Welcome and COVID-19 Update Welcome to this fortnight’s Journal, and for anyone with family or friends connected to the Victorian floods, we send our sincere thoughts out to you all.
Since our last Journal, the Victorian Government has announced changes to the COVID-19 isolation requirements, ending the state of emergency for the pandemic.
What that means is that since 11.59pm on Wednesday October 12, the mandatory orders around isolation for people with COVID-19 have ended and instead we move to health advice and recommendations for people with COVID-19 or COVID-19-like symptoms.
Our school will continue to adhere to the Department of Health’s recommendations to ensure that our school remains a safe environment for our staff and students – in particular, in light of the upcoming VCAA examinations.
The Department of Health strongly recommends that students and school staff:
who test positive to COVID-19 stay home and isolate for 5 days, and do not attend school after 5 days if they are still symptomatic
who are symptomatic but have not tested positive do not attend school. This does not include students with pre-existing conditions such as hayfever.
The Departments of Health and Education are recommending that parents and carers continue to report their child having COVID-19 to both the school and the Department of Health.
At Wellington:
We will no longer report occurrences of positive cases to the school community.
We will continue to ask parents and carers to remain vigilant in preventing COVID-19 transmission. Any student who is unwell should continue to remain at home. This is about keeping students healthy and well in our school and reducing the spread of both COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.
We will continue to contact parents and carers if their child shows symptoms while at school.
We will continue to provide free rapid antigen tests for those who need them.
We will continue to support students and staff who wish to wear a mask should they wish to.
We will also continue to use air purifiers and other COVID-19 prevention measures as appropriate.
I thank you all once again for your support over the last 3 years during these unprecedented times. Thanks for your continued efforts to keep our school community safe and well.
Valedictory Season – a very busy week! Last week was a particularly hectic one – first and foremost with the extreme weather conditions, but also with the various Valedictory activities that took place. Our students behaved in an exemplary way – I was so proud that they were able to maintain the Wellington tradition for respectful and ordered farewells to their last classes at secondary school. I am confident that they have been well prepared and that they will continue to conduct themselves in the “Wellington Way” at all times over the next few weeks. Good luck to everyone in the exams.
Monday – International BBQ Valedictory Week kicked off on Monday evening with the International Student Farewell BBQ. Keep in mind that many of these students had not been “home” since prior to the pandemic. The sense of pride and achievement was profound, and it was lovely to share it with staff, homestay parents and in some cases, parents who had made a trip to Australia to support their children over the last part of their secondary schooling. I sincerely thank Ms Connie and her team not just for organising the event, but for their support of our international students throughout their time at Wellington.
Wednesday – Visual Arts Exhibition On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of attending and celebrating the annual VCE Graduate Art Exhibition, where we were able to showcase the fine work of our senior Visual Arts students. The event was held for the first time in the new Senior School precinct, and I think it is fair to say that the new venue certainly enhanced the ambience of this spectacular exhibition. Congratulations to the students and their teachers on a fantastic exhibition. In particular, I congratulate Mr Bare, Ms Szabo and Ms Fry for their organisation and note the success of the online “People’s Choice” component of the awards made.
Thursday – Valedictory Assembly and Dinner By Thursday, it was time for the students to say farewell – and as the photos in other parts of the Journal will show, it certainly was a colourful celebration. The parade and assembly were enjoyed by all and in the evening, we gathered again for the more formal farewells at the Valedictory Dinner. As well as the usual Valedictory class awards, we announced the Senior School awards that would normally be presented at our whole school Awards Night (which we are looking to re-institute at Robert Blackwood Hall in 2023). I sincerely congratulate the following recipients:
AM Fogarty Award
Helene Nguyen
RG Wilson Ampol/Caltex Allrounder Award
Reja Nasim
Principal’s Awards
Fa Re Dar, Faheem Ayobi, Darcy Allen and Kimmeyleap Chy
Application and Achievement Award
Anthony Nguyen
JR Landvodt Arts Awards
Janidu Gunatissa, Darcy Allen
Nicole Richardson Sports Award
Isabella Eghanian
I thank Head of Senior School, Mr Coles and his team, as well as Ms Huffer and her team for the coordination and set up of the day, which I think was a truly memorable one for all involved!
Pre-Cup Day – Monday October 31 I take this opportunity to inform everyone of the plans for Monday October 31.
Traditionally, prior to the pandemic, families at Wellington have taken the opportunity to take a “long weekend” concluding with the Tuesday Melbourne Cup public holiday.
If students in Years 7 to 10 do not attend the College on Monday October 31, could parents please provide a note to the school on Wednesday November 2 in the usual way.
For those students who do attend, classes will operate, however, we will decide on the day how they will be configured – this will be based on the numbers, if any, and the year levels in attendance.
Senior School exams will be running as scheduled, however please note:
The College Canteen will NOT BE OPEN on Monday October 31
The College Charter Bus service WILL NOT OPERATE on Monday October 31
Public buses will run according to their published schedules
This reminder will be sent out again via Compass next week leading up to Cup Day.
It was great after a few years to be able to once again welcome everyone to this event. It was a nice send off for our Year 12 international students who were able to celebrate with fellow students, staff, host parents and family members. 80 people were present and enjoyed sausages, hamburgers and a variety of salads. The entertainment included piano recitals by Rosa Tran and Annie Nguyen in Year 10, followed by April Han of Year 9 singing a Chinese song whilst strumming her electric guitar. Our Vietnamese students surprised us with a spontaneous vocal Vietnamese performance. The finale was a photo presentation of the international student class of 2022 – some of whom have been at Wellington since 2018.
Thank you to the staff who assisted with the cooking and preparations for the event. We wish our students continued success in their future studies and hope they enjoy what lies ahead.
Connie Tzelepis Director of International Programs
On Wednesday October 12, we celebrated the achievements of the Graduating Class of 2022 with the annual VCE Art exhibition, showcasing art and design works from the Studio Arts and Visual Communication Design classes. This was the first onsite exhibition held since 2019, with a new venue in B Block. It was a wonderful evening with many students, parents, teachers and members of the community attending to support our students.
On the evening, a ‘People’s Choice’ award, using QR codes was voted for and the overwhelming winner was Abbey Sullivan for her Studio Arts watercolours and linocuts.
The following awards were also announced:
Ramona Soun – Excellence in Studio Arts
Janidu Gunatissa – Excellence in Visual Communication Design
Katrina Huynh – Acquisitive Prize for her Visual Communication work
Abbey Sullivan – Acquisitive Prize for her series of linocuts
The College Acquisitive Prize is an annual prize that is selected by the Principal and College Arts staff. The selected art and design works are purchased by the College for the College collection.
Congratulations to all of the Studio Arts and Visual Communication Design students on a wonderful exhibition.
Fiona Szabo StudioArts Teacher
Award winner Ramona Soun Excellence in Studio ArtsAward winner Janidu Gunatissa Excellence in Visual Communication DesignAward winner Abbey Sullivan Acquisitive Prize for her series of linocuts; People’s ChoiceAward winner Katrina Huynh Acquisitive Prize for her Visual Communication work
Year 8 Table Tennis team: Lucien Chung, Jerome George, Sachin Raju, Do Long Van Hoang and Keerthikan Thulasithasan. The team made it through to Regionals on October 19! Coached by Mr Tom Wyldes.
Year 8 Girls Basketball team: Breanna Wong, Sophea Sroh, Annecia Riley, Katie Aoun, Mary Matar, Armani Toelau, Tammy Chan, Celeste Rojas, Alicia Truong, Tam-Nhu Le, Melodee McGee, and Athena Zilic. The team played really well all day, and won three games and lost three games. Coached by Hayley Vo of Year 10 and Mr Kim Durrant.
We would like your family to engage in the next Respectful Relationships* topic, as outlined below. This could happen in the car on the way to school, on the weekend, at the dinner table or on the couch – wherever the family unit is in the one place.
TOPIC 4: PROBLEM SOLVING–is about developing critical and creative thinking skills and applying these to scenarios exploring personal, social and ethical problems.
Goal:Working together to solve problems Activity: With a family member, talk about this scenario: I had a disagreement with my best friend and felt left out. What are three positive ways one could solve this situation?
*Respectful Relationships – is a teaching and learning program integrated into the curriculum within all government schools, including Wellington Secondary College. It isdesigned to help students learn and practice social skills and apply them in positive ways to learning, life and relationships, such as, treating others as equals and with respect. Respectful Relationships is broken up into eight topics of social and emotional learning.
David Hose Director of Student Services – Inclusion
Without a doubt, teachers are one of the most important members of our society, who are not recognised enough for their hard work and the contribution they make, not only to the students’ lives but also to the whole community.
Teachers influence students, set them up for success in life, and inspire them to do well and succeed in what they do. They have the power to positively change and shape the lives of not only their students but the lives of all.
Teachers hugely contribute to preparing students in becoming young citizens who play their part in the community, and build strong and inspiring future generations.
The students of today will become the parents, teachers, leaders and other important roles of tomorrow, and the dedication and hard work of today’s teachers play a crucial role in getting an adolescent ready for their future.
Teachers provide guidance and support to students in both their educational life and as an individual.
I would like to invite all students to show their gratitude towards their teachers, not only on World Teachers Day but every day.
On behalf of the Junior School Leadership Team, Wellington Secondary College students, parents, and the wider community, I would like to thank all teachers for their dedication and hard work.
On Tuesday October 4, all Year 10 students had the opportunity to participate in Sex Education workshops run by Elephant Ed. This organisation works with hundreds of schools across Australia and are trained in talking about the elephant in the room (Sex Education). Our workshops were specifically focused on Safe Sex and STIs, as it was identified as an area of concern brought forward through student voice.
The sessions were a great success, and our Year 10 cohort found the facilitators and workshops extremely insightful. On behalf of the Middle School and Year 10 students, I would like to thank Elephant Ed for their great work.
Troy Diaz Head of Middle School
Year 10 Road Smart Program
On September 9, all Year 10 students participated in an interactive session on Road Safety run by trained facilitators from VicRoads. By using evidence-based road safety education, the aim is to lay the foundations for safe driving and help reduce road trauma among young people.
The program provided students with a broad understanding of:
Identifying personal risk and strategies to reduce risk
Taking a staged approach to learning to drive
The safe system (safer speeds, vehicles, roads and safer people)
The importance of vehicle safety for young drivers
The students were engaged throughout the session and participated in discussions with the facilitators. As part of the program, students who hold a valid Learners permit are also eligible for a free driving lesson with an approved instructor.
Rita Stabile and Michael Locco Year 10 Coordinators
Pictured above: The Principal, Mr Blaikie with AM Fogarty Award winner, Helene Nguyen
Year 12 Valedictory Parade, Assembly, and Awards Dinner
Last week, Wellington’s Class of 2022 reached the end of their school journey and celebrated the conclusion of a remarkable year. Their final day of classes on Wednesday October 12 ended with the traditional countdown led by the College Captains, followed by an emotional gathering in the locker bay and Senior School common area. The next day, students celebrated their Valedictory Day – the morning was filled with clever and amusing jokes as scores were settled – a prime example being the 400 balloons that filled the Senior School office! It is also worth recognising the inspired memes and other posters that went up around the school.
The mid-morning Year 12 parade is always a highlight, and it was wonderful to see it return to its home in the Northern Gym in front of a large audience of students – this was simply the best and most creative costume effort seen in a long time!
The day concluded with the Valedictory Dinner, which made a welcome return to its traditional format at Wellington in the Southern Gym. The gym was beautifully decorated, thanks to the hard work of a team of staff and student volunteers led by Ms Huffer, and overall, the event was a great success. After enjoying dinner, students were presented with a range of awards, including significant College awards, as well as graduation certificates, and Senior School reluctantly acknowledged the students’ victory in the Staff vs Students Cup and swore revenge next year.
Finally, we say congratulations to the Class of 2022. Their work on the day was exemplary, inspiring, and fully represented the Wellington Way in a challenging year – we thank them, and wish them all the best for their upcoming exams.
