From the Principal

Welcome back.

Term 4 has begun with gusto. Staff are busy organising for the Year 7 & 8 showcase, 18th October. During the showcase students will have the opportunity to share their school work with families and the wider community. Please save the date.

Staff are also organising the annual Valedictory Dinner, 17th October. This is always a beautiful night recognising and congratulating our Year 12 students.

Year level assemblies have been held this week. Potential College Captains for 2024 addressed each year level with a short speech. Students across all year levels will have the opportunity to vote for candidates in the next couple of days.

The Canine Comprehension program is dog-assisted programs which aims to support 10 students with mental health and wellbeing. A Canine Comprehension handler (mentor) and their Animal Assisted Therapy dog attended the school on Monday for an incursion and delivered one of the four programs: Communication on the inside and out, Friendship and Responsibility, Beyond Lockdowns, and Grief and Loss. These sessions explore strategies to assist with anxiety, mindfulness techniques, and interpersonal and social skills, including listening, team building and verbal communication skills. The presence of a therapy dog is intended to calm students, allowing them to open up about their difficulties and experiences and discuss them with the mentor.

Students also represented the school by participating in a School Sport Victoria competitive sporting event. Results are still pending.

Last night I had the privilege of speaking at the Mornington Rotary Club about the direction and fantastic initiatives Mornington Secondary College are implementing, including becoming a more inclusive school by working with our Indigenous youth and the Centre for Multicultural Youth.

Scholarship testing for 2024 Year 7 students will take place early next week. There are 5 academic scholarships with $350 bursary. The successful candidates will have the bursary placed into their account, to be used for all things educational.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Linda Stanton

Principal

Important Dates

OCTOBER

09/10/23 - 12/10/23 | Year 11 Outdoor Ed Camp - Grampians Camp

12/10/23 | Year 10 Formal

17/10/23 | Final whole school assembly for Year 12s

17/10/23 | Year 12 Valedictory Dinner

18/10/23 | Year 7 and Year 8 Student Showcase Afternoon

24/10/23 - 15/11/23 | Year 12 VCAA Exams

NOVEMBER

06/11/23 | Student free day

07/11/23 | Melbourne Cup Public Holiday - Student free day

13/11 - 14/11 | Year 11 SWOTVAC (study days for exams)

15/11 - 23/11 | Year 10 and 11 exams

23/11/23 | Year 10 Graduation

24/11/23 | PPD day (no classes)

27/11/23 - 08/12/23 | Year 10-12 Fast Forward Program

29/11/23 - 1/12/23 | MSC Art Show

DECEMBER

08/12/23 | Last day for Year 10 and Year 11 students

11/12/23 | Presentation Evening

12/12/23 | Orientation Day 2024 Year 7 students

20/12/23 | Last Day of school for 2023

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Middle School

Welcome back to our families.

Term 4 is always an exciting term as we finalise the curriculum taught over the course of the year. Students also like the opportunity to start the new academic year 2024 early when we commence Fast Forward.

I look forward to seeing you soon especially at our upcoming Community Showcase event. Mr Pirrie and Ms Reeman are overseeing this.

If you have not received a flyer about the event, please contact a member of the Year 7 or Year 8 team.

Have a great week

Denise Leggett

Middle School Assistant Principal

Year 7 and Year 8 Showcase

We are delighted to extend a warm invitation to you for our Year 7 and Year 8 Student Showcase Afternoon, where our talented young learners will be demonstrating their achievements and projects in both Science and Humanities. This event promises to be an exciting opportunity to witness the intellectual growth and creativity of your children.

Date: Wednesday 18th October

Time: 2:30pm till 5pm

Location: Mornington Secondary College Learning Centre

Our Year 7 and Year 8 students have been diligently exploring various topics and engaging in hands-on learning experiences throughout the academic year. This showcase will provide a platform for them to share their knowledge, discoveries, and innovative projects with you, their families, and fellow students. During the event, you can expect:

Science Exhibits:

Year 7-Science students have created a marketing campaign to raise awareness of an endangered Australian animal. Students will design a web page, marketing poster and model as part of this performance task.

Year 8- Students have selected a body system (from Digestive, Circulatory, Respiratory or Excretory system) they are interested in finding out more about. Students conducted research and created an A3 poster about their chosen body system. Based on this information students have built a model that demonstrates the function of the body system.

Humanities Displays

Year 7 – Ancient Rome. Students have created a model of something that the Romans have ‘left behind’ that we still use in some way today.

Year 8- Students have been working in groups covering a variety of different topics based on their allocated continent. Students have worked together, researching, planning and creating a variety of presentations to illustrate the ‘Geography’ of their continent. These presentations include mapping tasks, investigating a significant landform or landscape, reporting on a natural disaster and creating PowerPoints looking at how cities and megacities have changed / grown over time and each group will also create a model of their choice in relation to their continent.

Student Presentations

Selected students will give short presentations, offering insights into their work, findings, and the learning process. It's a chance to see your child's communication and presentation skills in action.

Teacher interaction

Feel free to engage with your child’s teacher, asking questions about their projects undertaken. This interactive dialogue will provide valuable insights into their academic journey.

Live music

There will be live music from the school band as well as students from our Drum Corp

Sausage Sizzle

Enjoy a free sausage for an afternoon snack.

Your presence at this event is vital to encourage and celebrate the hard work and dedication that our Year 7 and Year 8 students have put into their studies. It will also be an opportunity for you to gain a deeper understanding of the curriculum and learning experiences offered at our school.

Please RSVP to ensure we can adequately prepare for the event. You can RSVP by clicking the following link https://forms.office.com/r/exfrfcS2bS

We are excited to share this special afternoon with you and look forward to seeing you there. Together, we can inspire and support our students in their educational journey.

If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Joanne Reeman - Year 7 Team Leader

Adam Pirrie - Year 8 Team Leader

Year 9

Mrs Sian Jones

Dirt rack speedway is a dirt flat oval type of racing

I got into the sport when I was 6. Starting in a quarter midget vehicle then to driving a junior sedan and now I am racing formula 500 that has a 600cc Yamaha or Suzuki engine. They have a top speed of 120-130 kmh.

I am racing in the Junior Division and race all over Australia. There are multiple series such as Speedweek, Australian title, Victorian title, Queensland title, WA title, SA title. I raced in lake Liddell NSW two months ago. Dad drives me all over the country to get to the venues. Mum comes to the closest events which is any race in Victoria.

If you wanted to start in Formula 500 racing you can buy a car from $10,000 all the way up to how ever much you want to spend and can afford.

My dream is to go over to the USA and race.

I love speedway because it is just a different type of feeling when you go out on track, and it makes you not think about anything and makes you focus on racing not anything else.

Rowdy Andreatta

Year 9

Senior School

To students and families of the Mornington Senior School,

Welcome back to Term 4. It started off with beautiful warm weather and has since turned to become cold and wet. Maybe it is Mother Nature’s way of being sad about a Collingwood premiership 😉 Term 4 is technically 12 weeks (well 11 and a half) but in many ways it’s really split into smaller short terms for Senior School students. The Year 12's have just two weeks of classes before their final full day (Oct 16th) and then their final whole school assembly and celebration on the morning of Tuesday 17th.

For our Year 10's and 11's, they have 6 weeks before the end-of-year exam period (weeks 7 & 8) and then they will complete a vitally important two weeks of the Fast-Forward program where they commence their 2024 classes.

This term is the final opportunity for Year 11's to hone their skills before everything starts to count. I have tracked achievement data over many years across multiple schools at senior year levels and invariably, students who start behind in Year 12, generally struggle to catch up, compared to their peers, whereas the reverse is also true; students who start the year well, generally continue in that manner.

For our Year 10's, this term should be about further developing the learning skills and behaviours required to succeed at a VCE level. It is about producing their best work in each and every class, about attending every day, about hand-writing as often as possible and about becoming comfortable completing home-learning tasks and revising new learnings. The gap between Years 10 and 11 has always been considerable and working during this term to improve or consolidate good habits is the best way to minimise that gap.

I look forward to working with our senior students this term and seeing them respond to the challenges they face like the young adults they are becoming.

Key dates for Senior School in Term 4

Mon Oct 2nd – Term commenced.

Tues Oct 17th – Final whole school assembly for Year 12s and Year 12 Valedictory Night.

Tues Oct 24th – Year 12 VCAA exams commence.

Mon 6th Nov – Pupil Free Day

Tues 7th Nov – Melbourne Cup Day

Mon 13th and Tues 14th Nov – Year 11 SWOTVAC (study days for exams)

Wed 15th Nov to Thurs 23rd Nov – Year 10 and 11 exams.

Fri 24th Nov – PPD day (no classes)

Mon 27th Nov – Fri 8th Dec – Year 10-12 Fast Forward program

Fri 8th Dec – Last day for Year 10 and 11 students

Kind regards,

Nick Evans

Senior School Assistant Principal

Marrung education scholarships

Applications are open for Marrung Education Scholarships, which provide financial support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to complete Years 11 and 12.

This year, there are 30 scholarships of $5,000 each, spread over 2 years.

The scholarships can be used for a range of education-related items, such as school equipment.

Please share this information with eligible students so they can consider applying for the scholarships.

Eligibility and selection

The scholarships recognise students who demonstrate high potential to succeed in their chosen pathway. Students eligible for scholarships are:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
completing Year 10 at a Victorian government school
planning on completing years 11 and 12 at a Victorian government school.

A selection panel of representatives from the department and the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association will review applications and select successful applicants using the following criteria:

the student’s involvement in the Aboriginal community
Year 10 academic results and school reports
the student’s potential to succeed in a chosen pathway
references from school and community representatives.

How to apply

To apply for a Marrung education scholarship, eligible students must complete and submit the Marrung education scholarship application form.

Applications close on Monday 30 October 2023.

Policy, guidance and resources

Our Policy and Advisory Library includes all related policy information, guidance and resources under the relevant menu tabs:

Koorie Education.

Find out more

For more information about the scholarships, including the school’s role and use of the funds, refer to Marrung education scholarship guidelines.

For further enquiries, contact Koorie Outcomes Division by email: marrung@education.vic.gov.au

Ready, Set, Go….

As we move into the start of a new term it’s a great opportunity for you as parents to check that your kids have everything they need to be successful at school. Running a school book “audit” is a great way for you to show your child that you are interested and value the work they do at school. I would suggest that you ask your child to bring home the books they are using for each subject along with their pencil case and laptop. Get them to take you through each subject and then you can make suggestions or help work out if they need additional things. Pencil case contents is always an issue at this time of the year.

I know that you ask your kids how school is going all the time, but actually taking the time to look at how they are keeping their notes and presenting their work will be very enlightening.

2024

Timetable construction for 2024 is proceeding at a pace. We are working towards having subjects to student the week after next.

Kind regards,

Mike Parker

Assistant Principal

Year 10

Mr Jake Uhlenberg

The final term before VCE has begun for our Year 10s and we hope they are pushing themselves to greater heights in preparation for their future pathways, both ATAR and VM.

Attendance is key to success in school, and as such we are going to be implementing a number of pushes surrounding attendance this term to ensure our students are meeting the expectations that will prepare them for their future VCE classes. Students will not be able to achieve their best unless they are in a classroom with their teachers and working alongside their classmates.

We are also very excited about our Year 10 Formal celebration next week. On Wednesday 11th Oct we will be discussing some rules and considerations for students prior to the evening that we hope will be an eventful and enjoyable one for our cohort.

Year 10 Outdoor Education and Environmental Studies

Students from Year 10 Outdoor Education and Environmental Studies started Term 4 with a beautiful paddleboard and canoeing excursion at our local Mother's Beach. The second group were extremely lucky when a dolphin decided to play around the boards. We practiced our knowledge on water safety while experiencing a new skill. What a day!

Grant Olarenshaw

Year 11

Dr Jasmine Keough

It is difficult to believe that the final term for 2023 is here! Our focus is on preparing our lovely students for their transition to Year 12. There are several things students need to focus on for this term.

Attendance - attendance is vital to VCE success
Unit 2 - achieving Satisfactory results for Unit 2 in all their subjects
Punctuality - Being punctual to school and classes
Uniform - All students should wear the correct uniform to school

Students who follow these suggestions will experience a serendipitous transition to Year 12 in week 8. The Year 11 Coordination team want all our students to have a happy, easy and smooth transition.

We received some fabulous feedback about two of our VM students from AGA, the TAFE provider. Well done to Alyssa and Taj - very proud of you both.

Year 12

Mr Scott Kirkby

The commencement of Term 4 is time for students to knuckle down and be preparing for their exams. Hopefully students used the break to get themselves organised with a study timetable and commence organising their notes and completing practice exams. Teachers will be prioritising revision of content and exam skills before the conclusion of structured classes on Monday October 16.

A final celebration will take place on October 17 in the morning before students are dismissed at recess to get ready for their Valedictory event in the evening. A reminder that the final morning is a time for celebration and the concept of 'mucking up' is not accepted. Failure to follow safe and reasonable behaviour expectations, behaving in a way that makes others feel uncomfortable or victimised, damage to school property or arriving to school in an unfit state will result in the student being sent home and non-attendance at Valedictory without refund. This is not something we want for any student or family, so discussions around these expectations at home would be greatly appreciated.

An event has been created on compass for the final celebration day. Please read through the details and consent if your child wishes to attend. We look forward to a really positive day with students and staff.

A reminder to anyone who has additional tickets to Valedictory that they do not need or want anymore, the school is able to connect you with people who are waitlisted for tickets that can purchase the tickets from you at cost price. If you wish to be on the waitlist, also contact Evangeline Romage to be added to the list.

This week at Mornington Secondary College, we have been celebrating Dyslexia Awareness week. Students and teachers have been exposed to educational fun facts about Dyslexia and have been engaging in fun activities during morning connect which celebrate neurodiversity.

Dyslexia is a very common language-based learning difficulty. It is estimated that 1 in 10 students have Dyslexia. It is characterised by difficulty with writing, spelling, reading, and working with numbers.

There are some common Dyslexia indicators for secondary school students which include:

Difficulty taking in verbal information and remembering instructions.
Reading below the expected level and when reading aloud, reads very slowly and often ignores punctuation.
Misreading which undermines comprehension ability.
Misreads visually similar words such as form and from.
Writing is often slow, very messy with poor spelling.
Often confuse certain letters such as b and p.
Memory difficulties that affect the recall of learned facts.

At Mornington Secondary College we have a dedicated Wellbeing and Inclusion team who currently support students with and without a current Dyslexia diagnosis. If you believe your child has Dyslexia or is at risk of Dyslexia, firstly we recommend that your child has both vision and hearing tests conducted. If these come back clear, an Educational Psychologist can provide testing. Contact details for external psychologists in all states and territories are provided on the Australian Psychological Society website here www.psychology.org.au. When making an appointment, ensure to check that the psychologist specialises in learning difficulties. Please reach out to me or the team if you have any questions about Dyslexia or would like further information and assistance.

Sue Gamble

Dyslexia Expert

Doctors in Schools

Mornington Secondary College is proud to be a provider of the government-led Doctors in Schools program, where students are able to access a GP specialising in adolescent health. The program is designed to make primary healthcare more accessible to students, help young people address health concerns promptly and ease pressure on working parents. Appointments can be made by emailing doctor@mornsc.vic.edu.au or contact Shellie in the General Office.

Students can also send a Microsoft Teams message to DoctorsInSchools.

For more information about the program, consent and confidentiality please see link below:

https://www.vic.gov.au/doctors-in-secondary-schools