Senior School Report

Message from the new Director of Learning - Senior School 

- Ms Anna Papagiannopoulos

I would like to start by extending a warm welcome to all our Senior School parents, guardians and students for 2023. After a tumultuous few years, I’m sure we are all eager to get back to some type of normalcy. 

I would also like to introduce myself once again as the new head of the Senior Sub-School. I look forward to working with you in making these last, pivotal years of schooling as stress-free and supportive as possible for our students. Of course, I could not do this without the incredible team of people in the Senior School Management Team for 2023:

Assistant Principal (Years 10-12)

Mr Jason Tickner

Director of Learning (Senior School)

Ms Anna Papagiannopoulos

Year 12 Coordinator

Ms Ellen Rankin

Year 11 Coordinator

Ms Helen Ifandis

Vocational Major (VM) Coordinator

Ms Paula McIntosh

Senior School Education Support

Ms Vicky Karayiannis

Careers and Pathways

Ms Geraldine Borgonha

Headstart Coordinator

Jane Jamieson

I would also like to extend a warm welcome to teachers new to the senior school this year: Ms Donna Yuan, Ms Sian Moore, Mr Jeffrey Ji, Mr Sean Weston, Mr Kristian Gropel, Ms Jessika Cichy and Ms Michelle Collins.

Additionally, I would like to formally introduce the Senior School Captains for 2023:

College Captains

Monineath Seang and Joe Bonnyjose

College Vice-Captains 

Raymond Dang and Niza Yong

Arts Captain

Thica Lim

International Captain

Thida Sok

Vocational Major Captain

Jumaed Tereva

Sports Captains

Alexandros Balatsas-Kartsiounis and Vleniss Tan

Inclusion and Wellbeing Captain

Alexis Beredo

We have already had an incredible start to 2023 with our Year 11 Study Program and Year 12 Camp. Both programs were a great success and have helped our students understand their commitments to their learning and their wellbeing, as well as the wide range of support available to them in the form of the College staff, but also external services and resources. The feedback from the students was glowing and the tone has been set for a great year at Westall.

A hearty congratulations and well done to the organisers of these programs; Ms Ellen Rankin, Ms Helen Ifandis and Ms Paula McIntosh. Further thanks are extended to the Senior School staff, without whom these events would not be possible. 

As we settle into the year, I would like to draw your attention to our online school management system, Compass.

Compass is where most of the information regarding your child’s academic progress, attendance, reports, timetable, extra-curricular events and activities, and behaviour will be posted. Teachers will also use Compass to communicate with you, just as you can use it for the same purpose.

You as the parent/ guardian have your own, individual access to Compass where much of these details will be available.  If you do not know or have forgotten your login, please contact the school as soon as possible so we can provide it for you. We also strongly recommend that you download the Compass app and seek our help in how to use it if need be.

Below are a few reminders for you regarding upcoming Senior School events and processes:

• If your child is going to be absent, please ensure that you contact the school on 9546 3233 and inform us. The Senior School policy is that all absences are explained via a Medical Certificate or Statutory Declaration so as not to affect your child’s attendance.
   
• It is a requirement that VCE students attend at least 90% of their classes in each subject. Not doing so may result in them not achieving a Satisfactory grade and therefore not passing the unit.
• If a student is absent on the day of a SAC, they must provide a Medical Certificate and sit the SAC at the re-scheduled SAC time of the following Wednesday at 2pm – 4pm. If they are not able to attend this, they must reach out to the Senior School team to reschedule this themselves within a week of the original SAC date. 
• Senior students are expected to be in full school uniform.  The specific seasonal uniform items can be found in your child’s school diary.  School shoes should be black and leather and school socks should not have any logos or markings on them. Please note that headscarfs, hijabs and niqabs must be blue or white.
   
• The Department of Education’s policy on mobile phones remains in place; students are not to have their mobile phones between the hours of 9am and 3:15pm. They will be immediately confiscated if seen. If you need to get in contact with your child, please call the school directly.
   
• Finally, the Senior School Information Night will take place this term. Please keep an eye out for the details. This is a great opportunity to meet the Senior School team, chat to teachers and get important information regarding your child’s education. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Thank you,

Ms Anna Papagiannopoulos

Director of Learning – Senior School

Year 12 

Dear Parents/ Guardians/ Westall community members,

My name is Ellen Rankin and I have the pleasure of being the Year 12 Coordinator this year. This is my 5th year at Westall Secondary College and I currently teach Year 11 and 12 VCE Psychology. I love being a coordinator and working with the students to achieve success for their future ahead. I am looking forward to working with you all in supporting our Year 12’s in their final year of schooling.

We have had a fantastic start to the year! On the first day back at school, we embarked on an adventure to Yarra Junction for our Year 12 Camp. It was a great three days full of team bonding activities and success strategies for Year 12. On Monday we heard from our wellbeing coordinator and took part in a consent workshop run by Elephant Education. The VCE students also participated in a VCE success strategies session while the VCE VM students tackled canoeing.

In the evening, everyone got very competitive in a game of trivia! The Tuesday consisted of fun outdoor activities including a flying fox, waterslide, tag archery, beach volleyball, cage soccer and water action tower. The sun came out and everyone had a great time outdoors. The local police also came to talk to us about safe partying and the dangers of vaping. We departed back to school on the Wednesday after a fun musical session from Junkyard Beats where everyone got involved in creating music.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience. I loved getting to know all the Year 12s better and am looking forward to a great year ahead!

Ms Ellen Rankin

Year 12 Coordinator

Year 11 Study Program 2023

The Year 11 students began the new year rejuvenated, ready to start their VCE journey with the year 11 study program. The program is designed to set the scene for the next few years of life and academic experience.

What better way to ‘kickstart’ the week with guest speaker Abdi Aden.  Abdi’s work revolves around community and developing community.

Overcoming hardship, mental health issues, adolescence and difficult social positions are themes that are the core of Abdi’s work. He shared sensitive situations from his own life with incredible humour.  Abdi’s moto is “you can do anything no matter what”. Some of students couldn’t wait to share with Abdi that their parents have his books and love the stories he narrates. 

External provider - Elevate ran study skill workshops for the students to gain knowledge and skills for the year ahead.

VCAA policies and procedures were shared with the students so that they are clear on what is required for satisfactory attendance as well as completion of coursework.

The vocational major students were involved in employability skills and career action plans – thank you to Mr Bottomley, Ms Yuan and Ms Bogonha.

'Yogamigos’ provided health and wellbeing workshops, including Yoga, Pilates and Meditation. The students thoroughly enjoyed stretching, breathing and really being immersed in body, mind and spirit.

The tai Chi instructor from Tai Chi Kung Fu Institute, Oakleigh, led the students in improving strength, aerobic conditioning, flexibility and balance.

Jo Kuzma provided an atmosphere of calmness using art therapy activities including mindful colouring to drive notions of being present and in the moment.

And what a way to finish off the week with the ‘AMAZING RACE’! 

The feedback we received from the year 11 students proved that this activity was the favourite.

Besides the torrential down pour, the students were incredible in navigating their way through and around the central business district, really noticing the great landmarks of beautiful Melbourne!

Ms Helen Ifandis 

Year 11 Coordinator