Mr Mann & Ms Ryan  

Acting Assistant Principals

To the JMSS Community,

Term 3 started off with dancing, music and in a big way with Harmony Day in Week 1 and since then the term has been filled with a collection of celebrations, creations and activities.

Harmony Day was a celebration of the diverse cultures that we have within the school, with our students being entertained through dance, music and voice. We would like to thank the students who performed in the assembly - their performances were of an exemplary standard and a credit to themselves and those they represented. The student organisers, support staff and tech team did a wonderful job to ensure that the event ran smoothly. We would also like to thank all the students who made an effort to wear cultural dress for the day - the building was a buzz with so many cultures represented. 

Students have also been involved in Art Week, held during Week 2. Organisers ensured that lunchtime activities were diverse, with activities ranging from sculpture creations, mural painting and teacher sketching. Congratulations to the Art Captains for organising such a plethora of activities and enabling so many students to share their creative talents with us all.

Humanities Week was held during Week 5 with various collaborative and competitive activities run throughout the week including debates, multicultural murals, book swaps and trivia quizzes. It was great to see how many students got involved and attended these events as well as the skills and knowledge on display throught the debates and trivia. Thank you to the Humanities Captains, Ms Cohen and Mr Mann for all their hard work.

The culture at JMSS is so important and these events go to show that, regardless of the interruptions that we have had over the past two years, JMSS culture still is strong. Keep up the great work students - your enthusiasm and organisation of these events ensure that our community values of Learning to Live Together remains strong.

A few reminders must also be mentioned in terms of ensuring that students continue to represent our school with pride and rise to the expectations set by the community. 

• Uniform: The professional and consistent manner in which uniform is worn has dropped a little during these colder weeks. Could students please remember to wear only JMSS listed uniform items, and if students are unable to wear the JMSS item of clothing then a note from home must be brought to school so that they can obtain a uniform pass. Students need to get a uniform pass from their House Leaders before recess to ensure that they are compliant. Repeated failure to do so will result in an after school work-management detention.
• Arrival time: Learning time is a precious commodity at the best of times, and no more important than as we near the end of Term 3 and the start of the exam period for all VCE students. A reminder that as every minute counts, students need to make the most of each lesson, and ensure that the class program proceeds without interruption. This means arriving to school and class on time each day. JMSS is open from 8:00am, with students being allowed to access their lockers from 8:20am. Therefore, students should aim to be at school by 8:20am to ensure they are ready for the start of class at 8:40am.
• Mobile phones: As per the Ministerial Order in 2019, all students must ensure that their mobile phones are put in their lockers from the start of the school day until the end of their school day. They must not be taken out and used at breaks. If students are wishing to buy food from the canteen then a physical card, cash or the QKR app pre-purchase are the only methods of payment.

With VCE exams fast approaching please ensure that you take breaks from your studies to complete mindfulness or physical activities. By breaking up your study, you will be able to feel more refreshed and focused during your study time.

The school has a range of support available for students including tutoring programs and after school help sessions. We have a range of alumni students who are available for free walk-up tutoring sessions on Wednesdays for the Year 12s during lunchtime and Year 10s/11s after the co-curricular program. Students wishing to get support should make contact with the alumni students in the Doherty House bridge area during these times.

Thank you to all the students who have worn their masks appropriately this term. Our COVID numbers seem to have reduced in the last few weeks, which, I’m sure, is a true testament to the effectiveness of everyone wearing their masks. Surgical masks are available throughout the school for students that have misplaced their masks. With the VCAA exams fast approaching it is so important that we protect our VCE students to ensure they have a COVID-free journey leading up to, and throughout, the VCAA examination period.

We would like to thank all staff and students for their support as we stepped into our Acting Assistant Principal Roles, especially our colleagues who have taken over some of our classes while we take on these roles. 

Caitlin Ryan & Chris Mann 

Acting Assistant Principals