91风流楼凤

Swimming Success

Congratulations to our students who competed in the Division Swimming Competition on Monday 4 March and won the overall shield (for the seventh time in eight years), after beating Vermont Secondary College by 39 points to take out the title.

Our students’ determination throughout the day to create this slice of history 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.听 Special congratulations to the following students who were awarded as Year level champions.

Year 8 – Zoe S
Year 9 – Zachary C
Year 10 鈥� Aleisha C and Isaac C
Year 12 – Patrik D and Edolie R

91风流楼凤 Secondary College also won the Junior and Intermediate shields and narrowly came second in the Senior shield.听听Well done to all involved and thank you to Mr Danny Gwynne and Mr Jay Newport for overseeing this event.

听

School Council Election 2024

Congratulations to our new and returning members; (Ms Lauren Kelly, Mr Ian Davidson, Mrs Kristen Nolan, Dr Joanne O鈥橫ara, Mrs Ruth Woodgate and Reiya L and Anshal P) who were successful in their nomination for College Council for the term March 2024 to February 2026. 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 21 March.

2024听听听 Parent Members are:
Mrs Chelsea Eow
Mr Fabian Kohlmann
Mr Ian McKindley
Mrs Kristen Nolan
Dr Joanne O鈥橫ara
Mr Awais Ur Rehman
Mrs Ruth Woodgate

2024听听听 Staff Members are:
Ms Sarah Chase
Mr Ian Davidson
Ms Lauren Kelly
Mrs Asha Vazirani

2024 听听 Student Members are:
Reiya L (Year 10)
Anshal P (Year 11)

2024听听听 Community Members are our College Captains:
Madeleine D
Georgia K

听

Morrisby听Interviews

The Morrisby Careers Counselling Interviews for our Year 9 students ran over the past two weeks. A total of 286 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 Thursday 7 March. Thank you to Mr Matt Sheehan and the Junior School team for hosting this event.

International Women鈥檚 Day

On Friday, 8 March we celebrated International Women鈥檚 Day by holding a breakfast event to celebrate the social, political, economic, and cultural achievements of all women globally. This year鈥檚 theme is 鈥業nspire Inclusion鈥� which is about inspiring others to understand and value women’s inclusion, to forge a better world.

Encapsulating the theme of 鈥業nspire Inclusion鈥�, staff and students heard from Fathya P, a Year 12 College Prefect who gave a captivating speech on building inclusion and guest speaker Olivia Roberts, who gave an exciting insight into her role as an RAAF pilot. Thank you to Ms Tahlia Briggs our Student Wellbeing Programs Coordinator for organising this special event.

Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences

The focus for students at 91风流楼凤 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鈥檚 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 27 March between 1pm and 7:30pm. These conferences will once again be held online via Webex links.听听Wednesday 27 March is also a scheduled student free day. No classes will be running on the day.

Please note the following dates and times:
Friday 15 March at 5pm 鈥� Conference bookings are due to open to parents/carers via Compass.
Monday 25 March at 9am 鈥� Conference bookings are due to close.
Monday 25 March by 3pm 鈥� Confirmation email to parents/carers to be forwarded, noting selected conference times and Webex teacher links.

Mrs Karen Wade
College Principal

School Drop Off and Pick Up

School Drop is a busy time around both campuses of the college.听 There are cars, pedestrians and cyclists all moving around during this busy time.听 Please be patient around these busy times so we ensure all students get to and from school safely each day. We also ask that parents refrain from entering either car park at the Junior Campus.

Accessing Student Learning Task Feedback

As we progress through the semester your student will begin to receive feedback on their CATs. 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 鈥榁iew Academic Reports鈥�
3. Click on 鈥�2024-2024 Semester 1 Current Learning Tasks鈥�
4. A report will be generated that will include all Learning Task comments and grades currently entered on Compass for your student.听 Note: if no Learning Task data has been entered a report is unable to be loaded.听

Year 7 Welcome Picnic

It was wonderful to meet so many of our families at this week鈥檚 Year 7 Welcome Picnic. We hope that everyone enjoyed getting the opportunity to visit the campus, enjoy some games, and meet our staff and the wider school community. There will be a range of other events this year, including music afternoons, Night at the Museum, and our Annual Community Showcase. We look forward to seeing you all at these events.

听 听 听听听听听

Year 7 Poet Visit

This week our year 7 students had the opportunity to participate in a workshop held by poet Stephen Herrick. The students were fortunate enough to hear about Stephen鈥檚 process, and be inspired by the way he works.

Junior Campus Sport

It has been amazing to wander around the campus before school, at lunchtimes, and after school over the past few weeks to see so many students trying out for sports teams for term 1. On Wednesday morning alone I saw the girls tennis team, the girls cricket team, and the boys volleyball team all practising before school. We wish all of our upcoming teams every success, and are so grateful to have such enthusiastic and active students.

Mr Matt Sheehan
Campus Principal – Junior School

How quickly is term 1 moving along.听 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.听 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.

听

Morrisby Year 9 Careers Program

The Morrisby Careers Program, funded by DET, is a unique program combines an online questionnaire and a follow up Careers Counselling Session for our Year 9 students.听 Students have completed an online questionnaire and have also been to a counselling session across these last few weeks.听 Thanks must go to Victoria and Phil in our Careers Team for making this program happen.
 
 

School Photos

Our annual school photos have been taken and are now ready to order.听 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.听听You will require this 2025 code to register online and view your photos.听 If you have not yet registered, please go to听 and enter your code to complete your order.听 If you require any assistance ordering your photos, please contact Arthur Reed Photos directly on 5243 4390 or email听customerservice@arphotos.com.au
 
 

Accessing Student Learning Task Feedback

As we progress through the semester your student will begin to receive feedback on their CATs. 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 鈥榁iew Academic Reports鈥�
3. Click on 鈥�2024-2024 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.听 Note: if no Learning Task data has been entered a report is unable to be loaded.听

听

School Drop Off and Pick Up

School Drop is a busy time around both campuses of the college.听 There are cars, pedestrians and cyclists all moving around during this busy time.听 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.

Another milestone was marked off for our 2024 year 12s when over 280 of them received their 2024 jackets the other week. It has been lovely to see them proudly wearing their jackets around the school.

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. An online information evening will be held on Monday, 25th March. Information will be sent via Compass with the details of the Webex meeting.听听Please contact me 鈥� kel@mwsc.vic.edu.au if you have any questions in the meantime.

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 鈥榁iew Academic Reports鈥�
3. Click on 鈥�2024-2024 Semester 1 Current Learning Tasks鈥�
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.

听

Parent Teacher Conferences

Term One Parent Teacher Conferences will occur on Wednesday 27th March. There are no scheduled classes on this day. The parent teacher conferences will take place virtually using Webex between 1-7.30pm.. Bookings will open to parents/carers next week. Please check Compass for information.

听

School Drop Off and Pick Up

School Drop is a busy time around both campuses of the college.听 There are cars, pedestrians and cyclists all moving around during this busy time.听 Please be patient around these busy times so we ensure all students get to and from school safely each day. We also request that parents do not use the staff carparks on either campus when picking up or dropping off students.

Tips and strategies to support your child in VCE

During the past few weeks students completing VCE subjects have started to complete assessment tasks. The jump into VCE is always a big one and at times students and their families can feel overwhelmed and anxious.

Please ensure that your child talks to their teacher and the year level co-ordinators if they are having difficulties with the work.

Some of the top tips to assist in VCE success include;

1. Create a study timetable and stick to it (for Year 12 students this should be 3 to 4 hours a night)
2. Find a place to study and set it up
3. Don鈥檛 study with a mobile phone or devices 鈥� they are a distraction
4. Practice applying your knowledge 鈥� not just remembering it
5. Use mind maps, graphic organisers and tables to summarise the main points
6. Use the expertise of teachers 鈥� they are always happy to assist you
7. Keep a good work/life balance 鈥� make sure you get enough sleep, exercise and social time. If you have a part time job, be mindful of spending too much time working at the expense of study time.
8. Study time includes revision of work covered, not just homework.
9. Make sure that you regularly complete homework and revise. Build up the time and do so every night until it becomes a habit.

Ms Lauren Kelly
Acting Campus Principal – Senior School

It has been a busy and productive start for the MWSC Music Department this term. Over 260 students have started instrumental lessons at the college and a majority of the school ensembles have begun to rehearse.
Thanks to the students who have been making a great effort to attend before and after school rehearsals. It is essential for the progress and success of these groups that students attend all rehearsals. In the case of student illness, can families please email the ensemble director prior to the rehearsal.

A reminder that lessons for Years 7-10 students take place during class time on a rotational basis. The lessons outside of school time are reserved for VCE students. It is important that Compass is carefully checked each week so that students are aware of lesson times and come with the correct resources.
 
 

Lunchtime Concert – Junior Campus

The Stage Band and Soul Band traveled to the Junior Campus to participate in a lunchtime concert. The theme of the concert was 鈥楽tage & Soul – Women in Jazz鈥� in celebration of International Women’s Day. It was a great way to kick off lunchtime concerts for the year that will give the music students the invaluable experience of performing to their teachers and peers.

Thanks to both bands for preparing songs early in the year and to the Student Music Leaders who assisted in running the event.

Music Soirees

The music soirees are an excellent showcase of soloists and small groups to celebrate our musicians at all levels. Please feel free to come along and support these wonderful concerts.

Mrs Titjte Keatley
Music Director

Intermediate Girls Cricket

On Thursday 29 February, the Intermediate Girls Cricket Team took to Lum Reserve to compete in the division interschool sport round robin day. In the absence of Highvale Secondary College, we had two games to win in order to progress through to the next round.

Our first game was against Glen Waverley Secondary College who looked to be a tough challenge. Incredible batting from Ava helped give us a well defendable score, then followed by some quality bowling, plus a great catch by Frances, we had just got it done.

Our second game against Vermont Secondary Colelge went pretty smooth sailing, keeping them to only 70 runs, then chasing them in only 5 overs putting us successfully through to the next round. A good day out for the girls!

Division Swimming Championships

On Monday 4 March, 72 students from Years 7 to 12 attended the Oakleigh swimming pool to compete in the 2024 Division Championships. 91风流楼凤 Seconday College had a sensational day, dominating the competition from the very first race. Our students were simply amazing, with many pushing their limits by swimming the maximum races allowed, and swimming in events that were not necessarily their favourites.

International Women’s Day at Parliament House – 4 March 2024

鈥淗ave courage, not confidence.鈥�

Representatives of the Year 12 Leadership team: Madeline, Georgia, Alannah and Fathya were invited to attend the International Women鈥檚 Day event at Parliament House on Monday, 4 March 2024.
Parliament House was as grand as it could be, as we walked through the corridors with anticipation; seeing the mosaic tiles and the shiny chandeliers. Sitting in the plush green seats of the Legislative Council, we were empowered, in being surrounded by numerous female leaders, and had the opportunity to listen and ask questions to a diverse panel of women.

We were fortunate enough to have our lovely guest speakers joining us: Ms Eden Foster, Ms Nicole Werner, Professor Julianne Moss, and Ms Jennifer Huppert. These women came from differing cultural and professional backgrounds, from various education pathways and political standings – but in common they had all experienced a gap as women in leadership positions, and sought to fill it for the future generations – as they said, 鈥渕ake our ceiling your floor鈥�. They discussed the importance of women in leadership, why there has been a historic divide, and how they believe female leaders need to be invested in in the future. Despite all reaching great heights in their careers, the panel all outlined their first steps merely putting their hand up to volunteer in their local communities, and how while we may be fearful – it is extremely important for us all to have the courage to have a go.

One of the most memorable moments from this event was the quote 鈥淗ave courage, not confidence鈥�,听 delivered by Ms Eden Foster (former mayor of Greater Dandenong). During her schooling years, she revealed that she was a shy student, therefore it limited her opportunities in leadership roles. She illustrated the challenges faced in her later adult years where she had to step out of her comfort zone because she had aspirations to lead her community. In the end, her determination flourished as she became the first woman to represent the Division of Mulgrave; a remarkable achievement that shows her passion in community service. During the discussion of influence within leadership positions, evidence shows that the first person to share their opinion is often the most influential. Foster partially rebuts this statement by stating 鈥渢he last person to say an opinion can also be influential鈥� emphasising the importance of courage to share one鈥檚 ideas, as opposed to the order of who shares the opinion. She empathised with people who still find leadership roles daunting yet has aspirations for the community, which resonates with a lot of people, especially the youth who often undervalue themselves even to this day. However at the end of the day, Foster believes that perseverance and passion to advocate for change overrules the overconfidence to only be heard but not aiming for social change. Foster鈥檚 speech about courage was vulnerable yet relatable, and we are grateful to hear her stories from her school years as a valuable lesson to uphold.

Sadly, like all great things coming to an end, so did the day鈥檚 event. We took pictures around the room, and had a great treat of speaking personally to Professor Julianne Moss. We briefly talked about the need for more women to participate in leadership roles, and how education plays a big role in changing the status quo for the better. We left the building with a spark for lots of discussions, and in the end parting ways as we finished our day.

We thank Ms Alisha Smith for chaperoning us during the event and MrThomas Grant and others involved in sharing this opportunity for us.

By Georgia K (12A), and Fathya P (12J)

International Women’s Day Breakfast – 8 March 2024

On Friday 8 March, the Wellbeing Team had the pleasure of hosting MWSC鈥檚 International Women’s Day celebrations in the Phoenix Gallery. This year the theme was 鈥業nspiring Inclusion鈥�.
The morning started off with breakfast and an opportunity to greet teachers, Year 12 leaders and our guest speakers. First we heard from a Year 12 leader Fathya P, who shared with us the story of her mother鈥檚 resilience and hard work towards achieving her Master鈥檚 Degree. She also spoke about the CED method of change, centred around prioritising Communication, Education and Delegation in order to cultivate an inclusive atmosphere and societal improvement.
Our guest speaker, Ms Olivia Roberts, is an air-force pilot who spoke about her journey from uncertainty about a career to finding and nurturing a new-found passion. Liv underscored the importance of visible representation as a significant factor in opening doors for marginalised young people, linking this to her challenges as a woman in a male-dominated field. Following her speech, all attendees were left with the motivation to overcome obstacles that may stand in the pursuit of their dreams.

We are very grateful to have heard from Fathya and Liv, who inspired us through their stories and innovative ideas for change. Thank you so much for everyone who helped organise our IWD celebration and to the wonderful guest speakers who presented!

听听

By Maya C (12I) and Clementine J (12G)

Chisholm Roundtable with MWSC School Captains and Carina Garland MP

On Tuesday 5 March, Farah and I had the opportunity to start the conversation, joining other young leaders in the Chisholm electorate for a roundtable discussion with Federal MP Carina Garland. During this session we were able to hear the leadership initiatives and experiences at other schools, as well as the main discussion where we provided insight to Ms Garland on the issues that mattered to us, and what we believed was needed.

Topics included discussion around how effective our current curriculum is at preparing young people for life after high school, discussing implementing more 鈥榣ife skills鈥� in the VCE, work experience鈥檚 limitations or absence at various schools, and concerns about the housing crisis. Social issues were also discussed; such as the gender pay gap, LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, and access to healthcare and mental health support for individuals under 18. Whilst many of us expressed concern at issues within our schools, or fear for the future, we were left feeling more at ease, in that we were not alone and that perhaps together, we could make a difference among our cohorts.

By Georgia K – 2024 School Captain

Just 3 weeks to go before our first Alumni school tour of the year. Booking close 15th March for catering purposes. This is a BIG shout out for past students of Class 1964, 1974, and 1984, we would love to see you. We are pleased to extend a warm invite to include past students from other classes as listed below.

Book tickets through link below:听听

Ms Victoria Tortopidis
Careers Education and Alumni Coordinator