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Newsletter Edition 7 – Friday 15 September 2023

15th September 2023

In this Issue:

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

Upcoming Events

School Photos

Feb 27 all-day

College Principal’s Report

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Dear Parents, Guardians, Students, and Staff,

As we approach the end of another term, it is with great pride and gratitude that I write this report. This term has been marked by the diligent efforts of our Year 12 students, and I would like to extend my congratulations to them for their commitment to their studies. Year 12, your dedication to learning, even in the face of challenging times, is truly commendable. You have demonstrated resilience, perseverance, and this will continue in your upcoming practice exams during the study break. Remember to manage your time wisely, seek support when needed, and stay focused on your goals.

While academic pursuits are important, it is equally vital to prioritize your health and well-being during this high-pressure period. Adequate rest, a balanced diet, regular exercise, and maintaining a support system are essential for success. Please take care of yourselves and each other, and don’t hesitate to reach out to us here at school if you need assistance or guidance.

I also want to extend my congratulations to all our students for their outstanding engagement in both their academic classes and co-curricular activities. This term, our school has been abuzz with talent and enthusiasm in so many areas, from music and dance to our school production, interschool sports, and numerous other activities. Your dedication and passion shine brightly, and I’m proud to see you all thriving beyond the classroom.

Our music and dance performances, as well as the school production of Rock of Ages, showcased the incredible artistic talents within our school community. The spirit displayed during interschool sports and the friendly competitions in lunchtime soccer and volleyball, afterschool basketball, and more have been so good to see. The positive spirit in the school grounds on both campuses during RUOK day this week was amazing and I look forwards to more of this next term.

Behind the efforts of our students is the hard work of our teachers and support staff and I would like to express my gratitude to our dedicated staff members for their tireless efforts in nurturing and educating our students. Their commitment to providing a supportive and enriching learning environment is instrumental in our students’ success.

Lastly, I want to wish all our families a safe and restful break. Spend quality time together, recharge your spirits, and return ready for the challenges and positive steps forward next term.

Senior Years Campus – Principal’s Message

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It has been a busy term with many events occurring. Year 12 students have been heavily focussed on their final SAC’s while Year 10 and 11 students have continued with their coursework.

Indoor Soccer Competition

During the last few weeks of school, an indoor soccer competition has been run in the gym. This was hotly contested with the winners of the final winning 3:0. It was great to see so many students getting involved and the yard was almost empty with everyone not playing, lining the court as spectators.

On Friday 8 September students: Frensi, Alexandra, and Mily represented our school at the Victorian SRC (Student Representative Council) Congress for 2023, held at the Wurun Senior Fitzroy Campus.

The Victorian SRC Congress is where students from across Victoria come together to discuss their ideas for, and issues with, the education system, and work to create solutions together. Our captains had the privilege to meet and listen to some wise words of motivation from the minister of education as well as members from the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Further, they collaborated in small groups with other students across Victoria to tackle the current concerns students have regarding their education and brainstorm solutions.

“We had the incredible opportunity to meet so many students and learn how their respective schools addressed unique needs and challenges of their students. We can’t wait to unpack all the advice and knowledge we have gained and implement them in a multitude of ways to continue supporting every student at Mill Park Secondary in ways that are best suited for them!”

Science week saw many students involved in science activities at lunchtime including making paper planes, catapults and an escape room.

There has also been a lot of planning for 2024 with students all making their subject selection choices. These will be fed into a timetable program so that students get their final subject selections by mid Term 4.

Year 12 SAC’s and Practice exams

As Term 3 comes to an end, Year 12 students have now finished their coursework and completed the last of their SAC’s. It’s now time for Year 12 students to start focusing on their final exams. To give students practice at sitting a formal exam under exam conditions and getting valuable feedback quickly, practice exams have been scheduled for the September break, starting from Thursday 21 September and finishing on Wednesday 27 September. It is expected that all Year 12 VCE students that are doing a scored VCE will attend these practice exams.

When school resumes in Term 4, Year 12 students will get their practice exams returned with feedback. This will help them to focus their attention on areas that they still need to improve in the lead up to their final exams that start in week 4.

R U OK day

Thursday 14 September was R U OK day.

R U OK? Day 2023 is Australia’s National Day of Action to remind everyone that every day is the day to ask other, “are you OK?”. It provides an opportunity to start a meaningful conversation whenever we notice signs that someone that they care about may be struggling with life.

This was highlighted with a free sausage sizzle at lunchtime as well as music and activities to promote local youth programs to support over all wellbeing.

Middle Years Campus – Principal’s Message

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It is difficult to believe we are at the end of Term 3 already. Again, I am proud of our students and staff for the efforts they have put in to make this another successful term at Middle Years Campus.

Last week, Bailey a beautiful Golden Retriever therapy dog, visited Middle Years with his Paws Australia owner. The students absolutely loved spending time with Bailey, and I have no doubt that when our own therapy dog arrives (middle of next term) our students will embrace the newest member of our school community whole heartedly.

Mr Rogers, Our Middle Years Engagement leader was able to visit our three student representatives at the Alpine school of Leadership. This is a State-wide residential program for Year 9 Government school students which fosters their growth into productive citizens and leaders through increased self-awareness, social engagement, community connection and environmental stewardship. I want to congratulate our Year 9 students who took part in this program: Arya, Tarni and Rhianne.

We have been very focused on ensuring we a running a suite of extra curricula programs at Middle Years Campus to meet the needs of our students. This term we have run The Young Men’s Program, Raise Mentoring Program, and a Literacy Intervention Program, all targeted at meeting different social and academic needs of students from Year 7 to 9. Next term we will run the Prevent with Heart Program and Drum beat program also. Next week Head Space will run a program with our Year 9 students focused on helping them flourish throughout ‘changes in life.’ We feel this will be particularly useful for our students in Year 9 as they prepare to transition into their Senior Years in 2024.

We have had a large group of students take part in the Kool Schools music program this term. Selected students were able to attend Empire Studio in Heidelberg to record MPSC’s annual CD. Kool Skools Recording Project promotes writing of original material, opportunity for Graphic design and industry-based learning. I wish to congratulate the students who took part in this program and our music staff for their work in supporting this incredible opportunity for our young people.

This week we have also celebrated National Health and PE day with a footy/team colours dress up day. It was great to see so many of our staff and students reveal ‘their true colours’ and show support for their favourite team. We also celebrated book week with a dress up day. Again, it was so lovely to see so many wonderful costumes on display, as staff and students dressed up as their favourite book character. On Wednesday the 6 September the Year 7 and 8 students participated in an Italian Scavenger Hunt in celebration of LOTE week. Students and staff had a fantastic time racing to different check points throughout the College, answering a range of Italian questions. Students then got to enjoy a traditional Italian gelato.

We are very excited that our refurbishment of classrooms at Middle Years Campus will continue over the Term 3 holidays with 5 classrooms in our H block next on our project list. These classrooms will have new furniture, be fully painted, and be recarpeted, to ensure that our learning spaces are the best they can be for our students and staff.

It has been a busy term and our students have earnt a well-deserved break. I would also like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our staff who have worked tirelessly to support our students throughout Term 3. I’m looking forward to Term 4, where the sun will hopefully be shining and we can support our students to finish their academic year successfully, looking ahead to an exciting 2024.

Wellbeing

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International Day of Friendship

International Day of Friendship is the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures, and individuals can promote and create peace efforts between communities. During Week 4, we celebrated friendship through friendship bracelets and inviting students to the wellbeing space to get together and celebrate friendship. Students were also invited to complete a friendship poem and what friendship means to them.

Wear It Purple Day – Friday 25 August 2023

Below exert was written by one of the Year 12 students at the school.

Wear it Purple was founded in 2010 in response to global stories of real teenagers, real heartache, and their very real responses. In 2010, several members of the LGBTQI+ community took their own lives following bullying and harassment resulting from the lack of acceptance of their sexuality or gender identity. One member of the wear it purple group was 18-year-old Tyler Clementi who took his own life after being publicly ‘outed’ as gay by his roommate, prompting a frenzy as reports poured in of various young people sadly in the same situation. As the world saw the faces of precious young lives lost, some young people found a new sense of conviction and purpose to ensure that young people everywhere would know that there were people who did support and love them.

Wear It Purple was established to show young people across the globe that there was hope, that there were people who did support and accept them, and that they have the right to be proud of who they are. Since 2010, when Wear it Purple was co-founded by Katherine Hudson and Scott Williams, Wear it Purple has developed into an international movement. New generations of members of the LGBTQI+ community continue to be dedicated to promoting the annual expression of support and acceptance. What started out small has now grown; however, the message remains the same. Everybody has the right to be proud of who they are.

Mill Park Secondary is Safe School – we are part of the Safe School program which fosters safe environment that is supportive and inclusive of LGBTQI+ students. On Friday 25 August, an event was held at Middle Years campus to celebrate Wear It Purple Day. Several students assisted with setting up a stand with rainbow face paint and purple hairspray with lolly bags, for all students and staff to purchase and show their support. Several staff and students wore purple accessories and wellbeing team purchased purple ribbons for the College.

RUOK Day – Thursday 14 September 2023

R U OK? Day 2023 is Australia’s National Day of Action to remind everyone that every day is the day to ask other, “are you OK?”. It provides an opportunity to start a meaningful conversation whenever we notice signs that someone that they care about may be struggling with life.

Mill Park Secondary College will be holding an event across the college at both Middle Years and Senior Campus, to bring staff and students together and share the R U OK? message. Throughout the course of the day, students will engage in various classroom activities and the wellbeing team will be providing a free sausage sizzle. We also have local providers, Innovation Youth Service and Whittlesea local council – Baseline, who will join in our event, providing music, rock painting, photobooth, and promoting local youth programs to support over all wellbeing.

Here’s a guide on how to ask a friend if they’re ok:

Term 4 Lunchtime Activities

Wellbeing Wednesdays will continue in Term 4 at Middle Years campus during lunchtimes.

Information for Students and Parents/Carers

Afternoon Tea with Wellbeing

Don’t forget to pop by to the Senior Campus Wellbeing space as it has had a revamp! We are super excited to invite students into the space.

Staying healthy over the school holidays

For some young people, school holidays can be challenging. Our usual routine is taken away, such as not seeing friends, teachers as often as we may like, potentially resulting in feeling bored, unsupported, and sometimes anxious. Here are some professional supports that you could contact if needed:

What’s on in the community

Physical Education/Health

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Sport and Recreation

On Monday 28 August our Year 12 Sport and Recreation class went and completed a tour of the MCG. This included a guided tour from MCC member John, a walk through the players rooms, onto the ground and through all the historic events associated with this amazing stadium. We also had an inspirational conversation with an Olympian who shared his ups and downs about being a professional athlete and the mindset it requires to perform at the top level. A huge well done to all students as we represented Mill Park Secondary College at the highest regard receiving many complements about our attitudes and engagement on the day!

Year 11 Sport and Recreation students were put to work in a two week gym experience. Firstly students were involved in a High-Intensity Interval Training which saw students follow through a class by a trained professional. They then used this knowledge to create their own training programs and train a partner in the gym the week after. It was amazing to see all students get involved and work really hard through their training. As they applied their knowledge learnt with a partner students were very professional and fitted in perfectly with a gym community! Well done everyone!

Soccer Tournament

Through the last 4 weeks students have been participating in a lunch time soccer tournament! The atmosphere has been amazing and the action has been highly intense. With only a couple more days left, I am super excited to find our champion team. A big congratulations to all supporters and players for keeping our gym tidy whilst still directly immersing themselves in the activities. A big thank you to Dargam for officiating the games fairly and controlling the crowd! You have been amazing!

Library

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Middle Years Campus Library News

Read, Inspire and Grow has been the theme of the Children’s Book Council of Australia this year and we here at the Middle Years Campus Library have tried to embrace it in the fullest manner a Secondary School possibly could.

Students have been very enthusiastic about Bookweek and took active participation in all the activities and events that took place this Term.

We had a number of activities including Book Trivia, Book Tasting, Bookmark making, Dress Up and a Movie screening based on a novel called Charlie and the Chocolate factory.

We also had other fun activities like Guess the number of Jelly Beans in a Jar, Redesign a Book Cover and many little competitions based on books.

Students were exposed to new ideas and new books throughout Bookweek.

Book Tasting and Book Movie Day saw larger numbers of students drawn to the Library with lollies and chocolates also distributed on these days as part of the events.

Students can be proud of themselves for outstanding behaviour – being respectful, waiting their turns patiently and staying seated in their places even during these busy events.

Dress Up day had a fair amount of participation from both staff and students.

It was very interesting to observe the great thought and effort put into the costumes based on book characters by both students and staff.

All donations raised from the event was organised by our SRC to go into a charity called Room to Read.

Bookweek Prizes & Library Awards

Names of students who are winners of Bookweek competitions have been announced on Compass. All students and staff who participated on Dress Up day also get a participation prize from the Library.

Library Awards were also declared for the positive behaviours displayed by all students in the Library throughout Term 3 in line with the values of our school. Please continue to check the Library compass posts if you have also been named a Library Superstar and Champion.

Thanks to all students and staff who participated and supported Bookweek. Well done to all, hope everyone has a fun, enjoyable and relaxing holidays.

See you all refreshed in the Library and around our wonderful school again in Term 4!

STEM

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Recently in our Year 10 Biomedical Science class wwe asked the students to make a 3D model of a nerve cell (neuron) as we were learning about the Nervous System.

Here is a selection of models that the students created:

Term 3 STEM at Middle Years

Term 3 at the Middle Years Campus was an exciting time for the STEM faculty. It was great to see so many students engage in Science Week activities in August. Our students have also had many opportunities to engage in real-life STEM, whether that was with our ongoing partnership with Whittlesea Tech, or with our new partnership with Arcadis. We are all looking forward to an even more exciting Term 4!

Australian Maths Competition Results

We have now received the results of those students who participated in the Australian Maths Competition this Term. We are very proud to announce that we have 73 students who received a credit or higher!

We had 52 students received a credit. A credit is awarded to students who achieved a score in the top 55% of their year level or region.

We also had 18 students achieve a distinction. A distinction is received to students who achieved a score in the top 20% of their year level or region.

Finally, we had 3 students achieve a high distinction, meaning they achieved a score in the top 3% of their year level or region.

Well done to everyone who participated in the competition!

Holiday Events

There are lots of exciting STEM events running over the holidays.

Worth over $4 billion in Australia, the games industry enjoys a diverse pool of incredible talent from all walks of life. The Real XPerience is a free event for Year 9 and 10 students designed to empower attendees to turn their passion into a career through industry insights and hands-on workshop opportunities – highlighting some of the pathways available through VCE, thanks to the Victorian Department of Education.

Join the team from Australia’s leading video games, hospitality and entertainment company, Fortress, and hear from a panel of industry figures, each with their own unique experiences of how they broke into the interactive entertainment industry. Following the panel, students will have a chance to participate in practical sessions highlighting what it’s like to work (and play) at Fortress Melbourne.

The Real XPerience will occur on Friday 22 September. It is a free event. For more information and tickets, click here!

Keep your eye on Compass for more events running throughout the holidays!

Visual and Performing Arts

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VET Dance Industry Day

VET Dance students travelled into Prahran to The Space Dance & Arts Centre to undertake classes with current industry professionals in a variety of dance styles. Choreographers included Todd Patrick, Jason Teasdale and Ngioka Bunda Heath. Students were pushed to their limits and worked very hard to further develop their dance technique. At the end of the day they participated in a mock audition which gave them valuable insight into the process behind auditioning for jobs in the dance industry, what audition panels are looking for, what their CV’s and headshots should look like and how to communicate effectively with others. All students left exhausted after a day full of dance but were very appreciative of the knowledge they gained and for the overall experience.

College Production

“Every Rose has its Thorn”……… Here I go again”…….and “I Wanna Rock” are a few of the songs that brought much joy, laughter and inspiration to our Mill Park Secondary College Rock stars.

Congratulations to the cast, crew and the Production team for the recreation of an outstanding College Production of the Musical “Rock of Ages’ – High School Edition, It was showcased at the Plenty Ranges Arts & Convention Centre in July and it was FANTASTIC! The 1980’s story and characters were transformed from the script into a colourful, energetic and entertaining musical on stage. The talented cast and band entertained well over 1,800 people in five performances.

A very special thank you to the production team, whose outstanding contribution has brought the musical from script to stage. The cast and band have discovered the songs of the 1980s. It opened on Broadway in April 2009 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, where over 2,000 performances were held and is one of the 29th longest-running show in Broadway history.

We were delighted to once again present live music with our college band, which not only elevated and defined the expressive elements within each scene, but also accentuated the on-stage performances. The creation of this show, has only been possible by a dedicated cast and team that have again exceeded all expectations. The 1980’s story and characters have been transformed into an entertaining show with positive messages of ‘acceptance and equality’.

VCE Pre-Exam Soiree Concert

On Tuesday 14 September, Year 12 students presented their entire Contemporary Music Performance in exam context. Parents and friends came along to watch the performance and it was a great evening had by all!