Middle Years

Exciting times in the Middle Years 

This has been an exciting week for the Middle Years students. The Year 9s are either ready to depart or already undertaking their Vietnam Experience, with Group 1 already in the mountains west of Hanoi and Group 2 eager to depart this Sunday. The Year 8s are on their Mt Stirling Winter Experience, and the Year 7s have been enjoying the serenity of being the only Year level in the MYPEC this week. Excitement has been in the air for all three Year levels.

Excitement is one of the most powerful emotions our students experience, and I encourage them to see it not as something to suppress, but as something to harness.

When students feel excited, their brains are more alert, engaged, and open to new ideas. The trick isn't calming that energy down; it's channelling it somewhere useful. The same buzz the Year 8s feel about coming back from camp can be redirected into research and curiosity about other tasks. Even the excitement of catching up with friends at recess can carry into a more positive, connected classroom afterwards.

Excitement, like any strong emotion, isn't something to shut down; it's a resource. When students learn to notice it and steer it with intention, it becomes fuel for curiosity, effort, and connection. Harnessing this excitement becomes an important skill for our Middle Years students as they move into the Senior Years here at the College.

I do hope these excited conversations continue at home too!

Dr Ben Hawthorne

Head of Middle Years