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Newsletter Edition 1 – Friday 28 February 2025

28th February 2025

In this Issue:

College Principal’s Report
Middle Years Campus – Principal’s Message
Senior Years Campus – Principal’s Message
Language
Wellbeing
English
Careers
Library
Visual and Performing Arts

Upcoming Events

Apr

4

Fri

Last day of Term 1 – SNR finish 12:50pm & MYC finish 1:20pm

Tickets

Apr 4 all-day

College Principal’s Report

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As we reach the midpoint of the term, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the fantastic efforts of all year levels here at Mill Park Secondary College. It has been an outstanding start to the year, with students engaging in their studies, participating in school activities, and demonstrating a strong commitment to their learning. The dedication and enthusiasm shown by our students has been inspiring, and I am confident that this will continue throughout the rest of the term.

Looking ahead, I would like to remind our Year 7 and Year 9 families about the upcoming NAPLAN testing period. NAPLAN is an important assessment that provides valuable insight into student progress in literacy and numeracy. While it is a great opportunity for students to showcase their skills, I want to emphasize that NAPLAN should not create any anxiety. We fully encourage our students to approach the assessments with a calm and positive mindset, aiming to do their very best. The data we gather from NAPLAN will help us better understand each student’s academic journey and provide us with valuable feedback to inform our teaching and learning practices.

A key focus this year is the introduction of our new Mill Park Secondary College Learner Behaviours, which outline the key attributes we want to cultivate in our students. These behaviours focus on fostering preparation, engagement and reflection for learning, helping our students thrive both in and outside of the classroom. I encourage all families to take the time to review the feedback your child receives about these behaviours throughout the semester. This feedback, combined with assessment schedules and achievement levels, now available on Compass, will play a vital role in strengthening our home-school partnership and supporting your child’s learning journey.

We are also excited to announce our upcoming Working Bee at the Middle Years Campus, which will take place on Saturday, March 15th from 10:00am – 1:00pm. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to come together, support the school community, and help maintain our beautiful school grounds. We encourage as many families as possible to participate and make this event a success. Please see the RSVP link here and indicate if you can attend – the more helpers the better!

Finally, as we approach the Holy Month of Ramadan, I want to extend our best wishes to all members of our school community who will be observing this important time. Additionally, we are looking forward to the celebration of the Hindu Festival of Holi. To all those celebrating these and other festivals, we wish you joy, peace, and happiness during these events.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we work together to ensure the success and wellbeing of all our students. I look forward to the remainder of the term and the continued growth and achievements of our school community.

Warm regards,

Tim Natoli

Middle Years Campus – Principal’s Message

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It has been a wonderful start to 2025 at the Middle Years Campus. Our students have returned to us ready to begin the year and have settled into Term 1 smoothly. All students have attended their first assemblies, with a focus on expectations and the Mill Park Learner Behaviours. I want to particularly recognise our Year 7 students, who have transitioned into their first year of secondary school. I have been so impressed with their courage, commitment and resilience during this process.

I was so pleased to see several of our families at our Year 7 Welcome Picnic this week. It was so lovely to get to spend time with our families and enjoy the incredible musical performances of our students, while having a bite to eat and playing giant games in our Middle Year’s Quadrangle. Thank you to all families who attended.

Over the course of the year, as part of our commitment to ensuring that we equip our young people with the information they need to flourish as human beings, we will run several programs that raise awareness of age and stage appropriate issues, such as cyber-safety, bullying, peer pressure and body image. Information about these programs will be published to parents as they approach. These programs begin this week, with a session for our Year 9 students on Thursday to raise awareness of the dangers of online games that promote gambling.

Our Middle Year’s Working Bee will take place on Saturday 15 March from 10am-1pm. It would be great to see as many families there as possible to help support this event. Any assistance that can be offered would be greatly appreciated. Year 7 Camp will occur in Week 6 of this term and our Year 9 students, in Week 5, will undergo their Morrisby Testing. This will support students to understand their strengths and areas of interest, to guide them in thinking about possible pathways and career options.

Our annual Showcase evening will take place this term on Tuesday 1 April. Existing Mill Park families should encourage friends or family members, who may have prospective Mill Park students in their circle, to come along and see what our wonderful school has to offer. Secure your spot!

School tours are also available during Term 1 at our Middle Years Campus, spots are limited so get in quick!

I look forward to another amazing year with our Middle school students and families!

Senior Years Campus – Principal’s Message

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It has been a smooth start to the year at the Senior Campus with Year 10 students settling in very quickly. Almost half of the Year 10 students are completing at least one VCE subject this year so the work expectations will come very quickly. There have already been a number of SAC’s for Year 12 such as Business Management, Chemistry and Health and Human Development.

Year 12 Results for 2024

Our Year 12 results last year showed an increase in the average study score again from the previous year. Some individual outstanding results were Tayyab Waraich with an ATAR score of 99.35 and Rudraksha Das with a study score of 99. Most importantly, Tayyab has been accepted into a Medical Degree and Rudraksha has been accepted into a Double Degree Engineering/Science at The University of Melbourne.

Tayyab came back to school to talk to our current VCE students about how to manage their time during VCE to achieve their best.

Some Year 11 students who did a Year 12 subject in 2024 achieved the highest study score for their subject, even outperforming the Year 12 students. Their outstanding performance was acknowledged at the first assembly this year.

Award winners were;

Zynab– Biology

Timam– General Maths

Klarissa, Ashmitha and Olivia– Health and Human Development

Komalpreet – Italian

Menagan– Physical Education

Haleemah and Michelle – Psychology

Learner Behaviours

This week will be the first round of Lerner Behaviors that will be reported to parents. The intention is that students will be assessed three times a Semester on;

Being a prepared learner,
Being an engaged learner and
Being a reflective learner

Their progress will be able to be tracked over the Semester by their Learner Behavior Average (LBA) as this will translate to a number as in the table above.

The first Masterclass of the year for Year 12 students took place, and it was fantastic to see over 50 students in attendance. During the session, students received helpful tips and prompts to assist them with their first SAC, “Writing about Protest.” A big thank you to Ms Gordon, our English tutor, for leading this insightful Masterclass.

We kicked off the first meeting of our “Create Your Future” tutoring group!

We’re here to learn, grow, and help each other out. Whether you’re looking to level up your skills or just need some support, we’ve got you covered. Let’s make the future awesome together!

Secret Admirers & Serious Skills: Our VM Students in Action!

This Valentine’s Day, our VM Numeracy students have been working hard—not just crunching numbers, but spreading a little love and joy across the school! Through the Valentine’s Day Rose Campaign, they’ve taken on the challenge of planning, budgeting, promoting, and executing a real-life business venture, all while keeping one key detail under wraps: the senders remain anonymous!

Beyond the fun and excitement, this project has been a valuable learning experience in financial literacy, teamwork, problem-solving, and responsibility. Students learned how to manage money, track orders, and develop customer service skills—all in a hands-on, engaging way.

We encourage you to chat with your child about their role in the project! Whether they were working on sales, marketing, finance, or logistics, every student played a key part in making this event a success.

Language

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We’re so proud to share that our Year 12 international student, Shibaani, was interviewed and filmed for the prestigious Victorian Global Learning Awards!

The annual Victorian Global Learning Awards celebrate international student excellence and recognise schools and homestay families for outstanding global learning and engagement.

The English Language Students have been practicing their kitchen safety and cooking skills with Miss Papa over the past few weeks. Students have already made mini-quiches and chipolata rolls with coleslaw. Cooking is a great way for students to apply their reading, speaking and listening skills in a hands-on task, working collaboratively to follow the recipe correctly. The students have been having a great time and their dishes have been delicious!

Wellbeing

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Groups / Clubs at the College

Breakfast Club

Breakfast club is available across the college, before school at Wellbeing, Tuesday to Thursday 8am to 8.45am.

Senior Campus Lunchtime Clubs

The student captains/leaders and other interested students, held a ‘club’s expo’ during Connect class on 19 February to Year 10 and 11 students to express their interest in various lunchtime clubs for the year. More information about these clubs will be made available in the coming weeks.

Wellbeing Co-curricular Programs

Optus Digital Thumbprint

Supporting young people to be safe, responsible and positive online is a key challenge for educators and parents alike. Recently the team from the Optus Digital Thumbprint program were in the classroom with our Year 7, 10, 11, and 12 students taking them through the fun and interactive workshops that cover a range of important issues such as cybersecurity, cyberbullying, digital discernment, digital balance, and digital identity.

It is very important to be aware of these topics so that your child is prepared and supported to thrive in the digital world. There is a range of free, downloadable Digital Thumbprint Parent Conversation Guides for parents and care-givers that support you to have effective conversations around what young people should and shouldn’t share online, cyberbullying, and how digital technology can support effective study practices.

Please visit: www.digitalthumbprint.com.au/parent-resources

For more information on the program and each of the workshops we encourage you to visit: www.digitalthumbprint.com.au/

Brainstorm Productions “The Flipside”

Our Year 8 engaged in a cyber safety and bullying program, “The Flipside”, a live performance facilitated by Brainstorm Productions. It highlighted the importance of personal responsibility, empathy, respect, and resilience in the online world. It helps students to critically think about their online values and behaviour, encouraging help-seeking and positive bystander behaviour.

Banyule Community Health – Get Ahead of the Game

Be Ahead of the Game is a free education program that helps school communities understand how young people may be affected by gambling and mitigate the risks. Driven by saturation levels of gambling advertising, rapidly changing technology, and a blurring of the line between gaming and gambling, young people are increasingly at risk of harm from gambling.

Banyule Community Health discussed financial literacy and awareness of the financial risks of gambling to our Year 12 students. They also delivered a presentation to our Year 9 students exploring the increasingly blurred line between gaming and gambling, helping students stay safe and maintain their wellbeing.

Student and Parent Information

Safer Internet Day – Tuesday 11 February

Safer Internet Day is a Global Day of Action bringing communities, schools, organisations, and families from more than 180 countries together to raise awareness of online safety issues and work towards a safer internet. The eSafety Commissioner leads the day in Australia and we’re calling on all Australians to help make the internet a safer, and more positive place. Whether you’re working, learning, playing, or scrolling – the internet is a huge part of life. It opens a world of opportunities, but also comes with risks, especially for young people and other at-risk groups.

Events such as Safer Internet Day highlight the importance for parents and carers to talk to their children about digital safety. Indeed, it’s something all adults can role model for the young people in their lives. With the digital landscape rapidly evolving, this isn’t easy. Our research shows that the key digital safety issues for young people continue to be cyberbullying, cybersecurity, and fake content.

If you would like to find out more about Safer Internet Day, how to keep yourself and your children safe, or you or your child have concerns about online safety please visit:

Optus Digital Thumbprint celebrates Safer Internet Day | Optus
Safer Internet Day 2025 | eSafety Commissioner
Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 for free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling services.
headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation
13YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7) for a free, private, and confidential talk with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter.

Parents and carers play an important role in supporting their children to be safe online and on social media. You can help your children safely navigate their digital world and educate them to avoid harmful online experiences. You can explore websites, games, apps and social media together and set some rules and boundaries. Your support and guidance can give your children the knowledge to make sound decisions online and confidence to ask for help when they need it. It is also important to stay informed about online safety.

National Sleep Awareness Week

Sleep is one of the three pillars of a healthy lifestyle, alongside eating and exercise. Getting enough quality sleep plays a pivotal role in the health and well-being of teens. It’s strongly tied to and impacts their mental health. 80% of young people do not get enough sleep and almost 75% say their emotional well-being is negatively impacted when they sleep less than usual.

The recommended sleep for young people is 8-10-hours. Some tips to help young people prioritise sleep are:

Encouraging your child(ren) to share their values, goals, and think about how healthy sleep can help achieve those goals. This helps provide autonomy to decide what they want to focus on in their sleep health
Provide information to understand and prioritise the benefits of sleep and making good decisions e.g., how their role models use health sleep to be their best
Consider the social context which teens make decisions about sleep, understanding how their peers value sleep, and help prioritise sleep in a way that raises their social status
Champion how health sleep is practiced and prioritised within the family

Term 1 Parent Information Session – Understanding Sleep in Young People

What’s On in the Community?

English

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Welcome to another Year of Exploration in English and Humanities!

The English/Humanities faculty are excited to work with all staff and students at Mill Park Secondary College in another year of discovery and learning. This year, we will continue to explore powerful ideas, compelling stories, and pivotal moments in history that shape our understanding of the world.

We’re also thrilled to share opportunities for our budding writers! If you’re passionate about storytelling, poetry, or creative writing, check out these Young Writer Competitions for 2025. It’s a fantastic way to showcase your talent and gain valuable experience.

Let’s make this year one filled with curiosity, creativity, and success in English and Humanities!

A big congratulations to our incredible Year 9-12 students who showcased their talent, confidence, and critical thinking skills in the first round of the DAV Senior School Debating Competiton at Loyola College.

With topics that challenged their perspectives and sharpened their analytical minds, our teams delivered passionate arguments and demonstrated impressive teamwork. Each student brought their A-game and should be very proud of their efforts!

Mill Park Secondary College had a very successful night, with three teams winning their debates and four Mill Park students being awarded “Best Speaker”. Well done to all debaters!

Stay tuned for more updates as our debating teams prepare for Round 2!

Careers

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Library

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Our Year 7s had their official welcome to the Middle Years Library with the reintroduction of our Library Orientation program. We promoted the library as a fun and safe space for students to engage with literature, socialise with their peers and participate in learning activities. Year 7 students also discovered the numerous resources that the Library has on offer, such as loaning laptop devices and colour printing; educational card & board games; Homework club; and an overview of our Library events for the year including Book Week 2025.

We were also on the lookout for responsible and enthusiastic Library Monitors. Middle Years Library will be providing library training to student volunteers who are interested in attaining general work-related experience. Many students demonstrated an eagerness to become a Library Monitor and had signed up to the program. They will learn to become competent in basic library duties, such as loaning and returning books, and attain general life skills, including teamwork and collaboration.

Overall, the Library Orientation program was a happy success with students asking if we had their favourite manga series available to learn and excited to join Homework club on Wednesdays. We hope the Year 7s enjoy their time at the Middle Years Library.

Visual and Performing Arts

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Impressive Auditions Set the Stage for ‘Bring it On’

The College Production is one of the many enriching co-curricular events that brings students together to celebrate their passion for the performing arts. It is an exciting opportunity for students to develop skills in singing, dancing, acting, and performing as part of the band, all while building confidence, teamwork, and creativity in a fun and supportive environment. Beyond the stage, this experience fosters friendships, personal growth, and a deep appreciation for the arts.

The College Production rehearsals commenced on Thursday 20 February, with a high level of enthusiasm as students took to their new roles for ‘Bring it On’. The energy and excitement set the tone for what promises to be outstanding performances for 2025.

Congratulations to all students who auditioned! Each performer brought their own strengths and unique interpretations to the roles, making the selection process challenging and inspiring. The auditions not only showcased exceptional talent but also provided students with a fantastic opportunity to audition and rehearse in a professional setting – MPSC Performing Arts Centre.

Thank you to our dedicated production team: Ms Arsana – Production Director, Mrs Nagel – Music Director, Ms Warner-Carlisle – Production Choreographer and Mr Webb – Vocal Coach for running the auditions and callbacks, ensuring it was an enjoyable experience. We were thoroughly impressed by the overwhelming interest from students and the outstanding level of performance skills displayed—both during auditions and at the first rehearsal.

We can’t wait to see the Mill Park Secondary College cast and band take to the stage in Term 3! Ticketing details will be released in Term 2.

Music Hits All the Right Notes at the Year 7 Welcome Picnic!

On Monday 10 February, our talented music students performed at the Year 7 Welcome Family Picnic held at the Middle Years Campus, delivering wonderful performances that entertained families and the Year 7 students.

With musicians representing a range of year levels showcasing their skills, the evening was filled with energy, talent, and a shared love for music. It was a memorable evening for our Year 7 students and their families.