Mount Waverley Secondary College alive with the Sound of Music!
This year the college has an amazing 321 students participating in the Instrumental Music Program. They are committed to a gruelling training schedule which results in the students showcasing their incredible talents in 4 concert bands, 2 stage bands, 4 string orchestras, 3 guitar ensembles, 2 choirs, 1 improvisation ensemble, a jazz combo, percussion ensemble and various chamber ensembles.
In addition to this, every Year 7 has a music lesson on an instrument each week as part of the Classroom Music Program. These students are involved in 2 string orchestras, 2 concert bands, a choir, a percussion ensemble and a guitar ensemble which gives them an opportunity to experience playing in a band.
In May this year 41 students and 5 staff members will attend the Generations in Jazz Festival, a nationwide competition and festival that gives our students the opportunity to compete against, and listen to, young jazz ensembles from all over Australia. In addition to performing, the students also get to attend concerts across the three days featuring influential jazz artists from Australia and overseas.
Our learning community looks forward to attending and enjoying many performances from these students through the year. This fantastic music program is a tribute to the hard work and talent of our dedicated instrumental and music teachers.
Music Soirees
Our annual soiree concerts are short events, featuring small groups and solos from Year 7-12. With beginners to advanced musicians performing a range of repertoire, it is an opportunity for our students to show off their hard work.
When: Tuesday 24 March and Thursday 26 March, 6:30pm – 8:00pm (approx.)
Where: Unicorn Theatre
Cost: $5 entry fee
NAPLAN Testing
Well done to all the Year 7 and 9 students who sat their NAPLAN tests across the last two weeks. Special thanks to Mrs Lilian Jian who oversaw the organisation of this assessment program.
Harmony Week
This week we celebrated Harmony Week on both campuses. Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries and our cultural diversity is at the heart of who we are. It’s important to celebrate our country’s diversity and ensure that we are inclusive, respectful and create a sense of belonging for all Australians, from the traditional owners of the land to our most recent arrivals. Many activities ran on both campuses across the week. On the Junior Campus students used virtual reality to visit different places in the world and on the Senior Campus we had a Bollywood dance performance by some of our students. Thank you to the Wellbeing Team and student leaders who organised these special events.
Communication with School Staff Policy
Mount Waverley Secondary College understands the importance of providing helpful and timely responses to common enquiries from staff, parents and carers. Communication is expected to be respectful, meaningful, timely and relevant.
To ensure that members of our school community are directed to the most appropriate person to assist them, the information below outlines key contacts for common queries:
- to report a student absence please enter it on Compass, or call the relevant General Office
- extended absences should be communicated to the Year Level Coordinator by email
- to report any urgent issues relating to a student on a particular day, please contact the relevant General Office
- to discuss a student’s academic progress in a specific subject please contact the relevant classroom teacher (email is best as your teachers are often in class)
- to discuss a student’s overall academic progress, health or wellbeing, please first contact the Year Level Coordinator
- for enquiries regarding camps and excursions, please contact the staff member listed as overseeing the camp/excursion on Compass
- to make a complaint, please refer to our Complaints policy
- to report a potential hazard or incident on the school site, please contact the General Office of the relevant campus
- for parent payments, please contact the General Office of the relevant campus
- for all other enquiries, please contact the relevant General Office
General Office Junior Campus: 9887 9290 General Office Senior Campus: 9803 6811
We will do our best to respond to general queries as soon as possible.
The right to disconnect legislation makes explicit that all employees have the right to refuse to monitor, read, listen to or respond to contact that occurs outside their working hours from their employer or a third party (such as a student or a parent), unless that refusal is unreasonable. Please allow two working days for a detailed response to general enquires. We will endeavour to respond to urgent matters within 24 hours where possible.
Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences
The focus for students at Mount Waverley Secondary College is to achieve their very best and to continually improve their learning. An important part of this focus is the partnership between school and home, between teacher, student and parents/carers. Student/ parent/ teacher interviews play a key role in this partnership where all parties meet to discuss the student’s achievements, progress, and strategies for improvement.
As per the notice that went out on Compass, Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences for semester one is scheduled for Wednesday 1 April between 1pm and 7:30pm. Please note Wednesday 1 April is also a scheduled student free day. No classes will be running on the day. These conferences will be held online via Webex links. Interview appointment times will be opened to parents on Friday 20 March.
These interviews provide our students with an important learning experience where they can reflect upon and evaluate their progress and join in partnership with their teacher and parents to plan for ongoing success. For these reasons I recommend everyone is involved in this process.
Uniform Changeover Time
Winter uniform starts in Term 2 which includes the long sleeve shirt and tie, although for the first two weeks of term there is a changeover period where the students can wear either summer or winter uniform.
Please ensure that your students have the correct college uniform which is supplied by PSW located at their state-of-the-art retail outlet at 342 -350 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley (behind Officeworks).
End of Term 1 – Start of Term 2
Students will be dismissed at 2.30pm on Thursday 2 April and we will look forward to their return for Term 2 on Monday 20 April.
Mrs Karen Wade
College Principal