Dear Families, Students and Community Members,

Firstly, a huge congratulations to all students for their efforts during Headstart. After such a uniquely challenging year, sitting their exams in Exam Week, and then some fun and re-engagement during Activities Week, it has been wonderful to see so many students really pushing forward in their learning and starting to set the tone of their school experience in 2021.

We were also pleased to welcome our 2021 Year 7 cohort to the campus on Tuesday. We hope you all enjoyed your induction and made a few new friends along the way.

The Growth of Debating

More than any other year 2020 has shown us how important it is that students develop the critical analysis and thinking skills to be able to deconstruct and evaluate argumentation in both the traditional media and social media. Whilst students do this in all subject areas (for example discussing the ethics behind issues such as genetic engineering in Science or Analysis of Argument in English), students who engage in debating really extend their ability to evaluate a variety of arguments and gain an even deeper understanding of the ways in which different ideas can be challenged, empowering them to make up their own minds about crucial issues that affect our society.

Over the past four years we have enjoyed a range of successes both in our on-site debating programme and our participation in the inter-school debating programme organised by the Debating Association of Victoria. Our teams have performed well against the private schools (regularly beating them) and we have had unprecedented uptake of our Year 9 Debating Elective. Congratulations to all students who have taken on this challenge so far.

Off the back of these successes, in 2021 Mr Vicary and Ms Sears are taking the debating programme to the next level by appointing a leading University Coach to support our students and establishing a debating student leader to chair the programme. We look forward to seeing a growing number of students get involved. If you would like to challenge yourself to be the best you can possibly be at critical thinking and logical reasoning, please sign up by clicking on this link and the team will add you to any correspondence:

Student Snapshot Magazine

Another area of the school growing and becoming stronger across 2020 and into 2021 has been the entirely student developed magazine, ‘The Student Snapshot.’ A huge congratulations to Jack Crowe who first established the magazine two years ago, has shown great leadership in driving it forward, and who now graduates from Year 12. Jack initiated the first edition of the magazine by seeking out other interested students and then starting to develop the style, focus and professionalism of the magazine. Across 2020 it has remained an important voice for students to share their experiences and beliefs and Jack should be proud to leave this legacy behind for future Mordialloc students. From meagre beginnings the magazine now has countless contributors, a wide readership and is regularly cited as one of the highest quality publications many people have seen produced by a student body.

In 2021 the editorial role is passing to Aaliyah Zaph and her team, and we all look forward to seeing it continue to grow into the future. Students who would like to be involved in 2021, please join the Google Classroom using the code: ulfawn

Christmas Reading

The Hub is open again for business as usual and students can now look through a range of new titles and borrow for the holidays. Local libraries are also open again and now is a great time to check out their range of books in preparation for the recreation ahead over the holidays. Many online booksellers also offer significant discounts in their busiest season.

School Magazine

The school magazine will be delivered to students this Friday during lessons in celebration of the good work of our school community this year. Copies will also be available from the front office. A huge well done to James Nicklen, James Saddler, Megan Furphy and Rachael Pierce for their efforts to bring it together.

We hope all students and families have a restful and safe holiday. The final newsletter of the year will be available next Wednesday.

Mr McConchie

English Specialist Teacher and Literacy Coordinator

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