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Newsletter Edition 5 – Friday 6 December 2024

6th December 2024

In this Issue:

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

Upcoming Events

School Holidays

Dec 20 2024 – Jan 27 2025 all-day

Offices Open for 2025

Tickets

Jan 22 – Jan 24 all-day

Public Holiday

Jan 27 all-day

All Staff Return for 2025

Jan 28 all-day

Years 7, 10, 11 & 12 Start for 2025

Tickets

Jan 29 all-day

College Principal’s Report

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As we approach the close of another school year, it is with great pride and admiration that I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Class of 2024. You have worked tirelessly, faced challenges with resilience, and achieved milestones that will stay with you for the rest of your lives.

As you prepare for the release of your results on 12 December, know that this moment is not only a reflection of your hard work but also a testament to your dedication and perseverance throughout your academic journey. Whether you are eagerly awaiting your exam results or feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness, remember that your efforts have brought you to this pivotal moment, and I have no doubt that each of you will continue to shine in whatever path you choose.

The Class of 2024 has demonstrated strength, teamwork, and passion, and as you step forward into the next phase of your lives—whether that be higher education, training, or entering the workforce—I have every confidence that you will achieve great things. Each of you holds a unique potential, and now is the time to see where it takes you.

Please take a moment to reflect on your journey—celebrate your achievements, cherish the friendships you have made, and carry with you the lessons learned throughout your time here. Remember, your time at school has not just been about academics, but about the growth, character, and relationships you have developed along the way.

On behalf of the entire school community, I wish you all the best of luck with your results on 12 December. Whatever your next steps may be, I am confident that you will continue to make us proud and shape a bright future for yourselves. Your journey has only just begun, and the best is yet to come.

As we come to the end of the year not just for our Year 12 students, I want to take a moment to thank our dedicated staff for their unwavering commitment to supporting and inspiring our students. Their hard work and passion have made a lasting impact on the school community, and we are deeply grateful for everything they do.

To our Year 7 – 11 students, congratulations on your achievements this year! Your resilience, hard work, and enthusiasm have been truly inspiring. This applies not just in your learning in the classroom, but also in your participation in the many co-curricular activities which have occurred across the year. As we head into the holidays, I encourage you all to reflect on your growth and take time to recharge for the exciting opportunities ahead in the new year. In 2025 we are lucky to be joined by 160 very excited new Year 7 students and the journey starts again!

To all our families, I wish you a safe and joyful holiday season. Enjoy this well-deserved break, and we look forward to welcoming you all back for another year of learning, growth, and community in 2025.

School Captains 2025

Congratulations to our College Captains Honey Lockwood and Zachary Melvaine and Vice Captains Frensi Rustem and Zynah Shikder.

Senior Years Campus – Principal’s Message

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Term 4 is always a busy term with Year 12 students finishing their studies and preparing for exams as well and then Year 10 and 11 students also finishing with exams.

Exams are now over and HeadStart has began. It is great to see so many of the students eagerly attending their new classes and getting their work organised for the coming year.

Below are a few of the highlights of the last few weeks:

Year 12 La Trobe University Excursion

As part of Headstart, approx 80 Year 12 students attended La Trobe Uni for an introduction into the life of a university student. Our students were given an insight into the pathways and experiences of 3 university students before having a tour of the Campus and a session called ‘Plan your adventure’ where students investigated courses at La Trobe Uni.

Kool Schools

Congratulations to everyone involved in the Kool Skool Project. Sweaty Palms, SWYFTER feat Katia and Poison Cotton Candy performed at the Kool Skools Awards. “They were amazing”!!!!!

Mill Park Secondary College won Best Indy Ballad, Sweaty Palms Follow the Mind and Best Pop – SWYFTER feat Katia (Year 9) Stay Another Night;

HPV Challenge

On the weekend of 23-24 November, the 24 hour Energy Breakthrough Challenge (HPV) race occurred. This was keenly attended by a group of Year 10, 11 and 12 students who were assisted by Mr Mcrae, Mr Natoli, Ms Garchitorena and Mr Kneebone. Through sun and rain, the students rode non-stop for 24 hours on their new bike and managed themselves remarkedly well. They came in overall place of 32 out of a total of 91 vehicles, some of which were battery powered. The team peddled a total of 720km during this time. This was an amazing effort by the students and the staff that attended the event and put in so much of their time.

Year 12 Formal

On Friday 22 November, the Year 12 Formal went off without a hitch. It was a joyous occasion and the students were so well dressed that it was hard to pick the winner for the ‘Best Dressed’. After much dancing and time at the photo booth, the night finished with the last person leaving at 12:03am.

Thanks to all of the staff that attended and special thanks to Mr Guebala for organising the night.

Year 12 Celebration day

For the last day of school, Year 12 students dressed up in costume. Despite the day being cut short due to damage done the night before, students still got to celebrate their day together with their friends before hitting the books in preparation for the end of year exams

Art drawing from life Workshop

The Year 11 Art Making & Exhibiting class will participate in a drawing from life workshop with artist Peter Wegner, who is the 2021 Archibald Prize winner for his portrait of the artist Guy Warren. This is a part of the arts program and is a wonderful opportunity for students to engage in and learn drawing techniques based on portraiture by the experienced artist. Peter Wegner’s work will be based on portraiture works on centenarians.

Thanks to Ms Palamara for organising this and thanks to Ms Wilson for having her class participate.

Arts Festival

The Arts Festival was a great display of students talent. The opening featured music as well as visual displays of students work. A very interesting piece that I noticed was Ms Wilson’s Connect class that put together tis collage.

Congratulations to our Year 10 & 11 students for their outstanding achievements celebrated at their Awards Ceremony!

Our program is growing, so we are looing for more families interested in providing a warm and supportive environment for an international student who has chosen to study at Mill Park Secondary College.

Host families are very important factor in the success of our International Student Program and are greatly valued by the College.

Homestay is full board and accommodation, offered by a family, a couple or a single person.
A set weekly fee (currently $350) is paid by the student, to cover expenses for full board
People aged 18 and over, living in the homestay, will be required to have a ‘Working With Children Check’ prior to hosting a student. We can assist you with this and there is no cost to you.
All homestay accommodation for international students is approved by the student’s school. This is to ensure it meets a minimum standard so that all students are living in a safe, comfortable and welcoming environment.
Our International Student Coordinator is available 24/7, to provide ongoing support to families.

If you are interested, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact our International Student Coordinator for more information.

Haiying Pan

International Student Coordinator

Phone: 9409 8222

Email: haiying.pan@education.vic.gov.au

Middle Years Campus – Principal’s Message

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Middle Year’s Campus has continued to be a hub of activity this term, and students and staff are busy finalising 2024 and preparing for 2025.

I had the absolute privilege of attending a cross-curricular (Science and Humanities) project for 7G, that culminated in a half-day Model UN conference. This project allowed students to progressively build research, critical thinking, public speaking, diplomacy, and negotiation skills using real-world topics. I was absolutely blown away by the standard of the conference and felt very confident that our future is in great hands, as I watched these aspiring leaders address the topic of Climate Change in a thoughtful, solutions focused manner that displayed a level of maturing well beyond their years. Congratulations to all students involved as well as Ms Scanlon and Ms Georgiadis for putting together this incredible opportunity for our students.

Our Thirty-Day Challenge at Middle Years Campus was focused around effective and respectful classroom behaviours. We had a huge number of students nominated for displaying such behaviours and creating a positive learning environment. We also had several of our staff nominated by students for fostering a respectful and effective classroom. Congratulations to all involved. Our 30-Day Challenges remains an important tool for reminding our school community of the values, behaviours and attitudes that we hold dear as a College community.

Languages week was a wonderful opportunity for students to continue to celebrate cultural diversity. The highlight of this week was a presentation, Ciao Italia with Mr Fagiolo, where students were able to learn about cultural heritage and take part in some cultural dance. Thank you to Ms Molino and the Languages Team for their planning of this week.

Over the last few weeks our staff and students have taken part in a series of teacher vs students sports matches at lunchtime. This has included soccer, basketball and volleyball. It has been such a great way to continue to build connection, engagement, joy and laughter within our Middle Years Campus (as well as some intense competition). Thank you to Ms Martin for her work putting the fixture together and all staff and students who took part.

We continue to ensure that we look for small opportunities to spread joy around our Middle Years Campus. Even the simplest of ideas, like icey poles and music on a beautiful sunny day, help to foster positivity and connection and remains an important way to build a sense of happiness at school.

Year 9 Awards Ceremony

Congratulations to our Year 9 students for their outstanding achievements celebrated at their Awards Ceremony! It was a proud moment for all as we recognized excellence across the board.

Wellbeing

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Groups / Clubs at the College

Creative club – Friday Lunchtime

18/10 Bracelets

25/10 Sock heat packs

1/11 Macrame keyrings

8/11 Mural

15/11 Dream catcher

22/11 Tote bags

29/11 Paper fans

6/12 Earrings / Keyrings

13/12 Holiday Cards / Bookmarks

Girls Group – Tuesday Lunchtime

Breakfast Club

Breakfast club is available across the College, before school at Wellbeing.

Middle Years Campus: Monday and Friday 8am to 8.30am, and Wednesday 8am to 8.45am

Senior campus: Daily except for Tuesdays in Green week from 8am to 8.45am

Wellbeing Co-curricular Programs

Big Sister Experience

The Attitudes to School Survey is sent and completed by students, which provides feedback and information to continue to strive towards supporting student needs. One important aspect from the survey indicated a need for more programs for female identifying students at the school. In addition to development of a ‘girls group’ during lunchtime this year, the Big Sister Experience program, ran a full day workshop for female-identifying students on various topics below.

Planning for next year

The Wellbeing Team are working together to organise programs and events for the year 2025. We are excited to continue engaging the school community.

Student and Parent Information

Social Media Safety

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.

The Department of Education recognises this important issue and has developed fact sheets about supports to help keep students safe online and what to do if they are involved in an online incident.

The fact sheets contain links to evidence-based information on supporting positive and safe online experiences, signs a child or young person might need support, what to do if something unsafe happens online, and where to reach out to for more support.

To access the fact sheets, refer to the Safe Socials webpage. The fact sheets are available in 19 community languages.

The government is also launching public consultation on age limits for social media.

If you have any queries about this information, you can contact the department by email: bullystoppers@education.vic.gov.au

School holidays

Although holidays can be fun they can also be busy, stressful and at times boring. We have put together some resources below if you are feeling stressed or needing something to do.

Coping with family stress: https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/coping-family-holiday-stress

Feeling sad over the holidays: https://kidshelpline.com.au/kids/issues/feeling-sad-over-holidays

Tips for making the most of the holidays -If you notice yourself feeling stressed or down, try these suggestions:

Have a plan! If you get bored easily, think of ways to spend your spare time doing things that make your heart sing. Try a new hobby, play a sport or learn a new skill like drawing or computer programming.

It’s ok to take time out: If you need some space, it’s ok to take a break away from everyone. You could excuse yourself and go outside for a short walk, listen to some music or binge some episodes of your favourite show.

Talk about how you feel: Especially if you are sad, upset or stressed, talk to someone you trust about how you’re feeling. This is a good way to stop your feelings from building up to a possible explosion!

Make time for reflection as well as fun: Try some relaxation techniques like meditation or mindful colouring. Or maybe drawing or journaling about your thoughts and feelings could be more your style.

Give to others: Give a hug, a compliment, or a handmade gift to somebody special in your life these holidays. Not only does it make them feel special, you’ll feel good too!

Try to remember what it’s all about: While holidays can have a different meaning to us all, for many it is a time to connect and spend time with those we care about.

Safety numbers and support:

Kids Helpline | Phone Counselling Service | 1800 55 1800
Lifeline Australia – 13 11 14 – Crisis Support. Suicide Prevention
Department of Families, Fairness and Housing – 1300 664 977
Parentline Victoria – 13 22 89

What’s On in the Community?

Language

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The Year 7, 8 and 9 Italian students were visited by Ciao Studio’s Mr Fagiolo and his immigration story. Students listened to a true story based on an Italian man’s journey to Australia from his home Italy through an exciting and interactive performance, finishing off with an energetic group tarantella dance. Another great way to celebrate Languages Week at Mill Park Secondary College.

On Thursday 7 November students from the English Language Centre went to the Preston Market with Ms. Gillard and Ms. Suthananthan in order to learn about the different foods available and the experience of an Australian market. They enjoyed the social aspect of learning about each others cultural foods and the multicultural mix available in Australia. The Asian supermarket, Middle Eastern spice and nut shop, the bakeries, fresh fruit and vegetable stalls, the seafood and meat hall, and hot food stalls were all visited. Students won different food related quizzes. Market goers enjoyed having the company of our Mill Park International students.

The Christmas decorated market added to the mood of the day.

It was a great day and enjoyed by all.

Languages Week: A Fun and Exciting Celebration at the Middle Years Campus

Languages Week at the Middle Years Campus was an action-packed and engaging event that brought students together to celebrate the Italian language and culture. Throughout the week, all students participated in a variety of exciting activities designed to challenge their language skills and deepen their cultural knowledge.

The week featured a scavenger hunt, where students worked in teams to solve clues hidden around the campus. It was a fun and interactive way to learn more about Italian language and culture while exploring the school grounds. There was also a lively game of Bingo held at lunchtime in the library, where students tested their memory of numbers in Italian, adding a playful and competitive twist to learning. Additionally, a trivia competition challenged students to put their knowledge of Italy’s rich history, culture, and language to the test, as they competed to see who could answer the most questions correctly.

One of the highlights of the week was the screening of an Italian film, which offered students a chance to experience the language and culture in a relaxed setting. This was complemented by an incursion with Mr. Fagiolo, where students were able to engage more deeply with Italian traditions, language, and customs.

Throughout the week, students also had the opportunity to win exciting prizes, adding an extra layer of motivation and excitement to all the activities. Languages Week was not only a celebration of Italian language and culture but also a reminder of how much fun learning can be when it’s interactive, creative, and engaging.

A huge thank you to all the students who participated and helped make Languages Week such a memorable experience! We look forward to more opportunities to explore new languages and cultures in the future.

STEM

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Energy Breakthrough

On November 21 2024, 14 dedicated students from our Senior Campus embarked on an exciting journey to Maryborough, Victoria, for the highly anticipated Energy Breakthrough Race. This event, renowned for testing the limits of endurance, innovation, and teamwork, saw our school’s HPV (Human-Powered Vehicle) team, Team Pegasus, participate with immense pride and determination.

The team arrived in Maryborough ready to showcase the culmination of months of preparation. Equipped with a brand-new bike built alongside G-trike, the team presented to a panel of judges who were impressed with the team’s ingenuity and hard work. The team successfully passed a rigorous scrutineering process, receiving the green light to race, concluding the Thursday activities for the HPV Racing Team.

For our Year 12 students, the weekend didn’t end with the race. After completing their preparations in Maryborough, the Year 12 team was booked for another milestone event: the annual Year 12 Formal. With the formal on the horizon, these students made an impressive effort by driving back to Melbourne early Friday morning with Mr McRae. They quickly transitioned from their racing gear to formal attire and celebrated finishing their Secondary Education by dancing the night away. By 9:30 AM these students had made it back to our campsite, gleaming with excitement to start the race. This remarkable display of dedication was made possible with the support of Mr Natoli, who accompanied them throughout the journey.

On Friday night, whilst our Year 12’s were celebrating their Formal, the team’s Year 10 and 11 members took part in the practice race, gaining valuable experience and fine-tuning their skills. Their hard work paid off when they placed 32nd on the race grid, and the night was concluded by a short trip to McDonalds.

Saturday, at precisely noon, Team Pegasus officially kicked off the 24-hour race, with Chris in Year 11 taking the first Stint. The next 24 hours proved to be a true test of endurance as the team faced a range of challenging weather conditions, including scorching heat, unpredictable winds, and overnight rain. Despite the challenging elements, the team demonstrated incredible resilience, adapting to the changing conditions, collecting return-to-pit stickers and adapting to the changing rider roster.

The dedication and teamwork displayed throughout the race were exceptional. Team Pegasus finished in an impressive 5th place in Category C (50/50 gender) and 32nd overall out of 91 teams, completing an astounding 456 laps and covering a total of 720 kilometers. This achievement is a testament to the student’s preparation, commitment, and ability to work together under pressure.

As the year comes to a close, the Year 12 students begin the process of handing over responsibility for the team to their successors. This transition marks a new chapter for the Energy Breakthrough team as the next generation of students takes the reins, building on the legacy of those who have come before them.

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the entire school community for their unwavering support of Team Pegasus throughout this journey. A special thank you also goes to the parents who made the effort to travel to Maryborough to cheer on the team, showing their dedication and enthusiasm for the students’ success. Of course, this event would not be possible without the help of teachers and staff, particularly to Mr Kneebone for the time, patience and dedication towards organising the event.

In conclusion, the Energy Breakthrough 2024 was a resounding success for Team Pegasus. The journey of Team Pegasus continues, and we look forward to racing in the 2025 VIC series as well as the 2025 Energy Breakthrough next year.

Visual and Performing Arts

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Portrait Drawing Workshop with Artist Peter Wegner

Year 10 and 11 Art students attended an incursion with Archibald Prize winning artist Peter Wegner and team on Wednesday morning to learn the art of portraiture. Charcoal was the drawing medium of choice for the workshop and students explored its characteristics as the model sat for them. Peter demonstrated how to bring out the inherent qualities of portraiture by discussing ways to enliven linework and imbue the sitters’ personality into the work. He suggested that artists should chat with the sitter as the portrait developed to keep both the features and lines moving at once. In this way, a static portrait is avoided, and we experience more of the models’ personality.

Peter bought along his own folio of portrait drawings and explained the techniques used in them and how he felt towards the work. His portraits are characterized by fluid, expressive markings that create ambiguous areas of tonality and vigorous markings on the paper. The workshop was a terrific opportunity to see a master at work, glean valuable tips while enjoying the genuine studio experience of working shoulder to shoulder at their easels.