From the Principal

Hello everyone, what a wonderful week we have had. Twenty Year 7&8 netballers competed on Tuesday in the senior schools netball tournament against students from private, catholic, academy and other government schools.

The Year 7 & 8 team finished 4th, whilst our Year 8 team finished 2nd. Well done girls and thankyou to Kim Rattue and Evangeline Romage for their coaching.

Our VCE – VM Year 12 students travelled to Carlton and visited the Victorian Trades Hall. Whilst some of our Year 10 students spent time on the beach looking at crabs.

Our annual ANZAC day service was held on Wednesday. Bridie Borthwick and Molly Pearce-Decker; College Captains, led the service and were outstanding. The Drum and Flag Corps signaled the beginning of the service by marching through the main courtyard. Thank you to Paul Papettas and Kellie Nottle for guiding our young people.

Molly and Bridie, welcomed everyone including invited dignitaries, many of whom also laid a wreath. They included:

The Federal Member for Flinders – Ms Zoe McKenzie MP - thank you for taking the time to join us for this occasion.
The State Member for Eastern Victoria Region – Mr Tom McIntosh MP
Member for Mornington – Mr Chris Crewther MP
Member for Eastern Victoria Region - Dr Renee Heath MP
Councilor for Mornington Peninsula Shire Council (Briars Ward) – Despi O’Connor & Steve Holland
Chief Executive Officer for Committee for Mornington Peninsula – Mr Joshua Sinclair
Students of Mornington Park Primary School
Principal and students of Benton Junior College – Ms Melissa Wisniewski
Mr Col and Mrs Jenny Mason – School Council President
President of the Mornington RSL - Ms Merryn Cooper
Mornington Rotary Clubs Youth Chair - Ms Judy Seagar and member Ms Julia Bickers
Mt Martha Rotary Clubs Youth Service Chair - Rev Peter Wiltshire and Secretary Elect Mr Wayne Norris
Members of Lions Club
Members of Freemasons Grand Lodge of Victoria
Representatives from Pier Marketing
Representatives from Bunnings
Representatives from Mornington District Basketball Association

They were extremely complimentary of our students, those whom were part of the service and the students in the audience. They were extremely respectful.

This year we also invited parents, friends and families, which was lovely to see.

The Victorian Police Pipeband are always a highlight and they are always extremely supportive of ANZAC day and Remembrance day ceremonies.

Baden Southurst played the Last Post, followed by a minute’s silence and Ellie sung the National Anthem. The assembly ended with all dignitaries marching behind the Drum Corps to our Avenue of Honour, where the names of the fallen men and women from Mornington are read out.

Yesterday was also a very proud day with many of us marching up Main St, Mornington to the sound of the beat of the Drum Corps.

Bridie and Molly read the requiem at Memorial Park in Barkly Street.

Thankyou to the many staff and students who participated in the march and our service at school.

Have a wonderful weekend and thankyou for your support.

Linda Stanton

Principal

Important Dates

Term 2

Monday 29th April to Wednesday 1st May - Year 10 Outdoor Ed Otways Camp

May

Wednesday 8th May - Year 7 Cross Country

Thursday 16th May - Year 10 Careers Expo

Friday 17th May - Staff Professional Development Day - Student free

Wednesday 22nd to Friday 24th May - Year 7 Camp - The Summit

June

Tuesday 4th June - Year 12 TRAG Excursion

Thursday 6th to Friday 14th June - Year 10 and 11 Mid Year Exams

Monday 10th June - King's Birthday - Public Holiday

Monday 17th June - Semester 2 Begins

Tuesday 18th June - Year 12 GAT

Thursday 20th to Friday 21st June - Year 12 Outdoor Ed Snow Camp

Friday 21st June - SMR Cross Country - Ballam Park

Tuesday 25th June - 2025 Course Information Evening - 5.00 to 7.00pm

Thursday 27th June - Year 12 Fancy Dress Evening - Frankston Arts Centre

Friday 28th June - Last Day of Term 2 - 2.30pm Dismissal

Follow us on

Don't forget to look on compass for sport sign ups, excursions and any other information sent to students and parents.

Below is a link to help guide you in your use of compass.

https://mornsc.vic.edu.au/for-parents/compass-parent-guide/

Middle School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We have so many talented students at Mornington Secondary College!

Our Year 7 & 8 netballers played particularly well at the Casey netball tournament yesterday. Congratulations to all of the students. See Kim Rattue’s report for more details.

Mrs Keen is working very hard with our aerobic teams who compete early next month. They are very committed and worked on their routine during the holidays too!

And today, I watched our Year 7 flag bearers and Drum Corps play as we commemorated ANZAC day at school. Drum Major Travis Wilson led the drummers and flagbearers. Tomorrow, we march to Memorial Park in Barkly Street. We all feel very proud to march as members of the Mornington Secondary College community.

I wanted to mention Alyssa Molyneaux and wish her all the best in the Climbing National Championships

Alyssa will be competing in the Sports Climbing National Championships next week. She is currently ranked 2nd in Victoria and will be representing the state over a 4-day competition.

Due to Alyssa’s current ranks, she has received an invitation to represent Victoria at the Australian Youth Championships in April 2024 in QLD.

It is such and honour to be representing the state at such a young age, and this is obviously a continuation on from last year’s results, and in line with last year’s role as Year 7 Sports Captain.

We believe that Alyssa is currently ranked 3rd in Australia and New Zealand.

Unfortunately, we will not see her at the Paris Olympics as she has to be 15. Alyssa has said that she hopes to make the next Olympics!

Congratulations to all of our champions!

Wishing you a great week.

Denise Leggett

Middle School Assistant Principal

Senior School

To students and families of the Mornington Senior School,

As I write this, we are busy preparing for our ANZAC Day commemorations at school and for our participation in the Mornington ANZAC ceremony on ANZAC Day itself. There is no doubt of all the schools I’ve been at or had colleagues work at, Mornington does the ANZAC (and Remembrance Day) service better than anyone else. The number of people within the school and local community who pitch in to make the day special is a great example of how community can work together to achieve fantastic outcomes.

While I’m writing about outcomes, I wanted to make mention of the work our Senior School students are doing each and every day to work towards their personal best. Often a portion of my time is taken working with students and their families to redirect their efforts back towards successful outcomes, whether that be with more regular attendance, wearing full school uniform to be part of our MSC community, completing classwork or respecting the rights of all learners in classes.

However, the majority of our students are doing everything I mentioned above. They turn up, day in, day out, in full school uniform, are on time to their classes with their learning materials, try their best most of the time, are respectful to other learners and to their teachers and try to get just a little bit better each day. They are my heroes; they are our future; they are our Mornington.

So, when our Year Level teams and/or teachers spend time following up on the behaviours, actions, work habits and attitudes that don’t meet our high expectations, that’s why. It’s not to make the lives of those individuals harder, it’s to make the lives of the majority those doing the right things, easier. We look forward to your support in helping to have every student live the best life they can. Lives made possible by those brave ANZACs so many decades ago.

Lest we forget,

Nick Evans

Senior School Assistant Principal

NAPLAN 2023

How fantastic is this! We are looking forward to this year's results too!

Mornington Secondary College are the yellow bar and network schools are in light blue.

Great work all teachers! Great teaching and learning!

Great work English!

Great work Literacy!

Meet Members of the Drum and Flag Corp

Nikki Huebers - I will be marching for my Great Grandpa Heinz Huebers, he was a Dentist in WW2. He risked his life in order to protect his country.

Madeleine Taylor - I march in honour of all the men and women who sacrificed their lives to protect others.

Travis Wilson (Drum Major) - I will be marching for my Uncle Alan Artus. He died during WW2 while fighting the Germans in Flanders Fields.

Evie Evans - I will be marching in memory of my Great Grandfather and my Nana’s Brother’s. They all fought in WW2. It is important to remember their courage, strength and sacrifice.

Beren Adiguzel - I am marching in memory of Harry Murray - he commanded the 26th Battalion in North Queensland until August 1942. I respect and acknowledge all people who served in Wars.

Dean Long - I will be marching in memory of my Great Great Great Grandfather Michael Long, he fought in WWI and WWII. He sacrificed his life to shape this world and make it a better place.

Tuning into Teens

A free program for parents and carers of young people aged 10 to 18 years old.

Would you like to:

Better understand your teen?
Communicate effectively with your teen?
Help your teen manage their emotions?
Prevent behaviour challenges in your teen?
Support your teen to manage conflict effectively?

Our seven week Tuning into Teens® program teaches parents how to help their teen develop emotional intelligence. Teenagers with higher emotional intelligence:

Have more stable and satisfying relationships
Are better at managing peer pressure
Are lower risk of mental health and substance concerns
Have greater success making friends
Are more able to manage conflict
Have greater career success.

Where: Mornington Secondary College (conducted by Bronwen Hocking and Family Life)

When: Thursdays, July 25th – Sept 5th

Time: 9-11am

Cost: FREE

Suitable for: Parents with young people aged 10 -18 years

Eligibility: Families

If Interested: Please contact Bronwen Hocking from the Wellbeing Team. Email: BHO@mornsc.vic.edu.au

Phone: 5970 0200

Netball Squad Report

This Tuesday our twenty Year 7 8 girls netball squad participants competed in the Senior Schools Netball tournament at Casey. The tournament was made up of 58 teams from Year 7-12 from private, catholic, academy and public school all around Melbourne.

Our combined Year 7&8 team had a strong start with some big wins. The girls played hard and held their ground against a strong Rowville academy team, falling short to both them and St Margaret Girls Grammar school. They finished a very respectful 4th in their section at the end of the day.

Our Year 8 team had a tough start, losing by 2 goals to Rowville Academy in their first game. They regrouped and had some big wins, showing lots of flexibility and some great linkups, finishing second overall and making it to the Grand-final after their 7 rounds. The Grand-final saw them up against Rowville academy who were just too strong in the Grand-final, beating our girls by 6 goals. A silver medal was an amazing achievement for our first tournament!

A big congratulations to all our girls today. Their on and off court behaviour was exemplary and we had the privilege of coaching two teams who displayed some awesome netball skills and excellent teamwork.

Kim Rattue & Evangeline Romage

Pathways Update - Year 9 Careers

My Career Insights (Morrisby) is a free program for all Year 9 students in Victorian Government secondary schools. This program is designed to help students discover, develop and drive their career planning. It's a unique opportunity for them to learn more about their strengths and abilities while exploring potential career options – giving them the confidence to start taking control of their future. Morrisby Profiling, through a series of timed aptitude assessments and multiple-choice questions, was completed by students in Term 1. Last week during a one-on-one meeting with a Morrisby-trained professional Career Practitioner, the Profile was explained to the student. Students who participated in My Career Insights have lifetime access to their own Morrisby account with the opportunity to re-complete all the assessments to ensure that the Morrisby Profile is always current. Students can access and review their Profile via the Morrisby website.

Year 10 Outdoor and Environmental Studies Otways Camp

On Monday 22nd April 15 students from Mr Walker’s Year 10 Outdoor and Environmental Studies class headed off from school at 7.00am bound for the Otways National Park for a three-day hike. We arrived at Apollo Bay around midday and unpacked the trailer of all our hiking packs before heading over to the shops to grab some lunch. We set off from Apollo Bay along the magnificent coastline watching waves curl up and crash onto the sand and rocks. We were incredibly lucky with the weather with blue skies and sunshine. The ocean stretched out before us in stunning deep blue and turquoise colours. The track undulated up and down taking us from the beach sections up into the elevated grass hills. We left the coastline and headed up into the forest to seek out our first campsite at Elliot Ridge. It was a tough climb up the spur line with our heavy backpacks testing our fitness levels and determination. We made it to the campsite around 4.00pm which gave us plenty of time to set up our tents and start cooking on our Trangia’s before the sun faded away. We had a visit from a very friendly Parks Victoria ranger who was there to resupply the drop toilets and to check that everything was O.K. Everyone was tired, so it wasn’t long before we headed for our tents to get some rest.

The next day after packing up camp and repacking our backpacks we started to head towards our second campsite at Blanket Bay. We walked through beautiful cool temperate rainforest with tree ferns and very tall eucalyptus trees. The track had dried out significantly from last year which had horrendous mud due to the very high rainfall of repeated La Nina weather cycles. We had plenty of stops along the way to rest as walking uphills with heavy backpacks is quite a physical task! The students were exceptional, encouraging each other and staying positive. Along the way we encountered a Tiger snake on the track that we took a wide berth around. It minded its own business and didn’t seem too stressed by us. After about 4-5 hours of walking, we headed down Telegraph track which would take us to Blanket Bay. Through the trees we could see the beach again which signalled that we were nearly there! We walked along Blanket Bay beach then up about 15 steps to our beautiful little campsite which overlooked the bay and out onto the ocean. We set-up our tents and then went down to the beach to sooth our feet in the cool sea water. After a bit of beachcombing, searching for crabs and playing Uno we headed back up to our campsites to cook our dinner.

We were lucky with the weather yet again as it started to rain as soon as we headed into our tents for the night. All night we could hear the pitter pater of rain on our tents which was quite relaxing. Around 5.00am I could hear the rain really start to get heavy and I was not looking forward to packing up at first light in the rain. Again, our luck held out and the rain stopped just before we got up at 6.30am. Everyone did a stellar job of packing up quickly and we were on the move headed towards Cape Otway lighthouse at 7.15am. The first section of our last day of hiking was tough with a couple of steep hills into and out of small beach coves to navigate. A few students and Miss Gamble had a few blisters to content with which is every hiker’s worst nightmare! Band-Aids and grit were the order of the day here! For the last few kilometres of hiking, we were perched high up on clifftops overlooking the ocean which was spectacular.

The Cape Otway Lighthouse was perched out in front of us like a beacon of hope, our destination! Upon reaching the lighthouse we sorted our gear and loaded the trailer. We boarded the bus and accessed our bus bags which had fresh clothes and some goodies that we were looking forward to. On the road back to Apollo Bay we encountered a Koala making a dash for it across the road. It was a quick lunch stop at Apollo Bay and then homeward bound back up through the twisty forest road and onwards towards the M1. The bus was quiet on the way home which was not surprising. We had a good run home all the way until the Westgate where the traffic became horrendous, taking an hour between the bridge and the tunnel. The students were amazing throughout the whole expedition. They worked well together; they were very respectful of each other at night allowing people to sleep and followed instructions with a real team spirit. They were up to the challenge and supported each other showing determination and a positive attitude. In my final little speech on the bus, I congratulated the group saying that I have been doing this caper for a long time and that I could honestly say that they had been one of the best groups that I have ever taken out. It is my hope that this is the first of many future adventures that our students will have in the great outdoors.

John Walker

Outdoor Education Teacher

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