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Mooroolbark College Newsletter – April 2022

30th April 2022

Our latest Mooroolbark College Newsletter is here!
 
The Mooroolbark College newsletters are an important form of communication for our school community.
Each newsletter contains a great deal of information about what is happening in the College including upcoming events and celebration of student success.
 
Enjoy the read…

In this Issue:

Upcoming Events

Next PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

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Term One Principal’s Report 

With Term One drawing to a close, I would like to acknowledge the work of our staff and students during what felt like a very long term. It has been the first full term in two years, without a lock down or remote learning.  It has taken some adjustment but we would all agree it is lovely to have some normality back in our lives, with swimming sports, debutante balls, excursions and camps all going ahead in Term 1. 

Building Update 

The Student Wellbeing Centre and the re-landscaping of our quadrangles is proceeding as planned, with a final completion date in early July.  Students will be pleased to hear that the southern quadrangle will be completed and handed back to the College for student use within the first two weeks of Term 2.  With additional seating and an outdoor stage and classroom area, this will be welcomed by all.   

Changes for 2023 

As a result of changes to the industrial agreement currently being ratified between the State Government and unions, the structure of the Mooroolbark College school day will change in 2023.  The College will be changing from a 4 period day (70 minute periods) to a 5 period day (57 minute periods).  The structure of the day will be as follows: 

  • Home Group – beginning at 8.44 am 
  • Period 1  
  • Period 2 
  • Recess – 25 minutes (increased from 20 minutes) 
  • Period 3 
  • Period 4 
  • Lunch – 40 minutes (reduced from an hour) 
  • Period 5 – ending at 2.55 pm 

Across the week this will also mean students receive an additional 30 minutes of face to face teaching.  I am also sure bus travellers will appreciate the extra 5 minutes at the end of the day to ensure that they make their bus on time and are crossing Manchester road safety. 

College Council 

Each year the College asks for nominations for College Council.  I am pleased to announce the members of the College Council for 2022/2023:

  • Julie Medlin – President – Community Representative/Past Parent 
  • Jordan Daniels – Community Representative/Past Student  
  • Beth Rose – Vice President – Community Representative 
  • Dianne Bouwhuis – Community Representative/MCPA Rep 
  • Tooba Awais – Staff Representative 
  • Lachlan Mann – Staff Representative 
  • Rachael Williams – Secretary – Staff Representative – Secretary 
  • Samantha McIntosh Staff Representative 
  • Daniel Harrison – Student Representative 
  • Gabrielle Bouwhuis – Student Representative 
  • David Johnston – Treasurer – Parent Representative 
  • Mark Johanson – Parent Representative 
  • Kerri Ann Graff – Parent Representative 
  • Jeff Fowler – Parent Representative 
  • Louise Just – Vice President – Parent Representative 
  • Louise Schofield – Parent Representative 

I would like to thank the College Council members for their commitment to the College and I look forward to working with them throughout this year. 

Mooroolbark College Parents Association 

At Mooroolbark College we are very fortunate to have a wonderful parent community which involves itself in all aspects of College life.  There are not many secondary schools which have the support of a parents association.  At Mooroolbark College, our parents association undertakes a wide variety of activities including supporting the Debutante Ball, supporting our Performing Arts program and our College Open Night.  The MCPA (Mooroolbark College Parents Association) meet twice a term on a Monday night. I would like to acknowledge and thank the following parents for their commitment to the school and encourage any other parent who wishes to join to contact Sally Jackson at the College on 9727 8100. 

The MCPA consists of the following parents: 

  • Gemma Heemskerk – President 
  • Sam Wahrenberger – Treasurer 
  • Sally Jackson – Secretary 
  • Dianne Bouwhuis – MCPA College Council Representative and Vice President 
  • General Committee – David Johnston, Steve Reid, Michaela Gray, Jodi Jordan and Heather Lamb

 

I wish everyone a safe and happy Easter break and that they take some time to look after their own wellbeing. 

 

Regards, 

Ann Stratford 
PRINCIPAL 

 

 

PreviousCover PageNext 58th & 59th DEBUTANTE BALLS

58th & 59th DEBUTANTE BALLS

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After much preparation, sweat and definitely some tears, the 58th and 59th Debutante Balls were finally conducted over the long weekend in March.

On Friday March 11th, 2022 our current Year 11 students were presented to friends and family. In front of special guests, Mr Tyrone Ingham and Ms Harriet Shing (MP), the Debutantes and their partners were introduced and then showed off their newly acquired dance skills to thunderous applause. On behalf of the 59th Debutantes and partners, Sam Tucker, Kyla King, Kayla Manthey and Zach Bos spoke about the joys and excitement of participating in such an event, and were gracious in their acknowledgement and thanks to everyone who had supported them throughout the preparation stage.

On Saturday March 12th, 2022, our current Year 12 students were finally able to take to the dance floor and participate in their Debutante Ball. Postponed several times during 2021, there were some concerns that the 58th Debutante Ball was never going to eventuate. Dresses hung in wardrobes for over a year in some cases, and hair and make-up appointments were arranged and re-arranged. However, the evening eventually arrived and as our Debutantes and their partners emerged from a selection of impressive cars, they made their way to the dance floor. Hayley Knight, Courtney Deery, Alex Jackson and Jackson Addicott spoke on behalf of the 59th Debutantes and expressed their sincere appreciation for all the support and hard work that went into ensuring that this Ball was able to be held. Our special guests, Ms Belinda Cannington and Ms Bridget Vallence (MP), were thoroughly impressed by the class and sophistication of our Debutantes and their partners as they were finally presented.

We are so incredibly proud of all of our 58th and 59th Debutantes and their partners. Their dedication to this event, throughout some extremely difficult circumstances, is admirable and all of our participating students demonstrated the Mooroolbark College values to an exemplary level.

On behalf of everyone involved in the 58th and 59th Debutante Balls, we would like to sincerely thank Mrs Ann Stratford, Mrs Samantha McIntosh and the members of the Mooroolbark College Parents’ Association and College Council for their continued support of this event. We would also like to thank all the staff and students, and their friends and family, without whose support this event would not be able to run.

 

 

PreviousPRINCIPAL’S REPORTNext SENIOR SCHOOL

SENIOR SCHOOL

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Medallion Ceremony – Top Achievers 2021 

The Medallion Ceremony proved to be a great opportunity to recognise our top performing 2021 VCE students.   Mrs Colette welcomed some of them back this week and explained how they achieved their outstanding results to the college community.  Josh Rowe, Alex Newman and Jesamine Newman were able to join us on the day to receive their achievement medals.  Each alumni received the Top Ten Prestigious Medallion recognising their outstanding 2022 VCE achievements.  For the record, Josh received an ATAR of 89.6, Alex 90.55 and Jesamine 99.6   

Jesamine spoke to the college community outlining her strategies for being a successful student, and was very motivating.  Her key words were to be consistent and to set yourself up with good study habits in the junior years that will pay off in your final year of schooling. She also suggested that even though she spent a great deal of time studying last year, it was important to take time for rest and relaxation, and she enjoyed participating in extracurricular programs such as the Performing Arts Production, The Addams Family. 

Accessing Information from the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre  

The VTAC website offers very comprehensive information on pathways and is an excellent place to start searching. It has a Course Search function in which students can find information relevant to each course, including career opportunities, fees, ATAR requirements and admission criteria. The VTAC website also has links to upcoming events such as open days and information evenings organised by tertiary institutions. Students and parents may refer to the VTAC guides tailored for Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12. These guides help students to evaluate their strengths and interests, setting short-term and long-term goals, researching and selecting courses. 

The GAT 

The GAT is changing in 2022. Victorian senior secondary students, both VCE and VCAL, will this year have their literacy and numeracy skills measured against new standards in a reformed GAT.  

The reformed GAT follows a comprehensive review conducted by the VCAA. It will see Victoria join other jurisdictions who already incorporate literacy and numeracy standards as part of their senior secondary reporting. The GAT will provide specific information on each student’s key skills for life beyond school. Key Changes to note:  

  • The GAT will be held on Wednesday 7 September 
  • The GAT will be split into two sections: 
  • Section A will assess literacy and numeracy skills  
  • Section B will assess skills in mathematics, science, technology, the arts and humanities, with an increased focus on critical and creative thinking skills  

All students enrolled in one or more VCE Unit 3 –4 sequence will be required to sit both Sections A and B. 

Senior School Parent Teacher Interviews 

The Senior School Parent Teacher interviews were a new initiative this year.  After such positive feedback and the large number of interviews that took place, we will be continuing with the separate Junior and Senior interviews next year. There will also be a Senior School Parent Teacher Interviews held in Term 3. 

Year 11 Assembly 

Thank you to Mrs Colette, Hayley Knight and Emily Reid who spoke to the Year 11 students this week.   Hayley and Emily spoke about their experience as an accelerating student outlining the importance of coursework completion and not leaving tasks to the last minute.  The presenters outlined a range of strategies for succeeding both at VCE and VCAL. 

Coursework and SACs 

A reminder that all coursework and SACs are available on Compass, and Ms Jennings advertises the SACs that will run each week on Compass newsfeed.  If you have any concerns regarding your child’s classwork and progress, please contact their teachers or the Senior School Team. 

 

Michelle Colette
Senior School Leader

Previous58th & 59th DEBUTANTE BALLSNext STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

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The Mooroolbark Student Representative Council are pleased to report on a fruitful and “hectic” start to Term 1. 
 
After a difficult 2 years in and out of remote learning, the SRC was keen to bolster its numbers and reengage student voice in the college! 
 
As the term has continued, word of mouth has continued to spread, and students are still joining our ranks from years 7 to 12.  As many as 40 students are now part of the SRC, led by President Emily Reid.  
 
SRC made its debut at the swimming carnival this year, selling soft drinks and icy poles, as well as leading games and entertainment for the day.  They are proud to report they made $450 profit on the day – and are looking forward to leading the school in nominating a charity next term! 
 
Recently, the SRC ran several activities throughout the school for Harmony Week, including the handing out of ribbons and the running of cultural stalls.  A massive week for the school celebrating the diversity that makes Mooroolbark great. 
 
Looking forward, SRC is excited to launch their Easter Raffle for the last day of term and start planning for an even bigger Term 2! 

 

PreviousSENIOR SCHOOLNext ENGLISH

ENGLISH

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Year 8 students have recently finished a Micro-fiction unit which has resulted in many excellent examples of writing in this form. Here are a few stand outs: 

 

Blood red and faint fiery sky. Sunset clouds passing over sleeping trees. The waters reflection of the distant but bright sun.

(Lilli Smirnow, R4) 

 

Camping 

A picture of the road, on the way to Toolangi. A kid setting up his swag with his mates. A bunch of kids sitting and relaxing in a river. Cars driving up steep and tough mud and hills. A picture of them gathered around a fire eating dinner and chatting. They get in their swags and have a good night sleep. The next morning they wake each other up and have breakfast. They head out to the trail after breakfast and went four-wheel driving. One of the boys got stuck in the mud. So the other boys helped him with their winches.? After that they headed back home with some good memories.

(David McDowell, R1) 

 

Flash! 

“My life flashed before my eyes”. A vague phrase used to describe a feeling of terror when a person is in strife or breathing their last breaths. Though what does it truly mean?? 
It is often precepted as memories of your third birthday and your grandmother’s funeral whizzing behind your eyes on a roll of film, your first kiss and your first breakup. ? 
Or perhaps it’s a vision of after. After your life is done. The light flickering in your mind before the darkness comes. Though no one really knows what happens when the light goes out.

(Abbey Heemskerk, R9) 

 

Hand of Ice 

Cosy warm, in my blanket of velvet blue. Unaware of the silent figure that crept into my room. Dreaming of?puppies, dreaming of chocolate, a happy smile across my face. The figure creeping closer still. Eyes closed,?blind, drifting off to the sandman’s home. The figure stretches a hand over me, fingers like claws. An icy?dagger grants me forever sleep.? 

(Connor Kreemers, B6) 

 

Recommendations: 

Movie: Don’t Look Up – A comedic and sobering take on current society’s idiocy around doomsday events and maintaining ‘calm’. Two scientists discover there is an unidentified comet hurtling toward Earth but nobody takes them seriously when they tell the world. Starring Leo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. – Mr Ingham  

 

Book: After Story by Larissa Behrendt – An indigenous lawyer takes her Mother to England where they go on a literary tour visiting sites related to Virginia Wolf, the Bronte’s, Shakespeare etc. Through the exposure to the various sites, the past trauma of their own daughter/sisters abduction and murder is explored along with the stolen generation, racism and culture. – Ms Roberts 

 

Podcast: She’s on the Money – A “financial podcast for Millennials”. – Ms Farrell 

PreviousSTUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCILNext MATHEMATICS

MATHEMATICS

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As we wrap up the longest term staff and students have had onsite for over 2 years, we can finally reflect on what has been happening throughout Term 1.  

Year 7 students have returned to the Targeted Learning Program – an additional activity our Year 7 students undertake as part of their Mathematics curriculum in Year 7. Students have had the opportunity to focus on areas of weakness and spend some time strengthening these skills with other students in a new setting.  

Our Year 7 and 9 students have begun preparing for NAPLAN, which will be completed online this year. Students are reminded to bring headphones when it is completed next term.  

I would like to Congratulate Mr. Dunkley on completing his additional Mathematics studies at Deakin University. The knowledge and insight that he has added to this learning area is invaluable.  

I wish everyone in the Mooroolbark College Community a safe and happy holiday.  

 

Jade Hubben
Mathematics Key Learning Head 

PreviousENGLISHNext SCIENCE

SCIENCE

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Our students are settling into their Science classes for the year as they busily experiment, investigate, observe and explore the world around them. 

Turtle Club has been off to a fantastic start so far this year, with students coming in and helping feed our two turtles Sheldon and Franklin, as well as help look after our stick insects. If you would like to be a part of the Turtle Club then please send Mr Dunkley a message on Teams. Turtle Club runs every Wednesday during lunch. 

Our year 9 students have recently completed a sheep’s brain dissection, looking at the different lobes, white and grey matter as well as the brain stem. Students are exploring the function and structure of neurons to explore how signals are sent from the brain around the body. 

Our year 12 Chemistry students have been investigating rates of reaction, looking at how changing one variable will affect the outcome of a reaction. They have explored this by creating elephants toothpaste. 

 

Tristan Dunkley
Science KLA Leader 

PreviousMATHEMATICSNext LANGUAGES

LANGUAGES

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It has been a huge month in Languages! March is the time for the Education Perfect World Championships. We make time in our classes, so that our learners can get the feel for competing against their classmates, time, a worldwide community and even themselves! We expect students to push themselves at home to try and get one of the sought after Certificates. Indeed 2022 has been another year of great success for Mooroolbark College and our 41 highest achievers were:  

Bailey Paget Elite 
Aliyah Orwin Elite 
Ash Missen Emerald 
Alex Paget Emerald 
Adam Spencer Silver 
Dean Muys 

Silver 

Messi Lal Ram Lian Silver 
Connor Kreemers Silver 
Ollie Welland Bronze 
Ella McCarten Bronze 
Ashlee Jordan Bronze 
Molly Fitzgerald Credit 
Mikaylah Sleeman Credit 
Noah McConville Credit 
Bethany Paredes Credit 
Hniang Hringthar Credit 
Dylan Pickett Credit 
Vang Ku Khen Hrang Credit 
Amy-Leigh SMIT Credit 
Owen Billing Credit 
Jennifer Bouwhuis Credit 
Josh Graaf Credit 
Carter Rose Credit 
Kiele Donald Credit 
Amelie Whitham Credit 
Ruby Harper Credit 
Olivia Cahoon Credit 
Vincent Kim Credit 
Jaziah Madronio Credit 
Jacob Jarvis Credit 
Will Reid Credit 
Ainslie Naughtin Credit 
Oliver Randall Credit 
Lilli Smirnow Credit 
Cooper Ingram Credit 
Linda Hu Credit 
Elise van Praag Credit 
Cayley Ward Credit 
Blake Mealor Credit 
Alannah Sutherland Credit 
Oliver Gell Credit 

 

For their incredible efforts, Bailey and Aliyah also received a special prize from the Language Faculty.  

Congratulations once again to our high achievers and also those who tried their hardest. 

 

Education Perfect compliments our Language Learning. Apart from our usual in class Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking tasks, EP is used regularly to reinforce vocabulary. The Faculty sets tests for Assessment with it also. In order to continue using this valuable resource we must remind all parents that a big change for the College has been in the administration of Education Perfect. It is no longer able to be charged through the book list. Payment must be made directly. The charge covers all content on EP including Languages, English and Humanities. If you need help with this process, please see Mr Donald’s Compass post or speak to us directly.  

Your Languages Team 

Jiaqi Tan, Yi Jiang, Jordan van Keulen & Jonas Bahlo 

 

PreviousSCIENCENext HUMANITIES

HUMANITIES

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Humanities students have been busy and hard-working in Term One.  Highlights include: 

  • Year 9 World of Work students used Lego to create models of employment centres, including Melbourne Airport and Brice Avenue, Mooroolbark.  Working collaboratively, students then annotated Discovery Centre tables with careers most related to each place. 
  • Year 10 People and the Planet students completed their study of climate change and are now examining the Murray-Darling Basin.  A virtual tour combined with mapping iconic sites helped bring distant places alive. 
  • Year 7 Geography students completed line drawing CATs, with completed projects including some of the finest mapping efforts we have seen in recent years.  The application of skills acquired in Education Perfect sessions was evident in students’ excellent assignments. 
  • Year 8 Geography students completed very informative SPICESS CATs in which they applied geographical concepts to Australian natural places.  Ashlee Jordan (8B) was among students’ who achieved a particularly high grade. 
  • Year 11 Geography students have continued their study of bushfires, while using a variety of map and satellite imagery tools. 
  • Humanities students enjoyed many Education Perfect (EP) activities that helped further students’ understanding.  I will add to the comments written in the Languages section of this newsletter, which apply equally to Humanities.  EP is a marvellous tool that has allowed students to stride ahead in their learning.  It’s use in Humanities has allowed classes to move past the basics of topics and engage in increased evaluation, analysis and critical thinking.  Now parents and guardians are required to pay directly for EP – please contact the college if you need help with this. 

Chris Hanneberry
Humanities KLA Leader 

 

PreviousLANGUAGESNext TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY

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This semester is well underway and the students have had the past 8 weeks and the opportunity to spend time developing their practical skills and most have completed or are near to completing their first CAT. 

In Year 7, students have been completing either Food Technology or Product Design Wood. The food students have cooked many things, hopefully some of this has made it home. In Product Design Wood students will be completing their Tangram and these will start to come home in the next few weeks. 

In Year 8, students have been working in either Product Design Textiles or Digital Technology. In Textiles we have explored different ways to manipulate and alter fabric. This experimentation will help students decide what fabric techniques they use in their final product in Term 2.  

In Year 9 and 10 Product Design students have been busy working on their individual designs. Studies in either Wood, Metal, Systems or Textiles have seen students solving design tasks and learning the skills required to create products that meet the design task. 

Our students have made a welcomed return to Food Studies cooking up a storm in our kitchens. Our Year 7 students have worked well developing their safety and hygiene skills which they have applied to make a range food products such as pita pockets, scones, pastries, toasties, French toast, chicken fillet burgers and microwave mug cakes. This has allowed them to begin to develop a range of skills using equipment and cooking. Year 9 Special Occasion Foods and Food Studies students have completed their first CAT’s, one celebrating their culture and the other investigating the ethics and sustainability of food production. They made an amazing array of food products such as empanadas, apple strudel sheet cake, frittata’s, butterfly cakes, calzones, butterscotch rolls etc. 

Our Year 10 Barkers Bakery have developed many complex skills including how to work with yeast making products such as bread and cinnamon scrolls as well as making and working with a range of pastries and making products such as filo pastry- spanakopita, short crust-slow cooked shepherds pies and salted caramel tarts, choux pastry- eclairs and puff pastry- apple tarte tatin, pizza scrolls, palmiers and mille feuilles. Our Food Studies students completed their first CAT investigating Meal Kits as well as making a range of products such as chicken Caesar salad, pizza, beef satay and roti, mini lemon meringue tarts and churros. Barkers BBQ have worked to develop a range of skills using different BBQ techniques.  The Year 11 students have worked extremely hard developing skills knowledge to help them complete the set outcomes.  

Our Year 12 Systems class have successfully completed their SAC and have started designing their work for the SAT. Students undertook a virtual tour of the Western Treatment plant, learning that Melbourne water processes around 500 million litres of sewage a day and is producing it’s own energy via 3 onsite generators and a solar farm located at the Eastern Treatment plant. 

 

Andrew Dingey
KLA Leader Technology

 

 

  

PreviousHUMANITIESNext THE ARTS

THE ARTS

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Term 1 has been a very busy period in The Arts with some amazing work being produced and created by our students from all areas of The Arts. 

Our Media students have been busy analysing various films and representations. It’s great to see their appreciation and love of film really grow as they learn how to apply the codes and conventions. Our senior Art and Studio Art students have been experimenting with various materials ahead of beginning work on their final pieces. The Year 9 Art students have just completed some amazing dry-point etching pieces and are about to start on creating some stop-motion short films using plasticine. We can’t wait to see how they turn out.  

In the Performing Arts subjects, our new Performing Arts subject at Year 7 and 8 has been a huge success. The new subject combines Drama and Music, giving students the chance to experience both disciplines at each year level. The Year 9 Music students are learning practical performance skills whilst the VCE Music students are perfecting their performance skills a head of their upcoming performances.   

 

The Arts Instagram page 
Our College Instagram page recently celebrated their 1,000th post by taking a look back at some of the incredible pieces of artwork shared over the past 6 years. We look forward to continuing to showcase their amazing work. You can check out more of our students amazing work at https://www.instagram.com/mooroolbarkcollegeofficial/.  

Matthew Neil-Holland
The Arts Key Learning Area Leader

PreviousTECHNOLOGYNext LITERACY

LITERACY

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Students will be introduced to the Premiers’ Reading Challenge over the coming weeks, particularly in their Independent Reading classes. This is a fantastic opportunity to invest time and interest into reading books and logging them into a database that keeps track of progress and how students may measure up against others competing in and around the state of Victoria. What a wonderful way to recognise the many students that are avidly reading.  

 

The library staff have been working diligently processing close to 250 brand new novels, short stories and picture books that have been acquired for the upcoming ‘Literature Circles’ group reading program that will complement our Independent Reading program. These texts will have their own section within the library and be promoted once we are underway close to the beginning of Term 2. Year 7 students will complete their 6-week ‘Lit circles’ in Term 2, whilst Year 8 students will complete their program in Term 3. We can’t wait to see it running! 

 

There is plenty at work with Literacy on a whole school level that we are very excited about. A prioritised focus in building the ‘Literacy profile’ through pride in achievements has been regularly discussed with upcoming systems of a literacy shield, literacy badges, and excellence awards as just a taste for what we plan to introduce over the next two years at Mooroolbark. We believe there are many students who are excelling in this space, and we want to work on providing opportunities to reward them in a much more visible and celebrated way. 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

PreviousTHE ARTSNext HEALTH & PHYSICAL EDUCATION

HEALTH & PHYSICAL EDUCATION

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With Term 1 coming to an end, it is time to reflect on what students have achieved and what they will continue to achieve inTerm 2.  

Athletics 

The Year 8 students have been working hard during their Athletics unit. Over the past 4 weeks, students have been getting involved in Shot Put, Discus, Javelin, Hurdles and High Jump. Students’ efforts won’t go to waste with the upcoming Athletics Carnival in early Term 2.  

Below are some High Jump action shots from 8I!  

Sebastian Polglaze ready for his high jump take off and Andre Johanson mid air!! 

Lacrosse 

The Year 9’s have been loving their new unit on Lacrosse which finishes up in Week 11. 

Lacrosse is a sport that allows all students to begin on an even playing field…. It’s skilful, engaging and challenging for all students who have never picked up a Lacrosse stick before. It has been fantastic to see the growth and confidence in students in throwing, catching, offensive and defensive skills during game play. 

Here’s some of our awesome 9I students practising their scooping and throwing motion. 

Lily Oakes and Daniel Bohun during a passing activity 

 

The students aim was to focus on scooping their lacrosse ball into their scoop and throw it back to their partner in 1 swift motion. The goal of their partner was to receive the ball by holding their stick above their head and to see how many they could get.  

Year 9 Dance/Cheer Tryouts!  

Calling all dancers, gymnasts, and cheerleaders – Come and join our amazing team! A great space to practice skills, learn new dances, make new friends, and have a good laugh! 

Try outs are running Friday 8th April (Last day of Term 1) in X11 at lunchtime. Please message Miss Todd on Teams if you have any questions or queries. 

 

Year 12 Physical Education  

VCE PE can often encompass a lot of theoretical knowledge and understanding. It is so important for students to be able to apply their theory on a practical level. Below is one of our VCE classes utilising their knowledge of inertia, force and impulse using hockey sticks and different types of pucks on the tennis courts. Students then reflected on the ability of the puck to move across the field. Well done Year 12’s! 

VCE Tennis Court 

Bike Education 

The Year 9 Bike Education students experienced their first practical ride down to Lilydale Lake last week. After many weeks planning and learning the importance of bike and rider safety, it was a great day to get out and enjoy the sunshine.  

 

 

Volleyball Training Tuesday Afternoons 

Volleyball training is continuing to be a popular after school activity. It runs from 3-4pm in the ECA for the girls and boys Inter-School sports teams. Here are some awesome action shots of the junior and middle years teams at work. It has only been 1 week but both teams should be proud of the progress they have made and will continue to make. 

 

 

Congratulations to our Intermediate girls and boys Volleyball teams that made it to Regionals for Inter-School Sports. Both teams competed extremely well coming into their final round undefeated but going down in the finals. The students should be extremely proud of themselves and the hard work they put in demonstrating the college values, particularly Resilience and Endeavour.  

 

Calling all HOCKEY & FOOTBALL (Soccer) Players! 

If your child is interested in joining a Hockey or Soccer (Football) team, please see the attached flyers and contact details below.  

 

I’d like to thank Ryan Exon, John Nichol and coach Siang for their efforts in training, planning and supporting students’ endeavours in Volleyball.  

 

Stephanie Todd
Physical Education Key Learning Head

PreviousLITERACYNext INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC & PERFORMING ARTS

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC & PERFORMING ARTS

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As term 1 draws to a close, there are already some amazing things to celebrate in Instrumental Music and the Performing Arts.  

Assemblies  

We were very privileged to have a performance of the song ‘We are the World’ at the Harmony day assembly, performed by Hakha Chin students. It was very fitting for the message of the day and super inspiring. 

Celebrate Mooroolbark 

On a beautiful sunny day, our students performed at the Celebrate Mooroolbark festival. They represented the College fantastically and performed with pride, drawing members of the community in from all around, gathering quite a large audience. Highlights included our singer, Esther Ngun Tha Sung, giving everything in her performance and also the Keyboard Ensembles version of ‘Baby Elephant Walk’. Special thanks to our Instrumental Teachers Jessy Turner and Erica Sykes for planning and attending the event.  

2022 College Production – We Will Rock You 

Production rehearsals have begun after school on Tuesday and Thursdays, with students embracing the challenge of new roles and songs. Students began by discussing what they thought production should look, sound and feel like. Lots of mentions of find a place to belong and feeling safe. 

 We have been impressed already with the quality of acting and singing and look forward to building the show next term and beyond.  

Vocal Program 

Our Voice students have been working hard this term to establish their foundational skills and work towards performing at various school events during 2022. It’s been fantastic to see a large influx of Year 7s into our program, they are all doing so well. 

We’ve been working hard on Tuesday lunchtimes in the ‘Undercover Voices’ which is a Vocal Ensemble specifically for Year 7 students (and any others who wish to join.) We’ve belted out songs such as Stitches (Shawn Mendes), Believer (Imagine Dragons) and of course ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ (from Encanto). 

The students are developing their ears for parts and harmonies. They are also seeing the benefits of working together, leaning on each other’s strengths, and working on areas of improvement. When this all comes together, they produce a stunning product, that we can’t wait for you all to hear. Brilliant work Voice Students!  

Instrumental Recruitment 

Recently, our Brass, Woodwind and Percussion teachers have been visiting Year 7 & 8 classes offering a chance to try various instruments, which has had a really positive response from students. If students are interested in joining the program, spots are filling fast! If you would like your student to be involved please request an enrolment link through administration or speak to an Instrumental Teacher in the music department. 

 

 

Jordan van Keulen
Instrumental Music Coordinator  

 

PreviousHEALTH & PHYSICAL EDUCATIONNext BLUE HOUSE REPORT

BLUE HOUSE REPORT

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House Leaders Update 

Term 1 has been a busy one. Biik students showed their enthusiasm and team spirit at the Swimming Carnival. Students were loud and proud with our red house chant and clappers. We may have come 4th place, but that didn’t stop our team spirit throughout the day! Looking forward to seeing the same energy at our Athletics Carnival next term.  

Biik house assemblies have been online via teams for quite some time and we were excited to have our first assemblies all together this term. The assemblies have been a great way to recognise achievements shown by our students. Including raffle prizes for those that swam at the swimming carnival, merit draws and Naplan achievement awards. 

Biik house students have enjoyed being back in their normal homegroups, after many weeks spent in year level homegroups. It has been great seeing homegroups doing activities and games that provide students with opportunities to mix amongst year levels and grow bonds as a group. Footy tipping competition has begun, and I know there are already some high scores floating around! 

Our year 7 students have had their “G’day how’s school going” sessions with their cluster coordinator and John Nichol (wellbeing coordinator), which saw students sharing their experiences so far and discussing how we should treat everyone around us – with kindness.  

Below is the Biik house team. If you need to contact us about your child, feel free to call the college or email us through Compass. 

Yellow house captains are aiming to raise $2000 for FIGHT MND and have got off to amazing start raising $457 from their BBQ last week. An amazing effort by the Yellow house captains for a worthy cause. 

 

 

BAAN HOUSE REPORT 

You blink and its March and the term is almost at an end. The start of the year has been full of highlights in Baan house. From meeting our new students and helping them settle into the College routines to our upcoming Downball tournament. 

The Year 7 students experienced an amazing camp at Forest Edge in late February. Here they got the chance to challenge themselves, get to know others and participate in a variety of activities. Students got to ride the Flying Fox, complete the High Ropes course, sled down the river, test out a raft as well as many more fun activities. 

The recent swimming carnival gave our students a chance to jump in the pool and represent their house. For the second year in a row, Baan house were crowded champions. For a change, the sun was shining and we all enjoyed a beautiful day. I was particularly impressed by the incredibly large number of students who swam in events. Baan House had over double the number of swimmers that we had in 2021. We had by far the greatest number of competitors and the most number of relay teams. I was particularly impressed with the willingness of our Year 7 students who were jumping in events they had never done before.  

Every student who attended and then swam all contributed to the victory and should be proud of their efforts. A special acknowledgement needs to go to Liam Price, Holly Waite and Tommy Carroll who completed all 7 events on the day. 

Merits have been coming in thick and fast and the Baan House honour board has been updated. There are many students very close to earning Value awards and an updated number will be available soon. In the meantime, students can continue to strive to a Principal’s Award by earning each of the Value awards across the year. 

 

Well done on such a great start to the year. I hope you all look after yourselves over the holidays and have a rest to bounce into term 2. 

 

Have a great Easter. 

 

Andy U’Ren
BLUE HOUSE LEADER 

 

 

 

PreviousINSTRUMENTAL MUSIC & PERFORMING ARTSNext STUDENT WELLBEING

STUDENT WELLBEING

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Hello friends, 

It has been exciting and refreshing to have a full term without a lockdown and now holidays are almost here…. at last. 

And this week, as I reflected on the term and made plans for how I will spend my two weeks off, I was reminded again that wisdom sometimes comes from strange places, even from Pixar cartoons. 

One of my colleagues passed me this poster saying “is this of any use to our students?”  I looked it over and replied “I don’t know about our students, but I am putting that straight on my fridge at home.” And so on the fridge it sits to remind me to use those two weeks to look after myself. I plan to try each one of those things during the break and tick them off as I go. I am not a big Dream Journaler, but might even give that one a go. 
 
So please practice self care of yourselves and your families over the coming holiday. 

 

And finally we want to remind you, that your child’s mental health and wellbeing is our priority and we want to continue to provide quality welfare support to our students. If you have any concerns at all about your child then please contact your child’s coordinator or one of our team. We are available to parents via phone or text. Your child can also contact us directly by knocking on the door of our office. We are here to support you. 

Regards,

John Nichol
Student Wellbeing Leader 

 

 WELLBEING AND WELFARE SUPPORT SERVICES  

24 Hour Emergency 
Police/Fire/Ambulance  24 hours/7 days 000 
Kids Helpline Counselling service for people aged between 5 and 25 24 hours/7 days 1800 551 800 

www.kidshelp.com.au 

www.kidshelpline.com.au/young-adults 

(email, web chat) 

Lifeline Crisis support, suicide prevention and mental health support services 24 hours/7 days 13 11 14 
Beyond Blue Information and support for all ages to promote optimal mental health. 24 hours/7 days 1300 224 636 

www.beyondblue.org.au 

(Chat online or email) 

1800 RESPECT 24 hour counselling line for anyone who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault. 24 hours/7 days 1800 737 732 

https://www.1800respect.org.au/ 

 

E headspace Provide mental health support for young people aged 12–25 Phone:  

10pm – 1am  

Online counselling: 1pm – 1am 

1800 650 890 

https://headspace.org.au/eheadspace/ 

 

 

Inspiro Free youth, teen, young adult and family   counselling 9738 8801 

or visit https://www.inspiro.org.au/   
for more information 

Parent line  Support for Parents and carers with children from birth to 18 years8am–midnight/7 days13 22 89
EDVOSFamily violence service in Melbourne’s eastern metropolitan regionMon-Fri 9am-8pm

Sat 9am-5pm (phone or email)

03 9259 4200

edvos@edvos.org.au

https://www.edvos.org.au/

 

 

 

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LIBRARY

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One of the things that we like most about a library (and in particular, our library) is that its always in a constant state of change. Sometimes, these changes are only small and other times they make an impact, but every change is important to take note of.

As some or many of you may have noticed, we have some new friends present in the library! Thanks to help from Bunnings, we have been able to get some cute plants, all labelled with their names and care needs. Next time you pop into the library, be sure to check them out and remember to be respectful! – Scarlett Lane, Library Captain.

There are some incredible new things to unearth in the library every time you visit – from new books on display to new games, and even some new greenery. As always, there are also some new recommendations, including League of Liars by Astrid Scholte, Rock Star Detectives by Adam Hills and the graphic novel The Sad Ghost Club #2. (The Sad Ghost Club #1 was very popular!)

 

 

The Premier’s Reading Challenge has opened for 2022 and further details will be available very soon – keep an eye out in your Independent Reading box if you’re in year 7 and 8 as all students are automatically enrolled. If you would like to participate in the PRC and you are in years 9-12, please come and speak to us in the Library and we can arrange your registration.

And with that, we’d also like to remind all students to ensure that they are returning their overdue library books. Our job in the library requires us to make sure that all our resources are available to everyone, and we need your help to achieve that sometimes!

Prue Bon
Library Coordinator

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CANTEEN

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Term One has continued to be very busy in the canteen and we are really happy to announce that our new hot display unit has arrived and been installed! The additional unit has made a huge difference in allowing us to have our regular lines back at the canteen. We really appreciate the patience everyone has shown during the period of time that we only had one operational hot display unit. We have also had the delivery of our new fryer which will be installed over the school holiday period, this will enable us to get through the huge number of lunch orders we are now receiving via Flexi Schools and over the counter. 

As we move into the cooler months I would like to encourage both students and staff to place a lunch order if you know what you would like from the canteen. This enables us to have your lunch ready for collection and saves you time waiting in the lines to get served. You can place your lunch order over the counter from 7.30am and the close off for orders is at the end of recess. Alternatively, you can place your order via the Flexi schools app with the cut off for orders at 9.00am. 

The canteen team would like to encourage all of our students to head to our school Breakfast Club which operates on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning from 8am. Lots of lovely food available to eat including cereal, toast, fruit and hot chocolates. We provide freshly baked mini muffins on a Wednesday morning to further entice you! The Breakfast Club is a wonderful way to start the day and a perfect way to connect with our awesome school community here at Mooroolbark College. 

 Keep an eye out for our Winter menu which will be available prior to the commencement of Term 2. We wish everyone a Happy Easter and hope you have a relaxing break. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Canteen Team 

Donna, Lynette and Mel 

 

 

 

 

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Mooroolbark College Newsletter – April 2022