WELC & International Student Report

Message from the International Coordinator and WELC Coordinator 

As Term 4 moves forward, we are excited to share some of the events and achievements that have made this term memorable. Our international students have been actively involved in activities that showcase their talents and embody the spirit of our school. Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to:

New Student Check-In Lunch

We started the term by welcoming new students with a special check-in lunch. This gathering allowed us to hear directly from our new arrivals about their experiences, ensuring they feel supported and settled into our community. The students shared valuable insights and suggestions, helping us create a better experience for everyone. Thank you to all who joined us and made it a meaningful event!

Virtual School Familiarisation Showcase

We were honoured to be one of only five Victorian schools chosen to participate in this year’s Virtual School Familiarisation Showcase, hosted by the International Education Division (IED). This was a fantastic opportunity to introduce our school to agents and prospective students worldwide.

Our Principal, Mr. Lanarus, began the event by sharing the Westall Way and unique offerings from our school. Two of our international students, Meng and Nnika, along with local students Kai and Bilal, joined Mr. Lanarus and me in representing our school during the live Q&A session. They answered questions with confidence and enthusiasm, making a great impression on our overseas audience. We are so proud of how well they presented our school!

Sports Participation

Our international students have also been actively participating in sports, contributing to our vibrant school culture. They’ve shown incredible skill and team spirit in sports like badminton and futsal, which has brought students closer and fostered friendships across different year levels. Their passion and dedication are truly inspiring, and we look forward to seeing their talents grow in future events.

Congratulations to our talented players for their impressive achievements in both singles and doubles! (Joey, Kevin, Hendrix and Tony)

A huge congratulations to Khushi POKAR, who won the Girls' Singles 

 in the schoolwide badminton tournament!

Not only that, but she also teamed up with our staff member, Ms. HUYEN , to take home the Doubles title as well!

Ms Summer Bao 

International Student Coordinator

WELC Report

We are midway through the final term of 2024 and have currently got 61 students. We are running 5 classes with students coming from 16 different countries. 

We had a busy start to the term with an excursion to the Old Melbourne Gaol. Students were given a tour around the goal and introduced to the story of Ned Kelly, an infamous Victorian bushranger. This gave students an insight to life in the 1800s in Australia. Students enjoyed walking around the gaol, trying on Ned Kelly’s armour and getting locked up in a cell!

Students also took part in a whole-day First Aid Training. Many students were successful in completing this training and will receive their First Aid HLTAID010 certificate. This will be an excellent addition to students’ resumes when they go for jobs in the future. For all students, this was a worthwhile day where they were exposed to a number of different first aid techniques that will be useful throughout their life. 

Last week, our WELC students also met with our Wellbeing leader, Ash, and were introduced to the Wellbeing team, our therapy dog and room. WELC students are welcome to visit wellbeing for support and can also ask the WELC teachers or WELC coordinator to help connect them with extra wellbeing support if they feel they need it. Students did a fun ‘About Me’ activity, making a mini-magazine, called a Zine. The students made these look amazing and they will go on display in the wellbeing room.

We will be holding Parent Teacher interviews on 12 November and encourage all families to attend. We will also be giving students their Progress Report at this time. If you are not able to come at that time, please contact the school and we might be able to arrange a different time.

Some of our students came to Australia with no English while others have been studying English for many years in their home country. It is good to see all our students try to use the English that they have to communicate with their teachers and peers. We encourage our students to use English as much as possible in order to improve as quickly as possible. There are many other activities students can do to improve their English including joining school sport teams, meeting up with school friends outside school, borrowing books from the local library, watching or listening to the news and doing Reading Eggs online. 

Over the next few weeks the school, in consultation with families, will be deciding which students are ready to exit our program and move to their mainstream school. These students will do Transition activities before moving to their new school. We will also hold a Graduation ceremony later this term to celebrate these students’ achievements.

Ms Debby Morgan

WELC Coordinator