Welcome Back
I hope everyone had a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable holiday. As College Principal I look forward to joining with students, teachers, and parents for another exciting and productive year of teaching and learning at Mount Waverley Secondary College.
I am pleased to report that the college continues to build upon our successes. Our 2023 VCE results were outstanding considering the last few years and is a testament to the dedication of our wonderful staff and the resilience of our students. Our 2023 College Dux, Vicky Liu, received an ATAR score of 99.65 which was an outstanding result. Nineteen students received an ATAR over 95 and seventy-three students received an ATAR over 90 which was 20% of our cohort. One student also received a perfect study score of 50 in Health and Human Development and 269 students received their VCE certificate which was a great achievement.
A very warm welcome to all our new students and their families. You are embarking on a wonderful learning journey, which will be enhanced by always trying your personal best.
Mount Waverley Secondary College provides a learning community where we all respect and care for each other, always working cooperatively as a team. In addition, our college provides you with magnificent facilities and resources which are yours to use to maximize your learning opportunities. Please don’t be afraid to ask questions. Staff and students are eager to help you make a successful transition into our college.
Welcome New Staff
I would like to welcome the following new staff to the college:
New Leading Teachers/Learning Specialists
Ms Rebecca McMahon – Head of Disability/Inclusion
Other New Staff
Ms Kathryn Allen – Legal Studies
Mr Chris Bamford – Accounting/Economics
Ms Giorgia Brown – Science
Ms Mary Corbisiero – Maths
Ms Jasmine Croll – English
Mr William Keep – English/Humanities
Ms Alex Klepner – Philosophy/History
Mr Felix Liu – Maths
Ms Jo Lourey – Media
Mr Andrew Morton – Chem/Maths
Ms Aya Regev – Maths
Mr David Scarborough – Maths/Chemistry
Ms Sunita Sewani – Maths
Mr Louis Tie – Design Tech/Systems Engineering
Ms Georgia Walton – PE
Mr Mitchell Waterman – Maths/Physics
Mr Matthew Weekes – Drama/Journalism
Ms Carly Woo – EAL
Ms Paige Wu – Art
Mr Samuel Zanardo – Business Management/Economics
ES Staff
Ms Tahlia Briggs – Student Wellbeing Programs
Ms Mel Henwood – Senior Campus Reception
Mr Oscar Jenkins-Wing – Piano
Mr Lee Jones – Guitar/Electric Bass
Ms Juliana Sung – Events Administrator
We also welcome back from Family Leave Mrs Helen Radisic – Humanities and Mrs Stella Lumb – Maths
Off to a Great Start!
Our staff returned on Monday 29 January and were lucky enough to hear from Mr Dale Sidebottom, a top-rated podcaster and popular TEDx speaker. Dale’s session was entitled ‘You must be well to lead well’. Dale spoke to our staff about the power of play and the importance of exercise, gratitude and giving.
It was wonderful to see all our students returning to school last week. Thank you to my dedicated and hardworking staff for accompanying our students on camps and other activities on the Senior Campus during the first week back. I know that our students thoroughly enjoy these extra-curricular events which are important educational experiences. Our Junior Campus students will be taking part in the Year 7 Camp and the Year 8 Challenge Program during Week 3.
School Council Election 2024
The Department of Education (DE) has approved the commencement of the electoral process for the election of School Councillors for 2024.
- Membership
Our College Council consists of seven parents, two students, five staff members (including College Principal) and four community members.
- Term of Office
Term of office is for two years with half of members retiring each year but eligible for re-election. Three parents, two staff members and two student members end their term of office in March 2024
- Retiring College Councillors
The following members of College Council, while they may be eligible for re-election, retire next month:
Parent Members:
Mrs Kristen Nolan
Ms Joanne O’Mara
Mrs Ruth Woodgate
Staff Members:
Mr Ian Davidson
Mrs Julie Cain
Student Members:
Farah Hassan
Georgia Kaminis
- Proposed Timeline
Friday 9 February Call for nominations
Friday 16 February Nominations close 4.00pm
Monday 26 February Nominations displayed at each campus.
Election held if required.
Friday 15 March Close of ballot 4.00pm. Votes counted.
Thursday 21 March College Council AGM, followed by meeting of new Council.
- Voting
If the number of nominations exceeds the vacancies in either the parent, student or staff categories, an election will be necessary. All parents are entitled to vote for parent representatives, all students are entitled to vote for student representatives and Department of Education (DE) employees vote for staff representatives.
- Methods of Voting (voting slips available on college website). There are two ways in which you can record your vote on the official voting form during the election period dates as listed above:
- Post or email your vote to the college to arrive by 4.00pm Friday 15 March
- Students will receive electronic voting slips (if required)
- Nominations of Candidates
For most school councils, there are four possible categories of membership:
- A mandated elected Parent category – more than one-third of the total members must be from this category. Department of Education (DE) employees can be Parent members at their child’s school as long as they are not engaged in work at the school.
- A mandated elected Student category – to be elected the person must be a student enrolled in Year 7 or above. These members are elected by all students enrolled in Year 7 or above at the school.
- A mandated elected DE employee category – members of this category may make up no more than one-third of the total membership of school council. The principal of the school is automatically one of these members.
- An optional Community member category – members are co-opted by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests, or experiences. DE employees are not eligible to be Community members
- Role of School Councillors
School Councillors currently play an important role in decision making and the management of our college. They donate many hours to the sub committees of Council: Finance, Education, Buildings & Grounds and Community Engagement. Councillors belong to one subcommittee, attend one monthly council meeting, and represent the college at functions.
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SCHEDULE 4 – Notice of Election and Call for Nominations An election is to be conducted for members of College Council of Mount Waverley Secondary College Nomination forms may be obtained from the college website and must be lodged by 4.00pm on Friday 16 February 2024. Following the closing of nominations, a list of the nominations received will be displayed at each campus. The terms of office, membership categories and number of positions in each membership category open for election are as follows: Membership Term of Office Number of positions Parent Member 21 March 2024 to 21 March 2026 3 DE Employee Member 21 March 2024 to 21 March 2026 2 Student Member 21 March 2024 to 21 March 2026 2 If the number of nominations is less than the number of vacancies, a notice to that effect and calling for further nominations will be posted in a prominent position at the college. If there are more nominations than vacancies, a ballot will be conducted. The ballot will close at 4.00pm on Friday 15 March 2024. Mrs Karen Wade |
2024 College Uniform
All families should have seen a copy of our 2024 College Uniform Policy. Your support in ensuring the correct uniform is worn is much appreciated. If your child cannot wear the correct college uniform, a note from a parent/carer is required. This should be forwarded to the appropriate Year Level Coordinator before school. An out of uniform pass will be indicated in the students’ planner or a pass given.
Mount Waverley Secondary College is the college of choice in our local area, and it is important that our students wear the uniform with pride, representing the college in a positive manner.
Annual Privacy Reminder
Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy
Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy Photographing-Filming-Recording-Students-Policy describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn.
Please take time to remind yourself of the school’s collection statement, found on our website MWSC Privacy Policy
For more information about privacy, see: Schools’ Privacy Policy – information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages:
- Amharic
- Arabic
- Dari
- Gujarati
- Mandarin
- Somali
- Sudanese
- Turkish
- Urdu
- Vietnamese
Selective Entry High School
Congratulations to the following students who have been accepted into Year 9 at Selective Entry High Schools this year. We know that your studies at Mount Waverley Secondary College have given you a strong foundation on your academic pathways.
Saachi A
Sherry Z
Nicole C
Swasti V
Lipika M
Anita G
Eddie S
Geonui (Kyle) K
Thomas L
Eugene S
Seunggwon H
Malhar V
Ethan C
Jagan V
Malhar V
Eesha K
Health Information
COVID 19 Reminders
There is at present an increase in community transmission of COVID-19 in Victoria. You can help us keep our school as safe as possible by taking 2 important steps:
- Ensure your COVID-19 vaccinations are up to date. Information on how and where to get vaccinated is available on the Get vaccinated webpage.
- If your child shows symptoms of COVID-19, please ensure they stay home and get tested. The easiest way to test is to use a rapid antigen test (RAT)
Free RATs are available from your local council where you can collect 2 packs of 5 RATs and an extra 2 packs for each person in your household. People with disability and their carers can get 4 packs of 5 RATs. You are not required to have a Medicare card and you can collect RATs as many times as you need. You can also buy RATs at supermarkets, pharmacies, and other retailers.
If your child has symptoms but tests negative, please ensure they stay home until they no longer have symptoms.
If the RAT test result is positive, please ensure they say home for at least 5 days and until there are no more symptoms.
Thank you for your support – these steps will help us all stay well.
Protecting against mosquito-borne diseases
Warm and wet weather can result in greater numbers of mosquitoes and increased risk of illnesses from mosquito bites. While the overall risk is low, some mosquitoes carry diseases that make people sick.
The best protection against mosquito-borne illness is to avoid mosquito bites.
Families can protect against mosquito bites by:
- covering up as much as possible with long, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing
- applying insect repellent that contains picaridin or DEET on exposed skin when leaving home
- limiting outdoor activity if lots of mosquitoes are active.
Families with any health concerns should see their doctor or phone NURSE-ON-CALL: 1300 606 024 (available 24 hours).
Free Japanese Encephalitis Vaccines
Japanese encephalitis virus is spread to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes and can cause a rare but potentially serious infection of the brain. Free Japanese encephalitis vaccines are available to protect Victorians at higher risk of the virus. The Victorian Department of Health encourages eligible people who live or work in high-risk local government areas to get vaccinated.
For more information, including what is considered a high-risk area and eligibility for a free vaccine, refer to the Department of Health’s Japanese encephalitis webpage.
Find out more
For more information on protecting against mosquito-borne diseases, families can refer to the following Better Health Channel pages: · Mosquitoes can carry diseases · Protect yourself from mosquito-borne disease, including a handy checklist to help reduce mosquito breeding sites at home and resources translated into other languages.
Mrs Karen Wade
College Principal