WELLINGTON JOURNAL – EDITION 5

NAPLAN Results

NAPLAN results for Year 7 and 9 students have been mailed home recently. If you have not received your child’s report, please contact the general office.

I am delighted that our results continue to be outstanding when compared to the State, the Network and our Similar School’s grouping.

Another pleasing result was the number of students that had medium or high relative growth; which is a comparison on how the Year 9 students performed against students at the same level when they were in Year 7. Eg: how much better they have performed against similar students.

ResourceSmart Awards

Congratulations to the Sustainability Champions and all the people that have contributed to Wellington Secondary College being awarded our first star towards the five-star sustainability rating as part of the ResourceSmart Schools program. The students and staff were acknowledged at an assembly at the end of last term. Becoming a 1-star school recognises our commitment and begins our sustainability journey.

Year 12 Formal

I had the pleasure of attending the Year 12 Formal last Friday, August 7, at Leonda. I am pleased to report that it was a fantastic night filled with fun, glamour and collegiality amongst staff and students. Thank you to the Senior School Team, the formal committee and all staff who attended.

College Production
Rehearsals for our annual production are certainly ramping up and I know cast and crew are really looking forward to opening night on Wednesday August 26 and the remaining shows in that week. This year’s show is Aladdin Jr. Our students would love to see you there.  Tickets are selling fast and can be purchased online via the link.

Our Community Voice Team have been working hard behind the scenes to organise the now-famous nightly raffle.  The prizes will not disappoint!! If you would like to donate to the raffle, there is still time, and donations can be left at the General office.  Should you wish to join the Community Voice Team to support school events, please us at wellington.sc@educcation.vic.gov.au and one of our committee members will be in touch.

Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey
All families are welcome to provide feedback in the parent/caregiver/guardian opinion survey.  Details on how to complete survey will be posted to Compass on Monday August 17.  Feedback will close on Friday September 18. If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Marsh at the General Office.

3 Way Conferences – Tuesday August 18

Our 3 Way Conferences will be held next Tuesday August 18. When meeting with your child’s teacher, I encourage you to acknowledge what is going well, as well as identify strategies for focussed improvement. Bookings are now open on Compass.  Please note, that there are no scheduled classes on this day.  Students are expected to attend the interview/s with you. 

Mr Chris Knight
Principal

Upcoming Dates

August

• Tuesday August 18 – 3 Way Conferences (no scheduled classes)
• Monday August 24 – Intermediate Sports (selected Year 9/10 students)
• Wednesday August 26 to Saturday August 29 – Production

September

• Tuesday September 1 – Year 10 Immunisations
• Friday September 4 – Monash Division Athletics (selected students only)
• Wednesday September 9 – Spring Concert
• Wednesday September 9 – Junior Sport (selected students only)
• Saturday September 19 to Sunday October 4 – Term 3 School Holidays

Reminder

Please ensure you are checking Compass regularly for notifications and updates to events that are specific to your child, to avoid them missing out. It is how you are able to see, consent and pay for all events that affect your student.

If you miss consent and payment deadlines, your child will not be able to participate in the event.

Intermediate Boys Soccer Going to the State Finals.

Congratulations to our Intermediate Boys Soccer/Football Team, who have qualified for the State Finals after an outstanding performance at the Eastern Metropolitan Region (EMR) Finals held on Monday, 20 July, at the State Football Centre in Darebin.
The boys opened the day against Ringwood Secondary College and controlled possession from the opening whistle. Oliver and Tarik were outstanding through the midfield and up forward, while Milos and Arash were rock-solid in defence. Their dominant performance resulted in a well-deserved 2–0 victory.
The second match saw the team take on Lilydale High School. Once again, Wellington controlled much of the play and created numerous scoring opportunities, with Tarik, Todor and Samyog all coming close to extending the lead. Despite the missed chances, determined defensive efforts from Kon and Nenad helped hold off a fast-finishing Lilydale side, securing a hard-fought 1–0 win.
The final pool match against Mount Waverley Secondary College would determine who progressed to the grand final. Facing a disciplined and well-structured opponent, the team also had to contend with injuries and fatigue to key players, including Athan and Nenad. The depth of the squad proved invaluable, with substitutes Cajun, Sam, Ben and Pratyush all making significant contributions. Wellington rose to the challenge and recorded another impressive 2–0 victory to book their place in the final.
Awaiting them in the championship match was the heavily favoured Rowville Secondary College Soccer Academy team. It was a fiercely contested encounter, with both sides creating chances but unable to find the breakthrough. Coach Wyldes made several tactical changes throughout the match, bringing Firas, Andy, Ben, Naren and Aryan into the contest to provide fresh energy.
After regular time and 10 minutes of extra time, the scores remained locked at 0–0. As players battled fatigue and cramp, the leadership of Milos and Arash inspired the team to keep fighting until the very end.
The match was ultimately decided by a dramatic penalty shootout. After both teams converted their opening two penalties, Wellington goalkeeper Hy Nguyen, who had kept a clean sheet throughout the day, produced the moment of the match. Diving low to his right, Hy made a brilliant save to give Wellington the advantage.
Wellington calmly converted their next penalty before Rowville’s fourth penalty struck the post, leaving the boys just one successful kick away from victory. Captain Milos stepped forward with confidence and calmly found the bottom corner, sealing a memorable 4–2 penalty shootout victory and sparking jubilant celebrations.
This incredible team effort showcased the boys’ resilience, teamwork and determination throughout the day. Every member of the squad played an important role in this fantastic achievement.
The Intermediate Boys Football Team will now represent the school at the State Finals on Tuesday, 1 September. We wish the boys and their coaches the very best of luck as they compete against the best school teams in Victoria.

Term 2 Sports Wrap

Term 2 Middle School Sports Wrap
We had several Middle School teams compete in the Monash District interschool sports competition, with some fantastic results.
Well done to our Intermediate Boys/Mixed Badminton team, who won their division and will now represent Wellington at the EMR level.
Congratulations also to our Intermediate Girls Soccer team, who finished runners-up on the day. Our Boys Australian Rules Football team also put in a fantastic effort. Despite having low numbers, the team showed great determination and managed to win several of their matches.
Term 2 Junior School Sports Wrap
As usual, we had fantastic numbers of Junior School students sign up and try out for our school teams. It was great to see so many Wellington students representing our college on 5 June.
Well done to our Year 8 Girls Badminton team, who won their division on the day and will represent our school at EMR on 21 August.
Congratulations also go to our Year 8 Boys/Mixed Badminton team, Year 8 Girls Soccer team and Year 7 Boys/Mixed Soccer team, who all finished runners-up on the day.
Let’s keep up all the great work and effort in Term 3!

EMR Cross Country

On Thursday, 11 June, Wellington Secondary College had 11 students represent the school at the EMR Cross-Country Championships, held at the picturesque Yarra Valley Racecourse.

Under beautiful sunny skies, our students competed across multiple age groups and took on the challenging cross-country course alongside some of the best runners from across the region.
A huge congratulations to all 11 students who competed. Their determination, effort and positive attitude throughout the day were fantastic to see. Representing the school at an EMR event is a wonderful achievement, and we are extremely proud of the way the whole team conducted themselves.

Upcoming Sports Dates

Upcoming Key Sports Dates
The following are the key sporting dates for Term 3:
• Intermediate Sport: Monday 24 August
• Intermediate Boys Soccer State Final: Tuesday 1 September
• Monash District Athletics: Friday 4 September
• Junior Sport: Wednesday 9 September
I especially look forward to taking a team of over 100 students to the Monash District Athletics Carnival, where we’ll run, throw, jump and leap our way towards taking 1st place!

Mr Troy Diaz
Head of Sports

VM Connects with the Community

To align with Unit 2 and 4’s PDS focus on Communities, the Year 11 and 12 VM students took part in an immersive hands-on experience at Impact for Women; a charity that supports women and children throughout Victoria to escape extreme violence at home. Students rotated through a series of stations to help sort, wrap and pack Bags of Love that will be donated to shelter locations around Victoria. The students then continued their volunteer work back in the classroom with Ms Doyle making jewellery and cards to donate to Impact for Women to add to their Bags of Love.

During our visit to Impact for Women, our Year 12 VM class volunteered to create care packages for women and children affected by domestic violence. We worked in groups to assemble hygiene packs, mugs with tea and coffee, teenage gift packs, and handmade jewellery. This experience showed us how small acts of kindness can make a meaningful difference. It gave us a greater understanding of the challenges many people face and the importance of community support. It was a powerful reminder that behind every care package is someone going through an incredibly difficult time. We are grateful for the opportunity to support such an important cause and hope our efforts bring even a little light to someones darkest days.
Naomi Sagele and Stephanie Pafiti 12V

During our excursion at impact for women, we helped package gift bags that would then be donated to women and children who experienced abuse or other struggles. We packaged pencils, teacups, made jewellery and other presents that would go into a “Love Bag”. Something that we took away was realising how frequently domestic violence occurs around women resulting in physical and mental abuse and how often death occurs. We also realised how much these “Love Bags” means to the women who receive it and how small gifts can impact someone in a big way.
Mitchell Tate and Antony Mazar 11W

Ms Jaclyn Jacobs
VM Teacher

Bridging the gap between generations

To strengthen students’ understanding of the importance of community connections, Year 12 VCE VM students participated in the first session of an intergenerational engagement project at Uniting AgeWell in Noble Park. Students planned and facilitated a range of engaging activities for 20 residents, creating meaningful opportunities to connect with both residents and staff. It was wonderful to see students take the lead, confidently engage with the community and build genuine connections through conversations about residents’ experiences and lives. The session provided students with a valuable opportunity to develop their communication, teamwork and interpersonal skills while making a positive contribution to the local community.

Working with Uniting AgeWell Noble Park is a great hand in learning about personal and professional skills. Having this excursion set on our class helping a community by all working together, combining our ideas together and getting to put it into action in a real environment with diverse people helped us develop important skills like team communication, cultural awareness, but most importantly we built personal bonds with the residents that create positivity that all participants can remember. Uniting AgeWell welcomed our class with great hospitality, letting our class engage with a more diverse community.
Benny Basa 12V

Ms Jaclyn Jacobs
VM Teacher

Albany Rise Sustainability Working Bees

During the working bees, Year 12 VCE VM students and staff worked together to improve the Albany Rise Primary School environment. We cleaned and weeded the garden beds, pressure washed footpaths, replaced garden edging and tidied up different areas around the school. Our work made the school cleaner, safer and more sustainable for the students.

Highlights:
• Benny: My favourite part of doing a working bee is to be outside enjoying fresh air in mild weather, doing gardening with quiet music which is my definition of therapy.
• Ayana: My highlight was definitely pressure washing. It was super satisfying and I enjoyed seeing the ground clean after we washed away all the dirt and grime. It’s a good skill to learn and now I want to pressure wash my whole driveway.
• Adrian: My highlight was 100% being able to help out a school with limited funding by maintaining and replacing areas that are frequently seen or used by the students.
• William: My highlight of working at Albany Rise today would be working with my classmates in the garden beds and working as a team by using communication skills and team skills.
• Erika: My highlight of doing a working bee at Albany Rise was seeing everyone work together to improve the school. I enjoyed washing the footpath leading to the classroom because it made the path look cleaner and safer to walk on as well. Other students were working on the garden beds by pulling out weeds and putting on mulch, making it look tidy.
• Ethan: A memorable highlight, whilst attending Albany Rise, was the collaboration between both students and teachers. This activity encouraged us to communicate amongst each other strengthening our bonds as a class. The main role I took part in was plucking out emerging weeds, and carrying the tools into the site.
• Ryan: One of my highlights at Albany Rise was taking out the garden weeds as I find it enjoyable but sometimes repetitive. Besides, it also helps improve overall safety for students from trip hazards.
• Annecia: Working at Albany Rise was really fun knowing that we helped the school look and feel cleaner. A highlight was digging up the dirt and replacing the old wood piece with a new one.
• Naomi: During our visit to the Albany Rise, we helped clean and improve the outdoor area for the primary school students. My highlight was doing the garden edging as it was very hands on and fun to do, creating a safer and cleaner outdoor area for the students.

Mr Scott Malcolm
Sustainability Coordinator

Global Citizenship Fundraising

During Semester 1, Global Citizenship students demonstrated their commitment to animal welfare by organising a fundraising event in support of the Australian Animal Protection Society (AAPS) raising $1780.35. As part of the project, students developed their understanding of animal welfare and the important role community organisations play in supporting vulnerable animals.

Tina Mellet from AAPS in Keysborough visited the College to speak with the Middle School students about the organisation’s work and the impact of their fundraising efforts. Eyan Tino and Mutahhar Ali represented the cohort and presented Tina with a cheque from the funds raised, celebrating the positive contribution made to the local community and animal welfare.

Ms Jaclyn Jacobs
Global Citizenship Coordinator

Mount Buller Snow Trip – 31 July

ResourceSmart School Stars

It is such an incredible honour for Wellington to have received it’s very first star for Resource Smart schools (RSS). As this is something that reflects the dedication, passion and hard work of the sustainability champions and teachers. I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge my appreciation for everyone who has been involved in sustainability, whether it be signing up for competitions, helping out with tree planting or simply cheering us on from the sidelines. Your contributions, no matter how big or small, have helped us to achieve this milestone.

I’m also so proud to share that our school was nominated as one of the three finalists for the RSS awards for the best student action team in sustainability. Although we weren’t the winners for the category, it was such a privilege to be recognised and considered for that award.

At Wellington Secondary College, the sustainability champions are committed to raising awareness about environmental issues, participating in green thumb initiatives and connecting with other members of our community to promote sustainability. If this is something that interests you, keep an eye on your year level’s teams page as there will be more information available soon.

Finally let’s celebrate this amazing recognition. This star isn’t just an award to our school but rather a reflection on our school’s efforts and commitment towards sustainability. I hope this inspires and motivates all of us to continue working towards for a better tomorrow. Thank you.

Saanvi Shaker
Sustainability Champion – Year 10

Tree Planting

On the 26th of June 2026, Isabelle and I worked together to dig holes, plant indigenous plants and pull out weeds in the garden. As we worked, we discovered interestingly shaped fungi around the school grounds and learnt about their importance in supporting other plants (and the broader ecosystem).
Furthermore, we had the opportunity to speak with Claire O’Sullivan (Biodiversity Champion from Monash City Council), who helped with planting and shared insights about different plant species and their natural habitats. It was rewarding to know that our efforts as Sustainability Champions would help increase our school’s plant diversity and create a healthier environment. Overall, this experience reminded me of the importance of both teamwork and sustainability, and it made me feel so proud to contribute to making our school a greener place.
Gianna Lee – Year 10

On the last day of Term 2, we acknowledged the Traditional Owners of the land, Bunurong Peoples of the Kulin Nation before planting. Ms. Fathers was the one who explained the importance of green spaces and certain plants to the Bunurong Peoples. I enjoyed planting knowing that it would help our environment. A huge thanks to Ms. Amaral for organizing the event.
Ryan Sojan – Year 7

I really enjoyed the tree planting experience, I’ve never planted trees before, it was a fun experience, and I learnt new skills and how to use new gardening tools, also I had a friend with me so overall I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward for next time.
Doris Tang – Year 7

Planting trees was fun and using the litter picker was great.
Ally Goh – Year 7

Ms Bruna Amaral
Science Teacher

French/Chinese Students of the Term – Term 2 2026

Congratulations to the following students who have been awarded French and Mandarin Students of Term 2. Certificates are for their diligence, positive approach and grit to the study of French and Mandarin. We recognise their efforts in their application to work, perseverance, initiative, participation and co-operation. They also earn 10 points each for their respective houses.

Pasta Drive

Our SRC team are currently running a pasta drive for the Monash Glen Waverley Rotary Club. If you would like to donate a packet, or two of pasta, please drop this into the general office, or give it to your child to place in the donation box at each sub school. The donated pasta will be given to families in need by the Rotary Club. Thank you in advance for your generous donation.