John Monash Science School

Peter Corkill

Principal

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all new parents, teachers and students to the JMSS community, and of course a sincere welcome back to those of you who were with us in 2018. I hope everyone managed to have a relaxed time with family and friends over the summer break from school, and took the chance to recharge for what promises to be another busy year.

The new students have already made a wonderful start to their schooling at JMSS. The Year 10 Camp was another terrific success, my congratulations to Mr Anderson and all the staff for their hard work, and to the students who engaged so willingly with every activity and met all of the challenges on the camp, especially in getting to know as many people as possible and giving everything a go in the true JMSS tradition.

Our fortnightly newsletters will inform you of some important upcoming events, and report on the highlights of life at JMSS. We urge all members of our community to keep up with the news at JMSS through these newsletters.

 

New Staff at JMSS in 2019

Twelve new members of staff have joined the school, adding to the rich mix of teaching and support staff already at JMSS. We are certainly fortunate to have these people aboard. Welcome to JMSS!

The Class of 2018 – Achievements

We were very proud of yet another outstanding academic performance of the Year 12 class of 2018. In summary the highlights were:

  • 22% of the ATARs 95 or above
  • 50% of the ATARs 90 or above
  • 79% of the ATARs 80 or above
  • 94% of the ATARs above 70 or above
  • Median ATAR 89.85
  • Mean study score 34.4
  • 5 perfect study scores of 50
  • 15% study scores over 40 (doesn’t include first year university subject equivalents)
  • 90% students who studied a first year university subject scored a High Distinction or Distinction – an amazing outcome by any measure!

The Class of 2018 – Where To Now?

The Class of 2018 continued the pattern of high performance in VCE, just reward for their hard work and an affirmation both of the direction we have set for the school and the structures we have put in place to monitor and support our students. We now have some early information on first round offers and destinations:

Summary Statistics

  • Total number of Year 12 students 232, of which 227 submitted VTAC preferences
  • 5 of the 232 students will be completing a 3 year VCE this year at JMSS
  • Out of 227 students who submitted VTAC preferences 226 received first round offers
  • 99.56% progressed to tertiary education in first round offers
  • 1 student did not receive a first round offer due to not meeting the ATAR requirements
  • 2 students have been made an offer to study Medicine at Monash
  • Out of 227 students 205 (90.30%) were offered a course in a STEM related field
  • 51.10% of students were made an offer to Monash
  • 124 students received their first preference

Destinations

Recent Events

The school has been busy over the holiday break as well as in the first three weeks of school. In summary, the following mix of international trips, local camps and on-site incursions demonstrate the rich mix of activity which characterises life at JMSS:

  • January 6th – 16th: Six students and two members of staff attended the annual Thailand Science Fair hosted by one of our partner schools MWITS in Bangkok, followed by student exchange activities;
  • January 15th – 29th: Twelve students and two members of staff joined the Japanese Language trip to Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo, including an extended stay with another of our partner schools Ritsumeikan High School in Kyoto;
  • Year 10 Induction Camp - January 30th - February 1st in the Monash Halls of Residence;
  • Annual JMSS Swimming Carnival, Wednesday 13th February;
  • Flight across Antarctica with the Royal Society, attended by ten students and one member of staff, on Sunday 10th February;

My sincere thanks to all of our staff who planned and led these events so well, and to the students who represented the school so brilliantly. I look forward to fuller reports on these events in this and subsequent issues of our Newsletter.

 

School Council Elections

As our School continues to grow it is important we are able to draw on the experience, expertise and energy of members of our parent community to continue to guide JMSS through the next stage of its development, characterised by new Strategic Plan which is now in its second year. If you would like to be involved, now is the time to put yourself forward.

We have two vacancies for positions on School Council, one for a two year term, and one for a one-year term. This is due to two Councillors finishing their current terms.

Nomination forms will be available by clicking the following link:

2019 School Council Election Information

Should there be more nominations than vacancies, we will proceed to an election, and will contact you again once nominations are closed.

Parents who do not wish to stand for election to join Council may still wish to contribute to one of our Council Subcommittees: Programs and Policies, Facilities or Finance. If you are interested in any of these please contact either myself or our Business Manager Mrs Alison Galloway at school via phone (99051002) or email (peter.corkill@jmss.vic.edu.au, or alison.galloway@ jmss.vic.edu.au).

 

Parents and Friends Association

Our Parents and Friends Association is looking forward to another fantastic year at JMSS. There is much ongoing enthusiasm for our school and we continue to build on the energy generated over recent years. Our PFA organises social functions for parents as well as raising much needed funds for the school.   If you would like to join I am sure they would love to see you at their meetings.

 

Homestays for our Rural Exchange Students

We intend to launch the opportunity for families to host one of our visiting students from regional Victoria at the ‘Meet the Mentor’ night, next Monday evening. If you would like to host one of these students, we would love to hear from you. Hosting one or more of these students for their time at JMSS is an outstanding opportunity for our own students to get to know people who live in a very different situation to our own. Having been involved in such programs at JMSS and at previous schools, I can say honestly it is an opportunity for lifelong friendships to form, and a chance to offer these young Victorians an opportunity they would never otherwise access. We look forward to your support in providing a life-changing experience for a fellow young Victorian.

There are TWO exchanges this year, one in early term two, and one in early term three.

 

I would ask  families interested in hosting a student to please email Martine St Leon at school – martine.stleon@jmss.vic.edu.au. You will then be emailed a form to complete and return to the school. It would be good to have our homestay families for the exchange known by the middle of March. We will be in touch soon after to arrange a meeting to give you further information and answer any questions you may have.