Year 10 Geography – Coastal Management Fieldwork

Our Year 10 Geography students recently enjoyed an excellent opportunity to bring their classroom learning to life through a fieldwork experience along the Mornington Peninsula. Visiting a range of coastal locations including Portsea, Sorrento and McCrae, students were able to practically engage with the environment and observe first-hand the impacts of coastal erosion, and the variety of land management strategies being used to protect these vulnerable areas.

Throughout the day, students investigated management approaches such as sandbagging, beach nourishment and wooden groynes, gaining valuable insight into how land managers, and communities respond to environmental change and manage environments under threat. Students also had the opportunity to speak with local residents and hear about their concerns regarding the ongoing loss of beaches and the threats posed to coastal properties. These conversations provided students with an authentic understanding of the differing perspectives and views surrounding coastal management, and the efforts being undertaken by community members as they work alongside local councils to secure greater protection for these important coastal environments.

Stepping beyond the classroom and into the field enabled students to immerse themselves in the landscapes they had been studying, allowing them to complete detailed fieldwork sketches, collect primary observations and develop a deeper understanding of key geographical concepts such as change, interconnection and sustainability.

Experiencing these environments first-hand, and engaging with members of the local community, provided students with valuable insights into the complex social, environmental and economic challenges associated with protecting Victoria's coastline.

These authentic learning experiences are fundamental to Geography, in fostering geographical thinking and inquiry skills, whilst equipping students with the knowledge and understanding required to critically examine and respond to the challenges facing environments under threat.

Overall, the excursion was an engaging and authentic learning experience that enabled students to experience Geography in action while developing a greater understanding of the complex interactions between people, places and the management practices involved in protecting environments on the Mornington Peninsula.

Mr Adam Cooper

Teacher & Camps Coordinator

YEAR 12 FORMAL

This year’s masquerade theme for our Year 12 Formal transformed the venue the moment people walked in. The tickets, name tags, and signage all matched the aesthetic, keeping everything elegant and cohesive. Seeing it all come together so seamlessly made the night feel sophisticated and intentional.

All the student leaders had roles in planning the event, and the teamwork showed in how smoothly the whole night ran.

Awards

The awards were one of the most anticipated parts of the night, and the energy in the room proved it. Categories such as Best Duo, Best Glow Up, and Most Athletic etc... were awarded to students throughout the night.

Additionally, the on‑the‑night awards like Best Dancer and Best Dressed for both male and female, added a spontaneous excitement. It felt like everyone was cheering for each other, and the whole room buzzed with that shared sense of pride and fun.

Birthday Boys

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The night doubled as a birthday celebration for Dan Bui, Brandon Lai, and even one of our deputy principals, Mr Duckett. The entire room joined in singing, and it added this unexpected layer of joy, like the formal had its own little subplot running in the background.

Arrivals

Arrivals were a whole event on their own. Some people came in a limo, others were driven by family or friends, and some showed up in genuinely nice cars that looked straight out of a movie. No matter how people arrived, the energy was the same with excitement, glamour, and that feeling of stepping into a night everyone had been waiting for.

Dancing

The dance floor was where the night truly came alive. DJ Jason Roberts kept the music flowing, but the standout moments were the cultural dances. Groups broke out into traditional moves from their backgrounds, and the whole cohort circled around them, cheering and joining in. It was one of those rare moments where everyone’s cultures blended into one big celebration and our cohort came together.

Between the photo booth flashes, some staff dancing harder than half the students, and the quiet moments of friends fixing each other’s masks or adjusting ties, the night felt like a snapshot of who we are as a cohort. Formal wasn’t just an event; it was a milestone. A moment suspended between childhood and adulthood, captured behind masks, music, and memories. Overall, it truly was a magical night.

- Yr 12 students - Danny, Vishy, Ananya and Alicia

Ms Gill Coyle

Head of House - Chisholm

Year 10 Concept Art and Digital Rendering (CAnDR)

Year 10 Concept Art and Digital Rendering students have developed new skills in Adobe Photoshop this Term to render and apply images to various forms, objects, and buildings to develop and submit a digital folio.

Extending on their learnings from their rendering of Concept Art pieces last Term, students applied tones, colours, and textures to render various rectilinear form line drawings. They learnt how to composite images using different layer styles from a collection of computer-generated images (CGI) of a CAD (Computer Aided Design) model, just like those in the Visualisation profession of the Automotive Industry. Students experienced how to superimpose logos and poster images on stationary items and advertising platforms.

They concluded their digital folios by rendering a building, taking into consideration different textures, the direction of the light source and contextualising the image into a backing image.

The visuals they were able to produce have demonstrated fantastic attention to detail and has set the tone for future years! Please take a look at their images below.

Mr Rosario Ripper

Instructional Leader Visual Arts

VET Cert III Sport, Aquatics and Recreation

On Friday 19 June, the VET Cert III Sport, Aquatics and Recreation students of Year 10 and Year 11 came into school to earn their First Aid Qualification.

The day was run by experienced iVET First Aid Trainer Mr Bruce Roberton who took the students through all the training including CPR, bandaging and slings. I was in attendance to support both our students and Bruce by being the practice model and providing the lollies that kept the focus and energy.

A productive day was had with all students achieving their Satisfactory Competency for the practical demonstration assessed by Bruce. Since Friday, all but one student have attained satisfactory Competency for the other elements of the Qualification.

Importantly, this First Aid qualification lasts 3 years, with CPR to be renewed in 12 months’ time. This means our VET Cert III Sport, Aquatics and Recreation students have successfully completed Participate in Workplace Health and Safety, Respond to Emergency Situations and Providing First Aid this semester.

A big congratulations to these students on achieving their First Aid Qualification!!

Mr Andrew Moore

Instructional Leader Health & Physical Education

🏊 Year 9 Swimming and Water Safety Program

From Monday 15 June – Monday 22 June, Year 9 students made their way to the pools at Monash Aquatic in Glen Waverley. Students had their swimming ability assessed, were taught correct techniques for several strokes including survival strokes and pool side rescue techniques.

To the many students who took up the opportunity to participate in this important program, I commend them highly for their efforts and positive attitude. I would like to thank all the Staff involved in the running of this program who supervised the students across the five days. The program would not be possible without their support.

The HPE staff that supervised on multiple days were Ms Bilu, Ms Rogan, Ms Roberts, Ms Kirk, Ms Spano and Mr Chan. Also supervising a session were Ms Kappas, Ms Durham, Ms Smith and Mr Newcomb. Non HPE staff that supervised were Mr Landid, Mr Diaz, Mr Phan, Ms Dell’Aquila and Ms Greaves with a special thanks to Mr Brown who supervised on multiple days. An extra special thanks to Mr Brenton and Ms Trustum who supervised every day, attending multiple sessions and caring for our students.

For logistics thanks to Ms Murphy, First Aid Kits and lists by Nurses Megan and Mel and the Student Services team of Jackie and Maria.

Mr Andrew Moore

Instructional Leader Health & Physical Education

⚒️New Outdoor Gym Takes Shape

Our Year 11 Product Design and Technology class has been hard at work designing and building an outdoor gym for the school grounds — a free, all-weather fitness station for students to use during recess, lunch, and Physical Education. From the first concept sketches through to construction, the project has been entirely student-led, giving the class a genuine real-world design and build experience.

The structure is now assembled and standing in position. The site has been levelled, the posts are set, and the frame is in place. A concrete slab will be poured this Friday, with the rubber surface layer going down over the holidays and an exercise instruction poster to follow. The gym is on track to open for students on the first day back of Term 3.

Our thanks to the NCCA, whose funding has made the project possible.

We can't wait to see it in action next term!

Mr Roland Khayat

Teacher

🌱Year 7 Science Experiments in Action!

In the second half of this term, Year 7 students have been studying ecosystems and how energy is transferred from one living thing to another through food chains and food webs.

The origin of all energy is the sun and several classes were able to look at how leaves contain colour pigments, like chlorophyll, to absorb sunlight. By extracting the colours from 3 different leaf green samples students were then able to see that multiple colour pigments were in the leaves and different wavelengths of sunlight can be used by the plant.

Ms Amy Durham

Teacher

Chisholm House Comp Heats Up the End of Term Vibes!

Chisholm House is literally warming up the run to the end of term, with hot chocolate and colouring‑in adding a cosy twist to the House Competition at lunchtime today.

Students have been dropping in to enjoy a warm drink, unwind with some creative colouring, and pick up valuable points toward the 2026 House Cup Competition.

The vibe has been cheerful and relaxed — the perfect way to round out Term 2 while keeping the competitive spirit alive.

Ms Gill Coyle

Head of House - Chisholm