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From the Head of Senior School
Fostering a strong partnership between families and the school is crucial for nurturing the education and overall wellbeing of our students. Our shared values emphasise mutual trust and respect, creating an environment where each child is known, feels a sense of connection to their peers and to the school, and is recognised as a valued member of our community.
In our Senior School, students are allocated to one of four Houses. Upon entering Year 7, students gather in House groups for twenty minutes each day with their designated Wellbeing Mentor. These mentors, introduced during the recent Year 7 Welcome Evening, along with Mr Ben Peake, Head of Year 7, help oversee the academic, social, emotional and spiritual growth of these students throughout this year.
As students progress from Year 7 to Year 8, they become part of a Wellbeing Group consisting of students from Years 8 to 12 within their House. The Head of House oversees the wellbeing of all students and, along with the Wellbeing Mentor, serves as the primary point of contact for parents.
Should you need to contact your child’s Head of House, please send a message via Seqta to:
Booth – Mr Michael Vandenberg
Leaver – Mrs Stephanie Trovato
Reid – Mr Anthony Brown
Trist – Mrs Fern Schreuder
Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences are held in Term 1 to discuss formative feedback from subject teachers and to share strategies to support students in the classroom and in their home study. Online meetings will take place via Teams on Friday 8 March and face-to-face in the VCE Centre after school on Tuesday 12 March. Letters to families will outline instructions for making bookings with subject teachers during these sessions.
VCE Assessment and Attendance
It is important to note that all VCE Units involve at least 50 hours of scheduled classroom instruction. A student needs to demonstrate sufficient class attendance to fulfil the time and work requirements of the unit. The school sets minimum class time and attendance rules; students must attend a minimum of 90% of classes in each unit to establish that they have understood the work and that the work is their own.
Approved absences include:
- illness verified with a medical certificate
- attendance at a school approved activity
- bereavement
- significant religious reasons
VCE students have been provided an assessment schedule for School Assessed Coursework and Tasks (SAC/SAT). Assessment tasks are generally conducted during timetabled classes. Where there are multiple classes undertaking the same assessment task, these are scheduled outside of school hours on a Monday and/or Thursday afternoon and students are notified in advance of these times.
An extension of time is granted to an individual student only in special circumstances to address an adverse event such as serious illness, medical reasons, a family bereavement or a traumatic event. Strict criteria must be met to qualify. Any extension must be approved by the Head of Senior School.
Year 12 Commissioning Service
During last week’s Commissioning Assembly, we had the honour of acknowledging and celebrating the Class of 2024 as they embark on their final year of secondary schooling. We are here to offer support and guidance as they navigate this important chapter in their academic journey, and we look forward to sharing with them the opportunity to make lasting memories.
The new Head of Leaver House and Deputy Principal were officially welcomed to their roles and, along with the Student Leadership Team, pledged their commitment to the school community. We are genuinely excited to see the impact they will have this year. Their fresh ideas and passion are sure to bring a sense of pride and collaboration across the entire Senior School.
Beyond the Classroom
Term 1 generally brings favourable weather conditions, allowing students to engage in activities beyond the classroom, such as camps, outdoor sport and swimming carnivals. Fortunately, despite the recent unpredictable stormy conditions, the Outdoor and Environmental Studies class were able to spend one of the planned two nights at Wilson’s Promontory, and the Year 7 students were accommodated at a nearby venue to allow their camp to proceed as planned.
The opportunities are essential as hands-on learning experiences, with students at times stepping out of their comfort zone and having to build resilience as they navigate new challenges. The teamwork and new bonds that have been formed contribute significantly to student development and personal growth outside the traditional classroom setting.
We are extremely grateful to the staff who take time out of their busy schedule, spending nights away from their own home, to help make camp such a special experience.
Congratulations to all those who competed in this year’s House Swimming Carnival and thank you to students and staff who so eagerly cheered for their teammates. The presentation of Age Group Champions will be in our next Senior School Assembly.
Kate Morgan
Head of Senior School
Casey Challenge – Casey Tech School Excursion
On Thursday 15 and Friday 16 February, our Year 9 students headed to Casey Tech School to participate in their Discovery Program about sustainable housing. This excursion was part of the Year 9 Casey Challenge program, where students are exposed to ‘experiential learning’.
By engaging in hands-on experiences at Casey Tech School, that included Master Classes on energy efficiency using up-to-date technology and reflection, students were able to better connect theories and knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world situations. Students collaborated in teams and had to design the most energy efficient or ‘sustainable’ house that they could and then report back to their peers using the three pillars of sustainability: Environmental, Social and Economic.
Fern Schreuder
Head of Trist House – Senior School
Year 7 Camp
Last week Year 7s set off to Stringybark Lodge and Gilwell Park to spend a night in a tent and a night in a cabin as part of their Orientation Camp. Students had an amazing time partaking in all of the activities camp had to offer: Survivor challenge, raft building, high ropes course, low ropes course, bushwalking, flying fox, Family Feud game show, a disco and campfire, just to name a few.
Most importantly, camp provided the students the opportunity to get to know more of their peers, make new connections, and form new friendships. Here is what some of the Year 7s thought of camp:
“I really enjoyed when we all had the disco. It was super fun.” Gurveen 7A
“I loved the activities and how many friends I made.” Saideep 7D
“The best parts of camp were the bush walking and sleeping in the tents at Gilwell, and the raft building, flying fox, and disco at Stringybark.” Waris 7C
“Camp was an enjoyable experience and a great opportunity to get to know everyone.” Hargun 7B
“The best part about camp was playing with the giant chess pieces at Stringybark against my friend.” Jordan 7D
“Camp was a wonderful experience, and it helped me feel so much more comfortable with our year 7 community!” Aarohee 7A
“Camp was a great experience for me. I made some new friends and slept in a tent in a forest for the first time!” Fateh 7D
“One thing I loved about camp was when we played the Family Feud game show run by Mr Peake. It got our brains thinking and was really fun.” Averia 7C
“My favourite thing at camp was the high ropes course. It was scary but I had so much fun. I also learnt some new names and faces that can help me recognise people in my year level.” Isabella 7D
“I had fun sleeping in tents although it wasn’t the most comfortable, it was a new experience and I really enjoyed it. At the start of the disco, I was just standing there, but by the end I really started getting into it and having fun!” Chloe 7D
“Year 7 camp was amazing, I had so much fun spending time with new people and friends. The best part for me was the high ropes! I succeeded even though it was a little bit scary.” Ella 7B
“My highlight of camp was the high ropes course and the flying fox. It was really fun to get to know more people and make new friends.” Hadiah 7C
Thank you to the Year 9 Leaders: Sophie, Lucas, Joanne, Spencer, Aiyla, Alex, Ryan and Ella for being excellent role models and for supporting staff and students. A huge thank you to all the staff who came along on camp and made it an enjoyable experience for all!
Ben Peake
Head of Year 7
