Melanie Denney

Assistant Principal

Dear Parents/Carers and Students,

The end of term presents an opportunity for students to reflect on the last few months, celebrating the progress they have made and using feedback to plan how they can continue to develop their skills and knowledge over the rest of 2025. Our Year 10 and new Year 11 students should be particularly proud of how well they have adapted to a new social and learning environment. 

The upcoming break presents a good opportunity for students to catch up on work they may have missed or fallen behind on during Term 1. That being said, it is important that students schedule a good amount of time to rest and recuperate from a busy term so that they can return to Term 2 refreshed and ready.

As a school, Term 1 has provided plenty of positives. Here, I am going to focus on our recent general assemblies which have given us an opportunity to acknowledge the achievements of JMSS students and staff and to be inspired by guest speakers. 

As part of the JMSS celebration of International Women’s Day, we were privileged to have Dr Alina Donea as the keynote speaker for our whole school assembly on Friday 7th March. Dr Donea is a Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics and Applied Mathematics at Monash University, and a PhD supervisor in Solar Physics. She specialises in helioseismology, wave mechanics, and solar activity, using Helioseismic Holography to detect solar quakes from satellite images. Her recent work applies AI and deep learning to solar imaging and space weather forecasting. With over 60 publications, she has collaborated with NASA and serves as an expert reviewer for their solar research programs. Dr Donea delivered an inspiring message about the power of curiosity, knowing yourself and your skillset, and being courageous in pursuing your passions. Her ending quote “Never stop doing things for the first time” encouraged students to step out of their comfort zones and be open to trying new things as a means of personal growth and to pursue those things that make them curious.

The 28th March assembly focussed on celebrating the excellence of JMSS students in a range of fields. 

• Mr Chisholm presented the 2024 JMSS Dux Award to two students, Luna Marko and Sohom Choudhary, who both achieved a commendable ATAR of 99.75. 

• The 2024 recipient of the Principal’s Allround Award and Platinum Diploma, Nick Rowe, shared his experience of balancing study with other activities to set the stage for an enjoyable and successful academic year. 

• Students were treated to items from our JMSS Choir, Flute Ensemble and Clarinet Choir, all of which showcased the strength of the music program at the school. 
• The performance of JMSS students at the Monash Division Swimming event shared by Ms Adolph was incredible with students achieving 3rd place or better in all of the 47 events the school competed in, including 30 first places.

A highlight of the assembly was an address from 2016 JMSS alumnus, Orion Zymaris, who is currently completing his PhD in Mathematics at Monash University. 

Orion’s research has led to a proof that solved a 380-year-old mathematical problem related to circle packing. You can read more about Orion’s work here. In addition to sharing some aspects of his work, he also shared the importance of maintaining those activities that bring you joy outside of work/school.

A date for our Year 12s to keep in mind is Monday 28th April. Students will have their initial VTAC briefing at lunchtime on this day where they will hear about important dates and actions required related to VTAC along with other course and planning deadlines. It will also make them aware of early submission dates for some tertiary institutions

I wish all JMSS families a safe and enjoyable break and I look forward to seeing everyone back on Tuesday 22nd April.

Melanie Denney

Assistant Principal