MWSC College News – Issue 15

Welcome back to Term 4

Welcome back to a new term of learning.  Learning doesn’t just happen by accident it is through careful planning and preparation that teachers provided students with high quality learning experiences.  These experiences, both inside and outside the classroom are a vital part of the way we educate our students.

This is a busy term with students completing their studies for this year while starting to think about next year.  As we move through this term students will undertake a range of learning activities and assessment as we finish the school year.

The Early Commencement Program will see our students in their 2024 classes as they begin their next chapter of learning at the college.

Victorian Education Excellence Awards

Congratulations to Mrs Tijtje Keatley for being a finalist in the Secondary Teacher of the Year Award. The awards ceremony was held on Friday 27 October.  While she did not win the category, it was public recognition of her outstanding work with the students in Music and the Music Program at the college.  Well done Tijtje.

Farewell Year 12 Class of 2023

Our Year 12 students finished at the college on Wednesday18 October with a celebration lunch and a presentation of their photo, yearbook and certificates. This was followed in the evening by the Year 12 Graduation.

The Year 12 Graduation formally recognised all our graduating Class 2023 in front of family and friends.  Jessica Eland, 2023 College Valedictorian also spoke on the evening.  The night was a fitting celebration to mark students time at Mount Waverley.  Thank you to the Senior School Team for their great work in organising these events.

Music Gala Concert

On Thursday 5 October, 281 students performed in two Gala Concerts in the Unicorn Theatre. This is the first time we have run the concert in two halves due to the large number of students involved, and the high demand for tickets (both concerts were sell outs with a waiting list).  Many music alumni were present to enjoy and support the 2023 cohort, and we were lucky to have Eva McMaster, Senior Education Improvement Leader attend the second concert.

The standard of the ensembles was outstanding.  The concerts comprised of beginning to advanced ensembles with students from Years 7-12, and a large range of genres presented by choirs, string ensembles, guitar ensembles, percussion ensembles, jazz ensembles and concert bands.  Thank you Tijtje Keatley, Music Director and her dedicated team of music staff for making this great event happen.

2023 Lyrebird Awards

Congratulations to Ms Maddie Kerr and all involved in this year’s production of Chicago.
Chicago has been nominated for an astonishing 17 awards by the Lyrebird Youth Awards.

On top of that we have been asked to perform at the awards ceremony in December.

Well done to all staff and students involved!

Grade 4 to Year 12 Student scholarships

The department administers a range of scholarships for students on behalf of various trusts.

Scholarships support students and families with the cost of education and engagement in further study at primary, secondary and tertiary level.

Department-managed scholarships are available for eligible students who complete Grade 4 to Year 11 in 2023, and for students enrolled in Year 12 in 2023 who plan to do tertiary studies in 2024.

Applicants for these scholarships will be evaluated on their:

• participation in school activities
• community involvement
• academic achievement.

Scholarships are either one-off payments or cover the duration of the student’s course or annual study.

Many scholarships also have specific eligibility criteria. Applications are open and close on Thursday 1 February 2024.

For more information and for a list of available scholarships, refer to the Student scholarships for Grade 4 – Year 12 fact sheet.

Mr Ian MacLeod
Acting College Principal

Year 8 Events and Activities

The last few weeks have been very busy on the Junior Campus. Our Year 8 students were involved in two significant programs: the Kinglake Adventure Camp and the Personal Best Project.

The camp was a great opportunity for students to test their physical and mental limits, getting outside their comfort zone in a safe and supportive environment. Students were able to spend some time with friends new and old, and explore the beautiful landscape of Kinglake.

Back at school, students were engaged in a program designed to help them better understand themselves and their passions. This program is deliberately timed to support their transition to the Senior Campus in year 9. Student complete a session conducted by our Careers team, designed to help them understand their own motivations and future pathways. They also participated in a Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness session facilitated by our Wellbeing team, which challenged them to think about their own lives, and show their appreciation for their classmates. The focal point of this program, however, was the chance for students to present their final Personal Best projects that they have been working on since last term. It was wonderful to see students sharing new skills with their peers, and in some cases getting others involved.

Year 7 Band Concerts

Thanks to the Music team for running two events this week so that our Year 7s could show off their new musical talents to our parent community. Both concerts (Tuesday and Thursday) had lovely weather and the audience had a wonderful time.

We really appreciate the excellent crowd of families on both afternoons. Having an enthusiastic and interactive audience provides our students with a really authentic learning experience.

Interact Club – Book Drive

Thank you to our college community for the wonderful donations of books for the Interact Book Drive this term.  The books have been passed onto the Rotary Club, Mount Waverley who will ensure books are delivered to Donations In Kind, who will then transport the books to the Ukraine.

Upcoming Event – Year 7 Night at the Museum

Please save the date – Thursday 9 November – for our annual Night at the Museum. All Year 7 students have been busily working on their artefacts, and we thoroughly look forward to opening up our doors to welcome the college community in to see their hard work.

Mr Matt Sheehan
Campus Principal – Junior School

Middle School Moments

As we approach the end of the year, we would like to say how proud we are of our students for demonstrating their growth in all the ILEARN values.

I would like to wish our students all the very best for the upcoming exam period.  Ensuring you establish strong study habits is a skill that will benefit you throughout your life. You build on your organizational and time management skills.  You also ensure that you strengthen the neuron pathways in your brain which leads to increased memory retention.  But most importantly you establish goals, work towards them and pave your way to success, because “The only time success comes before work is in the dictionary” – Harvey Specter.

Good Luck to all our students for exams and we look forward to seeing you all again to start the 2024 year in ECP.

I would like to say a special thank you to the 2023 Middle School Team for their dedication and work behind the scenes.  We have experienced many positive experiences this year including the Year 9 Inspire program, Explore program, the Year 10 Camp, Gala and Work Experience to name just a few.  We in the Middle School have shared with our students not only their successes, but their challenges and their academic, social and emotional growth.  It has been an absolute privilege to work with such an amazing team of individuals.

Mrs Asha Vazirani
Acting Campus Principal – Middle School

Last few weeks for Year 12

Since the start of term four students were involved in revision activities during class time, and VCAA performance and oral exams in some subjects. On Wednesday 18 October, the Year 12 students participated in a Celebration Day and got the chance to spend time as a cohort, watch a video put together by some of the students and shared a pizza lunch.

During the evening nearly 800 students, parents and teachers attended the Year 12 Graduation in the hall, this was preceded by drinks and food in the Fishbowl and courtyard on the Senior Campus. It was great to see families and students celebrate this day and the end of their formal secondary schooling.

Thanks to all the teachers and education support staff who have worked with the students both this year and during their time at the college. A special thank you to the Senior Subschool Team for all their work at this very busy time. Thanks to Ms Sarah Chase (Head of Senior School), Mr James Johnson (Senior Subschool Leader), Year Level Co-ordinators; Ms Beth Johnson, Ms Eleni Stavrou, Ms Lauren Lockhart and Mrs Sally Robotham and Senior School Administration Officer Ms Cheryl Mace for their care of the students and their support and hard work in planning and running the events. Thanks also to our Food Assistant, Mrs Trish Munday for her support on the evening with the catering.

VCAA Exams

Our VCE students started their external VCAA written exams on Tuesday 24 October. Thanks to all for their behaviour and preparedness. A special thanks to our VCAA exam supervisors and Mr James Johnson (Senior Subschool Leader) and the VCE team for supporting the students in this process. Exams will continue until the 15^th November.

The Senior Campus has been very busy with students working with their teachers to revise for their exams.

VCAA exam assessors

A number of our Year 12 teachers assess VCAA exams (performance, language and written exams). It provides our teachers with an insight into the exam process and what is required of students. They bring this learning back to share with their colleagues and students. The fact that many are selected to be part of this process is a testament to the expertise and knowledge of our teachers.

2024 College Captains and College Leaders

During the past few weeks students who were shortlisted for leadership roles have been involved in interviews. The candidates short listed for college captain presented to their year level on Monday 23 October. The calibre of the candidates was excellent. Thanks to Mr Jacob Myers (Head of Student Leadership) for overseeing the process and all the staff who were on panels.

Reports

End of semester reports will be available to parents on Monday 11 December. More information will be communicated via Compass later in the term.

Mrs Julie Cain
Campus Principal – Senior School

Student Wellbeing Program Update

It has been a very busy time with student wellbeing programs at the end of term 3 and the start of term 4. We finished term 3 with our annual Year 9 Wellbeing Day – which was once again a huge success. The students heard from the inspirational Real Life Resilience who shared their personal story and inspired the students to be resilient. This followed by two presentations – Pat Cronin foundation presenting on Pat’s story and the lessons learnt for all young people about violence and knowing how to support your mates. In the alternate session, the wellbeing team delivered a female health presentation by Bright Girl Health.

In the afternoon – all students participated in some games  which included basketball, yoga or the giant inflatables – which is always a popular activity!

We started term 4 with a theatre presentation to our Year 9 students by Brainstorm Productions. The live performance demonstrated to students how to navigate through relationships and address online bullying. In the same week – we welcomed Nic Newling – a well known mental health advocate. He spoke to our Year 10’s about his personal story and advocated for students to access support when they need it.

The Reach foundation provided workshops to our Year 11 students – helping them unpack who they wish to be when they leave school and what values are important to them. Declan Fay- Australian comedic writer presented to our Year 12s  in an entertaining and funny presentation – showing his comedic skills but also encouraging students to take opportunities that come their way and not wonder what if. The Year 12’s final presentation for the year came from Red frogs – who provided a positive message about staying safe during schoolies.

Our Year 8’s during camp week- attended a workshop run by wellbeing staff on gratitude, mindfulness and empathy and our Year 11’s this week attended a presentation on AI – learning all about the powers of AI and how they can positively utilise this for their studies.

In what has been a busy term to date – this completes all the wellbeing programs for 2023. We welcomed some great guest speakers, presentations and workshops this year to help support the wellbeing of our students and we look forward to strengthening this program in 2024.

Year 10 to 8 Transition session

On Tuesday 24 October- 35 Year 10’s attended the Junior Campus to deliver a transition session for the Year 8’s. Two to three Year 10 students per class – delivered a student led lesson providing the Year 8’s with practical tips and answering key questions about the transition.

This was really well received by the Year 8 students and it is part of our commitment to make the move from junior to senior as smooth as possible for all students. This was a great display of student voice and agency with the Year 10 students playing the role of a teacher delivering the lesson. This session will also provide the Year 8’s with some familiar and friendly faces for when they are in Year 9.

Staff and Student Collaboration Session

On Monday 23  October – 8 Year 11 students attended the Staff meeting to provide direct feedback from the attitude’s to school survey data. The students spent a few minutes each, presenting on 5 key themes from the data providing invaluable student voice. The Year 11 students spent the rest of the meeting-  collaborating with staff to further discuss the 5 key themes identifying strengths that exist and the areas of improvement we can focus on moving forward. This was a great opportunity for staff and students to work together to create positive outcomes for our learning community.

Student Wellbeing Placement Program

This week we celebrated the end of our placement program for 2023. Throughout the year the wellbeing team has been supported by Social Workers and Youth Workers from RMIT University. This is a program we have developed over the past 3 years and has grown each year. Thank you to Tahlia, Xinzi, Hannah and Sara who have all been valuable additions to our team this semester and have made some great connections with our students and families. We wish them all the best for their careers.

Dealing with distressing online content

With the tragic and distressing events unfolding in the Middle East, Australia’s independent regulator for online safety, eSafety, has issued guidance to help parents and carers support their children in dealing with distressing online content.

The eSafety website has resources for parents and carers about online safety. These include information on extra precautions you can take to protect your children from seeing disturbing content online.   eSafety encourage parents and carers supporting young people who may be more vulnerable to check in with them.

If they are presenting with signs of distress, support is available through the wellbeing team or through external services including:

• Headspace: 1800 650 890
• Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636.

Mr Paul Graham
Student Services and Resources Manager

Gala Concert 

On Thursday, 281 students performed in two Gala Concerts in the Unicorn Theatre. This is the first time we have run the concert in two halves due to the large numbers of student involvement, and the high demand for tickets (both concerts were sold out with a waiting list). Many music alumni were present to enjoy and support the 2023 cohort, and we were lucky to have Eva McMaster,  Senior Education Improvement Leader attend the second concert.

The standard of all of the ensembles was outstanding and a pleasure to watch a range of students enjoy performance so whole-heartedly. 

The concerts comprised beginning to advanced ensembles, students from Years 7-12, and a large range of genres presented by choirs, string ensembles, guitar ensembles, percussion ensembles, jazz ensembles and concert bands. Large events such as this cannot happen without a lot of hard work and support of staff . The music staff worked tirelessly in preparation and on the evening itself to give the students the opportunity to play. The music leaders were exemplary in ushering, stage managing, sound and lighting. Parent helpers ran a kiosk to provide refreshments and we were inundated with volunteers when we put out the call. 

Thanks to everyone that helped make this event a success. 

YEAR 7 BAND PROGRAM CONCERTS 

On Tuesday 17 October and Thursday 19 October, the whole Year 7 cohort came together to perform at the Year 7 Band Program Concerts. This is a yearly event that showcases the Classroom Music Program at the college where every student learns a musical instrument and plays in an ensemble. The concerts featured 2 large concert bands, 2 large string orchestras, a guitar ensemble and the junior choir. In addition to this, the students and families were able to hear the Presto Strings and the Senior Stage Band perform, and current music leaders speak about the benefits of participating in the program. 

Thanks to the support of the music staff, in particular Ms Melissa Knowles and Mr Timothy O’Connor who helped to organise the events. Thanks also to the junior campus staff that helped with supervision.

UNIT 2 RECITAL 

On Thursday 26 October, the Year 11 class performed their Unit 2 Recital. The concert featured a range of instruments and styles, and for the first time, each students own arrangement of a piece of music. This is a new part of the VCE Music Curriculum and allows students to explore their knowledge of composition and the music elements to create their own work. 

Well done to these students, and thanks to Mr Damien Maughan and Mr Timothy O’Connor who came along to cross park and provide the students with invaluable feedback. 

Mrs Tijtje Keatley
Music Director

For this year’s Year 11 camp, our group of 42 Year 11s had the immense privilege of being escorted through our country in places where the majority had never been. After two long days on a packed bus (with an overnight stop at Adelaide), we finally got to Coober Pedy where, after being taken on a town tour and given a little bit of the town’s history, we spent the second night underground at an opal mine.

The third and fourth days were then spent at Uluru where on arrival, we drove to Sunset Strip and were greeted with the many shades of red and yellow that glowed on both the rock and the sky as the sun set. The following day, we visited the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre and learnt about the significance of the place we were in. We later spent the morning walking around Uluru, stopping frequently at different points to view rock art and appreciate what we had learnt at the cultural centre in regards to the Waterholes, Dreamtime Stories and surroundings. Later we enjoyed a short camel ride and then a well loved trip to the Field Of Lights after dinner.

The next morning, our group embarked on a couple hour’s worth of walk at Kata Tjuta – a conglomerate composed of 36 deep red domes. Wandering up steep hills and across uneven paths, we were rewarded with the extensive view from the Valley of the Winds where we felt the breeze sweep through the warm, desert air. Getting back on the bus, the group drove through the elegantly austere simplicity of the desert up to Watarrka National Park where the next two days were spent. The first morning, the group travelled to Kings Canyon where we walked for four hours in the early – yet hot hours of the morning across the Canyon, viewing not only the infinite desert around us but the little details such as the fossilised remnants of when everything was submerged and the drastic differences between the dry, arid domes of the Lost City and the great amounts of greenery held in the Garden of Eden. Taking a moment to sit in silence at a waterhole, each of us were greeted with the joyous singing of birds and the cool winds that swept through the shade. Ending the night with another sunset viewing, the group then travelled to Lilla where we were welcomed to Country with a smoking ceremony and then were taken around the Indigenous community and told about a dreamtime story and its relation to the environment we were in. Back at the community we were greeted with fresh Kangaroo and a quick overview of the tools that were used by Aboriginal Australians as well as a brief dot painting session.

In Alice Springs, the group spent the first part of the second last day at Desert Park, wandering through the multiple enclosures that held native Australian animals which many of us had never seen. We then spent the remainder of that day enjoying short walks including Standley Chasm, where the sun lit up the rock faces at noon; Simpson’s Gap, where we enjoyed the quiet; and ANZAC Hill, where all of Adelaide could be looked at from a higher angle. We then travelled to the Royal Flying Doctor’s Service Museum where we received a quick overview of the history of the service as well as an opportunity to experience the service through VR. For the last night we were greeted by Rex the Snake man who not only introduced us to a few of his reptiles but also taught us a number of interesting aspects of Australian wildlife. On the final morning, the group were taken to the School of Air where we were told about its history and how it works to this day and later, reluctantly got on a plane to head home.  

For many of us, each experience was a first and will be treasured for years to come. Although the bus rides were long, the weather was hot and the nights spent in tents were… not exactly the most comfortable, the simplicity yet immense beauty that was held by every place we got the opportunity to visit makes it safe to say that everyone who came on Central came home with a new outlook for our planet.

By Greta G.  Year 11

The Year 9 Let’s Talk students had a blast with a confidence and creative thinking workshop run by Ms Kate Ellis from Drama Victoria on Friday 27 October.
Kate ran some brilliant activities to help students break down what confidence and creative thinking means to them and how it feels.

Here are some of the things students said:

“confidence means having the ability to stand up and be able to do what you want to do without judgement”
“confidence makes you feel fearless and free”
“confidence is nerve wracking, but empowering”

“creative thinking is about being in a good state of mind”
“it’s about thinking outside the box and improving”
“creative thinking means you can be imaginative and use your wildest dreams to create stuff”
“it’s that lightbulb moment”
‘it’s about building on what you know and using it in the moment”

Ms Sarah Smith
Learning Specialist

Little Stories, Big Ideas Competition

Short Story Competition Results 2023

Mount Waverley Secondary College is hoping to host a native-speaking German language assistant in Terms 2 and 3 of 2024, to enrich our German program and enhance the students’ learning experience.

To make this possible, we are urgently inviting expressions of interest from generous families from the school community, interested in getting involved in this intercultural experience by hosting the language assistant for only one term or both Terms 2 and 3.

Host Family Role:

• Provide the language assistant with a reasonable standard of accommodation (room and access to kitchen, bathroom, lounge, and laundry facilities).
• Provide meals or ingredients for the language assistant to cook for the duration of the hosting period.
• Provide transport to and from school 5 days a week.
• Be keen to learn about the language assistant’s native country and culture, and keen to share your own!
• $330 per week will be paid to the host family.

Please send your expressions of interest to Katja Chitters (chi@mwsc.vic.edu.au), German Teacher, by strictly Friday 24 November.

Class of 2022

We invite you to celebrate your 1 Year Class Reunion!

This is the perfect opportunity to reunite with friends and share your experiences with your past teachers.

Light refreshments and drinks will be provided.

Don’t miss your first MWSC Reunion event!

Click here for tickets :  https://www.trybooking.com/CKTPE

Ms Victoria Tortopidis
Alumni Coordinator