chance to connect with a diverse range of artists and art forms. As part of their upcoming SAC, students were required to select three artworks from this exhibition to research and use as inspiration for designing an art exhibition of their own.

We were very fortunate to have one of SAM’s lead curators, Caroline Esbenshade, speak with students about the development and design of Stories from the SAM Collection. Caroline generously shared insights into the curatorial process - discussing how considerations such as lighting, the sensitivity of materials, and the flow of the exhibition space were carefully planned and refined to enhance the viewer’s experience.

Excursions like this form an important part of VCE Art Making and Exhibiting, allowing students to experience artworks first-hand, observe curatorial decision-making, and better understand how context and presentation influence meaning and audience engagement.

A warm thank you to Mrs Barker and Ms Milne for their time, care and supervision during the day. They both helped to make the excursion an enjoyable and inspiring experience for all involved.

Mrs Barker, VCE Art Teacher