WELLINGTON JOURNAL – EDITION 1

Upcoming Dates

• March 7 – Whole School Photo Day
• March 10 – Labour Day Public Holiday (No classes)
• March 12-21 – NAPLAN Years 7 & 9
• March 26 – Photo Catch Up Day
• April 1 – 3 Way Conferences
• April 4 – Last Day of Term 1, 2:30pm finish

Welcome Back!
Welcome to the 2025 school year here at Wellington Secondary College. I hope you and your families have had the opportunity to enjoy the summer period and that all new and returning students are feeling refreshed and looking forward to an exciting year ahead.

Without question, 2024 was a standout year for Wellington Secondary College, marked by incredible achievements and memorable events across every aspect of the school. These milestones highlight the many and diverse strengths of our community and showcase the remarkable learning and wellbeing progress of our students.

Congratulations again to the Class of 2024
We are immensely proud of the Class of 2024 and all they have accomplished in their time at Wellington. Without a doubt, our 2024 graduates excelled academically, personally and in their contributions to the broader community. Whilst the academic results speak for themselves, with many students achieving high-quality ATARs and securing their place in top universities, it is the personal growth, friendships and memories made along the way that truly define our graduate’s experience at Wellington Secondary College.

We welcomed back our high achievers at our Honours Assembly last Friday. The focus of the assembly was to honour our highest achieving students from the class of 2024 as we welcomed them into the 90+ club (students who achieved an ATAR of 90 or higher). It was a highlight to hear the school’s Dux, Evan Yin speaking of his journey from arriving in Australia, to making new friends in a great community as well as thanking the staff and students at Wellington for making his time so enjoyable.

Leadership Announcement
The second part of the assembly was announcing the 2025 student leadership positions.
The following students have been appointed to the following leadership positions:

Congratulations to the above students. I look forward to working with you all to service and improve our community.

The final part of the assembly was the announcement of this year’s Production. The production will be ‘The Wizard of Oz’. I can’t wait to see our students performing on the big stage.

Year 7 Design Challenge
I would like to congratulate the Year 7 students as well as the team of staff that have supported them with a fantastic start to the school year. Our new Year 7s had a successful Design Challenge as part of the ‘Wellington Welcomes You’ program. Despite being only two weeks into their journey at Wellington, the students demonstrated remarkable creativity and teamwork in creating many mascots for their homegroup. Congratulations to all participants!

Strategic Priorities
Our commitment to academic excellence and student wellbeing is reflected in our 2025 Strategic Priorities:

Charter Bus Tickets
Well done to many students and families that have successfully navigated the Charter Bus Service. Parents are reminded that payment for your child to access these services for Term 1 is now overdue. Parents facing financial difficulty are always welcome to contact the Business Manager or College Cashier, where special arrangements can be discussed. Students are reminded that they will need to have their ticket with them.

Camp, Sports and Excursion Fund and Wellington Family Support
Families are reminded that applications for the Government Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) are now open. To access funding, please ensure your application is lodged with a copy of your Health Care Card as soon as possible. Please speak to the general office staff for further information.

3 Way Conferences – Tuesday April 1
Planning for 3 Way Conferences on Tuesday April 1 is now underway. There will be no scheduled classes on this day, however, it is expected that students participate in the 3 Way Conferences with their parents/guardians. Times and booking information will be released in the coming weeks via Compass.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation in making Wellington Secondary College a safe and inclusive learning environment for all.

Mr Chris Knight
Principal

Compass

Compass is the primary source of information for parents/guardians and includes regular news and updates from the College. We encourage families to download the Compass App for convenience. Parents are encouraged to check Compass regularly to keep up to date with what is happening with your child and our school community. 

For more information on Compass please refer to the user guide or contact the General Office.

Absences

If a student is to be absent from school, parents are required to notify us as to why your child is going to be away.  Absences can be advised in the following ways.

Via the Compass app

Via the Phone:
Call our Attendance Hotline 9562 4762 (available 24 hours a day) and leave a message with your child’s full name, home group and the reason why your child is absent. 

Via Email
Send us an email wellington.sc@education.vic.gov.au with your child’s full name, home group and the reason why your child is absent. 

It is important that you notify us by 10 am to avoid getting a SMS advising that your child is not at school.

We ask for your support in ensuring that all students are arriving at school on time to ensure valuable class time is not lost. Students who arrive late to school must sign-in at the General Office and provide an explanation for their lateness.

Students will not be able to leave the school during the day unless their parent/guardian has provided prior permission. A note, email or a phone call outlining the reason for the early departure should be provided to General Office.

If your child is unwell during the school day, they are kindly asked to proceed to the First Aid office. If your child needs to be collected, our First Aid Officer will contact you to advise the next steps.

Every lesson is important, and we ask for your support in ensuring that holidays and medical appointments are avoided during the school term and day. We understand that at certain times this may not be possible and in those instances, we kindly ask that you notify the general office or your child’s relevant sub-school.

College Bell Times

Uniform and Appearance

Our uniform forms a distinctive and important part of our identity and who we are and how we are seen as a community. It is expected that all students will present themselves in an exemplary fashion and wear their uniform with pride.  This year we have updated our Uniform policy to make it more inclusive for everyone. Please click here for the Uniform Guide and click here for the update Uniform Policy.

Please ensure that your child is in the correct uniform every day. The sports uniform is only allowed to be worn on days that your child is timetabled for a practical PE class.

All uniform needs to be purchased from our uniform supplier– Buxwear (Bob Stewart) and cannot be substituted with items from other retail stores. Should you require assistance with uniform, please email the College and this will be forwarded to our Wellbeing team.

Mobile Phones

Please be reminded that the Mobile Phone Policy continues to be enforced at all government schools. Students are reminded to leave their phones at home or have them switched off and in their lockers as soon as practical from the time they arrive at school until the end of the school day.

Parents should only contact their child/ren through the General Office or Sub School and not via their phones during school hours. Students are not permitted to have wireless earphones, the exception to this rule is, if they are listening to something under the direction of their teacher.

Parking and Drop-off/Pick-up

A friendly reminder to all parents regarding car parking and drop-off/pick-up procedures.

The staff carpark on Police Road (Gate 3) is available to drive through in the morning to drop off your child. This carpark is locked at 2:00 pm every afternoon and cannot be used to pick up your child at the end of the day. Please make sure that you stop safely and be considerate of other people using the carpark. 

Please do not use the staff carpark at the rear of the school on Singleton Drive (Gate 6) for picking up or dropping off your child. This carpark is for staff use only. 

We understand that there is a lot of traffic around the school and suggest that you organise a meeting point with your child in the surrounding streets.  Please obey all signage and do not park in or across resident driveways. We have teachers on duty at the end of the day to assist students crossing Police Road.

Accident and Personal Property Insurance

Please note that Wellington Secondary College and the Department of Education do not provide accident insurance.  Parents and guardians are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including any transports costs.

We also do not provide coverage for personal property brought to school and have no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such items.  Students should be discouraged from bringing any valuable personal items to school.

Wellington Welcomes You Design Challenge

Our Year 7s kicked off the year with our ‘Wellington Welcomes You’ Design Challenge – an annual highlight of the transition into College life, this program is intended to facilitate students’ and teachers’ to get to know each other better. This years’ challenge: ‘To Create a Class Mascot’.

Ms Teresa La
Director of STEM

Year 12 Hoodie Presentation – Class of 2025

Super Swim

At Wellington Secondary College we celebrate students’ each and every day. We are so proud of our students and all that they accomplish in and out of the school.

Today we are celebrating Ruby Collins from Year 7.

Ruby is new to Wellington and is already making her mark. Throughout this month Ruby has been participating in The Starlight Children’s Foundation charity super swim.

The Starlight Children’s Foundation is an Australian charity that supports seriously ill children and their families. Their mission is to bring joy, fun, and laughter to kids facing long hospital stays, painful treatments, and medical challenges. Did you know that every minute of every day a sick child is admitted to hospital in Australia? When a once-bright life is dulled by needles, hospital visits and painful treatments, Starlight helps sick kids forget they are sick for a while and re-discover the joy of childhood.

Ruby’s goal was to swim 40 km for the month of February at the Noble Park Aquatic Centre (who kindly sponsored her by giving her a free membership for the month). She was in the pool at 5:30 am each morning before school and at the weekends. Every lap Ruby swims and all the support from people who donate will contribute towards the Starlight charity and help bring smiles to the kid’s faces! Please consider donating to a wonderful cause to help sick kids!

If you would like to donate or see Ruby’s final Lap tally for the month, you can click on the link or scan the QR code below. Donations end Thursday March 6.

If you know of a Wellington Secondary College student that you feel could be acknowledged and celebrated in our Journal or at an assembly, please contact us at wellington.sc@education.vic.gov.au to discuss the student’s achievements.

Monash Crime Desk – Forensic Science Incursion

On Monday February 24, Leading Senior Constables Matt Tippett and Rob Firns from the Victoria Police Monash Crime Desk attended the College to demonstrate and discuss their duties to the Year 9 Forensic Science elective students.

Students had many interesting questions answered in relation to forensic science and policing in general. This presentation and demonstration have become an integral part of the forensic science curriculum and their ongoing support of the College, and the subject, is greatly appreciated.

Mr Peter Jarvis
Forensic Science Teacher.

Sustainable Schools Committee – Collaboration with Brentwood Secondary College
Teaming up with Team Green!

Our college was invited by the Brentwood Secondary College’s Green Team to attend the first-ever Sustainable Schools Committee for secondary schools in the Monash municipality. The Brentwood Green Team is a student leadership group that are focused on protecting our environment to ensure a sustainable future. The team includes students ranging from 7-12 years levels, college staff, and parent volunteers.

The initiatives and projects undertaken by the team align with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the ResourceSmart Schools (RSS) program. Ashley Vaid, Nurali Seyit and Jinston Moses represented Wellington Secondary College’s Sustainability Champions in the student-led workshop. They were fully immersed in the discussions about environmental initiatives with the other Monash City Schools. Working as a team, they managed to win first place when answering the quiz questions about Sustainable Development Goals.

In terms of next steps, they have plans to meet over the school holidays and at Brentwood Secondary College again in semester 2 of 2025.

Ms Bruna Amaral
Science Teacher | Sustainability Coordinator

I was quite delighted to attend the very first meeting of the Sustainable Schools Committee. All of the students present were exceptionally polite and welcoming. I felt quite glad that so many other students were as passionate about the environment as I was. I learnt of many different initiatives that the other schools had implemented from which Wellington Secondary College could take inspiration, such as a sanctuary for stick insects. I also made many new friends with the other members and was delighted to meet Katie, Daniel and Aiden, the founders of the committee. I look forward to attending future meetings with hopefully an even bigger number of members!

Nurali Seyit
11J

I thought the Sustainable Schools Committee meeting went well, as we were able to discuss with Brentwood and Mount Waverley students about how we can try to make our schools more environmentally friendly. We learnt that sometimes we need to start small and aim high. Ashley, Nurali and I agreed and shared with the other students that our G-Ream (Green Dream) was to install solar panels and be more energy efficient at Wellington Secondary College.

Jinston Moses
9E

Aqua Team

Sustainability Champions Raymond, Kannan, Elijah, Louis and Divin have been filling up the bird baths at school on a daily basis, attracting a diverse array of species searching for a source of water. This contributes to biodiversity helping animals to stay hydrated, birds to maintain their feathers and cool off in the increasingly common hot days.

Ms Bruna Amaral
Science Teacher | Sustainability Coordinator