MWSC College News – Issue 3

Swimming Success 

Congratulations to forty-eight of our students who competed in the Division Swimming Competition on Monday 3 March. We narrowly missed winning the overall shield after being beaten by Vermont Secondary College by 12 points.

Our students’ determination throughout the day is a credit to them and their willingness to step outside their comfort zone and compete in every event to gain points for our school was incredible.

Special congratulations to the following students who were awarded as Year Level Champions:

Year 9 – Zoe S
Year 10 – Hannah
Year 11 – Aleisha C and Isaac C

Twenty-four students will now go on to compete at the EMR Competition later this month. Well done to all involved and thank you to Mr Danny Gwynne and Mr Jay Newport for overseeing this event.

School Council Election 2025

Congratulations to our new and returning members; (Mr Tom Grant, Ms Danielle Mott, Mrs Chelsea Eow, Mr Fabian Kohlmann, Mr Ian McKindlay, Mr Slava Kurenyshev and Tejasvi S) who were successful in their nomination for College Council for the term March 2025 to February 2027. They will join our other parent, staff, student, community representatives and the Executive Team on our College Council with the first meeting of the new council to be held on Thursday 20 March. Members of our learning community who would like to hear me present the 2024 Annual Report are welcome to attend this meeting. Please contact the General Office for further information.

2025    Parent Members are:

Mrs Chelsea Eow
Mr Fabian Kohlmann
Mrs Slava Kurenyshev
Mr Ian McKindley
Mrs Kristen Nolan
Dr Joanne O’Mara
Mrs Ruth Woodgate

2025    Staff Members are:

Mr Ian Davidson
Mrs Tom Grant
Ms Lauren Kelly
Ms Danielle Mott

 2025    Student Members are:

Tejasvi S (Year 11)
Anshal P (Year 12)

 2025    Community Members are our College Captains:

Jimmy B
Nicola G

Morrisby Interviews

The Morrisby Careers Counselling Interviews for our Year 9 students ran over the past two weeks. A total of 309 students completed their profiles and participated in individual online meetings with external Morrisby-trained careers consultants. These interviews offer a valuable opportunity for students to identify future career options and pathways. Thank you to our Careers team Mrs Victoria Tortopidis and Mr Phil Newnham for supporting our students in this valuable program.

Year 7 Welcome Picnic

It was lovely to see many families attend the Year 7 Welcome Picnic on Wednesday 5 March. Thank you to Mr Matt Sheehan and the Junior School team for hosting this event.

International Women’s Day 

On Friday, 7 March we celebrated International Women’s Day by holding a breakfast event to celebrate the social, political, economic, and cultural achievements of all women globally.  This International Women’s Day spotlights the theme ‘Accelerate Action’, emphasising the importance of taking swift action and decisive steps to achieve gender equality.

Encapsulating the theme of ‘Accelerate Action’, staff and students heard from Tasmiya H, one of our Wellbeing Captains who gave a captivating speech and guest speaker Ms Merrin Bamert, an Executive Director in the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, who shared her experiences working in the government sector and some insight into Australia’s public policy shaping women’s lives.
Thank you to Ms Tahlia Briggs our Student Wellbeing Programs Coordinator for organising this special event.

Parent /Student /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 will be sent out on Compass, Parent/student/teacher conferences for semester one will be scheduled on Wednesday 2 April between 1pm and 7:30pm. These conferences will once again be held online via Webex links.  Wednesday 2 April is also a scheduled student free day. No classes will be running on the day.

Please note the following dates and times:

Friday 21 March at 5pm – Conference bookings are due to open to parents/carers via Compass.

Monday 31 March at 9am – Conference bookings are due to close.

Monday 31 March by 3pm – Confirmation email to parents/carers to be forwarded, noting selected conference times and Webex teacher links.

Mrs Karen Wade
College Principal

Year 7 Welcome Picnic

On Wednesday 5 March we were thrilled to invite our new Year 7 parents on campus to see the school, meet the teachers, and share each others’ company. It was so pleasing to see families meeting each other, and having the opportunity to meet our wonderful teachers and sub-school team, who gave up their evening to attend.

Sport Teams

It has been amazing seeing how busy the campus has been over the past few weeks, with record numbers of students trying out for our various term one sports at both Years 7 and 8. Most mornings, lunchtimes, and after school each day we have had hundreds of students meeting our volunteer teacher-coaches to try out and train for our term one sports. We wish everyone well for selection, but most importantly, congratulate all of these students for getting involved in such a positive way.

Monash Tech School

This week sees the end of our Year 7 visits to the Monash Tech School for 2025. Students have returned to school absolutely raving about the facility and program, highlighting the access to world class machinery, and an engaging curriculum. We hope this inspires our students to continue pursuing success in STEAM subjects.

Mr Matt Sheehan
Campus Principal – Junior School

How quickly is term 1 moving along.  I have been really impressed with the overall work ethic of our students and their involvement in so many different aspects of school life as we move through term 1.  Students are becoming increasingly clearer about what they are expected to know and understand in each of their lessons and our focus on increasing student learning growth will continue throughout 2025.

Morrisby Year 9 Careers Program

The Morrisby Careers Program, funded by the Department of Education, is a unique program combines an online questionnaire and a follow up Careers Counselling Session for our Year 9 students.  Students have completed an online questionnaire and have also been to a counselling session across these last few weeks.  The program is designed to get students thinking about their interests and future pathways and careers.  It is important to remember that is an ongoing conversation and should be revisited regularly as students move through Middle School and then into Senior School.  Thanks must go to Victoria and Phil in our Careers Team for making this fantastic program happen.

School Photos

Our annual school photos have been taken and are now ready to order.
Arthur Reed Photos uses an online ordering system where you can view your photos prior to ordering.  On photo day all students received a flyer which includes a code unique to them.  You will require this 2025 code to register online and view your photos.

If you need your unique code please contact the General Office and they can provide this to you.
If you have not yet registered, please go to order.arphotos.com.au and enter your code to complete your order.  If you require any assistance ordering your photos, please contact Arthur Reed Photos directly on 5243 4390 or email customerservice@arphotos.com.au

School Drop Off and Pick Up

School Drop is a busy time around both campuses of the college.  There are cars, pedestrians and cyclists all moving around during this busy time.  Please be patient around these busy times so we ensure all students get to and from school safely each day.

Mr Ian MacLeod
Campus Principal – Middle School

We are just over half way through the term and it is pleasing to see how hard the senior students are working, and the effort they are putting into their learning. It has also been great to see a number of senior students meeting up with teachers to receive feedback and support with their learning at all times of the school day. We encourage them to keep up the dedication to their studies and to reach out to their teachers if they need assistance. 

Mount Waverley North Primary School and VCE Vocational Major 

On Thursday 6 March, Year 11 and 12 students completing the VCE Vocational Major Senior Secondary Certificate visited Mount Waverley North Primary School. This visit was part of their community engagement work to meet the learning outcomes for their Personal Development Skills subject. The students were split into groups to work either in the garden, supporting sport, or as Reading Angels in the Foundation classes.

The students did an absolutely fantastic job, and the Foundation students loved having the older students helping them. The Groundskeeper made note that the work that was able to be completed in one hour would have taken him an entire week. The students are looking forward to their next visit in a fortnight. 

Proposed Year 11 Central Australia Trip

The college has tentatively booked a 9-day trip to Central Australia starting in the last few days of term three and in the first week of the term break. The trip will include visits to Coober Pedy, Uluru, Alice Springs, Kings Canyon, and other experiences such as the Field of Lights. An online information evening will be held on Tuesday 11 March at 7pm. Information has been sent via Compass with the details of the Webex meeting. 

Please contact me on kel@mwsc.vic.edu.au if you have any questions in the meantime.

Parent Student Teacher Conferences

Term One Parent Student Teacher Conferences will occur on Wednesday 2 April. There are no scheduled classes on this day to enable students to attend. The conferences will take place virtually using Webex between 1-7.30pm. Bookings will open to parents/carers on Friday 21 March. Please keep an eye on Compass notifications for information.

Accessing Student Learning Task Feedback

As we progress through the semester your student will begin to receive feedback on their assessment tasks. The steps outlined below will allow you to access a summary of all the Learning Task comments and grades your student has received so far for all their subjects. This can be accessed at any point in the semester prior to the formal end of semester report being released. 

1. Log onto Compass using your parent access details. 
2. Click on ‘View Academic Reports’
3. Click on ‘2025-2025 Semester 1 Current Learning Tasks’
4. A report will be generated that will include all Learning Task comments and grades currently entered on Compass for your student. Note: if no Learning Task data has been entered a report is unable to be loaded. 

Plagiarism 

Students are reminded that plagiarism, which includes using the work of others without acknowledging, 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 their 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. Staff will continue to work with students to support them in conducting research, correct use of AI, and how to use referencing. 

Ms Lauren Kelly
Campus Principal – Senior School

Parenting Spotlight

parents.au.reachout.com

Reach out is a great resource for parents and carers, especially parents of teenagers. The website empowers parents/carers – providing you with the tools/knowledge to support you in parenting teenagers. Some of the information and advice available but not limited to is support on school refusal, social media, gender identity, mental health and wellbeing, bullying and friendships.

There are a range of articles and videos of experts and parents sharing their experiences. Reach out also offer one free professional help for parents and carers of 12-18 year olds in Australia from a trained parenting coach.

International Women’s Day

Division Swimming

On Monday 3 March Mount Waverly Secondary College had 48 students compete at the Division Swimming Carnival.
The day started off in excellent fashion, with Zoe S (Year 9), Zach C (Year 10) and Aleisha C (Year 11) winning the first 3 events for the day.

Our Year 7s were fantastic, with Harry M, Katia K, Molly R and Daniel K all earning 1st place finishes.
Lyn K and Ethan D of Year 8 also claiming a 1st place finish in the 50m freestyle.

With only 12 points separating MWSC and Vermont SC for 1st place, we eagerly anticipated the Relay results.
MWSC secured 7 first-place finishes in the relays but fell just short of Vermont SC, finishing in 2nd place overall for the day.

Congratulations to Zoe S, Hannah R, Aleisha C and Isaac C, who were awarded Age Group Champions on the day.

Good luck to the 24 MWSC students who will compete at the EMR competition later this month.

Mr Jaidyn Newport and Mr Danny Gwynne
Sports Coordinators

The commencement of the year has been marked by a creative and  productive start within our music department. Over fifteen ensembles have started rehearsals, supporting the musical development of our students. These sessions extend beyond simply learning the notes and rhythms, they focus on crucial aspects such as sectional and ensemble balance, synchronisation, and following conducting directives. Consistent attendance at all rehearsals and dedicated home practice are imperative for each student’s progress and the overall success of the ensembles.

The Junior Campus music wing has been a hub of enthusiastic activity, with the Year 7 cohort engaging in instrument try outs for the classroom band program. This successful initiative provides all students with the invaluable opportunity to explore musical instruments, and participate in an ensemble. Instrument allocations will be finalised, and students will commence lessons, with instruments available for home practice early in Term 2.

We are pleased to announce the first significant musical events of 2025: the annual Soirée Concerts. Families of participating students will receive detailed notifications via Compass. The college community is warmly invited to attend these performances, which will showcase the talent and dedication of our students.

Event Details:

Dates: Tuesday, 18 March 2025  and Thursday, 20 March 2025

Time:   6:30 PM

Location: Unicorn Theatre, Senior Campus

Admission: $5 cash per attendee, collected at the door. All proceeds will contribute to the upcoming Music Tour to New Zealand.

We thank you for your continued support of the music program at Mount Waverley Secondary College.

Mrs Tijtje Keatley
Music Director

Year 9 – Morrisby Interviews: Concluded

Careers Insight – Morrisby Interviews wrapped up for another year with a total of 309 Year 9 students participating in a one-to-one interview conducted by an independent Career Consultant (engaged by the CEAV). This has been by far the largest cohort to participate in the Morrisby Program. Feedback from students has been positive, with them happy to start the conversation on exploring future career options and pathways.

Thank you to the Middle School team for their support and to everyone who helped make the process run smoothly.

Year 12

During the year, the Careers team will meet with all Year 12 students to assist them in planning their pathways. Please make a booking at a time that suits you by going to Careers Corner. You may have a clear idea of your destination or you might feel uncertain about your future. The Careers team is here to help you with whatever you need.

Year 7 & 8 – Careers Lunchtime Drop-in Question Time, Junior Campus

This week Careers hosted another Careers Lunchtime Drop-in Sessions for Year 7 and 8 students to “ask me anything” about career and pathways. These sessions offer students the opportunity to explore career pathways and ask question in an informal setting. There were questions about becoming a Teacher and a Veterinarian this week. We have 2 more sessions for the Term on the 18 March and 1 April.

Mr Phil Newnham and Ms Victoria Tortopidis
Careers Education

Alumni School Tour

First tour of the year is quickly approaching.  It will start at 9am from the main reception of Senior Campus and concludes with a morning tea. Bookings essential. Don’t miss out.

Class of 1975, 1985 Reunion

Thursday 27 March 2025

We are also happy to include students from the following classes:
1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984

Click here to book your ticket

Ms Victoria Tortopidis
Alumni Coordinator

On Wednesday 19 February, our Journalism class went on an excursion to SYN Radio in Melbourne City.
We met up at Mount Waverley Train Station at 8:30am, then traveled to Burnley Station, changed trains and made the final stretch to Melbourne Central Station.

Our group of 14 students had an amazing time exploring Melbourne Central and getting some yummy food to eat, before
arriving at RMIT University, we were welcomed into a classroom by one of the staff at SYN Radio.

We were taught all about the structure of a radio show and learned some tips and tricks to keep the conversation going during a radio show. Each group eagerly awaited for their turn in the recording room to record their practice segment.

We had a wonderful time practicing in the recording booth. with each group doing an amazing job and our instructor Nick guiding us in very helpful ways. Thank you to our teachers for this wonderful experience! It was the best!!

by Alexis B, Henry B and Abigail E

In Food Technology class so far, we have made Mediterranean Risotto, Apple & Cinnamon Tea Cake, and Baja Fish Tacos. In Japan, we only have home economics once a week, and it’s very rare to cook, so we’re happy we could make a lot of food in Food Tech at MWSC.

At Owa, we only cook once a semester. We think the Food Tech level at MWSC is very high. We also think the amount of food we get to prepare is very generous. When we made food in home economics in Japan, the portion was always very small. But when we make dishes in Food Tech here, there is always plenty of food.

Each group has five people and everyone is given a role to complete. The space is small and the room is full of students, but Food Tech is fun because we all cook together, so we’re always moving. We love Food Tech. We always eat what we make in class for lunch. We were surprised that when we made Apple Cinnamon Tea Cake, we got to take the whole cake home.

by Mikoto Iwaki and Koyuki Hara