MWSC College News – Issue 4

Mount Waverley Secondary College alive with the Sound of Music!        

This year the college has an amazing 265+ students participating in the Music Program.  They are committed to a gruelling training schedule which results in these students showcasing their incredible talents in the 3 concert bands, 2 stage bands, 3 string orchestras, 3 guitar ensembles, 2choir, 1 improvisation ensemble, a jazz combo, percussion ensemble and various chamber ensembles. In addition to this we have added a soul/funk band to MWSC in 2024. We also have 2 string orchestras and 2 concert bands, and a guitar ensemble that are part of our Year 7 classroom music program giving every one of our Year 7 students an opportunity to experience playing in a band.

Our learning community looks forward to attending and enjoying many performances provided by these students through the year.  This fantastic music program is a tribute to the hard work and talent of our dedicated instrumental and music teachers.

Music Soirees a Great Success

Congratulations to all the students who performed in the Music Soiree nights last week. Students from all year levels were involved and I know that the parents, students, and staff in the audience appreciated hearing their wonderful performances.

Harmony Week

This week we celebrated Harmony Week on both campuses. Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries and our cultural diversity is at the heart of who we are. It’s important to celebrate our country’s diversity and ensure that we are inclusive, respectful and create a sense of belonging for all Australians, from the traditional owners of the land to our most recent arrivals. On the Junior Campus students dressed in their traditional costumes and on the Senior Campus we had lots of activities, and we even had a Bollywood dance performance by some of the staff. Thank you to the Wellbeing Team and student leaders who organised these special events.

Natori Visitors

This week we welcomed visitors, 5 staff and 22 students from Natori. Natori is Monash’s sister city in Japan, and Mount Waverley Secondary College has hosted students from our sister city since the mid 1990’s.

I would like to congratulate Ms Michelle Lukaczynski, Head of Japanese for overseeing the organisation of this visit and sincerely thank all the families who volunteered to be host families.  I know that the experience of hosting an international visitor is enriching and rewarding for all involved.

Top Art Exhibition

On Wednesday 13 March Ms Lynette Spiller, Art teacher had the honour of joining Anne F from the Class of 2023 and her family at the official opening of the Top Art exhibition at the NGVA at the Ian Potter Centre. Top Arts is a yearly exhibition that showcases the most exceptional work from Victorian VCE students who study Art Making and Exhibiting or Art Creative Practice.  Anne was one of 45 extremely talented students chosen from over 1200 high level applicants. Congratulations Anne.

Top Designs Exhibition

I had the pleasure of attending the TOP Designs Exhibition launch last Friday night at the Melbourne Museum with Mrs Cecilia Carlill, Visual Communication Design teacher. We were there to view and celebrate Class of 2023 student Ethan L whose work was chosen for the exhibition. This year, only 92 works were selected for the exhibition from over 1,000 applications. Congratulations Ethan.

Communication Policy

There are several documents relating to email and other communication at the college between staff, students and parents. The Communication Policy (https://www.mwsc.vic.edu.au/our-college/college-documents/#policies) sets out a number of requirements and expectations.

The Communication Policy focuses on the following:

• Building positive relationships between home and school and the community based on mutual respect and trust that results in success for all students.
• Ensuring the wellbeing of students and improvement of their learning outcomes.

The Communication Policy aims to:

• provide a framework for effective communication
• create co-operative teamwork and partnership between school, parents/carers and students and the community
• assist the best learning outcomes for students
• ensure that the college values are reflected through effective communication

Effective communication encompasses the exchange of ideas, where people feel they have   been heard and their opinions valued, and where information is clear and accurate. Communication needs to be related to student performance, wellbeing, and behaviour, as well as school related issues. Communication should be respectful, timely and relevant, allowing for open and honest interaction.

This policy refers to the following forms of communication:

• voicemail/ telephone conversations
• emails
• official letters
• student planner
• college website
• newsletters
• Compass

All members of our learning community should respond to emails within 2 days. Emails should not be sent or responded to after 8 pm in the evening or on weekends – this applies to emails between students & teachers and teachers and parents.

Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences

The focus for students at Mount Waverley Secondary College is to achieve their very best and to continually improve their learning. An important part of this focus is the partnership between school and home, between teacher and parents/carers and student. Parent/student/ teacher interviews play a key role in this partnership where all parties meet to discuss the student’s achievements, progress, and strategies for improvement.

As per the notice that went out on Compass, Parent/student/teacher conferences for semester one is scheduled for Wednesday 27March between 1pm and 7:30pm. These conferences will be held online via Webex links.

Wednesday 27 March is also a scheduled student free day. No classes will be running on the day.

These interviews provide our students with an important learning experience where they can reflect upon and evaluate their progress and join in partnership with their teacher and parents to plan for ongoing success. For these reasons I recommend everyone is involved in this process.

Uniform Changeover Time

Winter uniform starts in Term 2 which includes the long sleeve shirt and tie, although for the first two weeks of term there is a changeover period where the students can wear either summer or winter uniform.

Please ensure that your students have the correct college uniform which is only supplied by PSW located at their state-of-the-art retail outlet at 342 -350 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley (behind Officeworks).

End of Term 1 – Start of Term 2

Students will be dismissed at 2.30pm on Thursday 28 March and we will look forward to their return for Term 2 on Monday 15 April. Happy holidays everyone!

Mrs Karen Wade
College Principal

Well done to all Junior Campus staff and students for surviving a very busy term. Below is only a fraction of what has been happening around the campus. We wish everyone a safe and restful break and look forward to another exciting term two!

The Power of Words – Eric Agyeman

Mr Eric Agyeman went from being racially bullied on his first day in primary school, to joining a gang in high school, to winning the African Australian Community award in his 20’s. Eric shared his powerful and relatable story to our year 8 students last week, promoting the benefits of respect and resilience. The students thoroughly enjoyed his engaging and inspirational style.

Car Parking at the Junior Campus

This is a reminder to all families that unfortunately there is no parking available on-site at the Junior Campus. We ask that any families travelling by car make use of the streets adjacent to, and opposite, the campus, while respecting our neighbours’ needs. We also ask that families refrain from stopping on Stephensons Rd for pick-ups and drop-offs as this is very disruptive to the flow of traffic.

Junior Campus Tours

Throughout this term, we have a number of Campus Tours running at the Junior Campus. The purpose of these tours is to allow prospective students and families to see our learning community on a normal school day. While we understand that this can be a distraction for our students and teachers at times, we value the opportunity to welcome new members to our college community. If you know of any families who may be considering enrolling at MWSC, please steer them to our website for bookings.

Plagiarism

Students are reminded that plagiarism and using the work of others  (including AI) without acknowledging it is not permitted. Plagiarism involves the act of taking and using the thoughts, writings, inventions or creations of another person and passing it off as one’s own work. Not only is plagiarism a breach of copyright laws, it is also unethical.

Plagiarism can include:

• Copying – reproducing another person’s words, with or without the knowledge of that person
• Not acknowledging ideas of information in a bibliography or through referencing
• Knowingly allowing one’s own work to be copied by another.
• Using Artificial Intelligence tools to produce work.

At the school level teachers make students aware of what behaviours constitute plagiarism and provide students with strategies that scaffold independent learning.

There are consequences for students who have been found to have plagiarised work. Consequences for Years 7 to 10 can include the classroom teacher, Year Level Coordinator and/or Subschool Leader meeting with the student, a penalty in grading applied and this will depend on the severity of the task and parents/carers notified and the issue is noted on Compass.

In VCE subjects, the issue is dealt with in accordance with the VCAA and VCE policy requirements.

Mount Matters

Well done to all of those students who put their names forward to participate in the Mount Matters program. A student-led student voice initiative, Mount Matters seeks to listen to the voices of all students at the school. Mount Matters involves fortnightly student-led focus groups at each year level with representatives from each class and culminates with a Mount Matters forum (all of the groups together) every 10 weeks. At the forum the Mount Matters and Student Leaders present their findings and recommendations to staff, students and the school leadership team.

Mr Matt Sheehan
Campus Principal – Junior School

As we move towards the term break it is worth reflecting on the first term of the year which has included learning across the eight key learning areas.   Our Year 10 Camp was great opportunity for students to connect outside of the classroom and challenge themselves with a wide range of activities.  More recently our Year 9 students have undertaken the Morrisby Careers program which helps them to start to think about future careers and completed NAPLAN Testing.  Add to this sport, music and excursions, our students have had a wide range of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom this term.

Can I wish all families a safe and restful break and we look forward to welcoming students back to the college on Monday 15 April to commence Term 2.

Compass Updates

Parent/Student One-Time Code and One Stop Parent Homepage in App

Compass Education is excited to introduce the One-Stop Parent Homepage to the Compass App. With the One-Stop Homepage feature, parents can now customise the modules that appear on their homepage, providing quick access to key modules. With expanded Module tiles for Attendance, Chronicle and Learning Tasks, parents have seamless access to essential information about their child’s school journey. Vibrant, colourful Module tiles, enhance parents navigation of the app, making it easier to locate preferred modules and brighten up the day!

To find out more please click on:

• One-Stop Parent Homepage in App – YouTube Link
• ParentStudent-One-Time-Code-Sign-in

Calendar Term View

Stay on top of school events and activities with Calendar Term View!  Conveniently view and print a term’s worth of events, with week numbers for quick reference and customise your calendar view by selecting

To find out more please click on YouTube Link:  Calendar Term View

Mr Ian MacLeod
Campus Principal – Middle School

It has been a busy term 1. Our students are incredibly lucky with the number of opportunities available to them at our school. Term 1 has seen our senior students participate in; Year 12 Camp, Year 11 Flying Start, House Swimming, visits to Top Arts, Top Design and Top Screen, Year 12 Outdoor Education camp, round robin sport days, Division Swimming, Luna Park (Year 12 Physics), Music Soirees, Caving (Outdoor & Environmental St) and the F1 Australian Grand Prix to name a few.

We continue to be impressed with the manner our Senior Students are approaching their studies and encourage them to continue this dedication moving into term 2. VCE is a marathon not a sprint and I’m sure their perseverance will pay off.

Music Soirees

On Tuesday March 19, I had the pleasure of attending one of two music soirees held that week. It was fantastic to see the students have the opportunity to perform in front of family, friends and teachers. The students had clearly been working hard to prepare for the night, with some of them only having picked up their instrument at the start of the year. Well done to all the students, their teachers and the music captains for running the night.

Student Parent Teacher Conferences

These will occur on Wednesday 27 March. This is a great opportunity for parents, students and teachers to meet to discuss how your student has begun their 2024 school year. Supporting your student to complete their schooling is a team effort and our teachers welcome the opportunity to meet with parents to discuss how to help your student in 2024.

Continuous Reporting

Teachers provide regular feedback on CATs and SACs (Learning Tasks) via Compass. This occurs throughout each term to provide students and parents with timely feedback and strategies to improve. A report in Compass allows students and parents/carers to view a summary of any comments and grades that have been entered for all subjects. To access this report go to; view academic reports, click on 2024-2024 Semester 1 Current Learning Tasks and a report will be generated.

VCE and Careers Expo – Year 11

Year 11 students were given the opportunity to attend the VCE and Careers Expo. The day will provide our year 11 students with the opportunity to engage with universities, tafes, GAP year providers, cadetship opportunities, as well as attend VCE subject seminars. It is a great day to allow our students to investigate what life after school might look like. Those students not attending will be offered a program back at school.

Plagiarism

Students are reminded that plagiarism and using the work of others without acknowledging it is not permitted. Plagiarism involves the act of taking and using the thoughts, writings, inventions or creations of another person and passing it off as one’s own. This includes the use of AI and submitting another student’s work as your own. There are consequences for students who have been found to have plagiarised work which will vary depending on the year level and if any previous offenses have occurred.

Thank You

I want to take this opportunity to thank our Senior Subschool Team, our VCE families, teaching staff, Educational Support staff, the Wellbeing Team and our students for all their hard work this term.

I wish everyone a safe and relaxing break.

Ms Lauren Kelly
Acting Campus Principal – Senior School

Take the chance: Youth Leadership Conference

On Wednesday 13 March, the Year 12 Leadership Team Captains were fortunate enough to attend the Youth Leadership Conference 2024. As young aspiring leaders, this was an opportunity that offered us all a moment to refine our understanding of what leadership is and looks like. Throughout the conference we heard the stories of leaders, leaders of all ages who all had the shared goal of making a change. ‘Take the chance’ is a key quote that was taken away from this day. It’s a saying that not only applies to leaders, but to life. Getting out of our comfort zone is how we grow and progress. If you aren’t uncomfortable when doing something – you aren’t taking the chance – but if you are uncomfortable then you are taking the chance. To take the chance means to grow, grow as an individual who knows they can do more.

There were moments where we were able to ask questions and understand more in regards to how these leaders were able to overcome their barriers and get to where they are today.

There was so much insight into the abilities we all have within and that with the right environment and right mentality we can achieve greatness. It was definitely an experience that we all appreciated, we met students from other schools and were able to bond with like minded individuals who one day we may see make great change in the world.

Overall, the day was so powerful and for everyone who needs encouragement – take the chance!

by Pria T – Deputy School Captain

Monash Women’s Business Network Lunch

Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize

Annual MWSC Soiree’s

Last week, over 80 music students performed as soloists and in small groups as part of the annual soiree concerts. These performances featured students from Year 7-12, from beginners to advanced students, on a large variety of instruments.  Run by music staff and our group of student music leaders, these were great concerts to begin the year.

Congratulations to all of our performers.

Alumni Band

2024 sees an exciting new addition to MWSC Music. An alumni band made up of 16 students who attended the college between 2016-2023. The group forms a classic big band and rehearses once a month. A group like this is a testament to the success and musical dedication of our past students. We look forward to performing for the college community throughout the year.

Congratulations Joseph Yu

On February 20 to 29, Mr Joseph Yu, our Head of Brass, and his wife Jennifer, Associate Organist of Scots’ Church Melbourne, traveled to the Philippines to perform at the 49th International Bamboo Organ Festival, which also celebrated the 200th anniversary of the installation of the instrument.

The organ and trombone duo performed first on the unique Bamboo Organ, a Spanish Baroque style instrument built in 1824 by Father Diego Cera at St. Joseph’s Parish Church, then at the Johann Trummer Auditorium in Las Piñas on February 23, before flying down to Bohol to perform with the internationally renowned Loboc Children’s at the Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception in Baclayon. Congratulations Joseph and Jennifer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_Organ

Mrs Tijtje Keatley
Music Director

Year 7 & 8 Round Robin

Our Junior students finally hit the field on March 13th and 19th for their first 2 days of competition. The sports they were competing in were tennis, volleyball, cricket, baseball and softball. The Year 8’s braved some unseasonably wet weather and managed to get a result despite the rain.

When our Year 7’s had their first taste of round-robin competition, the weather was warm, but very windy! In the end, the Junior students represented themselves and the college with immense pride. They showed great effort and sportsmanship, and managed to win through to EMR in girl’s tennis (Year 7 and 8), Year 8 baseball, and Year 7 softball.

Mr Danny Gwynne
Sports Leader – Junior Campus

Year 8 Girls Cricket

On  Wednesday 13 March, 14 Year 8 girls represented the college in the district cricket round robin. The girls won their opening game against Glen Waverley SC by 29 runs with our captain Trisha scoring 30 runs (retired) and Swathy making 18 runs. Arshia also claimed a wicket. We then played Vermont SC in the final with the game going down to the final over. Despite losing by 7 runs, there were some outstanding individual performances including Trisha hitting 34runs (retired), a team hat-trick with Charlotte getting 2 wickets and a great catch from Daisy.

Well done to all the girls for their exemplary behaviour, you should all be very proud of your efforts. A special thankyou to Jai Sharma for assisting on the day. The team was:
Zoe S, Scarlett L-K, Charlotte C, Anvi K, Aydi K, Trisha B, Daisy W, Priyu P, Falak T, Swathy J, Lalita S, Seneli T, Dhineli T, Arshia S.     ~ Mr Campbell 

Waverley Blues Football Club

The Waverley Blues are seeking additional players for their Under 14 & 16 Girls teams for season 2024.  Please refer to the Waverley Blues flyer for further details.

Victoria Police Career Expo

Victoria Police Career Expo is on Saturday 13 April. Please click here for more information, to register, and to plan your day. This event covers many aspects of policing and provides opportunities for more in depth exploration of a career with Victoria Police.

Transition and NDIS Expo

Ashwood School is excited to be putting on its first expo – Your Next Steps! Transition & NDIS Expo. We invite parents/carers and students to attend.

Get Free Tickets here: https://compasstix.com/e/nwiuj39zui

Date and time – Thursday 2nd May 2024, 2:00 pm – Thursday 2nd May 2024, 4:00 pm

Location – Mount Waverley Youth Centre – Main Hall

The vision is to help bridge the knowledge gap surrounding the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and post-school transition options for young people with disabilities. The Expo aims to equip parents and students with the knowledge and resources necessary to make informed decisions regarding education, employment, and community programs. There are many exhibitors across training & education, work skills, support workers and recreation. You can find out about the exhibitors on the booking webpage.

Mr Phil Newnham
Careers Education Manager

Class Reunion and Campus Tour

Ms Victoria Tortopidis
Careers Education and Alumni Coordinator

Natori Students’ Memorable Visit to Mount Waverley Secondary College

We are thrilled to share the exciting highlights of the recent visit from our friends from our sister city Natori, Japan! The program provided an enriching cultural experience for both our local students and our visitors from afar.

The journey commenced on Wednesday 20 March, as the Natori students arrived at MWSC. They were warmly welcomed by their host students and immediately immersed themselves in the vibrant school environment. From attending classes to joining a Welcome Assembly, our guests quickly felt at home within the MWSC community.

Thursday 21 March brought a unique adventure as the Natori students, along with their host students, embarked on a trip to Healesville Sanctuary. While the eagerly anticipated bird show was unfortunately canceled due to a wild eagle sighting, the unexpected encounter added an element of excitement to the day. Witnessing a wild eagle in its natural habitat was an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.

On Friday 22 March the Natori students had the opportunity to explore the Senior Campus, participate in Japanese lessons alongside MWSC students, and engage in classroom activities.

As the weekend approached, the Natori students delved into Melbourne’s diverse offerings with their host families. From riding the iconic Puffing Billy Steam Train to cheering at a thrilling football match at the MCG, their itinerary was filled with memorable experiences. Venturing to Phillip Island to witness the enchanting penguin parade and exploring the picturesque Mornington Peninsula further enriched their Australian adventure.

The visit concluded with fond farewells as the Natori students bid goodbye to their MWSC host families, cherishing the memories created during their time together. The exchange program not only provided a platform for cultural exchange but also fostered lasting friendships and invaluable learning experiences for all involved.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to making this exchange program a resounding success. The bonds forged between the students of Natori and MWSC exemplify the spirit of global citizenship and cultural appreciation that we strive to cultivate within our school community.

Here’s to many more enriching exchanges and memorable experiences in the future!

Ms Michelle Lukaczynski
Head of Japanese