KEYSBOROUGH
COLLEGE
Newsletter No. 9
COLLEGE
REPORT
PRINCIPAL’S
I would like to welcome both staff
and students back to our final term
for 2014 with the expectation that
it will be a very busy one for all.
Both campuses have been a hive of
activity over the past two weeks with all classes
settling down quickly in to their learning and
teaching programs.
We will shortly farewell our year 12 students on
Tuesday October 21st and I look forward to
presenting these students to our College Community
at their Graduation ceremony, to be held at the
Springvale Town Hall on Wednesday October 22
as a celebration of their time at Keysborough
College. During the next two weeks our year nine
students will be concentrating on the development
of their life skills as they participate in activities in
the Melbourne CBD as part of our annual “City
Experience” program. Following this in early to midNovember all students in years 7-11 will be sitting
for their final exams and I encourage all students to
plan a revision program and to devote homework
time to their pre-exam study.
Following their exams, the “Headstart” programs
will commence, providing students with a transition
to their 2015 year level and giving senior students
especially a valuable introduction to their 2015
courses and mapping out work which they can
17th October 2014
complete during the summer break so that they are well
ahead at the start of 2015.
NAPLAN results received from our 2014 cohort in both
years seven and nine show continued student growth in
both Literacy and numeracy at levels well above the
state average. If we compare the results of our current
year 9 students to their year 7 results, it is also very
pleasing to note that that our students have progressed
with an average growth well above the state average.
The individual student results were distributed to parents
during our reporting evening last term, together with
Semester 2 Interim reports. Should you not have
received either of these important documents, please
contact the junior or senior school office during school
hours.
Keysborough STARS program will continue in 2015 for
talented students who have high aspirations and wish to
go on to a University course following year 12. Students
in year 10 will shortly receive information on how to
apply to become a part of this program and current
year 11 Stars will continue in the program to year 12.
Please keep a look out for more information about this
exciting and rewarding program.
Keysborough STEM program is being developed this
year for commencement in 2015 and we have recently
held selection tests for high achieving students who have
an interest in focussed study and application in the areas
of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
The curriculum, currently being developed by a team of
specialist teachers with input from the Education Team at
Monash University, is geared towards achieving top VCE
Acacia Campus:28 Isaac Road Keysborough 3173 Ph: 9798 1877 F: 9798 5196
Banksia Campus: 8-20 Janine Road Springvale South 3172 Ph: 9546 4144 F: 9558 5761
Postal Address: PO Box 211 Noble Park 3174 email: [email protected] website: www.keysboroughsc.vic.edu.au
College News
results and providing practical experiences to help
senior students identify and work towards University
courses in their area of interest. Currently we are
constructing a purpose-built facility for STEM at our
Banksia campus and refitting the Science Centre at
Acacia for the 2015 STEM cohort.
to create a beautiful reminder of the opportunity these
mothers took.
So to Michelle Dalton, Sharon Antonucci and Maria
Ayhan a very big thankyou from both myself and the
Acacia Campus for your effort.
Architects drawings of the completed STEM centre building at
Banksia Campus.
This is the area which is earmarked for change. Stay tuned.
Patrick Boyd Acting College Principal
ACACIA CAMPUS
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
Winston Churchill once said “A pessimist sees the
difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the
opportunity in every difficulty. “ I was reminded of
this quote on my very first day as Campus Principal
of the Acacia campus when a mother came in to
speak to me.
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A parent of one of our students is employed at the
local Bunnings. As our tummies and noses will tell us
every weekend Bunnings has a BBQ and the money
goes to the organisation that runs the BBQ. On one
Saturday last month the designated organisation
failed to turn up meaning no BBQ at the front door,
a problem for the reputation of Bunnings. Our
parent, rather than seeing the problem saw an
opportunity. She acted quickly, grabbed the
opportunity, purchased the food, called for backup
from some other parents and all of a sudden there
was a BBQ. The parents gave freely of their own
time and Bunnings put up the money for the food.
This group of mothers worked very hard to make
the day a success.
So why was I so happy to greet this mother?
Besides getting to meet her was the fact that in her
hand was a cheque for the money raised by the
BBQ. A donation to the school of $1032.30 raised
on the day was made with the only proviso that the
money be spent on the Junior School in some
way. We went for a walk and I explained one of
my ideas for a small area in front of the year 9
building. This money has now been allocated to
start the improvements around the Junior School, this
will be happening almost immediately. Rather than
spend it on something that will perish, it will be used
I started with a quote about ‘opportunity’, I think we can
all learn a lesson in life from this story. When
opportunity knocks don’t lean on the door and try and
keep it shut, open it, embrace the opportunity and see
what you can make of it. As you progress through school
take every opportunity afforded you and make the best
of it. Don’t let hard work put you off!
I have really enjoyed my first week in my new position
and look forward to getting to know the students and
families as quickly as possible.
2014 Acacia Campus Captains
Christina Poloaiga and Charlie Vo
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Year 12
Student Leadership team including Campus Captains
Christina Poloaiga and Charlie Vo for their hard work
and enthusiasm this year.
Remember what Thomas Edison said “The
reason a lot of people do not recognise
opportunity is because it usually goes
around wearing overalls looking like hard
work.”
Richard Hastings Campus Principal
The start to Term 4 has been very busy, with us now in
week 3 already! Many recent events have occurred at
Banksia campus to continue the vitality of our learning
community. We held our second parent teacher
interviews for the year on Thursday September 18,
giving parents an opportunity to discuss the progress of
their son or daughter with subject teachers and providing
time to develop a plan for improvement during term 4.
The evening was well attended and following this, we
are holding remaining Interim reports for collection.
Please encourage your child to collect their report from
their year level leader if you have not yet received a
report.
Senior Course Counselling occurred in the latter half of
Term 3. Trained staff conducted a one on one careers
counselling session with each year 10, 11 and
accelerated year 9 student to assist each child to make
their important subject and course choice for 2015.
These staff counsellors outlined the subjects and studies
involved in particular course choices; VCE, VCAL, VET or
an SBAT in 2015. The college ensures that the students
and their families are well informed as to the choices
available at our school and that the goals and
capabilities of each individual student is optimized for
their academic and future success.
Following this program, we are now developing a
picture of which subjects will be offered in 2015 and will
notify students and parents later in the term.
Our year 9 students are spending this week in the City
of Melbourne for their City Experience and engaging in
a variety of different activities designed to prepare
them for independence, knowing what our city centre
offers to both a young person and an adult in regard to
leisure and the world of work.
YEAR 12 – THE FINAL WEEKS
The time is rapidly approaching when our Year 12 VCE
students face their final exams: For most students, Exams
for Year 12 will commence on Wednesday 29 October
with English/ESL exams – all students have their exam
timetable and should be very familiar with the schedule.
We farewell our Year 12 class of 2014 on their last
day of official classes; Tuesday 21 October. A special
farewell assembly and luncheon has been organised for
staff and students to say their ‘goodbyes’. This is a very
special day for Year 12s as it marks the end of their
formal schooling and, after completing their final
assessments/exams, their move into the world beyond
our school.
2014 Banksia Campus Captains
Andreas Scicluna and Jessica Le
Particular thanks to our 2014 Banksia Campus
Captains Andreas Scicluna and Jessica Le who
have led our student group with great commitment
and passion.
Exams for Year 7 - 11 will be shortly
upon us again and I encourage all
students to study diligently to ensure
that they give themselves the best
chance of success.
I ask all students to remember;
Effort = Reward.
Lynda Portelli
Campus Principal
SENIOR SCHOOL NEWS
Course Counselling and Course reviews
The College Senior School Leadership teams of
each Campus have established a comprehensive
range of supports for students, focussed on assisting
individuals to plan their educational pathway and
subject selection for the next two years of study.
During week’s four to six of last Term, all Year 10
and 11 students and Year 9’s considering an
accelerated VCE study received a personal course
counselling session with a senior school teacher. This
amounts to over two hundred individual
appointments conducted at each Campus and a
considerable investment of teacher time beyond
regular teaching duties. This commitment reflects the
value our college places in supporting students to
make sound educational choices, informed by the
knowledge of an individual’s strengths, talents and
interests. It is our belief that this investment of time
will assist our students to access personally
satisfying post-secondary training and employment
opportunities.
Our Year 12 students face some important decisions
at this stage of the year in relation to completing
the VTAC (Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre)
Application process, used to apply for University or
TAFE courses beyond secondary school. In the latter
part of last Term, our Year 12 students were
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I encourage our Year 12 VCE students to use the coming
weeks effectively in preparing for exams and our VCAL
students to ensure their final assessment pieces are
completed. Teachers are most willing to assist students in
exam preparation through the provision of the English/
EAL master class and individual advice and support.
I want to thank the Banksia Year 12 Student leadership
group who have contributed so positively to our Campus
and College this year. They have been excellent
role models.
College News
BANKSIA CAMPUS
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
College News
encouraged to make an individual appointment with
a Counsellor, available to assist with information
about tertiary studies offered at Universities and
TAFE’s in addition to advice regarding scholarships
and eligibility for special consideration through the
SEAS application process (Special Entry Access
Scheme).
Senior School Programs Supporting Students and
Improving Exam Results - Practise Exams For
Year 11 and 12 Students Of VCE Unit 4 Studies
It is widely recognised that students perform better
in exams when they have had opportunities to
practise before hand and learn the skills necessary
to manage time and interpret questions effectively.
In recognition of this, Keysborough College is
committed to providing practise exam sessions and
expects all Year 12 VCE students to participate in a
compulsory English or EAL exam and at least two
other practise exam sessions. On the last day of
Term 3 (Fri 19th Sept) all VCE Unit 4 classes were
cancelled and college VCE practise exams ran
instead. An additional practise exam session also
ran on the afternoon of Wed 8th October. Year 11
and 12 VCE students received information
regarding these arrangements several weeks ago.
All students understand the benefits of participating
in practise exams and were informed that
attendance was compulsory.
Sydney Leadership Summit for ABCN Scholarship
recipient - Samantha Lim
On the 13th and 14th of August, I was given the
opportunity to travel to Sydney for a Leadership
summit which involved working with my mentor
Kerry and other business professionals. Along with
the other Victorian scholarship winners, we flew to
Sydney. Upon arrival, we met the other winners
from all over Australia and travelled to CBA. We
were warmly greeted by Craig Griffin, head of
Sales and Performance Banking and Financial
Services Group at Macquarie Bank.
Craig was an amazing speaker and he taught us
the ability to think positively, take responsibility and
speak publicly. His style of teaching was incredible
and I left feeling on top of the world.
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That night, we attended the annual ABCN dinner at
J.P Morgan and I met many business leaders and
professionals such as lawyers and principals. It was
lovely to engage a conversation with them as they
have come from different pathways in life and
have become quite successful in what they do. After
a long day, we went back to our hotel and had a
good night sleep.
The next day was just as mesmerising as the first
day. Some of us decided to wake up super early to
go sightseeing at Circular Quay. To my surprised,
Sydney has DOUBLE DECKER TRAINS!!! Whaaaaat?
We were able to see the spectacular Sydney
Harbour bridge and the Opera House. We later
went to CBA again for another session with Craig to
debrief on the Sydney trip. Sadly enough, that was the
end of our trip and we all said our goodbye and left for
the airport.
Going to Sydney was definitely worthwhile and it was
such a great experience. I met many extraordinary
people who all inspired me in one way or another. I am
really thankful for this opportunity and enjoyed every
second of it. Ultimately, the trip enabled me to open my
eyes on the wider world and gain many life skills. One
last thing, the food was fantastic.
Samantha Lim
Year 11 Acacia Campus
Important Dates and Information
Reminder: Year 12 students must pay a $15 hire fee for
Graduation Gowns NOW if you haven’t already done
so!!
Tues 21st Oct : Year 12’s Farewell assembly
Wed 22nd Oct : Year 12 Graduation Evening,
Springvale Town Hall
Fri 24th Oct: Yr 12 English/ English as an Additional
Language Master Class
Wed 29th Oct: Year 12 VCE Exams commence
Mon 10th – Fri 14th Nov: Year 10 & 11 Exam week
Mon 17th – Fri 28th Nov: Year 11 Headstart Program
(2 weeks)
Mon 24th – Fri 5th Dec: Year 10 Headstart Program
(2 weeks)
The Senior Teaching Team encourage all our students to
make the most of the range of supports and assistance
offered by the college to maximise your chances of
success.
Sue McDonnell
Acacia Campus Senior School
Assistant Principal
Estelle Alder
Banksia Campus Senior School
Acting Assistant Principal
VCE DRAMA
Miss Phillips and the students at Kingston City Hall
College News
The VCE Drama students attended their Solo
Performance Exam on Monday October 6th at Kingston
City Hall. They spent all term devising and rehearsing
their own 7 minute performances based on character
structures such as Vivian Vance from ‘I Love Lucy’, Lady
Eboshi from ‘Princess Mononoke’ and The Socialite from
the musical, ‘Company’. They then performed for the
school community at the Acacia Theatre on Thursday
October 16th. They should be very proud of all their
hard work!
The following students received a Credit:
Acacia Campus:
Year 7: Leanne Le, Mardi Neung, Jenny Nguyen,
Vailan Kita
Year 8: Blake Barnes, Danny Phan, Ivy Tin, Corey
Rischitelli, Winnie Huynh, Henry Phan, Anthony Hill
Year 9: Anthony Le, Anthony Nguyen, Jing Fang,
Sophieh Lam, Alex Robertson, Jessie Dao
Year 10: Hoang Nguyen, Derrick Soeng, Chamnan
Dy
Year 11: Tong Hieu, Tuan Chu, Jimmy Nguyen, Trinh
Nguyen, Chelsea Chin, Yunze Shi, Sandra Hok
Year 12: Rosie Quach
Banksia Campus:
Year 7: Kheng-Houy Bun, Felicia Nguyen, Ngan
Nguyen, Anderson Taing, Sokun Suy, Allan Lu
Year 8: Arthur Jer Shyuan Lin, Lily Trinh, Kevin Lu,
Kenny Le, Trong Nguyen, Andrea Eav, Raymond
Lim, Quynh Nguyen, Thong Nguyen, Darshil
Tadhani, Shanii Camilleri, Sharon Tat, Chi Tran, Tien
Do, Tho Vo, Christine Nguyen
Year 9: Melissa Van
Year 10: Benjamin Nguy, Ann Nguyen, Leena Phan,
Kamol Kin, Victor Chheng, Keith Griffin, Gangoa
He, Matthew Doung, Duy-Tue Nguyen-Pham, Thuy
Trinh
Year 12: Kim Bui, Khoa Ngo
All other entrants received a Proficiency or
Participation certificate.
The Year 11 Drama students will also be performing
their solos for friends and family on Thursday October
28th from 6-7pm at the Acacia Theatre. Please come
and support them if you're available.
Ashleigh Phillips
VCE Drama Teacher
Australian Mathematics Competition 2014
This year 178 students at Keysborough College took
part in the Australian Mathematics competition, which
was a huge increase on the 98 who competed last year.
Seven of our students achieved a Distinction result, and a
further 63 received a Credit, an excellent result for a
very tough test.
This is an international competition, involving hundreds of
thousands of students from many countries around the
world.
Derek Ly of Year 8 receives his Distinction certificate.
Derek also earned the campus Prudence Award for
answering 9 consecutive questions correctly
Congratulations to all students for your results and
excellent conduct during the examination. It is
wonderful to see how well Mathematics is being
embraced at our college. We hope you will all take
part again next year.
Steven Runnalls & Hayley Hooper
Australian Mathematics Competition
Co-ordinators
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The following students are recognised as having
received a Distinction:
Acacia Campus:
Year 7: Cassandra Jooss
Year 10: Kevin Nguyen
Banksia Campus:
Year 7: Seth O’Donnell, Kate McNess
Year 8: Derek Ly, Rylee Peters
Year 10: Yongjie Liu
College News
INSIDE OUT PROJECT
Thursday 16th October saw the official celebration
of the Inside Out project for 2014 at Banksia
Campus, with live music and a BBQ after school. The
theme this year was centred around positive body
image and students photos are displayed in the
Year 9 courtyard for all to see.
Live music
Sausages in bread proved very popular
We were very lucky to have a dry evening despite the
chilly winds and threatening clouds.
Congratulations to Mr Jerome Holleman and all of the
students involved in this fantastic activity. Hopefully we
will be able to make this an annual event.
Is your spare bedroom worth
$250 per week?
您有空余的房间租给海外留学生吗?
Staff, students and visitors enjoyed the evening
Bạn có phòng trống nào để cho du học sinh thuê không?
Keysborough
Secondary College
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Urgently requires Homestay providers who can speak English and
would like to host an international student in their home in 2014.
For more information please call:
Mrs Mitze Ho
International Student Program Manager
B/h: 9546 4144 or Mobile: 0403 189 283
The wonderful display in the courtyard
School Holiday Program
French excursion to the ‘From Page to Stage –
Victor Hugo’ exhibition at the State Library of
Victoria.
On 8 October fifty lucky Year 8 and 9 students
attended the ‘Les Misérables’ exhibition at the State
Library in the city.
Students, who had watched the movie earlier this
year, were treated to a free entry ticket to see the
multi-media exhibits which included Victor Hugo’s
original manuscript and lots more. Hugo (18021885) is the author of ‘The Hunchback of Notre
Dame’ and ‘Les Misérables’. He was an untiring
crusader for justice, freedom and equality, and
against poverty and prejudice.
The exhibition included films, posters, paintings,
costumes and objects about the author, his book ‘Les
Misérables and the highly successful stage musical
based on the novel.
College News
Keysborough College was pleased to host over 200
Grade 4 and 5 students for our Term 3 Holiday
Program. The two day program ran at Acacia and
Banksia on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th of September
included a range of practical and engaging activities for
the students.
Students were even allowed to dress up in period
costumes. Every student also participated in a fun
creative workshop during which they had to
produce a one page comic strip based on a famous
scene from the novel.
We had positive feedback from many parents and the
students seemed to really enjoy the day. We look
forward to hosting more students in the Term 1 break in
2015.
Natalie Fode
Year 7 Teacher Team Leader
Derek Ly and Cody Nguyen 8A
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Cooking, Art and Science were among the many activities enjoyed
by the Primary Students.
Finally, we all enjoyed a
guided visit of the
magnificent State Library
building which included
seeing its massive reading
room as well as Ned Kelly’s
armour. We sincerely thank
Ms Martin, Ms Mezaache
and Mr Megroz for
organising the excursion
which made learning really
fun.
DATES TO REMEMBER
College News
21st October
Last Day for Year 12 - Farewell Assembly
College Council 7.00 - 8.30pm
20th-31st October
Year 9 City Experience
22nd October
Graduation Night Springvale Town Hall 7.00 - 9.00pm
29th October
VCE Exams commence
4th November
Melbourne Cup Day Public Holiday
10th November
Year 11 Exams commence
11th November
Year 7 information Evening 6.30-8.30pm Banksia Campus
12th November
Year 10 Exams commence
13th November
Year 7 information Evening 6.30-8.30pm Acacia Campus
KEYSBOROUGH COLLEGE
PO Box 211,
Noble Park, 3174
Coming to Keysborough
College in 2015
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Seussical is coming in 2015 and auditions will be held on October 28 th
at Banksia in the morning and Acacia in the afternoon.
Please see or email Maggie for the Banksia audition times and Miss
Phillips for the Acacia audition times.
Further information will be given at this time.