Welcome back!
As Term 3 begins we are reminding our Year 12s that whilst they are fast approaching the end of their secondary schooling journey, there is still a lot to get through before we get there. Last term we held an assembly with our Year 12s to encourage them to make “every day count” instead of counting the days. Students were reminded that the subschool and their teachers are here to support them and we would like to encourage all students to reach out if they need help.
2027 Course Selection
The course selection process for 2027 has begun and will continue next week. An information night for VCE VM and VET took place on Tuesday 21 July. Course information sessions were held for parents and students in Years 11 and 12 in 2026 on Thursday 23 July. Slides and key information will be shared to all parents and students following each evening. Most students in Year 11 will continue on with the subjects they are studying this year, any students wishing to change must discuss this with someone from the Senior Subschool.
Next week on Friday, 31 July 2027 Year 11s will have subject selection interviews. They will discuss their chosen subjects with a staff member and receive support with making their subject selections. We encourage any student unsure about subject choice, career options, questions about VCE or life after school to make an appointment to chat with one of our Career Practitioners, either Ms Victoria Tortopidis or Mr Phil Newnham.
Thank you to Ms Sarah Chase (Head of Senior School), Ms Lisa Worthy (Acting Senior School Leader), Mr Wayne Griffin (Head of Senior Pathways) and Mr Phil Newnham (Careers Education Manager) for presenting at the information nights and all their work organising the course selection interviews.
VCE Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences
On Thursday 24 July VCE parents and students were given the opportunity to meet with teachers. This opportunity is provided early in term 3 to our VCE parents to allow for the discussion of students’ Semester One reports, and areas for improvement moving into Semester Two with enough time to ensure that change is possible. We hope the interviews also provided an opportunity for parents, students and teachers of Year 11 students to discuss subjects for 2027.
VCE Premier’s Awards
The annual Premier’s VCE Awards recognises students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). On Tuesday 21 July, Mr Matt Sheehan (Acting College Principal), Ms Sarah Chase (Head of Senior School) and myself had the pleasure of attending this year’s ceremony to celebrate the achievements of eight Mount Waverley Secondary College students who received Study Awards. This is the most amount of students we have had receive Study Awards in recent years and we couldn’t be more proud of these students. The Study Award recognises students who perform at a high level across all Graded Assessment tasks, including School Assessed Coursework (SACs), School Assessed Tasks (SATs) and the end of year exams.
Congratulations to the following students:
- Jadon T (Chemistry, German, Biology)
- Elaine Z (Biology)
- Kimi T (Japanese Second Language)
- Brintha B (Legal Studies)
- Ananya H (Music Performance VCE VET)
- Radin A (Foundation Mathematics)
- Carola M(Italian)
- Mia W (Indonesian Second Language)
Absences
Attendance in VCE is important to ensure students experience success in their chosen studies. The school has attendance policies in place to support our students to meet the required number of hours of class time set out by the VCAA. The Year Level Coordinators monitor attendance and will communicate with parents should concerns around attendance arise. VCE is a team effort and we thank our parents/carers for the ongoing support you provide our students. Please also ensure the correct evidence is submitted within 5 days if a student is absent on the day of an assessment task or SAC/SAT.
AusAlert and the National Test
We’ve been advised that a national test of AusAlert will happen across Australia on Monday 27 July at 2 pm.
AusAlert is a new, national emergency warning system. It sends warning messages to compatible mobile devices during emergencies, to keep people informed so they can act quickly. The Australian Government plans to launch AusAlert in October 2026.
On Monday 27 July at 2 pm, all compatible mobile devices will receive a Critical Alert. Compatible mobile devices include phones, tablets, smart watches, safety watches and some vehicle devices. These will vibrate and make a loud, siren-like warning sound for about 10 seconds. This will happen even if they are on silent or do not disturb. The message will clearly state that it is a test. No action is required from the test.
To minimise disruption, student phones and smart devices should always be switched off and stored securely in lockers or bags during the school day. Students who use their mobile phone as part of a documented exception can continue to do so. If appropriate, they can turn their phone off during the test.
You may also wish to let your child know that if they see or hear the alert, school staff will support them. You can learn more at AusAlert: children and teens. Information is also available in other languages.
Safe Phones
AusAlert may increase risk for people experiencing violence, especially if they live with someone who uses violence. Alerts may expose safety devices.
If you or someone you know has a hidden device, the best way to stay safe during the test is to:
- turn off your mobile device or put it in aeroplane mode
- keep your device off or in aeroplane mode for 24 hours.
Silent mode and do not disturb will not stop the alert.
For more information, please refer to the Staying safe with AusAlert page.
Ms Lauren Kelly
Campus Principal – Senior School