Middle School Update

Dear Families, Students and Community Members,

I would like begin by introducing myself to the wider school community. My name is Brendan McFarland and I have been given a great opportunity by becoming the Director of Middle School at Mordialloc College. Before starting in the role at Mordialloc College at the beginning of Term 3, I spent 13 years at St Albans Secondary College in various roles ranging from Health and Physical Education Learning Area Coordinator, Year Level Coordinator for Years 9 and 10 and, for the last four years, as a Leader of the Middle School. I am excited to be a member of the Mordialloc College community and look forward to the work ahead.

In Year 7 the students have enjoyed a really positive start to Term 3. Students are currently studying Ancient China, and it was great to see such excitement and enthusiasm for the Ancient China incursion early in the term. On this incursion the students celebrated Chinese history, culture, and craft, engaging in various workshops throughout the day. A highlight was the Dragon Dancers who performed for the whole school during lunchtime. The dynamic (and loud) performance demanded attention and provided a great insight into Chinese celebrations. A huge thank you to Mr Blake Murray who arranged the incursion and to all the Year 7 staff who were involved in the day.

The Year 8s have hit the ground running and look to have settled into Term 3 really well. A focus for them this term was the Medieval Europe incursion. The incursion included various workshops in which the students learnt about medieval weapons & armour, fashion & dress, archery, festivals and finally they experienced a Knight Tournament. At lunch they were treated to a Medieval Feast that the students had prepared during the day. This incursion was made possible due to the hard work of Mr James Sadler. Thank you to him and once again to the staff who were involved and supported on the day.

It is great to see both Year 7 and 8 involved in Sport on Tuesday and Fridays. This an excellent opportunity to engage in some friendly (but also competitive) sport and a way for students to engage with each other and the wider year level cohort. I have been very impressed with the level of participation, engagement and most importantly fun that the students in my table tennis group this term have demonstrated.

Our Year 9s have been working away and seem to be relatively settled. Over the last few weeks Year 9 PE classes have had the opportunity to attend fitness sessions at Globe Athletic. All reports from teachers and students suggest this is a very positive and valuable learning experience, and great way to increase levels of physical activity. On Friday 2 September all Year 9s will be involved in a Wellbeing Day, focusing on building resilience and run by guest presenters, which I am sure will be of great value to all involved. Another exciting event coming up for the Year 9s is the Zoo Snooze, an experience that I am positive will be a first for those lucky enough to attend. 

Finally, a huge thank you to the Mordialloc College community who have been so welcoming and made the start of my role at the College so positive and enjoyable. 

Brendan McFarland

Director of Middle School