MWSC College News – Issue 12

German Poetry Competition

The AGTV (Association of German Teachers of Victoria) regional poetry competition took place on Thursday 8 August at Box Hill High School. 35 Selected German students from Box Hill High School, Brentwood Secondary College and Mount Waverley College were invited to participate in this event. Students worked very hard to learn and memorise their individual poems and then recite them with excellent pronunciation, intonation and gestures.

Congratulations to the following MWSC Gold, Silver and Bronze medallists:

Year 7

For category German as a Foreign Language:
First place: Parnavi K
Third place: Aditi G

For category German Native Speaker:
First place: Eisa K

Year 8

For category German as a Foreign Language:
Third place: Maddie V

Year 9

For category German as a Foreign Language:
First place: Inez S

For category German Native Speaker:
First place: Marlena W
Second place: Viktoria K
Third place: Declan C

Thank you to Ms Katja Chitters, Head of Languages for her organization of this event.

Musical Success

Over the past couple of weeks, four of our music ensembles have competed at various competitions.

On Wednesday 6 August, the Junior Choir performed at the Victorian Schools Music Festival at the Box Hill Salvation Army Centre. The choir performed two pieces for adjudication and received valuable feedback that they can improve on moving forward. The choir received the ‘Bronze’ award. Congratulations to all involved and thank you to Mr Tom Frost Choir Director and Mrs Melissa Knowles who assisted on the day.

Our Junior and Senior Guitar Ensembles gave a very admirable performance at this year’s 2025 Monash Youth Music Festival, under the guidance of Mr Lee Jones and Mr Timothy O’Connor. The contest was held at The Salvation Army Temple on High Street Road; Glen Waverley and several other local schools competed. We are delighted to share that our Junior Guitar Ensemble won third place in the large ensemble category whilst the Seniors won second place. The event was a wonderful opportunity for the ensembles to hear other groups and receive valuable feedback from the adjudicators.

Early last Monday morning, 23 excited Phoenix Strings students gathered at the Junior School Campus to await the bus taking them to Hawthorn Town Hall.  This is the first time that a Junior String Ensemble has participated in the Victorian Schools Music Festival. Our ensemble was the first one to perform for the day, and after a tune & warm up, they were welcomed to the stage, where they performed admirably and received a ‘Gold’ award. Thank you to Ms Keryn Lientschnig Director and Mrs Jenny Curtis who assisted on the day.

Congratulations to our Head of Strings, Mr Timothy O’Connor, and all the members of the Presto Strings and Chamber Strings on their outstanding performances at the VSMF on Tuesday 12 August. Both groups performed beautifully and had the valuable opportunity to work with adjudicators on stage. The Presto Strings earned a ‘Silver’ Award, and the Chamber Strings received an acclaimed ‘Platinum’ Award, a special honour given to only a few ensembles deemed outstanding overall.

Well done to all of our students and staff who were involved in these competitions. I am incredibly proud of our talented musicians!

2025 Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey

Our school is conducting the annual Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey offered by the Department of Education and is seeking your feedback. The survey is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation.

Our school will use the survey results to assist in identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs in the school, to target school planning and improvement strategies.

The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey will be open online from Monday 18 August to Friday 19 September 2025. All parents / caregivers / guardians have been selected to participate in this year’s survey.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones.

The online survey will be available in English and 10 other languages including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Resources are also available in additional languages to assist parents / caregivers / guardians who speak a language other than English at home. Please contact the school for survey guides in your language.

MWSC Raffle 2025 

We have been working hard on sourcing some great prizes for our College Raffle this year. Over $7000 worth of prizes have been sought including a Mastercolour paint offer, Bus Hire for a Winery tour, Curved Monitor, UE Boom Speaker,Gift cards and many more fantastic prizes.

Please support the college by buying some tickets.  Tickets are on sale from Friday 22 August via Compasstix. Further information and compasstix link will be released on Compass next Friday.
The raffle will be drawn on Friday 12 September.

Feel free to forward the Compasstix link below to family and friends.  All proceeds will go towards the purchase of student-led college initiatives.

We would like to thank all our sponsors for their generous donations this year; Mastercolour, Quinces Bus Hire, Learning with Technologies, Woods Furniture, Toshiba, Campion Education, RHS Sports, Maps Marketing, Texas Instruments, Premier Waste, Smart Records Group, Schoolfurn, Bounce Inc, PSW and Bunnings Nottinghill.

Student Parent Teacher Conferences

On Thursday 11 September Student/Parent/Teacher conferences will occur. The day will run from 1 pm until 7.30pm and appointments will take place virtually via WebEx. Please note classes will not be held on this day.

The 2025 Victorian State Schools Spectacular

The 2025 Victorian State Schools Spectacular brings together government school communities from across Victoria to produce a 3-hour live show including music, dance, circus arts, puppetry, and skating. This year’s show will be performed for an audience of about 12,000 people at John Cain Arena on Saturday 13 September, over 2 shows at 1pm and 6:30pm. Talented Victorian students will feature on stage, while many other students will work behind the scenes, gaining unique, on-the-job, professional experience.

For a fun, family entertainment experience, and to cheer on students from the audience, be quick to secure tickets through Ticketek.  Adult tickets cost $40; children aged under 15, $20; and concession, $30.

Buy 10 tickets and get one adult ticket free (the 11th ticket is free) by calling Group Bookings on 1300 364 001.

Mrs Karen Wade
College Principal

Our school is not just an excellent place of learning for our young people, but also an amazing community hub. One of our biggest strengths is the partnerships that we are able to create and maintain with the local community, providing numerous opportunities for our students. The following is just a snapshot of what has been happening over the past few weeks.

Year 8 Science

Our Year 8 students had a visit from the SEC in their Science classes this week. This incursion builds awareness and excitement for energy transition and the opportunities it brings, including practical examples of jobs and career pathways.Students were able to code robots and apply maths skills to decide where to charge robots and design renewable energy landscapes.

Year 7 English

On Friday, all year 7 students were treated to a visit by poet Solli Raphael. It was an amazing opportunity to hear about the creative process from a young, local artist.

Rotary Interact Club

In addition to two very successful recent fundraisers (one on each campus), a number of our students took part in the Rotary Interact District Conference last Monday. It was a great chance for Interactors from both campuses to collaborate with other schools, and each other, to draw some inspiration for future projects.

City of Monash/Friends of Damper Creek

Last week, Mrs Wade and I had the privilege of joining some of our Year 9 Introduction to Outdoor Education (Duke of Ed.) students down at Damper Creek as part of their community project. They planted the last 100 native plants out of 100,000 planted by the City of Monash this season, in a bid to increase nesting areas for birdlife, and mitigate erosion.

This is just a snapshot of what has been happening across the school, with other exciting sustainability projects happening, and the Year 8s making their subject selections for next year.

We thank all of the staff and students for their support of the various events and activities that are occurring during term 3.

Mr Matt Sheehan
Campus Principal – Junior School

Students across the college are deeply engaged in their learning. As we move into the second half of the term, it’s important that they stay up to date with classwork and strengthen their understanding through regular homework and home study.

This term has also been a busy one for subject and course selections for 2026, with students and parents actively participating in information sessions to guide their choices. In the coming weeks, we will continue working closely with students to support a smooth transition into the 2026 academic year.

Student Parent Teacher Conferences

These important meetings will be held on Thursday 11 September. They provide a valuable opportunity for students and parents to meet with teachers, receive feedback on progress, and develop action plans for further improvement in Term 4. I strongly encourage all students and parents to attend. Further details will be shared with parents via Compass in the coming weeks.

E-Scooter Safety – What Students and Parents Need to Know

E-scooters are becoming an increasingly popular mode of transport for students and community members alike. With their growing use, it’s important that both parents and students understand the safety requirements and legal responsibilities that come with riding an e-scooter in Victoria.

Below is a summary of the key rules, as outlined by Transport Victoria:

What You Must Do When Riding an E-Scooter

E-scooter riders are required to:

•  Be 16 years of age or older
•  Wear a helmet at all times
•  Ride at a maximum speed of 20 km/h
• Ride single file – not in tandem or side by side
•  Ride only on:
  • Shared-use paths (not footpaths)
  • Bicycle paths
  • Roads with a speed limit of 60 km/h or less
• Not carry any passengers
• Use front and rear lights (steady or flashing) when riding at night or in low-light conditions
•  Park responsibly, ensuring the scooter does not block pedestrian paths or create safety hazards
• Scooters should be locked with a bike lock when parked at school

Why It Matters

These rules are in place to help keep riders and others safe. Failure to follow them can result in fines and puts both the rider and others at risk. As e-scooter use grows, it’s essential we all do our part to promote safe and respectful riding in our community.

For more information and updates, please visit: 🔗 Transport Victoria – E-Scooter Road Rules

Senior Campus Staff Car Park

We kindly remind all parents and carers that the school car park is not to be used for student drop-off, pick-up, or general parking at any time.

To help ensure the safety of our students and staff, and to maintain smooth traffic flow, we ask that you please park in the surrounding streets. We also encourage everyone to be considerate of our neighbouring residents by avoiding driveways and observing local parking regulations.

Thank you for your understanding and continued cooperation.

Mr Ian MacLeod
Campus Principal – Middle School

We are approaching the half-way point for Term 3. Most of our Year 12s are experiencing a slight lull in SACs, but we are encouraging them to maintain the momentum, keep up to date with their work, and ensure that regular study is still occurring at home. Year 11s should have all completed their course selections for next year in order for us to begin working on our 2026 timetable. A reminder that our wonderful Careers Team are more than happy to meet with students who have questions around their post secondary school options whatever pathway they are considering following.

VCE Information Evenings 

Thank you to the parents/carers who attended our online VCE Information Evenings last week, and the in person VCE VM and VET Information Evening the week prior. There is a lot of new information and requirements that exist as students begin their VCE journey and your support is important. The slides and a list of Frequently Asked Questions were shared via Compass following these evenings for your reference. Please remember the subschool is here to support students as they transition from Year 10 to VCE, and from Year 11 to Year 12. 

Year 10 – 11 Course Interviews

On Friday 8 August, Year 10 students were given the opportunity to meet with a staff member to complete their VCE course selection for 2026. The students were well prepared, and it was clear much consideration had gone into their choices. It was rewarding to hear students were making their choices based on subject enjoyment, requirements for possible university courses and the need to have a balanced course load. The day wouldn’t have run so smoothly without the support from many people, so a big thank you to everyone involved; Ms Sarah Chase, Mr James Johnston, Ms Jo Rogers, Ms Asha Vazirani, Mr Andrew Morton, Mr Chris Bamford, Ms Sunita Sewani, Mr Tristan Dunkley, Mr Tristan Kent, Ms Stephanie Xing, Mr Aayush Khosla, Ms Elizabeth Sutherland, Mr Tim Peters, Mr Wayne Griffin, Mr Phil Newnham, Ms Victoria Tortopidis, Mr Adam Wheeler, Ms Juliz Mathew, Ms Robyn Whitelaw, Ms Melissa Chapman, Mr Ian Macleod and Ms Yu Sun. 

College Production

After many years at Mount Waverley Secondary College, I am always amazed at the talent we have amongst our staff and students. This year’s production, Split Earth, was actually written by two of our drama teachers, Mr Matthew Weekes and Ms Maddi Kerr. They decided to take on this extraordinary challenge as it meant the production could cater specifically to the talents of our students. Throughout Terms 1 and 2, a team of dedicated staff and students have been putting in hours of work to bring together a fantastic show. It is so rewarding to see students involved in running backstage, lighting, ushering, the canteen and the many other jobs that are required for the production to go ahead.
Well done to everyone involved on yet another successful show! 

Continuous Reporting

Whilst students will receive feedback in different ways from their teachers in the classroom, feedback on formal assessment tasks is provided regularly via Compass throughout the semester. Parents are encouraged to regularly check this feedback and discuss it with their student/s to support their learning progress.

Ms Lauren Kelly
Campus Principal – Senior School

Bullying No Way! Week: Be Bold, Be Kind, Speak Up!

This week at MWSC we celebrated Bullying No Way! Week. The theme this year was “Be Bold, Be King, Speak Up!”, which  encourages students to move beyond awareness and into genuine, visible expressions of compassion — whether through words, gestures, or everyday decisions. By choosing to act thoughtfully and inclusively, each student helps make our school a more supportive, accepting community for everyone.

One of the highlights this week was the pancake breakfast on Monday morning, generously provided by the Syndal Baptist Church. Throughout the week, we’ve hosted a series of lunchtime activities on the senior campus designed to strengthen bonds and spark meaningful discussions. These including

• Tote Bag Decorating – a chance for students to express positive messages and personal style on reusable bags.
• Friendship Bracelet Making – a symbolic activity where each bracelet represents a bond of care and respect
• Chalk Drawing – turning our campus walkways into colourful messages of encouragement and inclusion.

When students engage in activities that bring joy, creativity, and connection, they’re not only learning about kindness , they are demonstrating it. This week’s events highlight that each person has the power to create a school environment where everyone feels safe, valued, and supported.

We do encourage our school community to continue this message- especially when it comes to acts of kindness. Some tips for home include:

• Encourage your child to share at least one small act of kindness they did or witnessed each day.
• Create a “kindness jar” at home — add slips throughout the week to celebrate daily kindnesses.
• Open discussion on what it means to speak up and what impact kind acts have on all of us.

Mr Paul Graham
Student Support and Resources Manager

Food Drive for the Mount Waverley Community!

Thanks to the school community on both campuses and well done to the Year 12 Leadership Team for organising a hugely successful food drive for the local Mount Waverley Community Information Centre (MWCIS). Located in the community centre just opposite the train station, the MWCIS has provided support to the needy in our local community for many years. It is wonderful to see our community lend a hand to those in need. Big thanks to all who donated!

Mr Thomas Grant
Head of Student Voice 

Interact Club attends Rotary Schools Conference

On 11 August, seven members of the Interact Club – four from the senior campus and three from the junior campus – attended the Southern Region Interact Conference. This event brought together Interact Club members from schools across the region to collaborate and share ideas for improving our clubs. The conference included a series of breakout sessions, where we discussed various projects, communication methods, and leadership strategies used by different clubs. We also heard from a range of guest speakers, including representatives from organisations such as UNHCR and Rotaract, who spoke about future volunteering opportunities available after high school. 

Hearing about the other schools projects was inspiring, and we now hope to integrate some of these project ideas into our future initiatives and events. We were particularly interested in hearing about Interact Clubs that raise money by getting involved in swimming carnivals and athletics days, as well as collaborating with other schools to boost fundraising efforts. It was also a great opportunity to build our leadership skills and public speaking abilities by sharing ideas with large groups.

A big thank you to Miss Regev and Miss Douglas for coming along with us on the day!

Aisha H (Year 11)

Students in Years 7 and 9 should have received their 2025 NAPLAN reports. NAPLAN results provide a snapshot of how a student is currently performing in Writing, Reading, Grammar and Punctuation, Spelling and Numeracy. This year, for the first time since 2021, parents and students also received feedback on student learning growth between NAPLAN tests. 

At Mount Waverley Secondary College NAPLAN proficiency levels play a role in helping us ensure we have identified students who may require additional support, supporting teachers’ plan for differentiation, as well as monitoring whole school improvement strategies. 

Last week NAPLAN growth data was finalised and schools received feedback on how they were performing in comparison to the state. The school uses growth data, alongside other data sets, to allow us to gain insight into how changes to whole literacy and numeracy approaches are supporting student learning.

Celebrating student learning growth is important as it recognises the effort, persistence and progress of our learners, not just the final outcome. As a school we are particularly proud of the learning growth our Year 9 students have shown when compared to the state in Writing and Numeracy. It is recognition of the work our teachers have put in to ensure they are developing writing and numeracy skills across all subject areas.

Fig 1. The graph above shows the percentage of Year 9 students at Mount Waverley Secondary College with high or medium growth from Year 7 to 9 compared to Victorian Year 9 students.

Ms Lauren Kelly
Campus Principal – Senior School

Year 7 & 8 Careers Lunchtime Drop-in Question Time – Junior Campus

The Careers Lunchtime Drop-in Sessions for Year 7 and 8 students continue to be a valuable opportunity for students to explore career pathways in an informal setting.

This week, students enjoyed fun and interactive games designed to boost career exploration, helping them discover new industries and job possibilities while enjoying time with their peers.

Venue: Junior School Library

Dates: 26 August, 9 September and 16 September

Year 10 Future Options Day

Year 10 Future Options Day was a great success.   The Careers Team coordinated to help students explore a wide range of post school pathways. The school hall had representatives from universities and TAFE providers, offering insights into courses, entry requirements, and career outcomes. Industry specialists were invited as guest speakers in various workshops, sharing real world experiences and advice to help students make informed decisions about their futures. The day provided valuable exposure empowering students to start thinking about their next steps.

Year 12 Career Interviews

Students are encouraged to book a careers appointment if they haven’t already, to explore their options beyond school. Whether they are considering university, TAFE, apprenticeships, or entering the workforce, we’re here to support them in planning their next steps.

As always, the Careers Team is here to help, reach out if you have questions or need guidance.

Mr Phil Newnham and Ms Victoria Tortopidis
Careers Education

Alumni Spotlight – Mayuraj Chandrakaran, Class of 2003

We are grateful to our alumni who generously give their time to return for events like Year 10 Future Options Day, sharing their career journeys, lessons learned, and industry insights. Their willingness to engage with current students not only inspires and motivates but also shows the power of staying connected to the Mount Waverley community.

After graduating from Mount Waverley Secondary College in 2003, Mayuraj (Raj) Chandrakaran pursued a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering at Monash University, completing his four-year degree and stepping into a career that has now spanned over 15 years. Beginning as an Environmental Engineer, Raj has worked on a diverse range of projects across the residential, commercial, government, and industrial sectors. Raj completed his MBA from Deakin University in 2019.

Today, he is the Engineering Design Lead at Taylors Development Strategists, a highly regarded development consultancy known for managing complex projects from concept through to completion.

We were delighted to welcome Raj back to Mount Waverley Secondary College for this year’s Year 10 Future Options. Alongside his team, Raj engaged students with real-world insights, sharing practical advice and industry experiences to help guide their career decision-making.

Raj’s journey from student to industry leader delivered a powerful message to our Year 10s.

In a wonderful full-circle moment, Taylors Development Strategists also hosted Year 10 students for work experience this year, further strengthening the connection between our school and the industry.

Alumni Spotlight – Connor Templeton, Class of 2024

Since graduating from Mount Waverley Secondary College in 2024, Connor Templeton has been pursuing a dual Diploma of Sport / Diploma of Leadership and Management with the Richmond Institute.

Reflecting on his time at school, Connor’s fondest memories are of having fun with friends during recess and lunch.

It was wonderful to have Connor back for this year’s Year 10 Future Options Day. Connor shared his experiences in the course so far, offering practical advice and insights into the sport industry to help guide students in making confident decisions about their own futures.

Newsletters

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Ms Victoria Tortopidis
Alumni Coordinator