Student Engagement Update

Dear Families, Students and Community Members,

Welcome to Week 2 of Term 3 and what a busy start it has already been for students and staff at Mordialloc College. Hitting the ground running in Week 1, the College celebrated NAIDOC Week as well as Humanities Week.

Ms Newsome and Ms Stevens planned a full week of activities to keep students engaged.

On Tuesday we had a whole school assembly. We were fortunate to have special guests, Stephanie Briggs, our KESO (Koori Engagement and Support Officer), came along to talk about the history of NAIDOC and why it is such an important time for Mob. Stephanie also spoke about ways that our friends can get together and celebrate with us, promoting the theme 'Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up!'

We also had the musician Ganga Giri share his deadly beats and creative Yidaki (didgeridoo) playing for the whole school in the assembly (there is a video on our school Instagram). Afterwards, he delivered a workshop for our Koori students and their friends. We were able to pass around different tools, artefacts and learn the traditional methods of making a yidaki. The students also had a session creating tunes and beats themselves using pvc style didgeridoos and clap sticks. We finished off with a delicious lunch together.  

During the week there were other activities planned to celebrate NAIDOC Week including a cupcake sale. The cupcakes were decorated in the colours of the Aboriginal Flag. Proceeds from the sale were donated to First Nations initiatives. 

There were lunchtime screenings of the documentary The Australian Dream featuring Adam Goodes, and these were well attended by students from across the year levels.

Thursday was a celebration of Indigenous food and bush ingredients. Students in the Year 9 and 10 Food classes prepared Lemon Myrtle Biscuits and Chilli-Con Kangaroo. They then shared these treats at lunch with the student body. It was very popular so all the food ran out very quickly!

Also on Thursday at lunch there was a performance by Year 10 student Lachlan Welsh and staff member Ms Hately. They performed songs sung in First Nations language outside the HUB area which was really well attended. Topping off a busy Thursday was a scavenger hunt and  boomerang painting. 

This was a wonderful celebration of NAIDOC Week and it will be a regular feature in the College calendar.

Calendar of Events 

You may have seen reminders sent via email of the ‘Calendar of Events’ that can be found under the ‘Star’ menu on Compass. This resource allows students and their families to find out what’s on at Mordialloc College each week. It has all the details of lunchtime clubs as well as many other extra-curricular events and happenings around the College. This calendar is updated as new events, clubs and activities arise throughout the term.

This term we have a new Drama Club on Mondays in the PAC. This is a great opportunity for students to hone their acting skills.  The club will also feature several sessions of karaoke during the term.

At lunch, we have performances outside the PAC next to the canteen with student DJs, singers and bands - a great way for our students to showcase their talents to an audience. A reminder that we have Mordi Idol later this term. Please keep an ear out for further information.

As you can see from the calendar there is always something happening during lunchtime at Mordialloc and these clubs are a great way for students to make new friends who share similar interests.

Mordialloc College Student Council

The Mordialloc College Student Council (MCSC) has now been in place for almost a year. It has been really successful but we are always looking for new students to join. Now is a good time to have a think about joining this great student representative body to have your voice heard.

The MCSC consists of six sub-committees under the leadership of Year 12 captains including:

• Curriculum
• Facilities and Environment
• Community and Student Wellbeing
• Promotions and Fundraising
• Sports
• The Arts

Students from the four Houses in each year will be elected who will then choose which sub-committee they wish to join. This is a system to promote and champion student interest as well as their voice and agency towards decision making across the school and their learning environment. 

This is a great opportunity for students to hone their leadership skills from Year 7 all the way through to Year 12. 

I wish you all well for Term 3.

Simon Cummins

Director of Student Engagement