Term 3 Week 6

Welcome to Spring! It is good to see the days getting longer and the weather warming as we head towards the final weeks of third term. Many of our students have enjoyed a raft of winter weekend sports over the past few months and will be celebrating finals wins or reflecting and planning for next year’s endeavours. Well done to everyone who has taken part.

Snapshot of a School

The week just passed provides an interesting snapshot of what takes place in a school and why we owe respect and thanks to teachers and support staff for all they do.

Students headed out on a range of excursions, including STEM and Quantum Fusion. We had a range of presenters in to speak with students, including a health presentation for International Students and study skills presentations for Year 11 students. A two-day song writing workshop and a Medieval activity day for Year 8 Humanities students took place at school. Year 9 and 10 students took part in the Program for Internation Student Assessment (PISA) testing. Special student development programs MATMAN and MPower continued, and sports teams trained. Interviews took place for Year 10 students wishing to apply for the VCE Vocational Major, and we welcomed our future Year 7 students and families into the school on Wednesday and Thursday for testing and information sharing. In addition to this, staff undertook observations of each other through a practice known as ‘Learning Walks’ as part of our continual goal to improve and learn from each other.

2026 Planning

With course counselling and 2026 subject selection processes for current Year 7 – 11 students largely complete, we are well underway in planning for the 2026 school year. At Rosehill, student choices are used to create the timetable. We endeavour to provide students with their first choice of subjects. There will be times when this is not possible, and back-up choices will be allocated. Sometimes, subjects do not run because they have not attracted enough interest in a given year, and sometimes subjects are overprescribed. Staff availability is also a factor. The timetabling team will communicate directly with students and families if back-up choices are not available. The team is now working through the complex process of creating the timetable and subject confirmations will be provided to students and families in Term 4. Booklists will be issued at that stage.

Staffing

Jayne Susnjara (Careers/Senior School Support) has left the College to take up an opportunity in another school. We thank Jayne for her dedicated service for the past 6+ years and wish her well with her future endeavours. We welcome Patricia Lidestri into the role of Daily Organisation/Senior School Support. Patricia comes to Rosehill after many years of school experience at Kororoit Creek Primary School.

Parent Teacher Interviews

These will take place on Thursday 4^th September, and we look forward to parents and students meeting with teachers to discuss progress and areas for future growth. Please be aware that we have a blended model for interviews: bookings between 11:00am and 3:30pm will take place onsite and are face to face; bookings between 4:30pm and 7:00pm will take place online only. Bookings are essential and can be made up until 3:00pm on Tuesday 2^nd September. For further details, please refer to information posted to your Compass feed by Ms Lena Hudson.

Year 11 Presentation Ball

We are looking forward to the Presentation Ball on Friday 12^th September. Year 11 students have been practising hard under the instruction of Ms Marissa Aquilina. Thank you to the Year 11 team for all their work in preparing for what will be a terrific evening.

Year 10 Tasmania Camp

Year 10 students and staff are looking forward to the upcoming Tasmania Camp which will take place in the last week of this term. As a past attendee, I can attest that this is a wonderful camp in a most spectacular and beautiful part of Australia. We wish all who are attending a safe and happy time away. Students not attending camp are expected to attend school for their normal learning program during this week.

Frances Snow

ACTING PRINCIPAL

Mr Arthur Soumalias is currently on leave and will return on Monday 6^th October.

School Policies have been updated in line with Department of Education and Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority requirements. Parents may review these on the school website https://www.rosehillsc.vic.edu.au/under Our School > Policies > Minimum Standards Compliance – June 2022.

On Friday, the 22^nd of August, Rosehill Secondary College was invited to speak at the Victorian State Parliament for the “My Vote My Voice” forum to answer the pivotal question- “What is so special about Australian Democracy?”

Three of the Year 11 Student Leaders-- Alexandra Homatopoulos, Ruby Herriot and Nethasha Silva presented their meticulously researched, planned and rehearsed speeches, which celebrated the successes of Australian democracy, the significance of our political system and questioned the effectiveness of our governments being true representations of the communities in which they represent.

It is important to recognise that our system is not quite perfect; however, there are many elements to commemorate, in which our Year Eleven delegates did so. Alexandra commented on our unique system of compulsory voting and the importance of our “democracy sausage.”

As the second speaker, Ruby explained the expanding recognition of women's rights in politics is necessary in a society that is equal and fair. She referenced the journey taken by the likes of Edith Cowan, Lady Millie Peacock and Julia Gillard in advancing Australian politics to become more representative of Australian women.

Nethasha ended the speech by remarking on the increase in multiculturalism in our community and identifying that the diverse faces of this country isn’t always reflected in our elected officials. Netasha’s concluding statement was that while diversity in parliament needs to improve, representation by women and members of diverse cultural backgrounds has increased in both Victorian and Federal parliament over the past decade.

Accompanying the three Year 11 students were Gorja Bhardwaj, Talia Celtek and Frank Fortuna from Year 10, who have now had the opportunity to witness this event, with ambitions to present inside the Legislative Council themselves in 2026.

Other schools that joined us included Al Siraat College, Firbank Grammar, Melbourne Girls College, Mac Robertson Girls' High School and many more, who all contributed many different perspectives to answer their question. Though all of us did mention the compulsory voting system a couple of times, it was enlightening to see how students all gave insight into a slightly different outlook on the question. We were all incredibly honoured to be alongside like-minded individuals who were interested in political debate, leadership and public speaking. It is incredibly important that in society, young people are educated on global and domestic issues, and are trying to resolve them, through taking up opportunities like this one.

We would like to thank the National Council of Women Victoria for inviting us to participate in the “My Vote, My Voice” Forum.

Nethasha Silva

YEAR 11 STUDENT

On the cold Tuesday morning of 19^th August, our Year 11 and 12 students entered the school gates as they routinely do, but this time, one hour of their day, their educational journey was dedicated to how to become a better version of themselves, how to improve their decision making, their resilience through adversity and to understand the true meaning of accountability.

Paul Turley from What 4 Services told us his story. Through his personal journey, our Senior students at Rosehill Secondary College were privileged to learn from Paul and gain insight into making better, calculated decisions in life.

Paul openly shares his worst mistake and the lifelong impact it had. This raw honesty helps young people relate and see the real consequences of poor choices—and the hard path to redemption.

He models owning one’s mistakes, demonstrating that being responsible is not just ethical but transformational. It emphasizes that your future is not determined by your past—it is how you move forward.

Through his program, our students learnt coping strategies and how to bounce back from setbacks instead of being defined by them.

This was an amazing presentation, and we thank Paul for coming out to share his story.

Summary

Paul Turley’s What4 Services presentation is especially valuable for young people because it does not just talk at them—it shares a lived experience, shows the consequences of a mistake, and then walks the journey toward redemption with them. It emphasizes:

• accountability
• resilience
• thoughtful decision-making
• and the power of transformation

In doing so, it leaves young audiences not just informed but empowered to make better life choices and to believe that mistakes do not spell defeat—but can be the first step toward a meaningful life.

Fiona Morabito

SENIOR SCHOOL LEADER

Students, parents, and teachers are all welcome to participate in a very important enhancement program of our college throughout 2025.

When: Wednesdays, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Where: A3

This whole-school tuition program provides students with consistent academic support every Wednesday afternoon, ensuring they receive the assistance needed to complete their homework and classwork effectively.

Proven to be highly successful, this enhancement and enrichment initiative supports students of all year levels in strengthening their literacy and numeracy skills while refining their study techniques in preparation for assessments and exams.

This program is easily accessible to students, has no cost incurred, and is effective in improving study skills, results, and the confidence in students to work independently.

We encourage all students to take advantage of this valuable opportunity to develop their skills and achieve their best!

For further information regarding this enhancement program please contact Ms Sharma on 9337 2488 or email: meena.sharma@education.vic.gov.au