From the Principal

Good morning everyone

This week our Year 12 Vocational Major students hosted a fantastic VM Market Day, transforming the Rob Herbert gym into a vibrant hub of activity and community spirit. Stalls showcased creativity, teamwork, and enterprise, with food and products that reflected the talents and enthusiasm of our senior students.

What made the day even more meaningful was the purpose behind it. All profits from the Market Day will be donated to our chosen school charity, Home Ground, supporting those in need within the wider community. This commitment to service highlights the generosity and empathy of our students, and the strong sense of social responsibility that underpins their learning.

The success of the Market Day was not just measured in funds raised, but in the way our values were lived out in action—students working together, staff supporting initiatives, and families joining in to celebrate. It was another shining example of our community coming together as one.

In addition, our Parent and Teacher Interviews provided another important opportunity for connection. These conversations strengthen the partnership between home and school, ensuring that together we can best support each young person’s learning journey. When parents, carers, and teachers collaborate, students benefit from consistent encouragement, clear goals, and a united commitment to their growth.

I congratulate our Year 12 VM students on their leadership and thank all families and staff for their ongoing dedication to creating a supportive, thriving school community.

Have a wonderful week.

Linda Stanton

Principal

Important Dates

Term 3 2025

Middle School

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are excited to announce the commencement of our IGNITE High Performance Mentoring Program, beginning next week on Monday 1st September. 

This five-week program is designed to recognise and support students who achieved outstanding results across all areas of the NAPLAN assessment – Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar, and Numeracy.

The program is built around four key messages:

• Recognition – celebrating that these students are exceptional.
• Reflection – understanding what strategies and habits have helped them succeed.
• Stretch – encouraging them to go beyond and embrace new challenges.
• Leadership – providing opportunities to give back and inspire others.

At Mornington Secondary College, we believe in both celebrating excellence and fostering further growth. Through this mentoring program, students will:

• Be acknowledged for their dedication and high achievement.
• Explore advanced learning opportunities that extend beyond standard assessments.
• Develop leadership and reflection skills, including opportunities for peer mentoring.
• Set personal learning goals that support ongoing success.

The program will commence with Year 7 students as our first group, before extending to Year 9 students who also achieved outstanding results in NAPLAN.

We are incredibly proud of our students and look forward to the positive impact that IGNITE will bring as it launches next week.

Year 7 2026 Parent Information Evening

11th September 2025 

And of course, we can’t wait to meet our parents of our Year 7 students 2026. Our Information evening for Year 7 2026 Parent Information starts at 5.00pm in the Learning Centre. This event will conclude at 6.00pm. We are very excited to meet you and your child. Please contact the school to let us know that you can make it.

Year 7 2025 Showcase

17th September at MSC in the Year 7 precinct J6 to J10 rooms 2.30 to 4.30pm

Our Year 7 students have been working hard to prepare a showcase of their learning so far this year. We are looking forward to welcoming Year 7 parents and carers, along with members of our school community, to view and celebrate their achievements.

Denise Leggett

Assistant Principal

Senior School

To students and families of the Mornington Senior School,

I hope everyone has had a fantastic week. It’s been a big week in the senior school with the undoubted highlight being the fantastic VCE VM Market Day. Even the weather couldn’t impact the atmosphere as 2025 VM cohort put on a great day. I’d like to acknowledge the hard work of the students and the caring guidance of the VM teaching staff, especially the Personal Development teachers, Ms Dixon, Ms Rolls and Ms Hamson, who were well supported by so many other staff in the VM space, office staff and the community. Others will share how much the students managed to raise but I was really proud to see the Mornington SC community working together to achieve great things for other people in our community. 

Understanding VCE ATAR Pathways at Mornington Secondary College

For the rest of my newsletter this week I wanted to have a discussion about something that isn’t often spoken about publicly. We know about VCE ATAR and VCE VM pathways but there are other options for some individuals within the ATAR pathway whose goals post-school may have shifted somewhat. So please take the time to consider the information below and reach out if you have further questions.

Scored (with ATAR) vs. Unscored (Non‑ATAR)

Every student’s VCE journey is supported at Mornington SC. Whether choosing a scored VCE (with ATAR) or an unscored VCE, both lead to a full VCE certificate—the difference lies only in whether the student receives an ATAR.

What Is Scored VCE (or VCE ATAR)?

• Students complete all assessments, including end-of-year exams.
• An ATAR enables them to apply directly to most university courses immediately after Year 12 (for two years).
• The ATAR simply ranks students across Victoria compared to other students. It is used by universities to select which students get access to their courses. More popular courses have higher ATARs (it doesn’t mean they are harder or better courses; they simply have more students who wish to study those courses). 

What Is an Unscored VCE (in the ATAR pathway)?

Students meet all VCE requirements (attendance, coursework and assessment) and graduate with the same VCE certificate as those students who sit VCAA external exams for an ATAR. They do not sit final exams and do not receive an ATAR.

Unscored VCE (in the ATAR pathway) is best suited to students who:

• Have pathways already secured (e.g., TAFE courses, apprenticeships, or full-time work)
• Face health or wellbeing challenges making exams inappropriate
• Are certain they do not want to go to university in 2026 or 2027

Myth buster: “No ATAR = No University”

That’s simply not true. Many students follow alternative pathways into further education, such as:

• TAFE certificates or diplomas that lead to automatic university entry
• Tertiary enabling or bridging programs (e.g. annual foundation courses or university pathway programs)
• Mature‑age entry (after two years), where an ATAR is no longer required (ATAR is only valid for 2 years)

Did You Know?

• In 2024, over 40% of first-year university students in Australia entered through pathways other than the ATAR — including TAFE, enabling programs, and mature-age entry.

The Key Message

A VCE certificate with an ATAR is just one of many successful pathways. What truly matters is that your child follows the route best aligned with their strengths, goals, and wellbeing. At Mornington SC, we support and celebrate every pathway equally.

So What Should I Do?

Well, I can’t tell you that. It’s your decision! However, I can help you with some questions that you can ask yourself to guide your decision?

1. Do I want to go to university next year? Or even in 2027? If the answer is yes, then ATAR is the way to go.
2. Based on my known scores, will my ATAR be high enough to gain entry into a university course? Hard to predict but as a rough guide if you have averaged less than 50% on SACs, you will be highly unlikely to get a 25-study score in most subjects, which will make it difficult to achieve an ATAR over 50, which is close to the minimum you’ll need to get into most Melbourne-based universities. If that happens, you’ll need a pathway entry anyway (i.e. TAFE diploma). It is worth noting that the students hold their rank from within the cohort even after exams. So, the top ranked student from each unit will get the highest study score for that cohort and the lowest ranked student will likely get the lowest score and so on. Rankings are private and shouldn’t be shared with students, but students can ask the Assistant Principal (Mr Evans) for their scores in subjects to help with decision-making.
3. Do I have an opportunity to start an apprenticeship or full-time work/travel in late October/early November? If you do, then consider whether VCAA exams are required for your pathway over the next two years.

Need Guidance? We're Here to Help!

Still unsure which VCE pathway suits your child best? Please reach out—we’ll collaborate with families to explore options and map out a path that sets every student up for success in their journey. Our team is ready to discuss your child’s goals and help map out the best pathway:

• Year 12 Coordinator – Ms Jo Dixon
• Year 12 Leader – Ms Joanne Reeman
• Career Practitioner – Ms Kylie Lebrasse
• Senior School Assistant Principal – Mr Nick Evans

Final thoughts

A scored VCE has been the default model for some time, but it is not the right choice for every student. All university applications should be submitted by Sept 29th and the first VCAA exam (English) is on October 28th. Decisions about scored or non-scored programs can be made up until the 27th October. There is paperwork that needs to be signed by students and parents for any change to the default. 

Every student who completes their VCE certificate has achieved a significant outcome. The ATAR is only significant for students wishing to go to university in a year or two directly after graduating from secondary school. There are many pathways to a desired goal and students should pick one that they feel works for them and will fill them with a sense of pride and accomplishment. For Mornington’s part, we are proud of every graduating student and every student who has found their way to a successful pathway and career.

Term 3 2025

Kind regards,

Nick Evans

Senior School Assistant Principal

Course Selection Feedback

Recently, students in Years 8 to 11 completed their course selections for 2026. To help us continue improving this process and ensure it meets the needs of our students and families, we are seeking feedback from parents and carers.

Your input is extremely valuable in helping us refine subject offerings, streamline systems, and provide the best support possible for students as they plan their learning pathways.

Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts by completing the feedback form at the link provided below.

Parent Opinion Survey – We Need Your Voice!

Each year, the Parent Opinion Survey gives families the chance to share honest feedback about Mornington Secondary College. Your responses help us understand what we are doing well and where we can improve, directly shaping the programs, teaching, and opportunities we provide for our students.

This year, our goal is to hear from at least 300 families. So far, we have received just 13 responses. Every voice matters, and the more families who participate, the clearer picture we gain of our whole school community.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey – your input will make a real difference in guiding the future of our school.

Check your email for the link and code (sent on August 25th) or go to the STAR menu on Compass.

Mike Parker

Assistant Principal - Curriculum and Student Wellbeing

Students of the Week

Year 7 Kiara Arlove-Wilks

Favourite food: Mums Mac and Cheese

Hobbies out of school: Circus

Do you have any pets? 4 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 3 dogs, lots of bearded dragons and gecko’s, 4 snakes and 6 frogs

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? Hanging out with my friends, and Japanese

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school? Circus performing 

Year 7 Ryan Fensome 

Favourite food: Spaghetti bolognese 

Hobbies out of school: Basketball

What sports team do you follow? Hawthorn FC

Favourite movie/TV show: Home Alone 

Do you have any pets? 2 dogs named Buddy & Teddy

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? Meeting new friends, lunch and recess & Fit Club

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school? No idea yet 

Year 8 Jackson Sweatman    

Favourite food: Fried chicken burger

Hobbies out of school: Footy, Little Athletics and piano

What sports team do you follow? Essendon, Melbourne Storm 

Favourite TV show/movie: Maze Runner

Do you have any pets? A tuxedo cat named Benny

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? It’s open to more opportunities like cooking and woodwork and I can do music lessons too

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school? I haven’t decided yet, maybe do pizza delivery when I can get a job.

Year 8 Sophie Staunton-Clarke      

Favourite food: Italian

Hobbies out of school: Roller-skating, learning the keyboard and swimming

What sports team do you follow? Melbourne City

Favourite TV show/movie: Modern Family and Harry Potter

What do you enjoy most about being at Mornington Secondary College? I love all the clubs, especially swim squad and I like that we get a variety of subjects and that we have electives in Year 9

What career do you wish to follow when you finish school? Childcare teacher

Osaka Club

In September this year Mornington Secondary College will be visiting Osaka, Japan as part of our International Exchange Program. The 15 students (listed below) from year levels 8 through to 11 who are travelling are very excited, and have been meeting weekly at Osaka Club to help prepare. 

The Osaka Club has been useful in providing a bonding opportunity for our exchange students as they get to know each other a little better before they depart. Additionally, these weekly sessions have been full of information as our students discovered details about their Japanese host families and learnt what to expect as an Aussie exchange student in Japan. 

While we will be based in the city of Osaka, we will also visit Hiroshima, where we will place 1,000 paper cranes in a gesture of peace and remembrance. Our Osaka Club students have been hard at work making their cranes, with many of our Japanese classes also making cranes to contribute. 

We wish our 15 exchange students a wonderful experience, and we know that they will represent Mornington Secondary College proudly. 

Mel Brindle

Head of Language

Hosting Benton Junior College for Maths Fun Day

On Monday 25th August, Mornington Secondary College proudly hosted Grade 5 students from Benton Junior College for a special Maths Fun Day. The morning was filled with problem-solving, teamwork, and plenty of hands-on fun, showcasing just how exciting and creative Maths can be.

Students rotated through four activities: 

• Maths Games: where they explored multiplication, probability and teamwork through classics like Mathematical Snakes & Ladders and Greedy Pig,
• School of MathsPlay: which challenged their thinking with puzzles, patterns, and number games,
• Build the Tallest Tower: a chance to apply engineering and measurement skills with newspaper and tape, and
• Water Balloon Challenge: testing designs to keep balloons safe on impact, which is always popular .

It was wonderful to see our Year 7 and 8 students and Maths teachers working alongside the visiting primary students. The day was a great success, highlighting how Maths connects to games, building, STEM, and the real world, all while building confidence, teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Tracey Watchorn

Numeracy Leader

Year 7 

Year 7 Lunch Time Premier League Soccer Competition Round 3

On Wednesday August 27th Round 3 kicked off with Liverpool up against Arsenal with both teams throwing everything at it from the start. The ball went backwards and forwards throughout the game but unfortunately no one could find the back of the net with the game ending with a 0-0 draw. 

Up next was Chelsea against Man United which was very exciting with many shots at goal with near misses. Meadow Payze with one of her great runs at goal struck the ball with conviction and scored for Man United. Man United which is the only all-girls team in the competition finished the match with a 1-0 victory and gained the precious 2 points which will see them march up the leader board. 

The final game of the round was Man City against Aston Villa. Within the first 10 seconds Harvey Allan from Aston Villa scored the first goal of the game. This was very closely followed by Aston Villa’s second goal! Man City were being placed under tremendous pressure from Aston Villa, finding it difficult to break through into their forward half. Flynn J-M demonstrated some great ball control, dribbling his way through the Man City defence to add to the Aston Villa account. The question was will Aston Villa break their goal scoring record of 5 goals scored in a game. With 20 seconds remaining in the match Aston Villa scored again to set themselves a new record of six goals! 

This weeks' results places Aston Villa at the top of the table with three straight wins and yet to concede a goal in the competition! Can they be stopped? We look forward to round 4 next Wednesday to find out when they play Manchester United!

John Walker

Premier League Boss

Year 7 PE – Striking and Fielding Unit

This term in Physical Education, our Year 7 students are developing their skills in the Striking and Fielding unit. 

The focus has been on learning how to strike different objects with control and accuracy, as well as how to effectively apply their skills while fielding in game situations.

Through engaging activities such as indoor cricket and tee ball, students have been working on key elements including hand-eye coordination, batting technique, tactical awareness, and teamwork. These games provide plenty of opportunities for students to practice not only the technical aspects of striking and fielding, but also the important interpersonal skills of communication, cooperation, and fair play.

It has been pleasing to see students of all ability levels giving their best effort, supporting one another, and showing a positive attitude towards improving their performance. We look forward to continuing to build on these skills as the term progresses.

Thank you to our amazing Year 7 PE teaching team for their continued quality teaching in this space. Year 7 students will finish the term with a gymnastics unit. 

Rob Horwill

Head of PE

Year 8 Assembly

On Friday August 22nd, many proud and well deserving Year 8 students were presented with Strive Awards and Merit Awards in front of their peers.

Year 10

Year 10 VET: Sport and Recreation Recovery Lab Excursion

Last week, our VET Sport & Rec students had the unique opportunity to attend an excursion to the Recovery Lab in Mornington, a state-of-the-art facility designed to support health, wellbeing, and athletic performance.

During the visit, students were introduced to a range of modern recovery techniques used by both elite athletes and everyday people to improve physical and mental wellbeing. Highlights included trying out infrared saunas, compression therapy boots, and learning about the benefits of ice baths and cryotherapy. The staff at the lab guided students through each process, explaining how recovery plays a vital role not only in sport but also in maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle.

The excursion tied in perfectly with our focus on Conditioning for Sport Performance, giving students a first-hand look at how science and technology can be applied to improve performance, speed up recovery, and prevent injury. Many students commented on how eye-opening the experience was, with some already planning to explore recovery options for their own sporting commitments.

Overall, the day was both educational and enjoyable, leaving students with new insights into the importance of caring for their bodies and minds. 

Shaun Doherty

Year Level Coordinator 9

Year 10 Mental Health Safety Net

Over the past six weeks Mick from the Mental Health Safety Net has visited and presented the safeTALK certificate to all of our Year 10 students. 

Mick created the Mental Health Safety Net charity to equip people with the knowledge and tools to be able to look out for and assist any people in our community that may be struggling with mental health issues or suicidal thoughts. Over the course of two hours students learnt how to recognise the signs that someone may be having thoughts of suicide, and how to support them to get mental health support. 

All the students engaged positively throughout each session, with feedback from students saying that they didn’t know how to help someone in this state before, whereas now they have more confidence to have this conversation in the future.

Maddy Collinge

Student Wellbeing Counsellor

Chisholm Info Days 

Chisholm’s Info Days at Frankston and Rosebud are next week. Students can take the first step toward their future at information days like these. Whether they want to start a new career, upskill in a current one or are still exploring options, Info Days are a chance for students to chat with Chisholm teachers, tour campuses, and find out how they can be supported in their study journey.

Frankston and Rosebud campuses 

3rd September 2025

3.30pm-6.30pm  

Register now:  chisholm.com.au/open

Hands on Learning

HoL Market Stall Preparation and more

Friday August 22nd was another productive day for our students preparing products for the Year 12 Market Day stall; stickers, signs, making Anzac biscuits (based on Mrs Butcher’s secret recipe), home-made gift cards, soaps and towels (which were made and donated by Mr Butcher’s mum, Glenda Butcher). They also worked hard “labouring” (their words!) around the school grounds, garden maintenance and mulching. Our HoL students cooked up home made pancakes for breakfast and Anzac biscuits for dessert. 

HoL Wednesday August 27th

There was lots of activity Wednesday this week at HOL. The painting of the doors project was completed and thanks to Mick Maurier (maintenance) who loaned us his equipment, we were able to get them back up on the roof with ease. No, the kids did not do that part! We continued our project of levelling out the front entrance of the cottage and some more grouting inside. We also started a new project of levelling up the uneven concrete tiles in the kitchen and set up the outdoor wood oven for pizza. Mr Uhlenberg who came for a visit can testify that the pizza tasted good! . After a hard day’s work, we finished the day with a well-earned dip in the school pool. 

Anastasia Maragakis

Hands on Learning Assistant 

Junior Rangers Program

This week at Junior Ranges we walked through the National Park at Police Point discussing native plants and their medicinal uses, what is eatable, and how to care for our lands. Additionally, we had a smoking ceremony and had time to catch up and have a yarn with each other. The weather held out with the sun shining at times, making it another great day. 

Nicole Boland

Mental Health Practitioner

Wear it Purple Day

The purpose of Wear it Purple is to to foster supportive, safe, empowering and inclusive environments for rainbow young people. 

Wear it Purple was founded in 2010 in response to global stories of real teenagers, real heartache and their very real responses. In 2010, several rainbow young people took their own lives following bullying and harassment resulting from the lack of acceptance of their sexuality or gender identity. As the world saw the faces of precious young lives lost, some young people found a new sense of conviction and purpose to ensure that young people everywhere would know that there were people who did support and love them. Wear it Purple was established to show young LGBQTIA+SB people across the globe that there was hope, that there were people who did support and accept them, and that they have the right to be proud of who they are.

Since 2010, when Wear it Purple was founded, Wear it Purple has developed into an international movement. What started out small has now grown; however the message remains the same. Everybody has the right to be proud of who they are.

MSC will be recognising Wear it Purple Day today, August 29th, with small celebrations throughout out the day. Staff are encouraged to wear purple, with students welcome to wear a splash of purple (e.g. ribbon, etc)

To learn more or to reach out to us