MWSC College News – Issue 13

Student Leadership Forum

Our Senior Leadership students hosted the Student Leadership Forum on Thursday 6 August.  Brentwood Secondary College, Highvale Secondary College and South Oakleigh Secondary Colleges leadership students and teachers attended this event.

Our students were confident, engaging and energetic throughout the day and presented their college with pride.  At the conclusion of the event, it was heartwarming to see students exchange contact details and start their networking journey.  These experiences are a valuable learning opportunity as they provide students with future ready skill sets that go beyond classroom experiences.

Congratulations to Mr Nguyen and all of the students who facilitated the day.

Languages Success

Congratulations to all students who took part in the German poetry competition at Brentwood Secondary College on Friday 7 August.  Every student recited their poems beautifully.

Special congratulations go to those who placed in their year levels:

Year 7 🥇1st – Naira S 🥈 2nd – Benita S

Year 8 🥇 1st – Minh T 🥉 3rd – James P

Year 9 🥇 1st – Aliyah S 🥈 2nd – Arwa E

These talented students will now go on to represent the school at the Victorian Final on 22 August. We wish them the very best of luck!

Thanks to the German team for preparing our students and Ms Mary-Jane Boughen and Mr James Edwards for looking after our students on the day.

College Production: “High School Musical”

MWSC was transformed into East High School with green and blue, turning red and white.  On stage and behind the scenes our students’ stars shone brightly telling a great story about following your own path whether it be art, science or sport or a combination of them.

Thanks to Mr Matt Weekes, Ms Lisa Worthy and Ms Kat Sienkiewicz who took on the key leadership roles and with the help and support of many other staff behind the scenes both before and during the run made the show a spectacular success.

MWSC Raffle

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, SMEG Kettle & Toaster, Wireless noise cancelling headphones, Lenovo ThinkVision Curved Monitor, UE Boom Bluetooth Speaker, Soda Stream, Nutribullet, Gift cards and many more fantastic prizes.

Please support the college by purchasing either raffle tickets for $3 each or $15 for a book of 5 tickets or $30 for a book of 10 tickets.

Tickets are on sale via Compasstix link:  https://compasstix.com/e/lsswe2e1jl

Ticket sales will close on Tuesday 8 September and the raffle will be drawn on Friday 11 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:
Active Monash, Bunnings Nottinghill, Cemoss, Edumarking, Funfields, Gumbuya World, HART Sports, Learning with Technologies, Lilydale Books, MAJ Business Services, Maps Marketing, Master Colour, Melbourne Office Supplies, Premier Paper, Premier Waste, Product Dynamics P/L, PSW, Quinces Bus Hire, Recwire Electrics, Schoolfurn, Smart Records Group, Texas Instruments, Toshiba Australia, Woods Furniture and Zart Art.

Student Parent Teacher Conferences

These important meetings will be held on Thursday 10 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.

Please note classes will not be held on this day.

Mr Ian MacLeod
Acting College Principal

Year 9 Brainstorm Productions

Year 9 students participated in sessions with Brainstorm Productions, an educational theatre performance designed for High School students that provide strategies for resilience, bullying prevention and help seeking. This live performance empowers students to explore choices, consequences, and complex group dynamics that can lead to bullying and unhealthy friendships. The Year 9 students got to watch the performance and engage in a Q&A discussion afterwards, fostering critical thinking and problem solving.

Australian Maths Competition

Each year, the Australian Maths Trust (AMT) runs competitions that inspire, challenge and celebrate mathematical thinking among hundreds of thousands of primary and secondary students across Australia and around the world. As Australia’s largest and longest-running mathematics competition, it provides students with a fantastic opportunity to extend their problem-solving skills and confidence in mathematics.

This year, 179 students across both campuses participated in the competition, which was held between 4 and 6 August. It is wonderful to see so many students embracing the challenge and giving it their best effort.

Student Leadership Forum

Our Senior Leadership students hosted the Student Leadership Forum on Thursday 6 August.  Brentwood Secondary College, Highvale Secondary College and South Oakleigh Secondary College leadership students and teachers attended this event.

Our students planned and executed an entirely student led and presented day, focused around activities to identify and develop leadership skills.

Our students were confident, engaging and energetic throughout the day and presented their college with pride.  At the conclusion of the event, it was heart-warming to see students exchange contact details and start their networking journey.

These experiences are a valuable learning opportunity as they provide students with future ready skill sets that go beyond classroom experiences.

Monash Youth Festival Guitar Ensemble

In the last few weeks our junior and intermediate Guitar Ensembles attended the Monash Youth Festival in Glen Waverley.

The Monash Youth Festival is an established event where students perform in a professional performance space and receive feedback from an adjudicating panel.

Our students received constructive feedback on their performance and how to keep excelling in their technical and performative skills.

“High School Musical” Opening Act – Primary School Viewing & Opening Night

Last week our High School Musical cast and crew welcomed the Mount Waverley Primary School and Essex Primary School students for a special performance.

Our students were absolutely fantastic in their first live performance in front of an audience.

They engaged with their audience, they were witty, sassy and extremely respectful.  When the show ended a little earlier than scheduled, the cast crew ran a Q&A session with the primary school students and answered some very mature questions about all things production!

Our guests left with a smile on their face and excitement in their hearts to first of all attend MWSC next year, but also get involved in the world of Theatre.

Rail Careers Day

A selection of our Middle School Students attended the Rail Careers Day at the Rail Academy in Newport.

Rail Careers is the school engagement program of the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority (MTIA), led by the Rail Academy. The program proactively engages with school students to raise awareness about career opportunities in the rail, light rail, and construction industries.
As a part of this program, the Rail Academy delivered an industry immersion day for secondary school students, between years 9 -10. This was an opportunity for students to come to the rail academy and learn about the rail industry.

Students heard from industry professionals about their personal career journeys, got a close-up look at the role safety plays within rail and gained a unique insight into the diverse and interesting work available in the rail sector.

Gordon Road Bike Shed

The Gordon Rd Bike Shed is now complete and open for students to access to park their bikes.

This facility will allow flexibility of transport to our students and allow them to park their bikes securely.

We encourage students to use this facility with respect and ensure that they are still securing their own bikes with personal locks.

Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up

Many students are dropped off and picked up in the side streets adjacent to both the Junior and Senior Campus.

When parking near the college, please observe all posted parking signs and be considerate of our neighbours and local residents by not blocking their driveways while dropping off or picking up your children.

The college car parks are reserved for staff only and must not be used for dropping off or picking up students. Using these car parks for drop-off or pick-up creates a safety risk for both staff and students.

Thank you for helping to keep everyone in our community safe.

Ms Asha Vazirani
Acting Campus Principal – Middle School

We are now over the half-way point of  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 2027 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.

Staff Professional Learning Week

In terms 2 and 3 a week is dedicated to allow staff to access internally run professional learning sessions that align with both our school priorities and our staff professional development needs. These sessions are run by our Learning Specialists, Leading Teachers, and other experienced teachers. For term 3 the professional learning sessions focused on Generative AI. Our staff participated in sessions that enabled them to consider perspectives around AI, AI as a student learning tool, and AI as a teacher tool. The learnings from these sessions will help with our AI working party meets to develop frameworks to support student and teacher use of AI.

College Production

Each year I am amazed at the talent we have amongst our staff and students. This year’s production of High School Musical was upbeat, heartwarming, inclusive, with a touch of nostalgia! 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.

A special mention to Mr Matthew Weeks for all his work as Production Director, Ms Lisa Worthy as Producer, and Ms Kat Sienkiewicz as Production Designer for bringing the show to life. Well done to everyone involved on yet another successful show!

Year 12 Pancake and Pajama Day

To celebrate the half-way mark of Term 3 our Year 12 students had their annual PJ Day. They were also provided with a pancake lunch cooked by the year 11 leaders and supported by the Senior Subschool Team and Ms Trish Munday. It is always a fun day with the Year 12s gladly taking the opportunity to wear their comfiest sleepwear to school.

Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences

Bookings for term 3 conferences will open on Thursday 27 August. These conferences provide a valuable avenue for feedback regarding your student’s progress this semester. It is a good opportunity to discuss suggested strategies moving forward, and for the teacher, parent and student to develop a shared understanding about how their learning growth can be supported moving forward. Booking will close on Monday 7 September and will occur on Thursday 10 September via Webex.

Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up

Many students are dropped off and picked up in the side streets adjacent to both the Junior and Senior Campus.

When parking near the college, please observe all posted parking signs and be considerate of our neighbours and local residents by not blocking their driveways while dropping off or picking up your children.

The college car parks are reserved for staff only and must not be used for dropping off or picking up students. Using these car parks for drop-off or pick-up creates a safety risk for both staff and students.

Thank you for helping to keep everyone in our community safe.

Ms Lauren Kelly
Campus Principal – Senior School

Victorian School Music Festival (VSMF) Concert Bands

This past Tuesday, two more of our music ensembles represented the college at VSMF:

• Concert Band – directed by Ms Melissa Knowles
• Symphonic Band – directed by Mr Joseph Yu

We are happy to share that both groups were awarded Silver Awards.

This is a fantastic achievement, particularly as VSMF introduced a new, tougher assessment system this year. A special congratulations goes to our Symphonic Band, who competed in the Advanced Concert Band section for the very first time, the highest division possible for an ensemble of this kind.

Monash Youth Festival – Junior, Intermediate and Senior Guitar Ensembles

Last Monday, our three guitar ensembles returned to the Monash Youth Music Festival for the second year in a row. This eisteddfod saw our groups competing against a wide variety of different ensemble types, giving our students a wonderful opportunity to perform on stage and learn from watching musicians from other schools.

We are thrilled to announce that both our Junior and Senior Guitar Ensembles placed 2^nd in their divisions.

Congratulations to all three groups and their ensemble director, Mr Lee Jones, on a fantastic performance and well-deserved success.

Jazz Workshop – Stage Band – Jordan Murray

Our Stage Band is busy preparing to compete at the highest level at the upcoming Victorian School Music Festival in just over a week

To assist in their final preparations, the band was lucky enough to participate in a special masterclass this afternoon with guest artist Mr Jordan Murray. As one of Australia’s premier jazz trombonists, composers, and music educators, Jordan has performed alongside renowned international artists and leading Australian orchestras. His extensive industry expertise provided invaluable insight and guidance to our students.

Delving into the finer details of big band playing, the ensemble thoroughly enjoyed this session. We wish the Stage Band the best of luck as they prepare their set for VSMF.

Mrs Tijtje Keatley
Music Director

Careers – Did You Know?

Did you know the Careers Team can help with more than just choosing a university course?

We can assist students with:

• Subject selection and prerequisites
• University and TAFE courses
• VET and apprenticeships
• Work experience
• Career exploration
• VTAC applications and preferences
• Alternative pathways
• Employment and post-school options

If you have a question about your future, come and see us in the Careers Office!

We have a wide range of course guides, brochures and career information available outside the Careers Office. Students are welcome to stop by and collect anything that interests them to explore their options further.

Year 12 Career Interviews

Year 12 students have been emailed a link to make their Careers appointment. They are encouraged to choose a convenient time to make their 30 minute meeting.  Whether they are looking into university, TAFE, apprenticeships, or employment, we are here to support their next steps.

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

Mr Phil Newnham & Ms Victoria Tortopidis
Careers Team

Congratulations to all students who participated in the German poetry competition at Brentwood Secondary College on Friday 7 August.

All students recited their poems beautifully and were a credit to the school.

Special congratulations to the following students who achieved placings in the competition:

Year 7: 1st- Naira S
Year 7: 2nd- Benita S

Year 8: 1st- Minh T
Year 8: 3rd- James P

Year 9: 1st- Aliyah S
Year 9: 2nd- Arwa E

These students now go on to the Victorian Final on Saturday 22 August.

Ms Mary-Jane Boughen

As part of the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority’s (MTIA) Rail Careers program – led by the Rail Academy – 16 middle school students visited the Newport facility on 13 August. The initiative proactively engages young people to highlight dynamic career pathways across rail, light rail, OHS and construction.

During their visit, students stepped into the world of transport technology through hands-on activities in transport coding, signalling, using tools, and infrastructure maintenance.

Mr Matt Hall
Head of Technology 

A huge congratulations to our Year 8 student, Dineth F, on becoming the World Scrabble Youth Champion in Kenya!

Competing against 140 young players from around the world, Dineth was the only competitor representing Australia – an incredible achievement!

After winning the Australian Youth Championship in July, Dineth took on the world stage and brought home the title.

You can read more about Dineth’s win on ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/…/melbourne-teenager…/107029330

Congratulations, Dineth!

The FAB 4 – Class of 2016

Today Mr Ian MacLeod, Acting College Principal, and I had the pleasure of welcoming four members of the Class of 2016 back to Mount Waverley Secondary College, or, as I have decided to call them, the FAB 4!

I’m not sure where the rest of the Class of 2016 were, but these four certainly brought plenty of memories and stories with them!

Thankfully, the weather was kind to us, and we managed to avoid the rain, making it the perfect day to walk around the College and reminisce about their school days.

I have to say, I was particularly amazed by Tynan, who could name so many teachers from years gone by. His memory is incredible, I’m not sure how he remembers them all!

One of the lovely highlights was seeing them meet up again with their Year 12 Coordinator from 2016, Mr Wayne Griffin and of course, we had to capture the moment in a photo!

I loved hearing their stories, remembering their time at Mount Waverley Secondary College and finding out where life has taken them since graduating. Their stories and journeys have now been captured and will feature in our September Alumni Newsletter.

Want to read their stories and hear from more of our Alumni?

Make sure you register here for our Alumni Program and have the newsletter delivered directly to your inbox.

MWSC Alumni is now on Instagram!

We’re excited to announce the launch of the official Mount Waverley Secondary College Alumni Instagram page — @mwsc_alumni_official

As your journey at MWSC continues beyond the College, we want to provide even more opportunities for our alumni community to stay connected, share memories and celebrate the many pathways our graduates have taken.

Follow us for alumni stories, throwback memories, reunions, events, career journeys and updates from across the MWSC community.

Know a former classmate? Encourage them to follow us too!

Together, let’s grow our alumni community and celebrate the MWSC journey — past, present and future.

As always register to stay connected!

Register your details to join our alumni community and receive the latest news and events and our newsletter directly in your inbox. Click the link to sign up. Register

Ms Victoria Tortopidis
Alumni Coordinator

Important Reminder – Canteen Orders & Campus Location

Please be aware that the Senior and Junior Campuses operate as two separate sites, each with its own kitchen, staff, and lunch-ordering system.

If your child has moved from the Junior Campus to the Senior Campus, please make sure you update their current campus/location in the ordering system. If the location is not updated, the canteen staff at the new campus will not be able to see or locate their lunch order.

Unfortunately, we cannot know which campus a student will be attending if the information in the system is incorrect, nor can we prepare two portions of the same order and keep one at each campus. Please ensure the correct campus is selected before placing an order.

Please also check your child’s name in the ordering system. The name should match their registered school name or the name they are commonly known by at school. This is particularly important where a student may use an English name, preferred name, or a different order of their given and family names.

Keeping both the campus location and student name up to date will help our canteen staff identify students correctly and ensure lunch orders are available at the correct campus.

Alternatively, you are welcome to create two separate student profiles/accounts—one for each campus. When placing a lunch order, simply use the profile for the campus your child will be attending that day.

Thank you for your assistance and understanding.

Canteen Manager