Secondary School

Year 7

Year 7 Music – Exploring Program Music

This term, Year 7 Music students have been diving into the world of Program Music—instrumental music that tells a story. Often seen as the foundation of modern film scores, program music paints vivid scenes using only sound.

In the first half of the term, students learned and performed the melody of In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg on piano or guitar. This piece tells the story of Peer Gynt as he ventures into a cave and is chased out by trolls after refusing to marry one of them.

With their performance skills developed, students have now turned to their creative side. Each student has imagined and designed their own creature or monster, using AI image generation tools to visualise it. They then created a backstory and description for their character.

The next step is composition. Using digital audio workstations like GarageBand or Soundation, students will compose original pieces of music that reflect their creature’s personality and story.

We can’t wait to hear the results of their hard work and creativity!

Year 8

Artmaking Students Showcase Talent Through Skateboard Deck Designs

Year 8 students in the Artmaking Elective at MAG have recently completed an exciting project, designing and decorating their own skateboard decks. The task encouraged students to explore personal themes while drawing inspiration from leading contemporary Australian street artists.

Throughout the term, students studied the distinctive styles of Mulga the Artist, Beastman, Lukas Kasper and Claire Foxton. Inspired by these artists, they developed original designs that reflected their chosen concepts and growing technical skills.

The final skateboard decks display a wide range of vibrant imagery from stylised portraits and dreamlike creatures to geometric patterns and bold colour schemes. Each deck is a personal interpretation of street art, showcasing the students' creativity and artistic development.

An exhibition of the completed decks is planned for later this term, with families and the wider school community invited to celebrate the students’ achievements.

Our Year 8 Students Diving into History

Our Year 8 students are diving into history with enthusiasm as they explore the Expansion of the Polynesians unit. They have been investigating ancient voyaging, rich cultural traditions and the remarkable journeys that shaped the Pacific region. It's an exciting opportunity for students to connect with the past and understand the enduring impact of Polynesian exploration.

Year 8 Drama – A Dive into Melodrama

This semester, Year 8 students were introduced to the exciting world of Drama. Through energetic physical games, character-building exercises and improvisation activities, they developed key performance skills and built confidence on stage.

Our focus for the term was Melodrama — the classic theatrical style featuring a clear villain, a heroic protagonist and a damsel in distress. Students explored this dramatic form and then brought it to life through their own devised scripts, inspired by the soap opera format. These scripts were filmed and edited on their phones, echoing the fast-paced drama reels often seen on social media.

The storylines were full of twists and turns: hearts were broken, identities swapped, crimes committed, forced marriages arranged and justice (sometimes) served. The creativity on display was outstanding, with each student contributing to wonderfully over-the-top melodramatic moments.

We’re incredibly proud of the effort, imagination and growth shown by all our budding dramatists this term!

Year 10

Year 10 Commerce Students Pitch Big Ideas for Global Impact

The Year 10 Commerce course empowers students to think like entrepreneurs, combining creativity, critical thinking and business skills to design innovative solutions to real-world problems. From app development to persuasive pitching, students are exploring how business can be a force for positive global change. 

As part of a recent unit, students designed conceptual apps that address significant global issues, aligning their ideas with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Among the imaginative prototypes were an app that connects grocery stores with food banks to reduce waste, a clean water locator, and a meal planner that helps households minimise food waste by using up ingredients already in their fridge. Here is an example of the innovative app proposed by Matilda Medland and Eliza Medland. 

The culmination of the project was a dynamic pop-up exhibition in one of the Senior School’s flexible learning spaces, where 14 students showcased their ideas across seven interactive stalls. In a simulation of a venture capital pitch, they presented their apps to an audience of nearly fifty guest judges drawn from Years 7 to 9. This experience allowed students to receive constructive feedback while developing their confidence, communication skills, and entrepreneurial mindset in a realistic setting.

By focusing on global issues that matter most to them, students were highly engaged throughout the process. The hands-on nature of the task provided real-world context for learning and offered a glimpse into the challenges of taking an idea from concept to prototype.

The students responded with creativity and insight, demonstrating not only an awareness of current and emerging global issues but also their personal passions and commitment to positive change. The skills they practised—innovation, collaboration and problem-solving—are ones that will serve them well in future careers, including those that don’t yet exist.

The Commerce elective, available to students in Years 9 and 10, continues to be a powerful platform for cultivating future-ready learners who think globally and act with purpose.

Year 10 Compass Camp Reflection – Finding Direction Through Experience and Reflection

The Year 10 Compass Camp, held from 10–13 June 2025, was an inspiring and transformative experience for all involved. Centred in the heart of Melbourne, the camp was thoughtfully designed to help students begin shaping their future through exposure to career pathways, social justice issues, team building, and personal growth. The overarching goal — finding direction through experience and reflection — was clearly realised through a dynamic and enriching program.

A major highlight of the camp was the unique opportunity for students to explore a wide range of career and tertiary education pathways. Visits to the Carlton Football Club and the Victoria Racing Club at Flemington Racecourse provided valuable insight into the breadth of careers available in the sporting industry — from athlete development and coaching to media, management, and event coordination. These visits opened students’ eyes to the practical and diverse opportunities in sport beyond the playing field.

Equally enriching was the exposure to some of Victoria’s leading universities — the University of Melbourne, RMIT University, Victoria University, and La Trobe University. Walking through these campuses, engaging with staff, and learning about the varied courses and pathways helped students visualise themselves in a tertiary setting. These visits planted the seeds of aspiration and broadened their understanding of what higher education can offer.

A particularly impactful element of the camp was the focus on social justice. Students visited the Melbourne City Mission’s Frontyard Services, where they gained a deeper understanding of youth homelessness, the challenges vulnerable young people face and the crucial support networks available to them. Additionally, through their encounter with The Big Issue magazine, students explored how initiatives aimed at empowerment and dignity can transform lives. These experiences stirred empathy and global awareness, encouraging students to consider how their future choices might contribute positively to society.

Beyond academic and social learning, the camp fostered deep personal development. Activities such as rock climbing and navigating the city via public transport required teamwork, resilience and mutual support. Students challenged themselves physically and mentally, often stepping outside their comfort zones. These shared challenges brought the cohort closer together, building friendships grounded in kindness, encouragement, and acceptance.

Throughout the week, students demonstrated care and compassion for one another. They helped each other navigate unfamiliar environments, celebrated one another’s strengths, and embraced individual differences. The camp environment became a space where students could truly be themselves — safe, supported and celebrated.

As a fun and reflective way to wind down the experience, students also enjoyed a visit to the IMAX theatre, offering a chance to relax and appreciate the power of storytelling and visual learning.

Ultimately, the Year 10 Compass Camp was more than just an excursion — it was a journey of self-discovery. Students returned with a clearer sense of direction, greater confidence in themselves, and a deeper appreciation for their peers and the broader world. The camp’s blend of career exploration, university insight, social consciousness, and team building has laid a strong foundation for the choices and challenges that lie ahead in their senior years and beyond.

Student Reflections

"Year 10 Camp has been an amazing experience and a valuable opportunity to explore the city, gain insight into university life, and collect important information about future career pathways."

Written by Ava Whitbourn 

"Going to the year 10 camp has been a great way to get to know people outside of your friend group and stretch people out of their comfort zone whether intellectually or physically. The camp has given us many opportunities to spend time with friends in the city as free time and has been quite educational."

Written by Evie Bassett

"Having the chance to visit and experience a range of universities and how they operate has given me a new perspective on what university life is really like. I've come away with a lot of valuable knowledge and a clearer idea of what I might want to pursue after school, which has been incredibly helpful."

Written by Declan Miller

"Year 10 Camp has been quite the experience. From visiting universities to hearing moving stories about homelessness, we’ve had a wide range of opportunities. We explored the Queen Victoria Market and toured the Flemington Racecourse. Overall, it's been an eye-opening and enriching trip. I’d highly recommend it to future students—it really makes you appreciate how fortunate you are, and gives you a realistic glimpse into what life after school, particularly at university, could be like."

Written by Bella Kendrick

Years 11 and 12

Year 11 Legal Studies Excursion to Deniliquin Court House

On Wednesday 11th June, the Year 11 Legal Studies class travelled to the Deniliquin Court House to observe the day’s proceedings. As part of our studies, we had previously learned about court etiquette, which we were able to put into practice. This included no food or drink, no talking, bowing to the magistrate upon entering and exiting the courtroom, and the prohibition of electronic devices.

Throughout the day, students observed several matters conducted via Audio Visual Link (AVL), where the accused appeared from custody. They also witnessed a range of in-person hearings, including traffic offences such as driving while unlicensed, driving above the prescribed concentration of alcohol, and driving with illicit substances present in the system. In addition, students observed criminal matters such as resisting arrest, assaulting police, breaches of intervention orders, and larceny.

We were fortunate to have Magistrate Humphries generously give up 20 minutes of her time to speak with the students about her career and to answer a wide range of insightful questions.

A big thank you to the Deniliquin Court for allowing us to visit, and to Ms Thompson for organising this valuable learning experience.

Scoring Stories: Year 11 Students Compose for the World of Video Games

This term, our Year 11 Music students have been immersed in the world of video game composition, exploring how music enhances storytelling, builds atmosphere and brings characters to life. As part of their composition portfolio, students were tasked with creating original scores to match the trailers of three diverse and visually distinctive games: Untitled Goose Game, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture and Stray.

Each trailer presented unique challenges and creative opportunities. Untitled Goose Game, with its quirky tone and stealthy chaos, inspired students to experiment with playful motifs and environmental sampling, often incorporating unconventional instruments and Foley techniques to echo the goose’s mischievous antics.

In contrast, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture invited a more emotional and ambient approach. Students responded to the game’s haunting visuals and slow, contemplative pacing with minimalist textures, layered harmonies and evolving soundscapes that captured the sense of isolation and wonder present in the game’s narrative.

Stray, which follows a cat navigating a futuristic, robot-filled city, encouraged students to combine synthetic and acoustic elements. Their compositions explored electronic textures, rhythmic pulses, and melodic fragments that reflected both the sleek urban setting and the small, curious protagonist.

Each student rose to the challenge with creativity and thoughtfulness, engaging deeply with the visuals and making deliberate, expressive musical choices. Their ability to adapt their compositional style to suit the tone and pacing of each trailer was impressive, and the final works reflect a high level of skill and imagination.

Throughout the project, students documented their compositional decisions in a digital portfolio, explaining how they used musical elements such as pitch, texture, and dynamics to respond to specific visual cues and emotional beats in the trailers.

This unit has not only helped students deepen their understanding of composition techniques and sound design but also introduced them to the growing field of game audio. The results speak for themselves each student should be proud of their efforts and the original music they have created.

Sustainability Excursion Report – Year 11 and 12 Agriculture and Primary Industries

Our recent sustainability excursion was a valuable and engaging day for the Year 11 and 12 Agriculture and Primary Industries students. We explored a range of practices aimed at balancing environmental and commercial demands in the local area.

Our first stop was Torrumbarry Weir, where students examined water management strategies designed to balance the needs of the environment, Indigenous communities, farmers, towns, industry and recreation. We examined flood mitigation, the removal of invasive European carp and the provision of native fish ladders to support aquatic ecosystems.

Next, we visited Gunbower Estate, where students enjoyed a tour of the historic homestead and antique farm machinery. We observed water quality in the local creek and assessed different soil types, linking these to land capability classes.

The day concluded with a visit to McGillivray’s dairy farm, where Fergus McGillivray (Year 11) gave a fantastic overview of daily farm operations. Students learned about flood irrigation from the creek, the advantages of a pipe and riser system and the role of a water recycling dam. We also examined soil types and pasture species, including lucerne. Before leaving, we were fortunate enough to witness the first milking of cows in the herringbone dairy.

A massive thank you to Matt and Vicky McGillivray for generously hosting us and providing a relaxing and delicious lunch. Thanks also to Mr Eacott for accompanying us and supporting the students throughout the day. Students also appreciated the use of vests generously sponsored by the Jettner family of Connect Irrigation and Ag.

Mrs Carolyn Smith

Science, Agriculture and Primary Industries Teacher

Celebrating Students' Achievements

Year 9 student Finn Murphy selected for NSW All Schools AFL Team 

Our Year 9 student Finn Murphy recently tried out for the CIS U15s AFL Team and was selected to compete at the NSW All Schools Carnival in Albury earlier this week.

After impressing at the CIS Trials, Finn was named Vice Captain of the CIS team. He played strongly across the tournament, with a highlight being his five-goal performance up forward.

His outstanding efforts across the two-day carnival led to his selection for the NSW All Schools Team, which will compete in Queensland this July.

Our school community is proud of Finn’s achievements and we look forward to following his journey at the next level. Well done, Finn!