Principal’s Report

Dear MAC Community,

It has been a great start to term 2 with a plethora of school events and activities and much positivity in and around our school. The Above Entry 8 students have had a positive and enjoyable experience at the Lake Dewar Adventure Camp and the recent Cross Country Carnival was a wonderful opportunity to build house and school spirit. The Student Leadership team continue to provide activities and events for students such as the MAC Futsal Tournament which continues to be a huge success, with great participation from both students on the pitch and spectators. Congratulations to the students leading these great activities, for their passion, enthusiasm, and positive attitude.

Positivity is a powerful force that influences so many aspects of our lives, from our mental and emotional well-being to our relationships and overall success at school and in life. When we choose to focus on the brighter side of life, it reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. Positivity helps to cultivate resilience, enabling us to bounce back from setbacks and face challenges with a growth mindset. Research has shown that optimistic individuals tend to have better coping mechanisms, leading to improved mental health outcomes. We strive to prioritise this at MAC and are committed to cultivating positive relationships with our students.

Positive interactions strengthen bonds and build trust among individuals, whether in personal or school settings. In relationships, a positive attitude can enhance communication, resolve conflicts more effectively, and foster a sense of support. By choosing positivity, we can cultivate stronger, more fulfilling connections with others. That’s what school culture building is about, and there have been so many great examples of this across this term and in Term 1.

It is that positive spirit of having a go and doing your very best that is so important at school, every day and in every period. As we approach the second half of the term, I ask all students to reflect on these questions. Am I doing my very best? Am I contributing all I can to build a positive school? Am I truly living our school values? If yes, congratulations, keep it up! If not, what steps will you take and what further support do you need from us? It is a partnership, and it takes commitment.

In closing I would like to remind families to contact the College if they need assistance in purchasing uniform. The colder weather is upon us, and we have a weatherproof jacket available to students. We ask families to support our school’s uniform policy. This means ensuring that your child has all the garments required for school and they wear them correctly and neatly each day. There are still many students who continue to wear non uniform garments such as tracksuit pants. The only track pants that can be worn are the school tracks pants with the school logo. The sports shorts and skirts and sports polo with the logo are the only uniform items that can be worn in PE classes.

Thank you for your ongoing support. I look forward to the remainder of the team.

Dani Angelico, Principal

Vaping and Smoking

Parents, carers, schools, and community all play an important role in protecting children and young people from, and educating them about, the harmful effects of smoking and vaping.

Research from the Royal Children’s Hospital shows many parents and carers are not aware of the harmful effects or how their views about smoking and vaping can impact the likelihood of a young person taking up smoking or vaping.

The Department of Education has developed resources to help you learn more about the health risks of smoking and vaping. The resources include advice about how to talk to children and young people about vaping, and where to get support. To access the resources, go to https://www.vic.gov.au/smoking-and-vaping-advice-parents

You can also view this video on smoking and vaping from experts at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne for health advice and tips for starting a conversation with young people.

Anzac Day Assembly

Moonee Valley Mayor Pierce Tyson and Councillor Rose Iser Visit MAC

Having the Mayor come in was an inspiring experience. We got to learn about how we can contribute to our community and what it means to stand up for issues we care about and support others on the road to change. Super valuable opportunity and it taught me a lot.

Olivia del Rio, Above Entry 9

Gnurad-Gundidj Camp – School for Student Leadership (SSL)

Community Learning Project

We are the Gnurad Gundidj students for 2024 and our Community Learning Project is an awareness week running from the 9 June to 16 June. During this week we will be hosting a Bunnings sausage sizzle on the 9 June, which will be at the Maribyrnong Bunnings and will run from 8am to 4pm.

We will also be holding a Bake Sale at MAC during lunchtime on Tuesday 11 June. It will be next to the Portables under the red shade sails, there will be a variety of baked goods and we hope to see as many of you as possible there.

Additionally we will have a Donation Box in the Resource Centre going from 11 June to 28 June. We will be accepting vouchers from stores such as Woolworths, Coles, Big W, Myer, Target, Kmart, and JB-HIFI, as well as vouchers for Petrol, Family outings and activities like cinemas, aquariums, zoos and more. We would also accept sensory toys, Arts and Crafts supplies, Diverse books for women, children and teenagers, new kitchen utensils and equipment, toiletry items; shampoo and body wash and sanitary items.

Thank you for your support.

2024 Gnurad Gundidj students

My highlight from SSL was going canoeing because I had never done it before and I was really excited. I learnt a lot about myself and life.

Leah Empey, Above Entry 9

My highlight was definitely mountain biking. This is because I had never been mountain biking before, so it was a big step outside of my comfort zone. This experience taught me to persevere and push my boundaries. Thanks to the SSL, bike riding is now one of my favourite hobbies. If I hadn’t gone to the SSL, my bike would still be in the shed collecting dust.

You should sign up to go to the SSL because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and you won’t regret it. You will make lots of new friends, unforgettable memories and gain lots of new skills. You’ll be more confident when faced with new experiences, people and challenges.

Isla Smith, Above Entry 9

My highlight of SSL was by far the beach days. I feel that spending time with other groups whilst doing beach activities was such a great way for me personally to create stronger bonds and overall the beach days were always fun. SSL has taught me so much about myself and about the world. There aren’t many words to describe SSL well enough and for me the experience was completely life changing. SSL proves exactly how much you can do and how capable you are to do hard things. I extremely encourage students in Above Entry 9 next year to think about why you want to go and don’t let anything weigh you down because I assure you you will not regret going. Trust the program and don’t doubt yourself.

Sienna Barrios-Seupule, Above Entry 9

My highlight was mountain biking, 100%. I’ve always loved riding my bike but I’d never really done mountain biking before Gnurad and it was an amazing experience. I mostly learnt to be more appreciative of the environment and people around me as I struggled to work well/notice others before going to the SSL. There are so many reasons to go to Gnurad and it’s really unlikely you’ll regret it if you do. If you like sports and physical activity then you’ll love it. If you want to make meaningful connections with people your age, you’ll love it. And if you want to get better at anything, Gnurad will help you do it.

Harry Morgan, Above Entry 9

My highlight from Gnurad was probably surfing or the treetops adventure, because they were both super fun. Any of the outside activities were so much fun. I definitely learned many valuable skills at Gnurad, like confidence and I also am more motivated now. I recommend it to everyone, even if the time it runs for is intimidating, it is very worth it.

Jarvis Roberts, Above Entry 9

Entry Camp

Read all about our fantastic Entry Camp on the Mount Alexander College Year 7 Camp Blog post on The Summit website!

Above Entry 8 Camp

Sport

Cross Country

Intermediate Boys Football

On 2 May, the MAC intermediate Boys AFL team went to the Airport West football ground to play RoseHill and Buckley Park. Although we didn’t win a game, we still put up a fight and tried our best.

From the first bounce against RoseHill we knew it was going to be a tough game. RoseHill were just too dominant and would move the ball very well down the ground and score. We did win 70% of the center clearances that set us up for some good opportunities but we just couldn’t convert on those opportunities. We did show some promise when moving the ball from our backline but couldn’t turn those into scores. We ended up losing by around 40 points. Our two goals came from Brooklyn Crook and Jack Phelps.

In our second game against Buckley Park it was much more competitive. Our backline was constantly rebounding the ball out of their forward 50 and getting it to our midfielders. Once again our ball movement looked somewhat positive and this resulted in us leading at half time. It was looking like we were going to win this game but the game started to change. Buckley was starting to score and outplay us in some areas of the game. Our midfield was still winning most of the center clearances but the Buckley backline would rebound the ball back out and turn those into scores. Buckley ended up pulling away in the last five minutes but it was still a tough and well fought contest. We ended up losing by 15 points. Our goals were scored by Brooklyn Crook and Lee Johnson.

We all really enjoyed the day and loved representing MAC.

Jack Phelps, 2024 Interschool Sport Captain

International Student Program Events

It has been a busy term for the international students. The senior students kicked off term 2 by participating in the University EXPO Open Day. They had the opportunity to meet with many representatives from major Universities in Victoria and other states. It was a very productive day as they were given a chance to learn useful information regarding the University courses, application, and entry requirements. Kitty was very lucky to win a $30 voucher with her raffle ticket. Other students were able to take home many lovely prizes.

The boys were participating in the Trivia Fundraising night with Ms Chan organised by the Flemington Rotary Club. This was their first experience participating in Trivia night, so they had fun answering the questions and enjoying the dinner. Thank you Ms Chan for taking the boys out to the event.

We were very lucky to have our MAC Doctor and Nurse (Erin and Clara) join us for this term’s lunch catch up. Erin and Clara were able to introduce the Health Program to the international students. They gave a lot of useful information regarding general wellbeing, mental health, diet, sexual health, etc. Quite a few of their local friends joined the lunch catch up as well. Glad to see everyone enjoy each other’s company!

Angie Ho, International Student Program Coordinator

Working Bee

A huge thank you to the Parents and Friends, volunteers and students who came along this morning to help with gardening and a general clean up! It is wonderful to see such great community support. A big thank you to our facilities manager Steve McMaster for his coordination and hard work!

Dani Angelico, Principal

Arts and Technology

Art Attack

Impressions of Place

Students were tasked with selecting a place of personal importance—a location that evokes strong memories and emotions. Without relying on photographs or direct

references, they delved into their minds, conjuring images and feelings associated with their chosen sites. It became a collective exploration of how we remember and cherish places that shape our lives.

Nicole Beran, Visual Arts and Fashion Teacher

Food Studies

Term 2 already and we have been busy in the Masterchef kitchen.

Year 7-10 Masterchef students have started the term investigating cuisines from all over the world, in practical classes they have been making Casa Deniho (a small wedding biscuit from South America sandwiched with dulce de leche), Somalian Curries ( Lamb Surbiyaan) and Indigenous Outback Spiced Sausage Rolls. Students are currently getting ready to present their MAT task where they deliver food and cuisine information about a country of their choice to their classmates. We are happy to get student input suggesting foods that we can make in the Masterchef kitchen, so keep those suggestions coming.

Pre VCE students started the term making some old fashioned jam and coconut tarts. This involved making a shortcrust pastry in the food processor. Students did an excellent job with accurate measurement, contributing a key part to their success. We hope some of the tarts made it home!

Students have just started their last SAC (Going Viral) that investigates the impact of social media on our food choice. They have made a Luxe Deli Sandwich, Baked Feta Pasta, Okonmyaki made in the pie maker and a Breakfast Jar for busy meal preppers. You may remember some of these dishes from your own social media feed. They are having fun critically investigating a range of influences that help to shape our food choices in the ever growing digital society in which we live.

Our Grad 24/25’s are on the home stretch of Unit 1 & 3. The Unit 1 class has been exploring food production in Australia and how migration has shaped Australian Cuisine. Unit 3 students are examining the factors that shape our food choices, the establishment of healthy meal patterns and also links to health.

Remember you can follow our adventures on Instagram @macmasterchef

Happy Cooking!

Lezanne Webb-Johnson and Noeleen Chester, Food Studies Teachers

Science

Entry GTAP – CERES Excursion

On Wednesday 15 May, the Entry students went on an excursion to CERES to learn about sustainability and climate change. Here are some students thoughts and observations from the day:

“It was cool how much stuff at CERES was recyclable and reused. For example the rims of bikes were used to make roofs and robots arms from the ford factory for the playground” – Blake Griffiths

“I enjoyed the activity when I was able to look at the coal and touch it” – Henry Qoroya

“My favourite bit was seeing how hydropower and solar panels work. This helped me see how renewable energy can work to create electricity” – Lotte Meek

“I liked seeing the solar panels as we could see what we have been learning in class in real life” – Suri Trinh

“The playground was really fun. The tour was good because I got to CERES in full. I also learnt there is a cement that is made of scraps and resin which makes it strong as normal concrete” – Nicholas Crabb

GTAC – The International Day of Immunology Program

On Tuesday 14 May, a number of Above entry 10, 11 and Graduate 2024 students headed to the Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC) to celebrate the The International Day of Immunology.

On the excursion we learned an overview of what immunology is and what career it can lead to.

The first speaker was Shalin Naik, who is one of the presenters of Ask the Doctor – ABC series and is a specialist in immunology research. We then went in depth into 3 workshops; identifying antigens, bioinformatics and microscope identification of cells. I was able to see the synovial fluid of a rat and the influx of immune cells that are present with arthritis.

Bay Lana Dailey, Graduate of 2024

Forensics

In Forensics we have been learning about blood spatters and the patterns that they make. In our MAT we were exploring how different blood spatter patterns are created. We had many different research aims for this experiment with some students looking at how the type of object used creates different blood patterns or how the surface the blood is dropped onto affects the size of the blood stain.

Ivy Farmar-Bowers, Above Entry 10

Currently in Forensics blood spatters have been the focus in our learning, and our MAT was an inquiry project of our choice relating the qualities of a blood spatter. This MAT was very fun and student-led, as we could choose what we wanted to explore relating to blood, and execute it as wished. This allowed us to incorporate things like smashing blood-filled-sponges with sledgehammers (the blood was fake, we promise), Which proved to be very interesting, and engaging.

Joe Jewell-Sutill, Above Entry 10

Biochemistry

For the last few weeks in Biochemistry, we have been researching and creating our own 3D cell models. We were able to choose what cell we wished to do with a choice from animal cells, plant cells and fungi cells. All of the cells had very different components and we were tasked with creating these elements and fitting them into our model with a to-scale demonstration of the cells we were trying to recreate. We managed to create our cells with different craft supplies including cardboard, balloons and pipe cleaners. Our models also include a key and descriptions of the cell, what it does and how the different components work together to help the cell achieve their task.

Julia Pole, Above Entry 9

ASX School Share Market Game

Students at MAC have participated in this game over the last few years. I have to apologise that our students were not able to participate this year. It is a somewhat long story, but my contact details were deleted from the ASX list and I was not notified of the details for the game this year, and did not realise the game had started before it was nearly over. This is a particular shame as for the first time for a few years the game time has corresponded with a strong share market time.

Students 18 years and over on 7 March and parents and others can participate in the ASX sharemarket game which runs from 7 March to 5 September this year. Link here.

I have made a date in my diary that registrations for schools game 2 this year will open on 18 July and the game begins on 15 August running through to 24 October. I will take early expressions of interest from students from now on.

Graeme Morgan, Teacher of Senior Mathematics

Student Wellbeing

SchoolTV

SchoolTV is an online resource designed to empower parents with credible and sound information with realistic, practical ongoing support strategies. You can access SchoolTV by either clicking the SchoolTV icon on the home page or this link.

In this edition of SchoolTV – Celebrating IDAHOBIT

We possess a profound ability to shape our children’s attitudes and beliefs, embedding values of acceptance, inclusivity, and respect for all.

The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), celebrated each year on May 17th, emphasises the critical need to educate children about diversity and inclusivity. Inaugurated in 2004 by the World Health Organization, this day is a global call to promote tolerance and combat discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community.

Instilling respect and acceptance for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in children is crucial. Celebrating IDAHOBIT helps families communicate a strong stance against discrimination, highlighting the importance of diversity and the damaging effects of stereotypes and biases. These prejudices often arise from the media, societal interactions, and peer influences, necessitating proactive efforts from parents and caregivers to counteract and discuss these issues.

Creating inclusive environments supports diversity and plays a vital role in raising awareness and demonstrating solidarity with LGBTQIA+ students and community members. It is a commitment to creating a world free from prejudice and discrimination, instilling values of empathy, respect and inclusivity.

This Special Report will help you fostering acceptance, empowering young people to become compassionate and informed advocates for equality.

Click here for the Celebrating IDAHOBIT edition of SchoolTV.

Resource Centre

Staff and students can use the Library Catalogue (login using the Single Sign On with your school email address and password) from school and from home. It’s a great way to see what books are on offer in the library and to reserve a book that you’ve been looking forward to reading.

A friendly reminder to anyone who has overdue books to please return them to the Resource Centre. Bringing books back by their due date ensures that everyone is able to enjoy our collection.

Do you know we have ebooks and audiobooks?

The Eplatform has over 2500 ebooks and audiobooks that you can read or listen to with new books being added every day. You can access it by downloading the app on your device and signing in with your school details in the Single Sign On (SSO). Find out more here: mountalexandercollege.wheelers.co

Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge

The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is in full swing at Mount Alexander College. The PRC application offers a range of exciting features including:

access to a library catalogue (including book images and blurbs)
a modern user-friendly interface
rewarding students with badges as challenge milestones are achieved
the option for students to mark books as a favourite, give them a star rating or complete a book review.

The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is not a competition; but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 8 September 2024.

Students from Year 7 to Year 10 are challenged to read 15 books.

All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former Premiers.

To read the Premier’s letter to parents, view the booklist and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-reading-challenge

Remember

Students were given a physical copy of their login details during Mentoring. If a student needs to get these details again, they can contact Carla Iannarella in the Resource Centre.

To log in, visit the PRC website. Click the sign in button below ‘School Coordinator or Student’ and select ‘VPRC login’. Insert your login details.

We have already seen an enthusiastic response from students, but please note that 10 out of the 15 books read must be from the Challenge list. You can access this list on the VPRC website here.

Students can also find books on the Challenge list in our school Library Catalogue in the Quick Lists. There is a list for Years 7 and 8 and Years 9 and 10.

Carla Iannarella, Resource Centre, Communications and Marketing Manager

Community News and Advertising

We advertise and support local organisations that reside in our catchment area. These suburbs include Flemington, Kensington, Ascot Vale, Moonee Ponds, Maribyrnong, West Brunswick, North Melbourne, and Parkville.

Moonee Valley in 2040: Shaping our Future

Council is embarking on a refresh of the MV2040 Strategy and the development of a number of important plans, including a new Council Plan and Health Plan.

The MV2040 Strategy is Council’s long-term plan for improving the health, vibrancy and resilience of our city over the next two decades. It has been prepared to shape the type of city and neighbourhoods we want to live in. The community vision in MV2040 provides Council with an anchor for guiding what it does and how resources are directed.

Much about our lifestyles has changed since the MV2040 strategy was developed. The pandemic challenged our health, wellbeing, resilience and sense of community. It caused many of us to reassess what we seek from our neighbourhoods and our communities.

Council wants to hear from our young people to understand what type of community you want Moonee Valley to be in 2040. Resetting the community vision will help us to set our priorities and focus our activities to ensure we are taking steps to help build a future that everyone is proud of.

To find out more head to https://yoursay.mvcc.vic.gov.au/shaping-our-future