Dear Parents/Carers & Students

As we reach the midpoint of Term 2, it’s a great time to reflect on the meaningful learning and key events that have shaped what has already been a productive and inspiring term.

ANZAC Day Commemorations

On 25 April, I had the honour of attending the ANZAC Day memorial service at the Melton cenotaph alongside one of our School Captains, Georgia Lee Lynch. Georgia represented Staughton College with pride and respect as we paid tribute to the courage and sacrifice of Australia’s servicemen and women.

We continued our reflections with a whole-school ANZAC Assembly on 28 April; held in the gym, it was a moving and respectful ceremony, I was proud of the way our students engaged thoughtfully with this important national commemoration.

Careers Week Inspires Future Thinking

Careers Week, held from 12 to 16 May, was a fantastic opportunity for students to explore their future pathways. Activities throughout the week included guest speaker presentations, workshops, and hands-on sessions aimed at broadening students’ understanding of post-school options. It was wonderful to see so many students participating actively, asking questions, showing initiative, and thinking ahead about their goals and ambitions.

Wynspeak Public Speaking Competition

This term, several of our students represented Staughton College in the Wynspeak Public Speaking Competition.  While we didn’t take home a win this year, our students performed with confidence and professionalism.  It was a wonderful showcase of their developing communication skills and a valuable learning experience.

Student Safety and Psychological Wellbeing

Student safety and wellbeing remain our highest priority.  This term, we’re focusing more deeply on psychological safety and bullying awareness.  Through dedicated lessons and discussions, students will be learning about the key factors that contribute to a safe and supportive school environment, as well as how to seek help if needed.

We encourage families to talk with their young person about what they are learning in this space.  Please reach out to the College if you have any concerns—we’re here to work together to support every student.

High Expectations and School Pride

High expectations and student safety go hand in hand.  This term, we continue to reinforce the importance of wearing the full academic uniform at all designated times. Doing so not only fosters a sense of school pride and connection, but also creates a respectful and orderly learning environment.

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping students meet our shared expectations and values.

School Review: A Time for Reflection and Growth

We are preparing for our School Review, which begins on Monday 26 May.  Over the review period, a team of reviewers will visit classrooms, speak with staff, students, and parents, and explore the learning culture of our school.  This important process will help shape our next School Strategic Plan, which will guide our key improvement areas over the coming years.

We invite interested parents to be involved in this process by joining a parent focus group.  If you would like to participate, please email the College to express your interest.

Looking Ahead

As we move into the second half of the term, I encourage all students to stay focused, remain curious, and continue working hard.  There are still many opportunities for growth and success in the weeks ahead.

Thank you to our staff, students, and families for your continued support and commitment to learning.  It is through strong partnerships that we continue to build a positive, thriving community at Staughton College.

Mr A Devine

Principal | Staughton College

My Career Insights / Morrisby Profiling

My Career Insights / Morrisby Profiling commences on Monday 26th May and concludes Friday 30th May with all year 9 students.

The Morrisby Profile is a series of assessments and questionnaires that delivers personalised guidance to match student’s attributes to careers that they may be compatible with.

Following the Morrisby Profiling in week 6, students will commence individual career counselling sessions in week 9 with an accredited career counsellor to discuss their Morrisby results.

My Career Insights

Trade & Tech Fit Expo

The Department of Education is holding a Trade & Tech Fit Expo on 3-4 June 2025 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Female and gender-diverse students in Year 10 are invited to dive into the dynamic world of trade and tech industries.

Trade-and-Tech-Fit-Expo-2025-Poster

Here’s what you can expect:

Experience

Engage in hands-on activities, explore captivating displays, and participate in supportive conversations led by women from many diverse fields.

Learn

Gain insights into rewarding, well-paying career opportunities in traditionally male-focused industries.

Discover

Explore career pathways in various sectors, including building, electrical, automotive, aviation, plumbing, marine, robotics, clean energy, gaming, and many more.

Interested?

Contact your careers adviser.

Food Safety Training

Food Safety training is currently being offered at Melton Youth Services.

This is heavily subsidised by Melton City Council. Students only need to pay $20 (per training) to register for this training.

When: 18^th June 2025.

Where: Melton Youth Facility, 193 Barries Road, Melton 3337

Students need to register and pay online using this link – https://www.melton.vic.gov.au/Services/People/Youth/Employability-Skill-Development

Careers are happy to support students to register.

Work Experience

Work experience for Year 10 students will run in the last week of Term 3.

The dates are; Monday 15th September – Friday 19th September.

Students receive information during tutorial classes regarding work experience and it is expected that each student will have secured a placement and completed their work experience forms by 29 August 2025.

Important Reminder:

Before participating in Work Experience, students must complete the following safe@work certificates:

safe@work: General

 safe@work: Industry-Specific (relevant to your placement)

You can use the link below to complete the safe@work certificates:

https://www.vic.gov.au/safework/safework-self-assessment-tests

These certificates are compulsory for all students to participate in Work Experience.

It is important that students try to find work experience in a field they are interested in.

Benefits of work experience include;

• Gain an insight into the day-to-day tasks relating to a specific career
• Provide students with an opportunity to relate school studies with a workplace
• Give students an insight into the diversity of employees in the workplace
• Prepare students for the demands and expectations of the working world
• Help students make informed career decisions by assessing their aptitudes and interests, and exploring potential careers
• Improve students’ maturity, confidence and self-reliance
• Provide a link between school and local community
• Provide students with appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes concerning both paid and unpaid work

The careers team will be putting tips on how to find a work experience placement and recommended work experience organisations on the careers office windows. Please keep an eye out for this.

All completed work experience forms to be returned to Careers Office. Please ensure all sections have been signed by relevant people.

Staughton College Career Expo: A Night of Inspiration and Opportunity

On Thursday 15th May, Staughton College proudly hosted its very own Career Expo, bringing together students, parents, and industry professionals for an evening dedicated to exploring future career pathways.

With the invaluable support of our incredible providers—The University of Melbourne, Swinburne University, Victoria University, Headstart, Busy at Work, Leisure Employment, Youth Projects, Foresite Training and Samantha Tramsek, our VET and VASS Coordinator—the event was a tremendous success. Their time, enthusiasm, and willingness to share insights made a lasting impact on our students, helping them gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities available to them.

Throughout the evening, students engaged in meaningful conversations, received expert advice, and discovered various pathways that align with their passions and aspirations. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from staff, parents/carers, and students highlights the importance of events like these in shaping futures and building confidence in career decision-making.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the organisations involved for their generosity and commitment to student success. Their presence and support made this event a truly inspiring experience.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making the Career Expo such a memorable occasion! We look forward to continuing to provide valuable opportunities for our students.

SSV Rolls Out the Positive Behaviour Rule!

School Sport Victoria (SSV) is stepping up the game in 2025 with a bold new move to make school sport more positive, inclusive, and respectful: introducing the Positive Behaviour Rule!

This exciting initiative kicks off in all school football (soccer) and basketball competitions across Victoria next year, with Australian Football and Netball getting a trial run at select events. By 2026, it’s game on for all sports.

So, what’s the rule? It’s simple: zero tolerance for poor behaviour. That means no:

• Arguing with refs or questioning calls

• Negative, disrespectful comments—on or off the field

• Swearing or offensive language

• Any kind of dissent

Break the rule? Expect real-time penalties:

⚽ Football (Soccer): Opponent gets a corner kick
🏀 Basketball: Team cops a technical foul

Referees, conveners, and SSV staff are fully empowered to call it out—and even stop or cancel games if needed.

This is a team effort. Players, coaches, parents, and spectators—we’re all part of the game day atmosphere. Let’s lift each other up, cheer respectfully, and show what school sport is really about: fun, fairness, and fierce but friendly competition.

Let’s set the standard. Let’s lead with positivity.

🔗 More info: SSV Positive Behaviour Rule

Mitchell & Spencer Davies

A huge congratulations to Mitchell Davies on his outstanding achievements at the recent SSV State Swimming Championships! Mitchell placed 1st in the 100m Breaststroke and took home 2nd place in the 50m Breaststroke, showcasing incredible skill and determination in the pool.

We also want to recognise Spencer Davies, who proudly represented our school and placed in the top five across his events, a fantastic effort at the state level!

Well done to both Mitchell and Spencer on your hard work, sportsmanship and impressive results. You’ve made your school community very proud!

7B Drama Class

Congratulations to Our Victorian State Schools Spectacular Stars!

We are thrilled to share some exciting news — two of our very talented students have successfully auditioned for the 2025 Victorian State Schools Spectacular! After a highly competitive audition process conducted by the Department of Education’s Performing Arts Unit, Maddison Taylor (Year 12) and Tanisha Oetomo (Year 12) have secured prestigious roles in this year’s cast.

• • • • • Maddison Taylor – Principal Dancer
        • Tanisha Oetomo – Principal Vocalist

We are incredibly proud of Maddison and Tanisha for their remarkable achievement and for representing our school community with such talent and passion. Their dedication, hard work, and commitment to the performing arts is truly inspiring.

The Victorian State Schools Spectacular will be two performances on Saturday 13 September 2025 at John Cain Arena at 1pm and 6pm, with a television broadcast scheduled for December. This major event will feature over 3,000 students from Victorian government schools, showcasing an incredible array of music, dance, singing, circus performance, and behind-the-scenes expertise. Tickets will be on sale through Ticketek.

We congratulate Maddison and Tanisha once again and look forward to seeing them shine on the big stage!

Junior Mini School Celebrations

It’s been a fantastic term so far in the Junior Mini School, with students across Years 7–9 achieving great things in learning, behaviour and attendance!

Year 7 students have shown incredible teamwork and perseverance in PE when learning how to play volleyball.  A special congratulations to 7C and 7D for their outstanding behaviour, and to the 44 students who achieved perfect attendance this semester! It is great to see our year 7 students embracing our college values with pride.

Year 8 students have impressed in their practical skills in their subjects – from creative clay work in Art to safe and skilful cooking in the kitchen. With 26 students maintaining perfect attendance and 105 students with no increase in days off over the past fortnight, it’s been great to see. In terms of behaviour, 8A, 8B, 8C, 8I and 8J, have led the way in showing respect and positive choices.

Year 9 has also shone brightly, with 157 students making academic progress across all subjects in Term 1. Attendance standouts include 9D and 9G, while 9E remained completely incident-free, closely followed by 9G, 9B and 9C.

Well done to all students – your hard work, commitment and positive attitudes are something to celebrate!

We are looking forward to seeing more student achieving in their learning and taking about learning progress in our upcoming Parent Teacher Student Conferences.

Junior Mini School Team

School Council Meeting Agenda & Minutes – – 12 February 2025

Election Agenda – – 19 March 2025

Agenda School Council – – 19 March 2025

MHEP Transitioning Out of School

MHEP Transitions Leaving School_ online parent and carer flyer_2025

Youth Road Safety Fact Sheet

Youth Road Safety Fact Sheet 2025

Due to the increased risks associated with the use of e-bikes and e-scooters among young people, we kindly request that you share the attached fact sheet with your families through your newsletter or parent portal.

For additional information, please refer to the Victoria Police or VicRoads websites.

Please find attached our recent Construction Update relating to works coming up in May/June.

Works and disruptions to note include:

• An overnight closure of Rees Road on Thursday 29 May from 8pm to 4am
• Single night closures of Brooklyn Road from traffic barrier removal and realignment
• Weekend closures of Exford Road from 20 to 23 June and 27 to 30 June

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out on 1800 105 105 or via email.

Ami Humpage

Senior Communications and Stakeholder Relations Advisor- Melton

North Western Program Alliance

Email: ami.humpage@jhg.com.au

I’m thrilled to showcase a fantastic piece of work from our talented Year 8C students, Fatima, Areeba & Chelsea, they completed this masterpiece as part of their recent science (chemistry) assignment: “Build an Atom.” This engaging task challenged students to apply their understanding of atomic structure by creating their own visual or physical models of atoms.

The results were both creative and scientifically accurate, reflecting the students’ growing knowledge of protons, neutrons, electrons, and how they come together to form elements. Through this hands-on activity, students not only deepened their grasp of atomic theory but also demonstrated teamwork, innovation, and attention to detail.

Thank you girls and well done Year 8!

Mr Zammit

Well Done, Food Tech Superstars!

A big congratulations to our amazing students Laily and Nidish who brought their Food Technology skills into their own kitchens and recreated the  Chicken chow mein dinner bowl   recipe at home! We’ve loved seeing your creativity, presentation skills, and delicious-looking dishes. It’s fantastic to see you applying what you’ve learned—keep cooking and exploring new flavours. Great job, chefs!

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) helps eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

csef-application-form-2025

If you have a valid means-tested concession card, or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families. Means-tested concession cards must be valid on the first day of Term 1, 2025 (Tuesday 28 January 2025) or Term 2, 2025 (Tuesday 22 April 2025).

A student aged 16 years and over who is considered a mature minor and holds a valid concession card is also eligible to apply.

Eligible families will receive a payment of $256 per year for secondary school students. The funds will be paid directly to the school to be used towards camps, sports and excursion costs for the benefit of your child.

If you applied for CSEF through our school last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year, unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.

If you would like to apply for the first time, please contact the school office on 9743 4622 and ask for an application form.

Please return completed application forms to the school office as soon as possible.

In Drama this term, the Year 7 students have been exploring key dramatic conventions and learning how to effectively apply them in performance. Through group work, students developed their own original scripts and acts inspired by fairytales, myths, or legends. This creative process allowed them to experiment with dramatic elements such as role, space, tension, and symbolism, which not only enhanced the quality of their performances but also deepened their understanding of storytelling through drama.

The use of these elements played a significant role in building students’ confidence and encouraging expressive communication. It was truly rewarding to witness the

transformation in many students as they embraced performance with growing enthusiasm and self-assurance.

Each group presented their final performance on stage, in costume, in front of their peers—an impressive achievement that demonstrated both courage and teamwork. All students worked incredibly well together, contributing ideas thoughtfully and supporting one another throughout the term.

I am so proud of 7B and everything they have accomplished. Their commitment, creativity, and collaboration were outstanding, and I look forward to another term of learning, growth, and inspiring performances.

Miss Magafas

Here we are in Term 2! We have had lots of exciting things happening this term and are looking forward to more over the coming weeks.

On Tuesday, 6th May, we welcomed staff from surrounding schools as we hosted the termly Community of Practice meeting. It was a pleasure to have fellow library professionals visit our space, fostering a collaborative environment where ideas, experiences, and insights were shared among the group.

On Wednesday, 7th May, we had the pleasure of hosting author Ernie Rijs, who worked with approximately 40 students, sharing valuable writing techniques and suggestions to support their creative development. The incursion was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from students, who were engaged and inspired by the session.

We look forward to seeing the impact of this workshop reflected in the quality of our students’ writing. This event also serves as encouragement for students to participate in the upcoming Short Story Writing Competition, hosted by the Melton City Library. Our school has experienced great success in this competition in the past, and we are excited to see what our talented writers will produce this year.

Andrea has been busy, as usual, working on the homepage for the AccessIt library system. Andrea keeps the homepage fresh and interesting creating a variety of themed pages linked to school or library promotions such as the recent Manga page and the themed Anzac Day page. Don’t forget, to access student accounts use the QR code and sign in with the student code, for example (ABC0001) using the password ‘student’.

To join or access our Google Classroom use the QR code or the classroom code to join 5d7qree. We look forward to continuing to work with the students, finding ways to engage them with the library and their reading journey.

We are currently preparing for Education Week, which runs from 19th to 23rd May. This year’s theme, Celebration of Cultures, emphasizes the right of every student to have a place where they can learn, feel safe, and thrive. It also highlights the rich diversity within our communities and the importance of fostering a welcoming environment for all.

To celebrate, we’ve created a special display showcasing the countries of origin represented in our school community. We invite you to visit the library and explore the wonderful selection of books on display.

Book of the Month

Our Book of the Month for May is The Crossing, written by our visiting author, Ernie Rijs. A long-standing educator and local Victorian author, Ernie brings a rich background in the arts—having performed in and directed numerous stage productions. He also writes 10-minute plays, short stories, and maintains a blog featuring a mix of opinion pieces, reflections, and fiction.

Ernie is currently working on his second novel, with plans underway for a third—set to be a sequel to The Crossing, making this month’s selection especially exciting.

The Crossing is the story of Tim, a secondary school student whose only ambition is for school to finish. “Two months and it will be done”, he tells himself! Against his better judgement, Tim agrees to buddy up with Gabriel, a refugee from South Sudan. When Tim and Gabriel’s fathers make one simple but momentous decision the boys are propelled in directions they never imagined they’d go.

Look out for the Bookshelf Bulletin in the next newsletter for more of our events and recommendations.

Melinda, Will and Andrea.

Our latest Merit Mart was a roaring success! As part of Staughton College’s School Wide Positive Behaviour framework, students are recognised for being dedicated, kind, respectful, and upholding our school values—earning merits along the way.

On Friday 23 May, those merits turned into currency as the Merit Mart opened its doors. The turnout was fantastic, with students lining up excitedly to trade their hard-earned merits for a range of fun rewards. It was wonderful to see our school values celebrated in such a positive and engaging way.

Well done to all our amazing students—your efforts truly matter, and Merit Mart is proof of that!

A special thank you to the SWPBS team, the Mini School teams and YEP students for the support in organising and running this successful event.