Wellington Journal
News from Wellington Secondary College
Edition: 10 - 18 July 2014
Pupil Free Day
There will be a curriculum day
on Friday 25 July. Students will
not attend school that day.
Wise Words
‘It’s no use crying over split milk; all we can
do is bail up another cow.
- Ben Chifley
Prime Minister of Australia
1946 - 1949
Artist Alex Sar Presents Painting
On Thursday 17 July, the artist Alex Sar (one of Wellington's former students)
returned to the school to speak to Year 12 students on behalf of Able Australia, and to
sign and present one of his artworks.
Alex entered the College as a Year 8 in 2005, and graduated in 2009 after completing
Intermediate and Senior VCAL.
His painting, titled 'Landing at Perth Airport', was purchased by the College in
recognition of his achievements with Able Australia, and will hang in the foyer area of
the Mary-Jo Putrino Theatre.
Alex spoke to assembled Year 12s about his experiences with the Able Foundation,
and his artistic work. He was very pleased to encouter a few former teachers as well!
We congratulate Alex on this remarkable piece, and wish him all the very best for his
future endeavours.
Vale Jack Landvogt
The College notes with sadness the passing of Mr Jack Landvogt
Jack was Principal of Wellington Secondary College from 1983 until 1986. He was also a gifted art teacher, with one of his
photographic pieces featured on the front cover of the 40-year anniversary edition of Vanellus.
Our thoughts are with Landvogt family at this time.
Principal’s Report
Term 3 commences with a number of important reminders for students, parents and guardians. We are all
looking forward to the much anticipated Annual Production (August 26th – August 29th) entitled “Return to the
Forbidden Planet”.
Wellbeing Centre Activities
Activities continue in Term 3 at the Wellbeing Centre to enhance the health and wellbeing of students. Students
are able to consult with the Student Welfare Coordinator Mr Peter O'Bree, the Student Wellbeing Worker Ms
Rachael Jones, see the Adolescent Health Nurse Ms Tamara Magrath or talk to our fabulous Careers staff: Ms
Huffer, Mrs Saxton and Mrs Davenport.
In addition, counsellors visit from the Department of Education in addition to community services such as
Monashlink. The visiting doctor service from McKinley Medical Centre continues on Thursdays on an
appointment basis and Engage 1 on 1 Psychology provide Jo Lajbcygier on site on Fridays to assist students. Craig Cole runs the acclaimed
MAT (Martial Arts Therapy) workshops every Thursday for groups and individuals. Years 9 are soon (Monday 28 July) to enjoy the
Brainstorm Production of 'Cheap Thrills' which looks at consequences of risky behaviour and encourages safe decision making. Families
are encouraged to contact Mr O'Bree on 9547 6822 to discuss any support required for their children.
Term Three - Course Counselling Time
This term students in Years 9 to 11 will be selecting subjects for 2015. Year 10 students have already had one session with Anita Saxton, the
College Managed Individual Pathways Coordinator, to start the process of choosing a course and subjects for next year. Year 10 students
have further information sessions coming up, culminating in a Course Counselling Day on Thursday 21st August. Parents/Guardians are
invited to attend their child's appointment on this day. Year 11 Course Counselling Day will occur on Monday 25th August.
Additionally, in Term 3 Year 12 students will be applying for tertiary (University and TAFE) course via the VTAC system. Many Year 12
students have already had at least one appointment with Lucinda Huffer, the Director of Student Pathways, and those who haven't yet done
so will be counselled this term.
Tertiary Institutions hold Open Days for students to visit University and TAFE campuses and to explore their further educational options.
Included in this Journal is a calendar of those Open Days. Students in Years 10-12 are encouraged to attend. Parents/Guardians can also go
along to these events.
ICT News
Parents will be pleased to know that their Year 7 students are making effective use of their netbooks. The school has recently improved its
Internet connection so that all classes have much faster access to the cloud. The trend in the future will be to utilise more fully the
functionality of the Internet in a wider areas of endeavour. It is important, therefore that all students have access to this avenue of data and
research which will enhance their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. As part of this and as mentioned by Mr Blaikie in
this newsletter, it is the intention of the school to fully embrace the 1:1 BYOD for all students next year.
Mr Anthony Grayden
Assistant Principal
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School Review - Parent’s Forum
As part of our school review process, a parent focus group has been scheduled for 7:00pm on Wednesday, 30 July in C5. This forum
will replace the scheduled Parent's Club meeting of that night.
At the forum, there will be a short presentation on how our school is performing, and parents will then be given the opportunity to
provide feedback as to how we can improve over the next three to four years.
A range of interpreters will be available to assist parents of non-English speaking backgrounds.
Light refreshments will be provided and the evening should conclude by 8:30pm.
All are welcome to attend. If you are able to attend, for catering purposes and especially for the organisation of interpreters, please
contact the General Office.
Hugh Blaikie
Principal
Bring Your Own Device Update
I am pleased to report that the Year 7 BYOD (Netbook/Tablet) program has been successfully implemented. Every student in Year 7 has
access to their own device and I thank parents for their financial support in this project. Currently we are evaluating both student and staff
use of these devices in the classroom, and one of our immediate goals is to increase capacity of staff utilising this technology across classes
in all teaching domains.
The school has just devoted significant funds towards expanding our Internet capacity, and as more devices are being used this will provide
vital support to the delivery of an ICT-rich curriculum at Wellington.
Parents of Year 8 (2014) and Year 9 (2014):
Please note that the final phase of our BYOD roll out will be completed by 2015. This means that students in Year 9 and 10 next year will be
required to purchase their own device.
The process will be very similar to the Year 7 implementation process. Later this term, we will inform parents of the specific models we
recommend, the costs involved and the time line for payments.
Based on current prices, parents should be aware the tablet version will cost in the vicinity of $800, with the netbooks costing
approximately $450. By ordering through the school you will be able to access the best possible price for the recommended device.
More details will be available later in the term, however I hope this helps families with their financial planning for 2015.
As with the Year 7 process, if families face individual distress with regard to financing the purchase of a device, please contact the college,
where individual payment plans can be negotiated.
Hugh Blaikie
Principal
Student Engagement and Leadership
The Alpine School of Leadership is in Dinner Plain, about five hours away from Melbourne. This school
specializes in offering leadership and personal development education for students in Year 9. Our students –
Zoe Castle of 9D, Ryan Cairns of 9H, Vassiliki Vahaviolos of 9A and Namish Sedov of
9J – were at this school for the entire second term and
have come back with life skills and filled with
enthusiasm and passion. As part of their training, they
developed an action plan to bring awareness to
environmental issues at our school and presented it in
front of several members of the school community.
Congratulations on your fantastic adventure!
Ms. Geetha Rangarajan
3
2
Year 10 Food Technology
The Year 10 Food Technology student’s challenge was to design,
produce, and evaluate a two-course luncheon for a client, such as a
friend of theirs. The students worked collaboratively in groups of 4
to successfully meet this challenge. The task required the students to
cater for a 'real' client meeting their specifications and therefore, a
meaningful experience. All the students dined together in J2
classroom, which was set up as a dining room. I was very proud of
the students' capabilities and results - a truly memorable experience
was had by all. Well done Year 10 Food Technology students!
Ms. Rivans
'It was really fun bringing in a friend to eat with my
team. My client really seemed to enjoy the two course
luncheon. Everything turned out well and the room
looked so classy and elegant; it had a restaurant like
quality to it. All the preparation and cooking went to
plan and I was happy with the final product.'
Celine Tran 10E
'Our client chose Chicken Tomato Broccoli Fried Rice
and Black Forest Trifle. I had fun cooking and we all
enjoyed our meal at the dinner table. The presentation
of our meals was restaurant quality.’
Christine Hoang 10A
'I really enjoyed making the Brownies. My team designed this recipe by
incorporating ideas from two different recipes. It was a rewarding experience to see
everyone's reactions and expressions when they tried the food. I was proud of my
team and the final outcome of our luncheon. It was nice to see how everyone cooperated and very nice to sit down and eat like that with our peers and our client. I
would recommend this task for future classes.'
Zoey Gudaz 10F
'Our Food Technology class experienced what it was like to create a two-course
lunch for a friend. There were so many great creations and I am sure everyone
enjoyed this practical exercise.'
Brandon Moun 10C
4
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Lions Club Book Sale
What's better than a good cup of coffee? Answer: A good book to read with it!
For less than the price of a cup of coffee the Lions club of Wheelers Hill have just the book for you to buy at their Second Hand Book Sale at
Blackflat Community Centre, Cnr Springvale & Waverley Rds, Glen Waverley on 2-3 August 2014.
There will be 8,000 books for sale and all readers are catered for. To make it easy to find your favourite authors, all fiction books are sorted
alphabetically by author.
Our non-fiction books are sorted into 25 subject groups, including Art, Travel, History, Military, Humour, DIY, Cooking, Gardening,
Sport, Biographies and many more. We also have separate sections for kids and teenagers.
All funds raised from this sale will be returned to the community through our Lions Projects.
The doors open at 8.00am on Saturday and at 9.00 on Sunday.
Doctor at Wellington
As the weather gets colder, and your children catch colds etc, don't forget the health service the college
offers your family.
Remember that a Doctor from McKinley Medical Centre comes to Wellington each Thursday from 2pm
onwards on an appointment basis. These appointments are bulk billed on Medicare, so there is no cost to
families.
Have your child come to the Wellbeing Centre to make an appointment before Thursday, or contact Mr
O'Bree at the college on 9547 6822.
Peter O’Bree
Year 12 Movie Night
Over the past few weeks, the Year 12 Committee have been busy organizing the Year 12 Movie Night. The event was a success with
approximately 50 students attending the event on Friday 6th, June. The event was held between 4:30pm to midnight, where we enjoyed
the movies: Wreck It Ralph, Anchorman 2 and The Grudge, as well as a pizza dinner. To our delight, we raised $470.00 for the charity of
our choice, the People Improvement Organization (PIO), an organization based in Cambodia that helps in providing education for
disadvantaged local people. We are very excited to personally deliver the funds to PIO when we visit Cambodia with a group of senior
school students for a volunteer program at the end of 2014.
We would like to thank the year 12 students who came to Movie Night. We hope you all had fun.
Natalie Bryce 12A, and Phillip Nguyen 12F
Papua New Guinea Assistance Project
For the past five years, Wellington Secondary College has donated second hand textbooks and
out-of-date library books and encyclopaedias to the Papua New Guinea Kimbe Assistance
Project.
The books have been shipped in a container and sent to Poinini Agriculture/Technical School. The
school caters for more than 700 Year 9 and 10 students, and they had virtually no resources when
the project first started. Organisations, such as Rotary and Lions Club, have also donated Medical
and agricultural equipment.
The Project's contribution has started to make a real difference, and it is good to see that
everything sent to the school has been put to good use.
A big thank you to Barbara and Adrian Corkeron, who came to Wellington Secondary College last
week to collect the books.
Wendy Peacock
Teacher Librarian
5
2
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
Those parents who received the E.M.A. from Wellington Secondary College in Semester 1, 2014 and who are still eligible for the E.M.A. as
at 14th July 2014, are not required to complete a new application for the Semester 2 E.M.A.
Parents, who transfer children to another school after 28th February 2014 and prior to 1st August 2014, must reapply at the new school for
the Semester 2 instalment.
In 2014 parents have the opportunity to sign their EMA payment over to the college.
Parents still have the option to receive the parent portion of their EMA payment directly into their nominated bank account via EFT
(Electronic Funds Transfer) OR to receive their EMA by cheque. Those applicants wishing to receive their EMA payments via EFT should
bring their BSB and Account Number (available on their bank account) when completing their application.
Any new applicants who are eligible for the EMA in Semester 2 must complete an application, and submit a copy of their Healthcare card, at
the General Office no later than Friday 1st August 2014.
Chemistry Homework Club
A reminder to all VCE chemistry students and to parents that homework club runs every Monday during lunchtime in
G08. Please come along and get additional assistance with your studies in Chemistry.
Mrs McKinlay and Ms Nisha
Year 9 Kids in the Kitchen Picnic
The Year 9 students prepared a variety of foods that would be suitable
for a picnic and shared the food amongst them in the form of a buffet.
What better place than to eat outdoors for this practical lesson. The
tables and seating outside M1 was the perfect setting to taste test all
the delicacies produced. The students thoroughly enjoyed dining
outside for a change of environment to their usual setting.
Ms. Rivans
6
2
Year 9 Food Technology
The Year 9 Kids in The Kitchen class were involved in researching, designing,
planning, producing and evaluating their custom made themed cupcakes.
Successful outcomes were embraced positively by all the students who
explored decorative techniques for cupcakes and applied this new knowledge
and prior skills to their own end product. Making provision for differentiated
products within the classroom gave students the opportunity to demonstrate
their innovation. A fun, challenging, meaningful experience was had by all.
Ms. Rivans
My experience making themed cupcakes was challenging as
I have never decorated cupcakes by fashion brands. The
experience was so much fun and I would like to make them
again in the future - Zuzanna Gryniewicz 9D
My experience was interesting with trial and error. I learnt
how to create quality cupcakes, I was left proud with. I
believe I worked efficiently to complete the task set - Bonnie
Milnes 9D
I had a great amount of fun creating my cupcakes from
scratch. I had to think creatively during the design process in
order to create unique cupcakes. It was an interesting
production process being introduced to various different
techniques and ingredients. Overall, I was extremely
satisfied with my end result and I look forward to creating
more decorative cupcakes in the future - Nixon Uch 9C
I enjoyed baking and decorating cupcakes according to a
theme of my choice. It was fun experimenting with different
icing techniques - Katherine Pau 9B
I have never decorated cupcakes before and honestly thought
it was a practice for adults. I was so taken off guard when I
actually experienced a feeling of joy at my accomplishment. I
was out of my comfort zone and really enjoyed this
experience. I would definitely do it again - David Nguyen 9D.
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2
Year 8 Girls’ Soccer
The Year 8 girls' soccer team played magnificently on June 20 at
Brentwood Secondary College to win the flag for Monash Division.
Displaying excellent teamwork and sportsmanship, they won on
overall goals for the day. Outstanding players were Emerald PisethAn (8H) , Nyadoth Lok (8H), Alexandra Filopolous (8A) and Vy
Nguyen (8G). They go through to EMR on Wednesday, 30July.
Ms. Sharon O’Neill
Senior Boys’ Basketball
The Senior Boys Basketball teams (left) have experienced some fantastic success this semester. The
boys have been training hard since the beginning of the year and their hard work has paid off. The A
team placed first in the District Division, and first in the Victorian College Championship Qualifiers.
They will go on to the Victorian College Championship on July 23.
All the boys should be congratulated on their hard work, dedication and their enthusiastic approach in
representing the College. I wish the A team all the best of luck in their next two rounds of competition
in Term 3.
Ms. Michelle Newey
Stress Management
Stress is part of everyday life. However, one can have control over stress by following some simple relaxation techniques. On Monday 2nd
June, 20 students from the Middle School attended a workshop on “How to Train the Stress Monkey.” Elise Kossivas of 10I composed a
short report on the workshop:
I learnt the importance of maintaining a healthy level of stress and how to
properly do this. Presenters from Monash Youth and Family Services came
out to speak to the students and together they informed them about what
stress is, how to deal with negative thoughts, time management, sleeping
patterns and methods of rest and relaxation.
There was a lot of important information that the students took away with
them which is very useful during school and in everyday life – especially
during stressful times such as exams and SACS! The most repeated piece of
information was to calm your mind and body down (by using one of the
recommended relaxation methods) and if things are too overwhelming and
you're feeling stressed and anxious, then talk to someone you know and trust.
It is imperative that students and people try and manage their stress levels because stress can
have very negative effects on the body such as irregular sleeping patterns, loss of appetite and
memory loss – which are things you definitely won't want to experience when you're stressing
about your work. Overall, all the students thoroughly enjoyed this particular session and took a
lot of valuable information from it, as well as walking away with a certificate of completion.
Elise Kossivas, 10I
8
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Winter Concert
9
2
Junior Badminton
10
Public Speaking Competition
On June 3, Tony Nguyen, Lauren Pedersen-Hor and Jacinta
Squires-Donelly represented Wellington at the regional finals of
the 2014 Legacy Junior Public Speaking Awards. It was the first
time that these students had competed in a competition of this
calibre and they performed exceedingly well on the day.
Each student presented their five minute prepared speech and also
participated in the impromptu speech section of the competition.
They competed against 14 other students from 4 other schools;
Beaconhills (Berwick and Pakenham campus), Noble Park and
Wantirna College achieving scores just below the place winners.
The students had an amazing time finding the experience
incredibly memorable.
Ms. Jess Reidy and Jacinta R.A Squires-Donelly 9K
Tertiary Open Days
University and TAFE Open Days are coming up and students in Year 10, 11 and 12 may like to attend. It is strongly advised that Year 12
students visit a number of institutions, not just their most preferred University.
They should also ensure that they visit the campus which offers the course/s of interest to them. For example, there is little point visiting
Monash Clayton if the student is interested in Emergency Health (Paramedics), as this degree is only offered at Monash Peninsula. If they
would like to check which University or TAFE offers specific courses, students can check institution websites or come to the Careers
Office to ask for assistance.
A full schedule of Open Days can be found on pages
Students are advised to check Institution websites for details of information sessions and special events running on the day.
Ms. Lucinda Huffer
11
Tertiary Open Day Schedule
12
Tertiary Open Day Schedule
Please be advised that Holmesglen's 'Open Wednesdays' take place on
the third Wednesday of each month – 16th July, 20th Aug, 17th Sept, 15th Oct,
19th Nov and 17th Dec.
Bookings are essential. See www.holmesglen.edu.au/open
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HPV Vaccine
Wellington
Wellington Journal
Journal -- Fortnightly
Fortnightly Newsletter
Newsletter of
of Wellington
Wellington Secondary
Secondary College
College -- Designed
Designed &
& Edited
Edited by
by Mr
Mr Simon
Simon Coles.
Coles.
Editorial
Support
by
Mrs
Dianne
Schneider.
Printing
and
Technical
Support
by
Mr
Brian
Foster
and
Mr
Editorial Support by Mrs Dianne Schneider. Printing and Technical Support by Mr Brian Foster and Mr David
David Kerrisk.
Kerrisk.
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