Maddingley
As we are well into the school year, we’re excited to have all of our Senior School students back to campus! Whether they’re stepping into their final year or continuing their journey through this exciting stage of learning, we’re eager to support you every step of the way.
This year promises to be filled with growth, opportunities and new challenges. We hope our students are feeling inspired and ready to take on what lies ahead. Our dedicated teachers and staff are here to guide, encourage and help them succeed as they work towards achieving their academic and personal goals.
Let’s make this year unforgettable as we work together to create a positive, vibrant community where everyone can thrive. Welcome back—we can’t wait to see all that you’ll accomplish in 2025!
Mrs Natalie Desira – Head of Senior School
Ms Tenielle Brown – Deputy Head of Senior School
VCE Vocational Major Bendigo Camp
On Wednesday, 12 February, the VCE VM class left the school and made our way to Bendigo. Along the way, we made stops at different places to enjoy the scenery and overall it was an enjoyable and successful commute.
On our way to Bendigo we visited the Great Stupa Buddhist temple and had a guided tour and meditation session. While we were there, we were told the history of when the temple was made. During the tour, we got to see inside the temple and the many holy relics there. We also got to see the Jade Buddha, which is completely carved out of jade stone, the Shakyamuni Buddha and Kasyapa Buddha, disciples of the Buddha, the 16 Arhants and several modern-day masters and what they stood for. We also completed a scavenger hunt that taught us a lot about the culture. It was really enjoyable. Afterwards we had to get food from Woolworths for the rest of the camp including breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner. We finished off the day with a water fight and a game of Sticky Golf Run by Michael, Marcus and Ethan. For dinner Michael, Marcus and Ethan were in charge of cooking the Spaghetti Bolognese.
On the second day we woke up nice and early and headed over to do our tour of the Golden Dragon Museum. On the tour, we learned about the local Chinese history in Bendigo and the connections to the gold mines. The Golden Dragon Museum was a very colourful place which had a lot of past and present dragons that are still used for festivals and traditions. We also learned about Chinese art and ancient artefacts collected in the museum. After lunch, we met at the Central Deborah Goldmines where we descended 61 metres below earth and toured the mines. While there, we were able to see real gold and hear and operate an old gold mining drill. We also learned about the Gold Rush and how this impacted Bendigo. Afterwards, we hopped on the Vintage Trams for the Talking Tram Tour which took us all around Bendigo and showed off some impressive historical sites. When we returned to camp, Jack and Oliver ran a basketball game with everyone before dinner which was a BBQ cooked by Hunter, Max, Cooper and Dyllan. After dinner, Katherine and Cerys ran their activity Uno Teams followed by a soccer match run by Hunter, Cooper and Dyllan.
In conclusion, the camp was very fun and a great learning experience for our class.
Tarryn Davidson – Teacher
Inspire Day at Altona Beach
Our Year 9 students had a fantastic time at their second Inspire Day, held at Altona Beach. The day focused on team-building activities and essential life-saving skills, equipping students with knowledge on how to respond to ocean-related emergencies. Through hands-on sessions, they learned about beach safety, rescue techniques, and emergency response strategies.
Although they were unable to get into the water, students remained engaged, demonstrated great attitudes, and took away valuable skills that could one day help save lives. It was an enriching and rewarding experience for all!
Stacey Viljoen – Head of Year 9 and Head of Duke of Edinburgh: Woodlea
VCE Unit 1 & 2 Environmental Science Excursion to Ecolinc
Our VCE Environmental Science students had a fantastic day at Ecolinc, deepening their understanding of biogeochemical cycles and their interactions with the environment. They explored the impact of human activities on the nitrogen and carbon cycles and conducted hands-on investigations, testing nitrogen levels in soil and analysing dissolved carbon in water and the atmosphere. This hands-on experience helped bring key scientific concepts to life and reinforced their learning in an engaging and practical way.
Stacey Viljoen – Head of Year 9 and Head of Duke of Edinburgh: Woodlea
