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Newsletter Edition 4 – Wednesday 4 September 2024

4th September 2024

In this Issue:

College Principal’s Report
Middle Years Campus – Principal’s Message
Senior Years Campus – Principal’s Message
STEM
Library
Humanities
Visual and Performing Arts
Wellbeing
Physical Education/Health
Community Noticeboard

Upcoming Events

Year 12 Formal

Nov 22 all-day

College Principal’s Report

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I can’t believe that it is nearly the end of Term 3, but when I look back and reflect on just how much we have packed into the month of August at both campuses of our College it is easy to understand why.

Production Week is always fantastic, but this year there was something particularly special about being able to see our students on stage in our brand new Performing Arts Centre. The quality of the performances from such a large cast, band and crew was outstanding, and the audience was buzzing as we left the auditorium. I know the level of work behind the scenes that went into making this event happen and I would like to publicly acknowledge the leadership and dedication shown by the Production Team: Zoe Arsana, Wendy Nagel, Michael Kneebone, Gina Palamara and Liam Gooding were all pivotal to getting this off the ground. Well done to everyone involved. We are now focused on Song and Dance Night on 18 October, and this will give our school community another occasion to come together and celebrate the talent and commitments of our students in the performing arts. I can’t wait!

I would also like to congratulate the efforts of our senior students – in particular our Year 12s – as they progress to their final weeks of classes and examinations in Term 4. Year 12 can sometimes feel like a marathon and a sprint at the same time and I know that everyone is feeling the pressure. Over the term break students will engage with trial exams and also some revision lectures in key subjects. I encourage all families of Year 12 students to ensure that you are having conversations at home about ramping-up to this important period. As well as planning to build momentum, it is also important to ensure that there is a clear routine for revision, and time to rest and recharge.

At the beginning of this term a number of successful information evenings were held to assist students with pathways planning and we have now collected 2025 subject preferences for students in Year 9 to 12. Work is underway to plan for student courses and consultation will occur with students where we may not be able to meet their initial preferences. This year we had a record number of students apply to undertake an ‘early start’ VCE / VET Enhancement subject in Year 10. In our recent Student Opinion Survey, the attitude of our students towards the important factors of Effort and High Expectations both had a positive endorsement of more than 70%. This is significantly above the state average and also above the average for similar schools. This is a great result and it shows a high level of aspiration and academic focus in our students.

I am pleased to report that we have seen an increase in enrolments for 2025 at Year 7. Next year we will welcome approximately 170 new Year Seven students to our school community and it is great to see families choosing Mill Park Secondary College. As well as our Year 12 students we will also farewell some students who will transition to other schools. Currently we have 7 students who successfully gained enrolment at select-entry high schools such as MacRobertson Girls College and Melbourne High School for Year 9 in 2025. While we will be sad to see them go these are highly regarded Government schools and I am very proud of their achievement in being selected. Well done!

Finally, On Friday August 30, our school highlighted ‘Wear It Purple Day’ with the Pride Flags flying at both campuses.

We are a safe school and continue to come together to create a more inclusive future for all. The theme this year was “Your Passion, Your Pride”, empowering LGBTQIA+ Youth to dream big and share, and there were a number of activities on both campuses to celebrate this. While we have made some positive steps forward in ensuring that we respect diversity as a school community, progress does not stop and I believe that we still have some work to do in this area – not just for our LBGTQ students, but also in the area of cultural understanding and stamping out racism. I ask for the support of all families in addressing these important issues.

Middle Years Campus – Principal’s Message

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It is hard to believe we are almost already halfway through Term 3. It has been such a busy and productive term already and time seems to be flying by!

Here are some of the highlights of the Term so far at Middle Years.

*The Big Sister Experience– We had approximately 28 girls take part in another session with the Big Sister Experience, a program aimed at supporting students to learn about issues that are relevant to young women growing up today. Again, we received very positive feedback from the young people involved and we are looking forward to running another Big Sister session in Term 4.

*Year 9 Subject Selection- This week on Wednesday our Year 9 students went up to the Senior Campus to begin to familiarise themselves with the environment and to allow us to continue to support their subject selection process. Currently, our Year 9 students are choosing their Year 10 program for 2025. Pleasingly, as part of this process we have had 86 applications from this cohort to do a VCE/VET Early Start Subject in 2025. Course counselling appointments have been made available to parents and students.

*Australian Maths Competition- We had approximately 75 students take part in the Australian Maths Competition this week. A big congratulations to the students who took part in this challenge, we look forward to hearing the results in the coming weeks.

*Production– Of course our amazing school production has just closed with several of our Middle Year’s students starring in this year’s show, School of Rock. My congratulations to all involved in what was a simply spectacular display of talent, determination and hard work. It also wonderful to see our new Performing Arts Centre in full use, allowing us to hold our show on site for the very first time!

*Year 8 into 9 Subject Selection-In the next month, our Year 8 students will begin choosing their elective subjects for 2025.

*Mental Health First Aid– In the coming weeks our Year 8 and 9 students will take part in the Teen Mental Health First Aid course, teaching them skills to support other young people to seek appropriate help if facing a mental health issue.

Senior Years Campus – Principal’s Message

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Year 12 VM Community Projects

Last week our VM class started our Community Projects. We had three different projects running, including the Cafe team on the Tuesday morning, making different types of coffees and toasties for the teachers, the soccer group running the Senior Campus Soccer Tournament at lunch time on Tuesday and Thursday which had over 100+ students and teachers attending which. Lastly, our group spent Thursday preparing and cooking lovely homemade pizzas for the teachers. The feedback from staff and students on our community projects has been really positive, and we look forward to continuing our projects over the next 3 weeks. – Steph, Jess & Zoey- Year 12 VM

English Language Centre Graduates

Students were acknowledged at the Year 10 Assembly for their successful completion of the English Language Centre intensive program during Semester 1.

We congratulate them on their hard work and wish them all the best in their studies as they transition into mainstream classes at Mill Park Secondary College.

Monash Scholars Program

Congratulations to Year 10 student Ethan who has been accepted by Monash University into their 2024-2026 Monash Scholars Program. This program is a prestigious program for high achieving secondary students to give them a unique head start into university life!

The International Student Program Office organized a welcome BBQ for all international students. For many, it was their first time experiencing a Western-style BBQ.

Special thanks to 4 VM students, Oscar, Lachlan, David and Anthony for the incredible BBQ you prepared for international students. Your effort, skill, and hospitality did not go unnoticed, and it made for a truly enjoyable and memorable experience for all international students.

Special thank you to our International Student Captains Shibaani and Chanh also.

Thank you, Sarina, Liz, Sue, Lukus and Matt for your kind support.

STEM

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The week of Monday 12 August was Science Week. To celebrate we ran activities every lunchtime.

The theme this year was Species Survival – More than just sustainability. The theme aims to highlight the importance of science and innovation in ensuring the survival and thriving of different species in an ever-changing world.

There were a range of activities offered from Lego Technic to Microscope Challenge to Elephants Toothpaste to Bridge Building Challenge using Marshmallows and Spaghetti.

Thank you to those that came along and had some fun and celebrated Science Week with us.

Making Bath Bombs with Miss Gizycki

Use a sandwich size Ziplock bag and pour in 1 cup of Epson Salts. Add ¼ cup of Rock Salt and then 5-10 drops of your favourite essential oil. Seal the bag and mix thoroughly. Use approximately ¼ of the mixture for each bath and enjoy!

Numeracy at home

Numeracy is necessary for everyday living. From daily activities like telling the time, cooking and setting the table to more difficult tasks such as understanding mobile phone plans, planning a trip, reading a map and understanding timetables.

As parents we are play a significant role in our child’s learning by setting expectations, nurturing curiosity, and encouraging a love of learning.

You can help build your child’s numeracy through doing the following:

be positive about their numeracy experiences and praise effort and perseverance.
let your child know that everyone can be successful
seize everyday opportunities to capitalise on numeracy development
involve your child in numeracy-related activities

Helping children to become numerate does not need a high level of mathematics.

It means:

encouraging children to try, then keep trying and encouraging children to think (reason)

modelling numeracy with children (including interpreting data, charts and diagrams)
encouraging children to help with
- cooking (especially measuring out ingredients)
- paying bills
- scheduling events in the day
- reading maps and giving directions
- shopping
- measuring –– and thanking them for their support
do not say “Maths is hard” or “I was never good at maths”.

Numeracy capability is not inherited.

Adapted from the Birth to Level 10 Numeracy Guide

Department of education – Victoria

Library

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Book Week

This year’s Book Week theme was ‘Reading is Magic’ and students were able to participate in a range of competitions in both Campus libraries.

Students were able to enter competitions including ‘Blurry Covers’, ‘Author or Musician’ and ‘Book emojis’ as part of Book Week festivities. ‘Guess the number of lollies in the Lolly Jar’ was also popular amongst the Senior students. Congratulations to Farreh of Year 9, who had the closest guess of 365 lollies in the jar.

Thank you to all students who participated, demonstrating our College value of Enjoyment.

Senior Library Resources

New Study Materials for VCE

The Senior Campus Library has a new range of VCE support materials available for students to borrow. Students are welcome to borrow these materials to assist with their studies.

ATAR Notes – Topic Tests and Complete Course Notes

Cambridge Checkpoints

State Library of Victoria – Study resources

Librarians at The State Library of Victoria work with teachers to provide support materials for VCE students.

Research Essentials for VCE students is one of their most popular guides and includes a series of video tutorials on research strategies, how to use the research databases and how to navigate the State Library website.

https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/learn/schools-teachers/senior-secondary-online-tutorial-series

A wide range of databases are also available for students to use via the SLV website. Students can sign up for a free online membership to use these databases.

https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/az/databases

Humanities

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Year 12 Legal Studies

As part of their Year 12 VCE curriculum, last Friday our Year 12 Legal Studies students attended Parliament House and Old Melbourne Gaol. The focus from our students was on Victorian Parliament’s processes, how laws are made in Victoria, and the different types of historical sanctions. All students enjoyed themselves and had a wonderful time!

Visual and Performing Arts

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College Production

The 29th College production ‘School of Rock’ was held on 31 July, 1 and 2 of August at the new Mill Park Secondary College Performing Arts Centre.

Congratulations to all members of our talented production team, the dedicated staff, the exceptional student cast, our talented dancers, musicians, actors and crew. Six spectacular performances over three days.

A very special thank you to the amazing Production team whose outstanding contribution brought the Broadway musical alive. Musical Director, Choreographer & Stage Manager: Ms Arsana, Music Director & Vocal Coach Mrs Nagel, Choreographers Ms Ashby and Ms Warner-Carlisle, Set design and Construction: Mr Kneebone, Music teachers/Band: Mr Gooding, Mr Gispers, Mr De Leucio, Mr Pijpers, and Vocal coach: Ms Blackburn.

Students in the Band: Tri, Timothy, Frensi, William, Jessica, Amitoz, Eden, Aishwarya, Zain, Suzi, Sajjal, and Ava.

Student Dance Captain Valerie and Vocal Captain Chloe.

We also thank the supportive families, the many staff and parent volunteers, who contributed to its great success.

School of Rock

Three bands from the Middle Years Campus Co-curricular program performed at the North West Region School of Rock Festival. Students had been rehearsing weekly at lunchtime. Thanks to Mr Gooding, Mr De Leucio and Mr Gijsbers for preparing the students. Our groups stole the show with their renditions of Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran, Falling Behind by Laufey and Hold Back The River by James Bay.

VCE Pharaoh Exhibition Excursion to the NGV International

VCE Art Making & Exhibiting Students visited the NGV International on 8 August to experience the mesmerising and exquisite Pharaoh exhibition as part of the study. The exhibition showcased the art of ancient Egypt spanning 3,000 years from the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt and the beginnings of the Old Kingdom with the development of hieroglyphs, in about 3000 BCE, through to the Roman conquest. The introductory presentation was informative and provided context for the objects we were about to see.

The exhibition space was designed around 7 themes and each gallery space represented a distinct curatorial focus. Two large gallery spaces were linked by ambient soundscapes and projections that immersed the students aurally and visually as they walked through light to dark spaces (representing day and night).

Many students marvelled not only at the sheer age of the exhibits but also the technical skill of intricate sculpting and fine hand carving of the materials in the work. A great day was had by all and there was much animated discussion about issues such as repatriation of collections the next day in the classroom.

VET Dance

VET Dance students attended the AusDance Industry Day at The Space Dance & Arts Centre in Prahran. Industry Day is a free program for students studying their Certificate II in Dance and provides the students with amazing opportunities to learn from industry professionals and participate in style specific workshops. The students also end the day with a mock audition of their choice including, musical theatre, tertiary education and more. This provides the students with real world experience and allows them to get a glimpse into what professional life in the dance industry is all about. Our students had such an amazing time learning from a very diverse range of artists and are excited to use the knowledge they gained to further their dance studies here at Mill Park Secondary College.

Wellbeing

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What’s new with Wellbeing?

We have a new look in the wellbeing space!

Welling team and contacts are:

Lukas Farfalla, Student Wellbeing Team Leader: Farfalla@education.vic.gov.au
Peta Bleazby, MYC Student Wellbeing Officer: Bleazby@education.vic.gov.au
Alexandra Burke, MYC Student Wellbeing Officer: Burke@education.vic.gov.au
Stephanie Chee-Noguera, Senior campus Mental Health Practitioner: Chee-Noguera@education.vic.gov.au
Breanna Dimitrievski, Middle Years campus Mental Health Practitioner: Dimitrievski@education.vic.gov.au
Natalie Studwick, Department nurse: Studwick@education.vic.gov.au

Groups / Clubs at the College

Lunchtime Girls Group

2. Breakfast Club

Breakfast club is available across the College, before school from 8am – 8.45am, as per below:

Middle Years Campus: Monday and Wednesday morning in Literacy room

Senior Campus: Daily except Tuesday Green week

Wellbeing Co-curricular Programs

Butterfly Foundation Presentations

The Butterfly Foundation is a national charity for all Australians impacted by eating disorders and body image issues, as well as for families, friends, and communities who support them.

On Friday 6 September, Year 7 and 8 students will participate in a presentation by Butterfly Foundation facilitator that explored the role of social media play on body confidence and self-esteem. Similarly, Year 9 students will participate in a presentation focussed on factors that place pressure on young people to look and be a certain way. It begins to unpack appearance-based talk, body comparisons and appearance teasing/bullying.

All presentations aim to support body confidence and healthy relationships with food and exercise in young people.

Free Parent Webinar – Raising Body Kind Teens

To celebrate Body Kind month we’ve scheduled a free parent webinar on supporting teens’ positive body image in the home.

Date: 17th September 2024

Time: 7pm – 8.15pm (AEDT) (plus question time)

Via: Zoom (Time-limited recording)

BOOK HERE

2. St John’s Ambulance ‘Party Ready’ Program

During Term 4, our Year 10 and 11 students will have the opportunity to participate in a ‘Party Ready’ program facilitated by St John’s Ambulance. It will help equip students with tools and knowledge to help their friends if they are injured, unwell, or in distress. From CPR to psychological first aid and substance overdose, Party Ready will help young people be confident to de-escalate the immediate situation as well as help to direct the person to an appropriate intervention.

Drumbeat

DRUMBEAT is a targeted program for up to 10 selected students at Middle Years Campus, that continued to run during this term. The program explores connections between making music together as a group and the development of healthy relationships, building resilience by increasing self-esteem, social connection, social skills, and emotional control. This program is run by an accredited Relationships Australia Victoria (RAV) DRUMBEAT practitioner, with each focusing on a different relationship theme, such as identity and social responsibility, dealing with emotions, peer pressure, harmony, communication, and teamwork.

Affirmative Consent

As part of the Victorian Curriculum, age-appropriate Consent Education is mandatory across all year levels and is essential and valuable knowledge for our young people.

On Monday 26 August, our Secondary School Nurse, Natalie, presented this information to our Year 12’s students.

The information provided included: the definition of Consent, Age and the Law in Victoria, and the Rights and Responsibilities in relationships.

Natalie will be returning to present this information to our Year 11 students on Monday 9 September, and Year 10 students in Term 4.

Special events and celebrations

International Day of Friendship – July 30

July 30 is International Day of Friendship – it is a day committed to diversity, inclusion and appreciation, and embracing others that may appear different than us.

Anyone can celebrate and learn to dispel hatred and be accepting of people with different backgrounds. We can celebrate friendship through simple things such as leaving a note or send a card to someone, meet a friend for a meal, or attend a community cultural celebration. We can reflect on current connections in our lives, reconnect with old friends or open ourselves to new connections.

2. National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence – August 12 to 16

The week is about spreading awareness and finding workable solutions to prevent bullying, mostly aligning with the College value of Respect.

The 2024 theme is “Everyone Belongs” – its about embracing who we are, respecting everyone’s differences, and standing up together against unkindness. Everyone has a role in preventing bullying and are encouraged to speak up to create a safe place where everyone feels supported and respected, and our voices heard and valued.

3. Wear It Purple Day – August 30th

Did you know?

Wear It Purple was founded by high school students in 2010 in response to global stories of real teenagers – several rainbow young people suicided following bullying and harassment resulting from the lack of acceptance of their sexuality and gender identity.

Why Purple?

The colour purple was chosen to symbolise Unity – the bringing of people together from all different backgrounds. Purple and lavender are closely tied to queer rights and liberation.

2024 Theme

The 2024 theme is “Your Passion, Your Pride, encouraging LGBTQIA+ young people to express their true selves to the world and chase their dreams.

4. R U OK Day – September 12

R U Ok Day is a health promotion event to empower people to meaninfully connect and lend support by staying connected and having conversations.

Our school community will be brought together on the day through food (free sausage sizzle), activities (giant games, tug of war, round robin sport), photo booth, and music (school band), which will provide an opportunity to have meaningful conversations and connection. We have also partnered with Youth Service at Whittlesea Council and Headspace, who will have a stall with local events and support setup at our Middle Years Campus.

Student and Parent Information

Information Session: Tuning into Teens

On Wednesday 14 August from 1pm – 2pm, we invited parents/guardians to Senior Campus for an information session, Q&A, and afternoon tea facilitated by a local family service, Kids First.

Donna and Jodie spoke about some of the support services for children, young people, and families. More information about their child, youth, and family services can be found here, including an emotion coaching program called, Tuning into Teens, an evidence based program to support parents to feel more confident to connect with their teens, understand their needs and challenges, and support them to manage strong emotions and reduce conflict.

2. Bullying support – Dolly’s Dream

Dolly’s Dream aim to change the culture of bullying through addressing the impact of bullying, anxiety, depression, and youth suicide, via education and direct support to young people and families.

Some of the services they provide are:

24/7 Support line: free call 0488 881 033 to connect with a qualified counsellor
Webchat: WebChat (yourtown.com.au)
Beacon Cyber Safety App: comprehensive library of strategies and tips to help address issues such as screen time, gaming, and cyberbullying.
Workshop “Parenting in the digital age”: understand the negative consequences of bullying, where and how to report inappropriate content, and how to best support young people experiencing harm.
Parent hub: trusted information about online safety and bullying

More information can be found here – Dolly’s Dream : Home (dollysdream.org.au)

3. Vaping

Parents, carers, schools, and community all play an important role in protecting children and young people from, and educating them about, the harmful effects of smoking and vaping.

Research from the Royal Children’s Hospital shows many parents and carers are not aware of the harmful effects or how their views about smoking and vaping can impact the likelihood of a young person taking up smoking or vaping.

The Department of Education has developed resources to help you learn more about the health risks of smoking and vaping. The resources include advice about how to talk to children and young people about vaping, and where to get support. To access the resources, go to https://www.vic.gov.au/smoking-and-vaping-advice-parents

You can also view this video on smoking and vaping from experts at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne for health advice and tips for starting a conversation with young people.

In Victoria, a person must not smoke or vape (e-cigarette) on school premises or within 4 metres of any pedestrian access point on school premises and is a fineable offence.

What’s On in the Community

Physical Education/Health

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August has seen a busy start to Term 3 with sports happening everywhere across the College. With 9 Basketball teams, the Year 8 Girls soccer team and Athletics teams have or will be heading out to compete. On Monday 19 August we saw our two Year 9 basketball teams head off to Diamond Valley to compete against school from our district. After endless amounts of training and hard work the day had arrived and with the masterclass coaching from Mr. Craigie, the teams were able to implement many amazing defensive and offensive strategies. Unfortunately results didn’t fall our way but the day was spectacular and all students should be very proud of their efforts.

A HUGE thankyou to Ms Boyle, without the help of Ms. Boyle the basketball at our College just wouldn’t be as loved as it is now. She has been running clubs every week with great success, organising the 3 basketball events which take a huge amount of work and effort and still found time to coach many of our sports teams. She is an asset to Mill Park Secondary College and deserves a huge thank you from everyone for her efforts!!

Finally it has been great to see so many lunch time events taking place. Many students have been taking part in lunch time activities across the College. A big thank you to all staff and students who have been able to make this possible! Please keep your ears open for any more events coming in the future.

VET Sport and Recreation

Whittlesea U3A, in collaboration with the City of Whittlesea’s Ageing Well Team, participated in a six-week Walking Football Program with Mill Park Secondary College as part of their VET Sport and Recreation practical studies. Please check out the Football Victoria website for more information!