Acting Principal Update

Dear Families, Students and Community Members,

A big welcome to Week 9 and what has been a busy few weeks here at Mordialloc College. Our Year 10 and Year 11 students are focused on their success with their examinations, our Middle School students continue to inspire me with their enthusiastic approach to finding out about the world around them, and our Year 12 students are diligently getting ready for this very important final part of their Mordialloc College career.

School Council: Are you interested? 

A vacancy has arisen on our School Council: are you interested in applying? 

Our School Council plays a key role in our school, and being a member will be a rewarding and challenging experience. You will work as part of a team of family members, students and staff to provide the best possible educational outcomes for our students.

School Council meets once a month from 5pm - 6.30pm (confirmed dates for 2024 are 20/6, 08/08, 05/09, 07/11, 04/12), you will also be a member of the facilities subcommittee that also meets once a month at 8am (confirmed dates are 26/07, 23/08, 01/11, 29/11).

If you are interested, please email me via our school email address   mordialloc.co@education.vic.gov.au

More information will be sent out to interested applicants. 

Student Safety Within Our Community

I continue to be concerned around bike safety, and bus travel to and from school.

Every time I contact a family about an incident involving their child on their way to and from school, that family is always surprised to find out that their child has been involved. Please can I urge you to speak with your child about how to be safe within the wider school community.   

Unfortunately, bicycle accidents are not rare; throughout my career I  have attended accidents involving students and in cases where students were wearing helmets, injuries were minimised.  If your child rides to school, please talk to them about the importance of wearing their helmet whilst riding their bike.  As I have mentioned to you previously, Mordialloc College staff will engage with students as they enter the college gates, but this really is a broader issue within our school community which could have a tragic outcome if not addressed.

The second area of concern is students catching buses and trains home from school; there have been recent reports of Mordialloc College students behaving in such a way that is not representative of our College Values.  

It is disappointing that a small minority of students feel emboldened to act in such a disrespectful manner when using Public Transport and I would like to make it absolutely clear that we always work with the transport authorities as regards highlighting exactly which of our students are involved. 

Again, our staff do Yard Duty around the school gates at the end of the school day but can I ask you to speak candidly with your child about the need to be patient and polite when entering the bus or train, and also about appropriate Public Transport etiquette that ensures a smooth ride for everyone.

Student Attitudes to School Survey

We value student voice and agency as a key mechanism towards improving student engagement, wellbeing, and quality teaching & learning, and again this term we have  conducted a survey to find out what your child thinks of our school. The Attitudes to School Survey is an annual student survey offered by the DET to assist schools in gaining an understanding of students' perceptions and experience of school. We use the survey data to share student feedback with staff, and to then plan programs and activities to improve your child's experience whilst at school. Over the last few weeks, students from Year 7 to 12 have all been provided with opportunities to participate, the survey took around 15 minutes and all responses to the survey were anonymous. The survey results will be reported back to the school during Term 3 and will be communicated to students and families through the Annual Report.

Excursions

MEX City experience

Thanks to Bryony Lowe, Learning Specialist for organising the two-day MEX city experience for our Year 9 students in Week 6, and also to all staff who supported this excursion. Students had the opportunity to visit a variety of sites that are a part of Melbourne’s vibrant culture, including RMIT, The Big Issue, MCG and Sports Museum and the Old Melbourne Gaol.

On 4th June our Year 12 students attended a presentation by Teenage Road Accident Group (TRAG). During this session, students were presented with information designed to promote road safety, and to end preventable road trauma for the next generation of young drivers. 

Since it first started nearly twenty years ago, TRAG has worked with over 100,000 Year 10, 11, and 12 students across the Mornington Peninsula and South East Melbourne. This is nearly a complete generation of our community, some of whom have now become parents themselves and are keeping their own children safer through the knowledge they gained by attending TRAG workshops.

TRAG presenters are a combination of Emergency Services (Victoria Police, CFA, Ambulance Victoria, SES) and those who have experienced road trauma and its effects first hand. TRAG is widely acknowledged as an integral part of the local resources to reduce incidences of road trauma in the 15-25 age group, the most vulnerable age group in our community.

We would like to thank the team at TRAG for the work and effort in communicating such an important message to our students. If you would like further information please go to https://trag.org.au/

Senior Formals

We look forward to the Year 11 Formal which will be held at the Dingley International on Thursday 13th June. Thanks to Year 11 Coordinators Bella Barker and Kellie Goebel for organising this event with the organising committee of students and staff attending to support it.  Our Year 12 Formal will be held Friday 21st June at Southern Golf Club.

School Uniform

We worked closely with members of the School Community, students, School Council and staff to create a Uniform Policy that reflects the needs of our students.

After extensive discussion, and taking on board feedback from our School Community as regards, summer and winter uniform, equitable uniform options for all of our students, the design of a Mordialloc College puffer jacket, and a less cost-prohibitive approach to uniform, we proudly shared our evolved Uniform Policy in June 2023. 

Our school uniform is a visual representation of the high standards expected of our students: we are well aware that school uniforms not only play an important role in promoting positive images of our school, they also help to create a sense of identity and a school culture in which every student experiences a sense of belonging. 

With this in mind, we will be contacting home via Compass when students do not engage with our Uniform Policy and to this end, please can I ask you to familiarise yourselves with our Uniform Requirements and work with us to promote our ethos of equity and belonging to Mordialloc College in its entirety.

School Review and Parent Survey: Last Chance to Contribute!

Thank you to those families who have shared their opinions about what they feel we need to Stop, Start and Continue as regards Teaching & Learning, Communication, Behaviour, and Engagement. 

If you have not managed to join in with our Parent Opinion Survey, can I encourage you to spend fifteen minutes sharing your ideas as, your feedback will be used as a part of our School Review in Term 3.

The survey will close at the end of Semester 1 (Friday 14th June).

Each family can easily complete the form via this link: Parent Opinion Survey; please, only one form per family so that we get a fair range of opinions that represent our whole school community.

End of Semester – Reminder of Key Dates

I did post this in my last newsletter (you will find more detailed information in edition 30/05/2024) but, as a quick reminder, I have added a summary of key dates for the end of Semester 1. Since 6th May, we have had weekly reminders about the new bell times that start from Semester 2 (Monday 17th June); I have also included that information below.

• Monday 3rd June to Friday 13th June: Exams (Years 10 - 11) 
• Friday June 14th: Semester 1 ends.
• Monday June 17th: Semester 2 starts (new bell times)
• Tuesday 18th June: GAT (All Year 11/12 studying a VCE 3/4 subject and all Year 12 VM)

Can I also ask you to pencil in the last day of Term 2: June 28th 2024; the students will have an early finish of 1.30pm. More details about what the lesson times for this day will look like will be shared with students once they start Semester 2.

Rachael Stone

Acting Principal

Mordialloc College would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land – the Bunurong/Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin nation, and pay our respects to their Elders, past, present and emerging. 

As a school and community, we are committed to a greater understanding and appreciation of Indigenous culture.