Middle School Report

Message from the 

Director of  Learning - 

Mr Tom Tahos

I just wanted to congratulate all middle school students and staff for the way they have enthusiastically tackled their learning and embraced co-curricular activities thus far this term. 

Keep up the great work!

We need all members of our school community to be vigilant and consistent with appropriate choices especially around the ‘Westall Way’ expected behaviours, mobile phone expectations, wearing the correct school uniform, getting to class on time, and being ready to learn, which includes having the correct equipment for classes.

 Upcoming key dates

• Tuesday 22/11 and Wednesday 23/11 -Year 10 Exams
• Friday 25/11 – Middle Years Social 
• Monday 28/11- Headstart Begins

Keep smiling and stay safe :)

SKYLINE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

On behalf of the Middle School, we would like to acknowledge and congratulate two of our Year 10 students, Roni Truong and Benedict Espiritu, who have been accepted into the 2023-2024 Skyline Program. Roni and Benedict both demonstrated their determination and creativity throughout the rigorous application process. The two-year Skyline Program is a unique student-centred program designed to support high-ability, gifted, and academically talented young people to reach their full potential by supporting them to remain at school, undertake their VCE and then transition to tertiary education or their career of choice. Well done!

MIND BODY PEDAL Program

All Year 9 and 10 girls participated in the MIND BODY PEDAL Program earlier this term. 

The presenters and staff were very impressed with the way all students engaged and conducted themselves.

This program was a one-day initiative designed 

for female secondary school students that aims to inspire and empower them to get active. Led by a team of experts, MIND BODY PEDAL, sets out to combat the unique barriers that are holding females back from being physically active.

The workshops related to: 

• the MIND - students explored issues such as self-esteem, your inner critic, peer pressure, and challenging social norms. 
• The BODY - the girls engaged in a session devoted to the mind-body connection, facilitated by a qualified yoga instructor. The group also talked about mindfulness as well as learned breathing and stretching exercises. This session was designed to show how important moving your body is.
• The PEDAL - led by Ride2School, the girls participated in a bike ride around the school grounds. The girls were taught Road rules and driver etiquette was also addressed, as well as, a brief history lesson relating to the bicycle.

          All students enjoyed the day.

MAN CAVE

Our Year 9 and 10 boys were involved in a full-day Man Cave program.

The Man Cave is a preventative mental health and emotional intelligence charity, that empowers boys to become great men. The program helps build critical emotional and social skills needed to live flourishing lives for themselves, for their relationships, and for their communities. This early intervention program aims to limit toxic masculinity and reduce rates of anxiety and depression that often lead to harmful outcomes.

The day comprised the following workshops: 

Workshop 1 – Realising my Potential

Boys created their own unique version of healthy masculinity by understanding how gender norms have shaped their perspectives to this point, before being given the choice to grow beyond that. They explored personal identity, their unique strengths, how to care for themselves, and what their values are, which all add to their understanding of how they can reach their full potential. 

In the workshop, boys:

• Learned how gender stereotypes impact their attitudes and behaviour
• Learned to constructively express their thoughts and feelings
• Connected to their values and strengths
• Explored and developed tools and resources to support their personal wellbeing
• Defined values-based vision for the man they want to become

Workshop 2 – Building Respectful Relationships

This workshop guided the boys on how to build healthy relationships across all domains of their life, exploring the support of others, empathy, conflict resolution, expressing needs, power/privilege, and integrity. 

In this workshop, the boys:

• Explored what defines a respectful relationship, especially with women
• Considered the quality of their own relationships
• Took responsibility for the impact of their words or actions on other
• Learned to empathise with each other’s personal stories
• Learned to manage and resolve conflict without violence
• Improved the quality of their relationships with each other

Workshop 3 – Leading in the Community

This workshop completes The Man Cave journey to Manhood and challenges the boys to consider how they will uniquely contribute to their community and the world. 

In this workshop, the boys:

• Defined the values and actions they want to lead by
• Were challenged on how they lead in their community
• Identified the unique needs of their school community
• Defined tangible actions they plan to take in contributing to their community

Mr Tom Tahos

Director of Learning - Middle School

Access Monash - Mentee Recruitment

Thank you to the students who gave up their lunch time to attend this valuable session with Monash University’s Christie Savio.

These students now can complete their registration and have a Monash mentor to support them in their studies in Year 11 and 12.

Ms Geraldine Borgonha

Careers & Pathways Advisor

Forensic Science Escape Room Excursion

 On Monday 10th October, the Year 9 & 10 Forensic Science elective students went to Strike QV to improve their problem-solving and teamwork skills. We were split into three different theme escape rooms: Jailbreak, Casino heist, and Red Manor. The students worked in groups to solve puzzles, riddles, and locks to get to the next section of the escape room. One group escaped the Red Manor in 40 minutes! 

Ms Loan Luong-Nguyen

Numeracy & STEM Learning Specialist