MIDDLE SCHOOL | School Update
YEAR 9 NAPLAN
Shortly, our Year 9 students will participate in NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy). NAPLAN is completed annually by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 and provides valuable information about students’ literacy and numeracy development over time.
As discussed with students during their assembly last week, NAPLAN:
- helps students understand how their skills are developing, and
- supports teachers to identify what is working well in learning programs and where additional support may be needed.
Students will complete four online tests:
- 📖 Reading – understanding a range of texts
- ✏️ Writing – clearly expressing ideas
- 🔤 Language Conventions – spelling, grammar and punctuation
- 🔢 Numeracy – solving maths problems and interpreting data
Important reminders:
- NAPLAN testing will take place on the Senior Campus
- Students will complete the tests online via their laptops
- Students require a charged laptop
- Headphones are required on Friday 13 March
- Mobile phones, smart watches, calculator or dictionary are not permitted
Careers and Pathways
During Optima classes, our Year 9 and 10 students are engaging in careers-related learning to support them in thinking about their future pathways.
On Tuesday 3 March, during Periods 3 and 4, Year 9 students completed their Morrisby Profiling, a world-leading online careers education tool. Morrisby helps students explore their strengths, interests and potential career pathways. In Term 2, students and parents/carers will have the opportunity to review Morrisby Profile Reports with a Career Consultant from the Australian Centre for Careers Education.
Our Year 10 students are also preparing well for their Work Experience program in Week 10 of Term 2 (see Compass Star tab – Work Experience 2026). Work experience placements must be finalised by Monday 16 March. In preparation, students have completed their Career Action Plans during Optima classes. These student-owned plans help clarify strengths, goals and next steps, and can be viewed by parents/carers via Compass (Profile → Insights).
Year 10 students will also attend the VCE and Careers Expo at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in Week 2 of Term 2. Families are asked to provide consent via Compass.
For careers or work experience support, students are encouraged to visit Mrs Rhonda Gifford or Mrs Teena Borshoff in the Careers Office (next to the Middle School Team) during recess or lunchtime on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday. Families may also email workexperience@fhs.vic.edu.au.
Year 10 Wellbeing – Teen Mental Health First Aid
Our Year 10 students will soon participate in Teen Mental Health First Aid training, delivered by trained and accredited facilitators across Terms 1 and 2. This program equips students with skills to recognise signs of mental health challenges in peers and to seek appropriate adult support.
Half of the cohort will complete the program during Periods 1 and 2 on:
- Thursday 12 March
- Thursday 19 March
- Thursday 26 March
The remaining students will complete the training in the first few weeks of Term 2. We are grateful to offer this important program to support student wellbeing and peer support.
Attendance Matters
Finally, we would like to highlight the positive impact that regular school attendance has on student learning and wellbeing. Learning is sequential, and frequent absences can make it more difficult for students to consolidate skills and access timely teacher support.
The Department continues to work closely with Victorian government schools to support attendance levels returning to pre-COVID expectations. We acknowledge that some students may experience anxiety about attending school. Families may find the following resource helpful: School refusal and anxiety about going to school (School refusal and anxiety about going to school | vic.gov.au.)
If you have concerns about your child’s attendance, we encourage you to contact your child’s Sub School Team so we can work together to develop a supportive plan.
Ms Tiffany Greenhill
Campus Principal
Years 9 and 10
We understand families calendar book up quickly. Please see below for some important dates to note.
Click Here for Middle School key contacts
Click Here for Year 9 only Calendar Dates