Friday September 19 – Last day of Term 3 – 2:30 pm finish
October
Monday October 6 – First Day of Term 4 – Classes start at 8:40 am
Monday October 13 – VCE Art & Design Exhibition 6pm-8pm
Thursday October 16 – Last Day of Year 12 Classes
Friday October 17 – Year 12 Valedictory Day
Wednesday October 22– Friday October 24 – Future Leaders Camp
Friday October 24 – End of Unit 2 Classes
Monday October 27 – VCE Exams begin
November
Monday November 3 – Pre-Melbourne Cup Day – no formal classes
Tuesday November 4 – Melbourne Cup Public Holiday, no classes
Friday November 7 – VCE Exams finish.
Monday November 10– Tuesday November 11 – Year 9 & 10 Exams
Wednesday November 12– Thursday November 13 – Year 9 Design Sprint
Friday November 14 – Assessment Day – no classes.
Monday November 17 – Early Commencement Program Years 8-12
Tuesday November 18 – College Awards Night
December
Monday December 1 – Friday December 5 – Year 10 Work Experience
Monday December 8 – Year 7/8 End of Year Activities
Wednesday December 10 – Year 7/8 End of Year Activities
Thursday December 11 – Year 7/8 End of Year Activities
Friday December 12– Friday December 19 – Staff Planning (no classes)
Friday December 19 – End of Term 4
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 effect your student.
If you miss consent and payment deadlines, your child will not be able to participate in the event.
College Production – The Wizard of Oz Congratulations to all the staff and students involved with our college production of The Wizard of Oz. It was a huge success, and all involved are to be commended.
Thank you also to our Community Voice Team with running the canteen and amazing raffles. The prizes did not disappoint, and all funds raised are put back into the Performing Arts program!
Spring Concert The Spring Concert was held on Wednesday September 10. The Performing Art students continue to excel. I was most impressed with how the students have improved throughout the year and the comparison from the Winter Concert to the Spring Concert was impressive. These concerts are a great opportunity for our music students to showcase their talent and perform in front of an audience. Once again it was a great night.
Thank you to the Performing Arts team for their wonderful support of our students and also the Community Voice Team for running the canteen and raffle.
3 Way Conferences I trust that everyone had a productive and informative day at our 3 Way Conferences on Tuesday. I would like to thank everyone for taking the time and making the effort to engage in these critical conversations about your child’s progress. It’s very important to reflect on the comments made and consider how students, families and staff can work together for improved learning and wellbeing outcomes for our young people.
Congratulations on 35 Years of Service to the Department of Education During the first week back in Term 3 the Department of Education – North East Region held the annual Recognition of Service Awards. I would like to acknowledge and congratulate Lissa Butler, Robyne Elder, Lucinda Huffer and Judith Sanguinetti for thirty-five years of service to the Department of Education. This is a fantastic accomplishment.
Lissa Butler
Robyne Elder
Lucinda Huffer
Judith Sanguinetti
Valedictory Season (Year 12 Students) As we move into Term 4, we are not far until the end of formal classes and the start of the exam period for the year 12 students.
Thursday October 16 – Last day of Unit 3 & 4 and VCE VM classes
Friday October 17 – Year 12 Valedictory Assembly and Evening:
The Assembly – students have received instructions from the Senior School team on how the day will work
The Valedictory Evening will be held at Springvale City Main Hall. Please refer to the Compass post from Mr Coles for more details.
Monday October 20 to Monday October 27 – Unit 3 & 4 SWAT Vac
The Senior School Precinct will be open for students during “SWAT Vac” and the exam period to use as a revision base. (Students will be required to sign in at the Senior School).
Tuesday October 28 – Unit 4 Exams begin. Good luck to our students.
Safe Holidays I wish everyone a safe and restful break. Term 4 resumes on Monday October 6 at 8.40 am.
Wellington Leaders Step Up at Brentwood Leadership Forum
On Friday August 22, student leaders from across Wellington Secondary College had the opportunity to attend a dynamic leadership forum hosted by Brentwood Secondary College. I was honoured to be selected as one of the representatives, attending in my role as International Captain.
The day began with a warm welcome from Brentwood’s team, including a personalised college guide who led us through the campus and introduced us to the day’s program. Brentwood’s captains organised a series of engaging workshops, team-building activities, and discussion sessions, all centred around the theme of teamwork under pressure and problem solving. One standout activity involved building towers while secretly identifying a ‘spy’ sabotaging the project. I was hilariously accused and sent to the game’s ‘jail’, where I found myself bonding with fellow spies in one of the day’s most entertaining moments.
But the highlight came during lunch, not just because of the delicious catering, but because I was invited by other college leaders to share insights about the events I’ve organised at Wellington as an International Captain. Being recognised and asked to speak was a proud and empowering moment, and it reminded me of the impact student leadership can have across schools.
The forum reinforced a powerful lesson: leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room, it’s about listening deeply, lifting others up, and leading with purpose. I’m excited to bring these ideas back to our school community and hope more students get the chance to experience something as inspiring next year.
Steven HY Year 11 International Captain
The excursion to Brentwood was highly insightful, providing an opportunity to share experiences and learn how other leadership teams operate. It was especially valuable to see the different ways other schools approach leadership and think about what we could implement in our own school. It was also great meeting new leaders, building new connections and planning to stay in touch. Overall, the excursion was a great learning experience!
Tanishka Srivatsan Year 11 SRC Captain
Free Dress Day
The SRC organised a free dress day on Friday August 15 in tribute to cancer awareness and research. Students wore and emblemed the theme of purple or lavender to represent rare cancers. Student volunteers also immersed themselves to create purple and house coloured themed ribbons to distribute amongst our school to signify our schools ongoing support towards cancer research.
The money raised will further strengthen cancer funding and provide hope for our communal health. Over $700 was raised, thank you to everyone who helped the cause!
Christine Pham Year 11 SRC Vice Captain (Caring Leader)
Debate Club
A new club, organized and lead by students has began at Wellington Secondary College. These past Tuesdays and Fridays at lunchtime, groups of bold students came together to deliver powerful arguments on both serious and fun issues with confidence. This event not only helped students to improve their speaking skills and critical thinking. It also marked the beginning of a new and exciting tradition in our school community.
Students form small teams of 4 members to debate topic against another team. Past topics include “Influencers should be held accountable for promoting unsustainable lifestyles.” and “Phones should be taught as a learning tool in schools”. The debates have been adjudicated by a mix of students and teachers.
If you wish to join in, message either Aaqilah Nabeel, Danin Lim, or Steven Hy on MS Teams. Debates happen most Tuesdays and Friday lunchtimes at the Library Steps.
Peer Tutoring
The SRC leaders have successfully started peer tutoring sessions that take place every Thursday during lunch and after school. It allows students who are confident in a subject to volunteer as tutors and provide extra support to peers who may be experiencing difficulties. The sessions are highly beneficial to everyone involved as it encourages collaboration and helps to strengthen academic skills in a supportive environment.
All students are invited to join each Thursday! Lunchtime – Upstairs V Block Afterschool – Library
Danin Lim Year 11 SRC Vice Captain (Learning Leader)
This year’s production, The Wizard of Oz Youth Edition, was a huge success – congratulations to the cast, make up and tech crews for an amazing production season, and a huge thank you to the staff and volunteers involved in helping it happen.
Spring Concert – September 10
Our annual Winter and Spring Concerts are a highlight of the Performing Arts Calendar at Wellington, and this year was no different, with many talented students bravely stepping into the spotlight to show off their musical abilities to a crowded theatre filled with friends, family and other students. Congratulations to staff, students and volunteers involved in pulling off such a successful night.
The theme for National Science Week in 2025 was Decoding the Universe – Exploring the unknown with nature’s hidden language. This invited students and teachers across Australia to delve into the mysteries of the Universe by exploring the fundamental languages of nature, including mathematics and the ground-breaking field of quantum science.
We celebrated by hosting some lunchtime activities including building spaceships, making rockets fly and completing some space themed puzzles. There was also a daily quiz in the student bulletin with Milky Ways and Mars Bars awarded to students who submitted the corrected answers!
We finished the week by taking 7K and 8J to The Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC) for a special Science Week event – ‘Escape the Dark Gut’. The students participated in escape room activities and a lab session where they got to experience using specialised equipment that we don’t have here at school.
Overall, it was a fun week celebrating Science!
Junior Science Olympiad
Earlier this year, several students completed an exam for the Junior Science Olympiad.
The Junior Science Olympiad Exams are challenging but rewarding online exams held once a year, which includes topics in science such as biology, chemistry, Earth and environmental Science, and physics. Exams are two-hours long and are completed wholly online. Students can only sit one exam level – the JSOE Years 7 & 8 or the JSOE Years 9 & 10.
The students have now received their results and the following students are to be congratulated:
Isabella Ngov, Year 7 Aryav Sharma, Year 7 Jordan Jackson, Year 8 Saanvi Shaker, Year 9 Leah Cheung, Year 9 Nirvan Shiwakoti, Year 9 Jun Qi Lee, Year 9 and Armaan Singh, Year 9.
A special mention to William Heng in Year 9 who received a Distinction which placed him in the top 30% of students who completed the Olympiad in the Year 9 & 10 division. Well done!
Ms Sharon Jones Learning Specialist – Head of Science
Congratulations to the following students who were awarded French and Mandarin ‘Students of the Term’ last term. 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 earned 10 points each for their respective houses.
ACACIA
DIANELLA
EUCALYPTUS
WARATAH
Alex Karagiannis, Year 7
Mikaela Ang, Year 7
Onella Fernando, Year 7
Isabella Ngov, Year 7
David Mac, Year 7
Choi Do, Year 7
Abhi Sagoo, Year 8
Dahami Rathnayakage, Year 7
David Nguyen, Year 7
Vitchita Nuth, Year 7
Gwyneth Woodley, Year 8
Aisha Schmidt, Year 7
Nishanth Kodansha, Year 8
Jacob Foley, Year 8
Dorothy Ho, Year 8
Ana Simic, Year 8
Charli Gambas, Year 8
Matthew Tran, Year 8
Enghor Oeng, Year 8
Aaysha Nabeel, Year 8
William Heng, Year 9
Dustin Xie, Year 9
Jinni Tang, Year 8
Milica Matkovic, Year 9
Mr Bushan Sookhareea Curriculum Area Leader (Languages)
Year 12 Health & Human Development students at Wellington Secondary College came together to do something bigger than themselves, by coming together to assemble Clean Birthing Kits for The Birthing Kit Foundation (Australia).
BKF is a humanitarian organisation that provides birthing kits and education in clean birthing practices to women birthing at home in remote regions of the developing world. The kits were picked up last week and will be sent to countries that need them the most, such as Ethiopia and Uganda.
Thank you to everyone who supported this project – it is something that could not have been achieved without the support of the Wellington Community. Thank you especially to Ms Jaclyn Jacobs, Bushan Sookhareea and the VCE Vocational Major student team who cooked and sold crêpes on Friday August 29, with all the profits going to the kits. The cost of a kit is $5 in Australia.
Ms Rebecca Orifici Health and Human Development Teacher
On National Tree Day, I joined a tree planting event at Mulgrave Reserve with my host and two other friends Kim and Vy. All thanks to Ms. Amaral promoting the event on Teams, it was a great outing for all of us. What made the day even more special was seeing people of all ages – children, parents, and the elderly- working together to care for nature. To end the day, we got rewarded with a delicious sausage sizzle!
