Secondary Years, Tarneit

Exploring Together: Stories That Shape Us

Last week we celebrated Book Week, a time when students across the College explored new worlds through stories, imagination and creativity.

For our Year 11 and 12 Vocational Major students, exploration looked a little different. As part of their Personal Development Skills unit, they visited Mercy Health Wyndham, where they spent time with residents and listened to their life stories. What began as an excursion quickly became an opportunity to step into a new world of lived experience, resilience and wisdom.

On the journey back to school, the students were brimming with excitement. They spoke with admiration and respect, sharing the lessons they had heard and the impact those stories had on them. It was a powerful reminder that learning continues wherever we are, in the classroom and in the wider community.

"Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me..."Psalm 25:4-5

Joanne Wegener

Deputy Principal – Secondary

Year 10 & 11 Exam Dates

We would like to inform families that the upcoming exam periods are as follows:

• Year 11: Monday 17 November – Friday 28 November
• Year 10: Monday 24 November – Friday 28 November

It is essential that all students are present during these dates to complete their assessments and meet the requirements of the exam period. A detailed exam timetable, including times and subject allocations, will be shared with families soon.

Please note that exam times are fixed and cannot be altered. Students must attend at the scheduled times, and there will be no make-up exams. We kindly ask families to avoid making any commitments that may conflict with this important period.

Anna Stanjo

Executive Assistant

Applications for Victorian Tertiary Courses

This past week, Year 12 students were informed about the VTAC procedures for choosing tertiary courses that they wish to apply for entry in 2026. VTAC requires students to select 8 courses in preference order; these are referred to as ‘preferences’. 

In selecting preferences, students are advised to consult with the resources available on the VTAC website or to access the course search here.

Students need to be aware of the 2025 VTAC dates: 

• Closing date for preferences 29 September 5pm 
• SEAS applications close 10 October 5pm https://vtac.edu.au/access

These dates can be obtained using the fact sheets link here.

After the release of VCE study results 11 December, students are able to change or reorder their preferences, closing date 13 December for 1st round offers. Subsequent offer rounds 23 Dec & 13 Jan, also allow for preference changes to align better with the students' ATAR. 

Student pathways advice is available from Mr McCarthy throughout Term 3 & 4.

Peter McCarthy

VET and VM Coordinator

Year 7 & 8 Interschool Basketball

During Term 3, Year 7 and 8 Interschool Basketball teams represented Good News Lutheran College in the Division Basketball Competition at Eagle Stadium. It has been a very successful period, with the Year 7 Boys, Year 7 Girls, and Year 8 Boys all qualifying for the next stage, which is an outstanding achievement!

A huge thank you goes to Mr Bradbury and Mr Greenhough for the time and effort they dedicate on Thursday mornings with the Year 7 teams, and to Tom from Wyndham Basketball for his support on Friday mornings with the Year 8 teams. The commitment of our coaches and players has certainly paid off, and we look forward to seeing how far our teams can go in the next stage of the competition.

Well done, everyone – what a fantastic result for GNLC!

Liam Lambert

Sports Coordinator

Science Week 2025

This year’s Science Week activities were a huge success! It was brilliant to see more than 50 excited students coming across to the lab each day. There were almost 100 students there on Friday… INCREDIBLE!! Whilst looking at some of nature’s hidden codes, students looked at mushroom spore prints, Fibonacci arrangement of flower petals, seed adaptations, tracking animal footprints and comparative bone structures. Other activities focused on separating different colours from texta ink, communicating with light, creating white light from coloured light and the spacing of the planets within our Solar System. Science Week culminated with making coloured crystals and rainbow lightning prints. I would like to personally thank everyone who made Science Week such a wonderful success. Huge shout out to all the student helpers who stepped up to the plate throughout the week, especially on Friday. I am already looking forward to what next year brings!!

Lisa McCarthy

Science Technician

Year 10 and 11 Drug and Alcohol Education Program

This week, Year 10 &11 attended a workshop by Sharon Torpey, a leading expert in drug and alcohol education. Sharon gave an informative and factual talk on how drugs and alcohol affect your brain and development, equipping students with the knowledge to make good decisions. The students were able to ask questions and discuss realistic scenarios, giving them perspective on the impact of their decisions.

We want to encourage families at home to continue having open and honest conversations around these topics. This conversation can be hard to navigate. For further information and guidance head to the SchoolTV website.

Amanda Faltas

College Counsellor

Secondary School Division Athletics Carnival

On Wednesday, 21 August, our Secondary School Athletics Team represented our school at the Victorian University Sporting Complex, competing against other schools in our division.

Our students gave it their all on the day, achieving some fantastic results with plenty of top placings and even more than a handful of first places!

A big congratulations goes out to every student who competed as it’s a huge achievement to make it to this stage. An extra special congratulations to those who have qualified for the next round, which will be held on Tuesday, 8 October at Keilor Park.

Liam Lambert

Sports Coordinator

Year 8 Rollercoaster Task

Year 8 students recently took on an exciting IB inquiry-based task in Science, where they became engineers! Working in groups, they designed and constructed their own rollercoasters using recycled cardboard and tested them using marbles. The aim was to explore how kinetic energy (KE) and gravitational potential energy (GPE) change as the marble zoomed through twists, turns, and drops. It was a fun, hands-on activity that combined creativity, teamwork, and science in action – with plenty of laughter along the way!

Mansi Parmar

Assistant Head of Secondary Years

Elevate Education Free Parent Webinars

Elevate Education delivers high-impact workshops to our students that help to develop their study skills, motivation, and exam preparation. Over the next term, you're invited to join their parent webinar series, where you can help support your child at home by reinforcing the skills they're learning at school.

How to Help Your Child Improve Their Note Taking

3 September 6.30pm (AEST)

How You Can Support Your Child During Exams

17 September 6.30pm (AEST)

Joanne Wegener

Deputy Principal - Secondary

Valedictory - Save the Date

We warmly invite you to join us in honouring the Class of 2025 at this year’s Valedictory Dinner. Please save the date — booking information will be shared on 1 September.

6pm Friday 21 November

Q Events – 123 Queen St, Melbourne

$130 per person (limit of four tickets per student, inclusive of the student)

Dress: Formal

We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you!