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Mooroolbark College Newsletter – June 2022

14th June 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 reading about all the amazing things happening around our College.

Upcoming Events

PRINCIPAL’S UPDATE

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Building Works Update 
The beginning of Semester 2 will see the Student Wellbeing and Learning Centre open for students, set to occur within the first few weeks of the term.  Initially Baan (Blue) and Darrang (Green) Houses will move into the new section (old Administration Office).  They will be joined by the Student Wellbeing Leader, Mr Nichol, our Mental Health Practitioners, Ms Siobhan O’Halloran and Ms Siobhan Martin, our Chaplain, Mrs Gill Van Der Ende and Miss Rebecca Herrick, the College’s Student Councillor.  The space will also provide a place for the College’s Tutors and Student Learning Mentors to work in to support student learning.  The College’s First Aid facilities will relocate back to the Student Wellbeing and Learning Centre as well. 
 
The Student Wellbeing and Learning Centre will also provide a place for students to have access to facilities to reheat food, it will provide a quiet work area for students and a place where Mooroolbark College students can enjoy time with their friends.  Breakfast club and Club 34 will also being using this facility. 

Biik (Red) and Ngawan (Yellow) Houses will move into the library end of the centre over the next few months along with our other student support services. 

The Southern Courtyard is opening at the beginning of Term 2 and work will commence on the Northern Courtyard.  With both spaces, including extra seating for students and new landscaping this space is well overdue.  The work in the Northern Quadrangle expected to be completed within the first month of Semester 2. 

Staff Changes 
At the end of Semester Two, the College farewells Mr Matthew Wildner, the College’s Facilities Manager.  Mr Wildner has been with the College for over 10 years and under his leadership the College has successfully added the Senior School Building, the Multi Purpose Room and the upgrade to the ECA.   Mr Wildner leaves the College having added a great deal to the facilities. 

Mr David Grey Noble has recently left the College, moving to a country school location. Mr Grey Noble has worked primarily in the area of ICT. 

Ms Judy Miller who began working with us at since the beginning of 2022 has recently moved teaching locations. 

And finally, Ms Evgenia Giles, Library Technician will be moving into her chosen field in Information Management. Ms Giles who has worked in the library during the two years of Covid has kept our students linked to the library and the services it provides during this difficult time. 

We wish these staff all the best for the future. 

We welcome to the College in Semester Two, the following staff who will begin with us at the beginning of Term 2.  Ms Amy Godfrey Baker who will be teaching in the area of English and Ms Alyce Bailey who will join the PE/Health and Humanities area.  I am sure the College community will make these staff welcome. 

As a result of a number of staffing changes which occurred during Term 2, significant changes have been made to the Semester 2 Timetable.   These changes were unavoidable, but have resulted in more consistency in the teaching and learning program.  The timetable for students will be released via Compass during the holidays.  I suggest that students take the time to carefully check their timetable prior to returning to school on Tuesday 12th July. 

Work Experience 

Congratulations to all our Year 10 students who have undertaken work experience this week.  It was great to see the enthusiasm shown by Mooroolbark College students as they embarked on this wonderful experience.  This is one of the many activities which were unable to go ahead during the past two years due to Covid, and therefore it is great to see it back on the Mooroolbark College calendar.  Students have an opportunity to learn an enormous amount during this week, from confirming career goals, to gaining a greater understanding of what it is like to work 9.00 am to 5.00 pm daily, or simply that they have learnt that their plan for a future career path really isn’t for them.  I look forward to hearing about their experiences when they return after the holidays. 

I hope all students take the opportunity during the next two weeks to relax and winddown after a busy semester to ensure they are ready to return to school in Semester 2 with commitment to their work, their friends and the community. 

Mrs Ann Stratford 
PRINCIPAL 

ENGLISH

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Our junior English classes have finished semester 1 by completing oral presentations. The year 7s had the option of completing a book review or creating their own superhero and the results of both were spectacular. The year 8s had to create their own product and a marketing campaign for it and then pitch it to the rest of the class. Some of the products created were ingenious and we can see that more than a few of our students might have a career in marketing ahead of them. And the year 9s completed a creative oral presentation in yarning circles where they had to tell a story of a journey that they or someone close to them had been on. The yarning circle style of this oral presentation allowed students to engage in open communication and interact with each other. 

 

Our year 10 and 11 students have just completed their exams which is a big achievement. Both year levels were asked to complete two essays in two hours, one on the text they had been studying in semester 1 (Pleasantville for the year 10s and Mabo for the year 11s) and an Argument Analysis essay on an unseen article. This replicated the end of year exam that they need to complete in year 12 and provides students with the rare opportunity to hone their examination skills, which is incredibly important given that their year 12 exam is worth 50% of their final study score for English. 

 

The year 11s and 12s have now finished Unit 1 and 3 English respectfully and we know that they will be able to take the skills and knowledge they have learnt this semester into Unit 2 and 4. 

 

Year 9 Writing for Writers – Experimental fiction – Students spent the semester learning about and writing within the traditional conventions of short fiction and then were asked to write a story that breaks all of those conventions. The end result was a collection of highly engaging and imaginative stories that ranged from jigsaw puzzles, to letters and audio stories. 

 

 

Recommendations: 

Book: Tilly and the Book Wonderers – an engaging tale that takes readers into the world of classic and modern texts. -Ms Bon 

Podcast: The Ring In (ABC) – This fascinating podcast is about a famous con with a racehorse called Fine Cotton in the 80s in Queensland. -Ms Farrell 

Instagram: @thedailyaus – A news sight that is specifically set up for young adults to give them unbiased snippets of what is happening in the world. -Mrs Silver 

ASPIRE

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This term it was the Year 8 Aspire class that got the opportunity to head out on an excursion. The group, accompanied by Mr Donald, went to the Yarra Ranges Tech School to participate in the program called “Sustainable Energy – Data Science”. This program gave students an opportunity to work in teams to analyse climate and infrastructure data, and then use technology to help them select the best location for a renewable energy power station. Well done to all students that attended on the day for your enthusiasm and great effort! 

We got to the Tech School and there was a man at the front of the classroom who explained to us what was going to happen throughout the day. Everyone got iPads that had instructions we had to follow on the computer. One of the things we did is that we made a map of Victoria and coded into it how much energy/solar exposure each suburb got. We then got in pairs and chose a suburb in Victoria to do a small presentation about. The man who was taking us then showed us a mini wind turbine and solar panel, and how they worked. We then got given a sheet and it had a lot of different codes on it, we had to figure out the correct codes and copy them into the computer. After that we did some other small activities, and we had some spare time so we got to play on the VR Headsets.”? 

– Sienna Haywood 8A 

Next term it will be the Year 7’s turn to participate in an excursion – more details to come soon! 

Kara Salmon 
Aspire Program Coordinator  

CURRICULUM

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Curriculum newsletter 

Year 10 & 11 exams 
Congratulations to all of our Year 10 & 11 students for completing their Semester 1/Unit 1 exams over the past fortnight. For both year levels, this was their first exam experience due to the two years of remote learning and lockdowns. All students carried themselves in a professional manner and completed their assessments to the best of their ability. It’s important to collect feedback on you result. Communicate with your teachers and have a look through your exam to see where you achieved marks and where there was room for improvement.  

Information nights 
Looking towards Term 3, we have our Year 9, 10 and VCE information nights. The Year 9 Information Night will be presented remotely. Visit the Mooroolbark College website for further details on subject offerings for Year 9. The Senior school (Year 10 & VCE) Information Night will be held onsite during Week 2 on Thursday 21st July. This is an opportunity for our current Year 9, 10 and 11 students to discover the subject offerings in each year level and get an insight towards the different pathways that can be undertaken in senior school. If you have any questions regarding the information nights or a particular subject, please contact Mr Mann, Mr Donald or Ms Williams.  

 

 

MATHEMATICS

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As we wrap up Term 2, I would like to say a huge congratulations to all our students from Year 7 to Year 11 for completing their Semester 2 Exams. It was great to see students putting in the effort to revise and complete this exam. 

Next Term our focus shifts to Measurement and Geometry from Year 7 – 10. 

Here is a snapshot of “I Can Statements” that our Year 7 student will be working towards across their time spent on Numeracy and Learning Goals. 

 

In Year 11 General Maths a student has used a factorial in a race against his peers to complete this warm up challenge at the beginning of class.  

2 6 4 = 385 
8 3 5 

 

Students must use all numbers once in any operation to equate to the provided number.  

This puzzle was solved using the following expression.  

8 × 4 × 3! × 2 + (6 – 5) = 385 

 

Finally, I’d like to wish our students in the Victorian High Ability Program all the best for their Challenge Masterclass on Thursday, I know you’ll do great! 

 

I hope our Mooroolbark College community enjoys a lovely holiday break; we will see you next term.  

 

Head of Mathematics
Jade Hubben
 

SCIENCE

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Congratulations to our Year 10 and 11 students for completing their end of semester exams, this has been a great achievement. While we are sad to say goodbye to our Semester 1 Year 10 students, we are all looking forward to meet our Semester 2 classes. Our Year 11’s and 12’s have begun Unit 2 and 4 respectively and we wish them the best of luck with their study.  

Our Year 7 students have begun exploring forces, looking at how objects interact with each other. Classes have completed a range of experiments from creating paperclip helicopters to measuring the amount of friction on surfaces using a force-meter.  

 

Our Year 8 and 9 classes have been studying Chemistry this term, which led to the Year 8 students designing their own experiment to test the effect of rust on metallic substances in different conditions. Our Year 8’s have been looking at acids and bases and even got to make their own indicator using red cabbage. 

 

Turtle Club is running each Wednesday during lunch, we have had a fantastic turn out so far. If you would like to attend, please message Mr Dunkley on Teams. Everyone is welcome! 

Tristan Dunkley, Science KLA 

 

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

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As Term 2 ends, I would like to start by congratulating all students on their participation in both their practical and theoretical classes this term.  

The freezing weather surely does make us feel less motivated and lethargic. A shoutout to all the classes including 7-9’s who have banded together and joined up in the ECA for minor games when it has been raining. 

The compassion and endeavour you have all shown to get moving and active during the cold has been fantastic. Nothing beats some Year 7 versus Year 8 rivalry.  

Below are some photos of Year 7 and 8 students participating in a minor games lesson in the ECA.  

A simple relay activity turned vigorous as students worked together to race down and place a ball on a cone before running back to their partner who could then move the ball to the next cone and so on. The energy in the room was amazing!!  

In health, our Year 9 students have been completing their final unit on Respectful Relationships. In this unit, many important topics are covered such as how to be a respectful partner, barriers, and enablers to consent, how to help a friend and how to limit bystander actions.  

Recently, the students participated in a line debate. In groups, they were given either for or against the following statement. “If respect is free, why is it so hard to get”? 

Students planned their arguments in groups before facing off one another. Each time an individual shared their statement, they had to cross to the opposing side. This allowed students to reflect on both sides of the argument and produce answers on the spot, developing higher order thinking. Well done to all! 

Outdoor Environmental Studies students recently experienced their second camp to Sheepyard Flats in the Howqua Hills. On the first day, students hiked up to the Mount Buller Summit. The views were incredible, the weather was chilly, and we even saw plenty of snow. Some students had never even seen snow before! It was so beautiful to see their faces light up.  

Day 2 involved a 20km hike up through the Howqua Hills where river crossings and blackberry bushes were everywhere. Students did an incredible job walking through 12 river crossings in freezing cold mountainous water.  

Day 3 involved a quick pack up of the tents, a stop in Mansfield on the way home before unpacking and hanging up all the tents to dry in the shed.  

Students should be commended for their resilience during the wet and wintry weather. Memories that I am sure will last a lifetime. 

Stephanie Todd 

NGAWAN HOUSE UPDATE

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Over the last couple of weeks, all houses have been celebrating student success both academically and behaviourally. 

Following the Athletics carnival, which was a wonderful day lead by all house captains and eventually won by Ngawan house, all houses celebrated students who competed in 6 or more events with a BBQ to say thank you and encourage participation.  

During week 6, students learnt the value of compassion and respect and completed a survey on who has shown these values in their year level. From this data students who were nominated by their peers, students who received 5 or more nominations for respect or compassion acts received and values awards. With over 50 students receiving values awards it was exciting to celebrate these positive behaviours.  

Houses were also involved in community engagement with over $1200 being raised for the FIGHT MND foundation. A big thank you to all students, parents and members of the community that donated money to this worthy cause.  

THE ARTS

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This term has been a very busy term in the Arts department, with all sub-programs working hard on creative projects that foster the artistic growth of our students. We are proud of all of our VCE students who complete their SACs, SATs and exams and also many students who have been working in their own time to improve their skills.  

Arts Week  

At the start of term 3, we will be holding Arts week – a free to try and attend event that features each aspect of Arts in the college. There will be various activities such as Chalk Arts, Media films and a Music jam. More details coming soon! 

Art 

Our year 12 Art students have fused their practical visual arts knowledge with new technology skills to create amazing artworks for their finals in Unit 3. Students worked with expanding foam, textiles, laser burning, blistering and forming acrylic, collage, digital printing, charcoal, paints, spray paint street art styles, and even dabbled with ready made conceptual items such as repurposing a microwave. Collaboration between departments has produced high quality sophisticated artworks worthy of exhibiting in multiple galleries. 

 

 

VCD 

Year 11 VCD students were tasked with creating promotional travel posters based on fictional locations. They were allowed to choose any location from any fictional world and their design challenge was to visualize the unique scenery and landscapes associated with their chosen destination. These are just a few of the fantastic illustrations created during this task. Star Wars: Coruscant by Aidan Grier and Percy Jackson’s Camp Half Blood by Tobi Palmer 

 

 

HUMANITIES

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Our last few weeks have been busy with the final stages of CATs and assessments – these have included Year 7 Suburb Design (maps and a piece of writing), Year 8 Megacity Research, the Black Death, Year 9 Cultural Diversity and Year 10 and 11 Fieldwork Reports. 

Highlights have included our Geography field trips.  On May 24, Year 10 People and the Planet students travelled to the Mornington Peninsula.  The class had studied coasts and coastal management – now was the chance to visit these places for real – their landforms, natural processes, human structures and management strategies.  The weather was delightfully warm as students completed measurements, cross sections, drawings and maps at Rosebud, Gunnamatta, Cape Schanck and Crib Point.  Many thanks to Andrew Dingey for his assured bus-driving! 

Then on May 30, the Year 11 Geography class travelled to the Kinglake area (after an earlier field trip had to be cancelled).  It was a little chillier than expected, but students completed a cross section, a vegetation survey, field sketching and mapping activities.  The class visited the bushfire memorial at Toorourrong Reservoir Park and assessed the park’s function as a community resource.  Later there were trips to Masons Falls and the town centre of Kinglake.  Students assessed how prepared Kinglake would be in the event of a future disaster.  So much fun applying what everyone had learned in the classroom and then being able to apply it to real-life situations. 

Chris Hanneberry 

Humanities KLA 

 

 

 

 

 

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC & PERFORMING ARTS

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As we finish term 2, there are many amazing things to celebrate in Instrumental Music and the Performing Arts. 

Assemblies  

We were very privileged to have a performance from the VCE Music year 12 group. It was a great opportunity for them to refine their performance craft and also share their program that they are preparing for their final exam.  

Instrumental Music 

On Thursday night, the College held the instrumental Winter Concert. The first live instrumental concert in almost 3 years, students relished the opportunity to share what they have been working on in their lessons. We were so proud to see the growth in our program and the development of our Instrumental students through the hard work of our Instrumental staff. Thank you to all the parents who attended and supported their students and the program.  

2022 College Production – We Will Rock You 

Production rehearsals will continue throughout the holidays as the date for opening night draws closer. Some exciting things are taking place with costumes, sets and props being finalised, as well as some epic dance numbers taking shape. I’m sure many students have had all the Queen songs in their heads for many days after rehearsals.  

Tickets will be available for sale very soon via Karralyka theatre, so keep an eye on Compass and Teams.  

Performing Arts Jackets  

There have been some snazzy new jackets making their way around the school with a colourful star – our new Performing Arts jackets have been very sought after, especially in this cold winter. Available to all Instrumental students, Production students and Senior Drama and Music students (Year 9 and above), a new order will be available very shortly via this link:  

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=846051& 

Wakakirri 

A first for the College, we will be entering a team for the yearly Wakakirri dance and drama competition. Rehearsals are going really well and the team has swollen in numbers as students begin to understand how exciting the performance competition will be in August. More information below: 

https://www.wakakirri.com/ 

 

Performing Arts Camp 

All systems are go for the inaugural Performing Arts camp next term. Just a reminder to complete all the paperwork if you are attending and to start organising your packing list.  

This camp will be an amazing opportunity for our 3 main performance groups to hold intensive rehearsals in preparation for future performances such as the Production and Wakakirri.  

Featuring lots of performance based activities, we are very excited for this camp to run for the first time. 

 

Jordan van Keulen 

Instrumental Music Coordinator  

 

LANGUAGES

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Welcome back… and it’s Excursion Time! 

Welcome back to Languages in Term 2. If you are in Year 8 you can look forward to investigating topics such Food and School and celebrating your studies with an excursion to the city at the end of the term. We will be visiting one of our capital’s museums before attending a lunch at a German or Chinese Restaurant. If you are in Year 7 you can look forward to developing a deeper understanding of your chosen language and the excursion in Year 8! The Year 8 excursions are a reward for two years of Language study at Mooroolbark and a sample of what studies in Year 9 will be like if you choose to take German or Chinese as an elective. Of course, our Year 9 students are invited to come along to the excursions as well. 

Certificate Winners: 

Congratulations to our Education Perfect Certificate winners who were celebrated and presented with their certificates at assembly this term. Congratulations once again to our 41 winners, time to start preparing for the 2023 competition! 

Information Nights Term 3 

During term 3, the College will be holding information nights for our Year 8, 9 and 10 students. We will be happy to talk to parents and students about the Language subjects we offer in Year 9, 10 and VCE. If you are interested in continuing your language study, please find our table to discuss your options and ask any questions you are curious about. 

Assessment, Reporting & Awards: 

Reports will be released at the end of this week – we hope you enjoy reading about your accomplishments and reflect on areas to improve for next semester. 

 

Languages Faculty 

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

 

LIBRARY

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There are lots of changes around the Library at the moment, and if you haven’t dropped by for a visit lately, you really should!!  

The building works are progressing and we imagine that very soon, there will be a bright new space to enjoy, with plenty of big windows to let in the light. We’re certainly hoping that you’re as excited as we are!  

In the meantime, come and see the Library staff for a new recommendation at any time. We have lots of new releases every month, and some exciting new additions in the way of the “next book in the series” and we are always happy to just chat about what you are currently reading.  

We’re celebrating a lot about health this month, and our display on Men’s Health Week (which runs June 13 – 19) is looking great. We have curated a collection of resources for men’s physical and mental health. We’ve spotlighted KIT magazine, a mental health magazine specifically created for teenage boys.  

Our second display is celebrating Female Leaders and Innovators! Women from around the world who changed their field or sport. Our display features inspiring women from Michelle Obama to Frieda Kahlo and highlights all the wonderful things that women can do when they put their mind to it.  

All books on display are available for borrowing!

 

Don’t forget about the Premier’s Reading Challenge – if you complete the challenge, you will be able to earn house points. And, we do have a lot of great recommendations for you that can be included in your PRC tally.  

As we near the end of the term, this is your friendly reminder to return any overdue books. If you are still reading the book, that’s ok – just bring it in and have it renewed.  

 

Prue Bon 

Library Coordinator 

 

 

LITERACY

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Term 2 Newsletter – Literacy 

 

We are super excited for Mooroolbark’s inaugural introduction to two exciting new programs as mentioned in previous newsletters – The Literature Circles program & Textageddon!  

 

Year 7 students in their Independent Reading sessions will engage in a group reading and discussion centric program known as ‘Literature Circles’. This will essentially grant students the opportunity to read, scheduled amounts of a book together, with discussion and reflection expectations over 6-8 weeks. This also includes a role known as the ‘discussion leader’ which will be continually shared among the group members over the length of the program and holds a set of rules and expectations that is also negotiated by the group. We feel this will be amazing for student voice and agency and look forward to students’ collaboration during this term.  

Moreover, students will discuss and record their wonderings and finalise the term with a final presentation based on the book they read together.  

 

Here we see students engaging in discussions related to their reading experiences 

 

Students engaged in silent reading time during an Independent Reading class. 

 

Whilst Lit Circles is happening, Year 8 students will be engrossing themselves in the very exciting ‘Textageddon’ which is a house-based reading competition with a variety of challenges that students can attempt and complete for house points and prizes. One challenge for instance includes the ‘Colour Cover’ Challenge, ultimately reading three texts of the same cover colour to gain 10 points. The ‘Picture this’ challenge requires students to read five picture books or comics for points also, and we are also very proud to have ‘Diversity fiction’ challenge which urges students to read texts that contain characters who have an indigenous, multicultural, disability or LGBTQI+ identity. 

 

We are very pleased and anticipate a great semester ahead in the Independent Reading program; of course, Year 7 and 8 students will swap programs in Term 4, guaranteeing everyone has a go! 

 

  

Some of the challenges to look out for during Textageddon 

 

 

Hope you all have a great break, and we look forward to everyone’s return in Term 3. 

 

Tyrone Ingham 

Literacy Specialist  

 

SPORT

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This term we’ve had some incredible levels of participation in interschool sport. Congratulations to the following teams who won their division and progressed to the Eastern Metropolitan Region (EMR) championships. These carnivals will be held mainly in term 3. 

 

  • Year 7 Girls Netball 
  • Year 7 Boys Soccer 
  • Year 8 Girls Netball 
  • Year 8 Girls Badminton 
  • Year 8 Boys Football 
  • Intermediate Girls Football 
  • Senior Girls Badminton 
  • Senior Boys Soccer 

 

Another special mention to Reuben Johnson who placed 7th in the EMR cross country and will be moving onto the state championships early in term 3. The 16 year old boys also placed 2nd in the team event. 

 

Next up, we have Basketball, Hockey and Table Tennis as our interschool sports. Keep an eye out for the Microsoft Form sign up sheet which will be posted early next term. 

 

SENIOR SCHOOL

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Year 12 Formal 

The Year 12 students had their Formal with a theme of Brownlow night and did they ever dress for the occasion! Whilst it was a bit chilly outside, once inside, the students enjoyed a night of food and dancing, celebrating the end of Unit 3 together. A congratulations to the way each Year 12 student presented and conducted themselves on the night. Thanks to Mrs. Jennings and the Formal committee for creating a memorable night. 

 

Careers 

Students in Year 10-12 have been undertaking their Careers Action Plan meetings with their pathway advisors, making sure they are planning for their future. Year 9 students have nearly all completed their Morrisby testing, with many students speaking highly of their final interview. 

 

Senior School Parent-Teacher Interviews – SAVE THE DATE! 

Like Term 1, there will be a designated Senior School PTI for all Unit 1-4 VCE and VCAL students. This will be held on Tuesday 26th July. This is an excellent opportunity for all students and their parents/carers to meet with their teachers and seek further feedback on their Semester 1 work habits and performance. We hope to see you book appointments early in Term 3. More information to follow. 

 

2023 Senior School Reform 

The Senior School team has been busy attending professional learning and passing information on to all staff and relevant year levels regarding the changes to the Senior School Certificate. The current VCAL course will change its name to the VCE-Vocational Major. Year 10 students have had presentations during Work-Related Skills classes by Mrs. Jenny Roache – Head of Pathways. We look forward to welcoming families to our Information Nights to explain the changes in further detail. 

 

VCAL Report 

All levels of VCAL students have been busy checking off their competencies. A reminder that a student’s attendance must be over 80% to allow them to get their certificate. Senior PDS classes have begun to run their complex project and it has been great to see the support these students are getting from the school community. 

 

VCE Report 

Students have completed Units 1 and 3. A huge congratulations to students for making the coursework due date and endeavouring to do their best. This has been one of our biggest changes to our processes this year and we were happy to hear both students and staff talking about the due date so frequently. We have already moved into Unit 2 and 4. A reminder that the VCE attendance must be over 95%. Please ensure your child is getting medical certificates when they are ill.  

 

SRC

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The SRC has had a busy end to the Term, planning a Free Dress Day to celebrate the end of the Semester 1, and raise money for the 2022 Flood Recovery AppealAs a school, we were able to raise over $600 to support those affected by the floods up in New South Wales in QueenslandWe are so proud to support those who are continuing to suffer from these ongoing natural disasters and look forward to raising even more money in future! 
 
In addition to this, students have spent the last 5 weeks planning some stalls to run during lunch timeStudents were entirely responsible for the planning, sourcing, and implementation of the set upAs the term went on, the SRC developed their organisation, communication, and teamwork skills, and stepped up and supported each other to overcome any obstacleThey are well on the way to becoming future leaders for the Mooroolbark community! 
 
Sights are now set on planning next terms events for the collegeEarly in the term, students elected which cause they would like the school to support this year – and an overwhelming majority voted for a Mental Health charityWith many events running in term 3 to support Mental Health, such as RUOK Day, Body Kindness Month, and Wear it Purple Day, next term is sure to be an incredible time of college wide growth and reflection. 

TECHNOLOGY

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What an amazing first semester. Students have not only developed a range of technical cooking skills but also developed the ability to work in teams, manage their time, meet deadlines, investigate, analyse and evaluate and produce written work.  

Our Year 7’s have begun to write their personalised recipe book involving collecting all of this semesters recipes, photos and any relevant information digitally which they will continue to add to during their time at the school. At end they will have created a ‘legacy’ item they can keep, use and pass on. 

Year 9 Food Studies and SOF students have produced a range of creative food products culminating in their final CAT’s where they produced a range of burgers and birthday cakes. 

Well done to our 10 Barkers Bakery, Barkers BBQ and Food Studies students who have raised the bar this semester working hard to develop skill in using a range of complex processes and equipment. We also introduced our Baking Comp for our Barkers Bakery students. We posted their fantastic work on facebook resulting in Ethan O’Neill and Brittany Crowe winning the Popular vote prize which is a $20 canteen voucher for each of them. Well done.  A big congratulations to Kate Burton who won the overall competition for her amazing effort making a croquembouche (about 70cm high). She will be awarded a trophy and $50 voucher of her choice.  I would like to commend all the students in this class for their enthusiasm, creativity and willingness to embrace challenges.   

Finally congratulations to our Year 11 students for successfully completing Unit 1 of Food Studies. We are proud of your efforts and results. Well done and good luck for next semester. 

A big thank you to our Food Techs for supporting staff and students and to our parents and guardians. 

Can’t wait to see what our students will do next semester. 

 

Hard technology is also coming to an end with electives winding up and productions being completed.  

Following are some examples of work from our Year 9 Sustainable Products class. The task was to design and construct a trinket box using recycled materials, in this case old timber fencing materials.  

Our Year 9 Metals class have been designing candelabras and have been learning how to braze weld. Given a limited amount of material, they had to design and construct a candelabra that held at least 1 candle.  

Congratulations to our Year 12’s who all successfully passed Unit 3 and are now preparing to start their production tasks for Systems Engineering. Some wonderful designs are planned.   

 

STUDENT WELLBEING

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Hello friends, 

Well, what a difference a year makes hey? 
Hard to believe that this time last year we were in the thick of COVID lockdowns and restrictions. 
Over the past few weeks I have been looking over various  resources that we shared during lockdown to assist students to cope with so much time at home and online learning. And what struck me was how much of the advice and wisdom we shared during lockdown, is just as useful now that we are not in lockdown. The document below was written by one of our college mental health practitioners during 2021 and I share it again as it has useful  tips for students and parents for better managing the ebbs and flows  of life and school during these “normal” times. 

As I say to students daily, we do care about every one of our students and their wellbeing. 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 the wellbeing team below. Gill, Rebecca and I ?are?available to parents via phone or email.??Your child can also contact us directly by knocking on the door of our office.?Siobhan O ‘Halloran and Siobhan Martin are available to do individual counseling with students and a referral to them can be made by contacting myself so we can discuss if the referral to them the is right option for your child. 

We are here to support you.? 

Regards,? 

John Nichol? 
Well-Being Leader? 

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Mooroolbark College Newsletter – June 2022