COLLEGE COUNCIL MEETING 20TH MAY 2025

College Council had their monthly meeting on Tuesday 20th May. As the Department of Education has amended their requirements for the school uniforms, VSC will review its uniform policy and update where necessary for the 2026 school year. We expect to form a committee existing of students from years 7 to 10, parents (VSCCA, council and interested others) and school staff to undertake the review and present the results by the end of the year.

The council received an overview of our current international student’s program and how this aligns with our obligations to be a school catering for our local residents/in neighbourhood.

The finance report specifying financial transactions, revenue and expenditures, budget updates, use of credit cards, and the state of the various accounts was approved by council. Last year the finances of VSC were reviewed and the general outcome on the state of our finances was marked as good. We also reviewed the insurance policy regarding the new gymnasium, as the school has contributed substantially to this facility.

The report by the Health and Safety committee was tabled and approved and next month Health and Safety at VSC will continue to be reviewed following a major audit. Student reports/updates were verbally presented by the four students on council.

As with all schools, attendance at school is always an important topic. The issue of school attendance was also recently raised at the Department of Education. The council reviewed its attendance policy and as school attendance is crucial for the development and education of our children, we should always strive to improve school attendance.

Frank Drost – Council President

AUTUMN MUSIC CONCERT THURSDAY 22ND MAY

The VSC Autumn Concert was held in the new school gymnasium last Thursday evening to an extremely large crowd made up of staff, parents, students and extended family and friends.

This was the first of our major concerts for the year and featured performances by the Choir, Junior Band, Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, String Ensemble, Intermediate Band, VCE Rock Band and Stage Band. We are very excited to be holding our first concert in this new performance space.

A huge thank you to all involved including the instrumental music students & staff and a special thanks to Khristian Mizzi for organising the event and to Mike Stevens for attending.

VSC LOOP DRIVEWAY

A reminder to all parents that family cars should not be driven into the school grounds to drop off or pick up students. Please drop your child off in one of the side roads off Morack Road and allow them to walk into the school. At the end of the day for the pick-up please follow the same procedure. We currently have several parents driving into the loop driveway at the end of the day to pick up their child and getting caught in behind or in between the five waiting school buses. Parents are then driving out in the wrong direction. The loop driveway is one-way only with the entrance starting at the Boronia Road end of the school.

While on traffic issues the Whitehorse Council and Victoria Police have requested that I communicate the following message to the school community in relation to road safety and their upcoming enforcement activities:

“Whitehorse Council and Victoria Police are committed to improving the safety of students in the areas surrounding schools. Encouraging motorists to slow down when driving around schools is an important component of our ongoing campaign to reduce the trauma in our community caused by road crashes.

Victoria Police will be concentrating their efforts over the coming months on enforcing speed limits in streets surrounding schools.”

The Department of Education (DE) are also reminding parents/carers about speed limits in designated school speed zones during specified times (8:00 – 9:30 am and 2:30 – 4:00 pm). A reminder that Morack Road at the front of our school has a set speed of 40kmh all year around.

VCE SENIOR SOCIAL - FRIDAY 27 JUNE 2025

The college will again hold its annual VCE Senior Social that commences at 7.00pm and concludes at 11:30pm at Leonda by the Yarra, 2 Wallen Rd, Hawthorn. Parents who are collecting students from the event are requested to arrive well in time for a prompt departure at the conclusion of the evening.

Your consideration and punctuality would be greatly appreciated taking into account the distance of the venue from the Vermont area. Parents must arrange for the collection of students between 11:00 and 11:45pm at the latest.

Students who are not picked up by 12 midnight may be sent home in a taxi/Uber at their own expense.

Students are strongly advised to have a warm coat to wear to and from the social.

It is to be remembered that many senior students are under the age of 18 and therefore activities such as ‘after parties’ are not endorsed by the college.

The wellbeing and safety of your child is of paramount importance and my recommendation would be that all students return to the family home following the social to a fully supervised adult environment. Students are reminded that all normal school rules apply to this event.

UPCOMING EVENTS & KEY DATES

KINGS BIRTHDAY – Monday 9 June 2025

A reminder that the King’s birthday long weekend is Monday the 10th of June.

VSC MID-YEAR REPORT WRITING DAY – Tuesday 17 June 2024

Parents/guardians are also reminded that Tuesday 17th June is a pupil free day. Vermont Secondary College will be using the day as an Assessment and Report Writing Day and students in Years 7 – 10 are not required at school.

NOTE: All Year 12 students completing a VCE Unit 3 & 4 and all Year 11 students completing a VCE Unit 3 & 4 are required to attend on this day for the GAT – see details below.

GENERAL ACHIEVEMENT TEST (GAT) – Tuesday 17 June 2025

General Achievement Test - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority

For ALL students studying a VCE Unit 3 and 4.

GAT Section A – Literacy (Reading and Writing) and Numeracy

9:00 am – 9:15 am Reading time

9:15 am – 11:15 am Writing time

GAT Section B – General knowledge and skills

1:15 pm – 1:30 pm Reading time

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Writing time

SEMESTER TWO BEGINS – Monday 23 June 2025

Reminder to parents/guardians and students that the whole school (Years 7 – 12) moves into the second semester in the last week two weeks of this term starting on Monday the 23rd

of June.

VCE SENIOR SOCIAL – Friday 27 June 2025

7.00pm start and concluding at 11:00pm. Leonda by the Yarra, 2 Wallen Rd, Hawthorn.

TERM TWO 2:30PM FINISH – Friday 4 July 2025

A reminder to the school community that on the last day of Term 2, Friday 4th July, we have a 2:30pm finish. Term 3 begins on Monday the 21st of July, ending Friday 19th of September.

TAX DEDUCTIBLE BUILDING AND LIBRARY FUNDS

As tax time is approaching, parents/guardians are reminded that donations to Vermont Secondary College’s Library Fund and Building Fund are Tax Deductible and the College welcomes donations of any size.

Direct deposits to:

BSB 313-140

Account No: 12050892

Account Name: Vermont Secondary College.

Please use your child’s student code as the identifier. All money raised is used to enhance facilities for your child/ren.