Mr John Eckel – Woodwork Teacher
From the Principal Class Team
Read Time: ( words)
End of Term
As we wrap up a very busy term, I want to thank all of our students and staff for their hard work, dedication, and care for our school community. Your commitment to learning and supporting one another makes a real difference every day. It has been a very busy term with lots of events, excursions and our fantastic MAC production. It was also especially exciting to see our school recognised on the front page of the Melbourne Age for our excellent VCE results over a number of years. Click the link to see the Melbourne Age Article.
A special best wishes to the Class of 2025 as you enter the final stretch of your VCE and VCE/VM preparations. Your focus and perseverance will see you in good stead. We are all cheering you on as you approach these important milestones.
A number of staff, Mr Craig Moore, Mr Matthew Olthof and Ms Athina Kratsis will be on extended leave for the start of Term 4 and we extend our best wishes to theme for an enjoyable time. We look forward to seeing them on their return later in the term.
Enjoy a well-deserved break and come back refreshed for the term ahead.
Congratulations to Staff
Congratulations to some members of our staff community for their achievements beyond the College. Firstly, to Mr Cameron Beale who won the Australian National title for Masters 5 in Brazilian Ju-jitsu at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on Saturday 16 August 2025.
Also, a big congratulations to Amra Pajalic, who had an article published in the AEU News. Amra is a published author, and you can read her recent article here.
Year 12s
As we reach the end of Term 3, our Year 12 cohort have plenty to celebrate. There is not long to go in their journey through our college and it is a timely reminder that now is not the time to relax. That will come after exams and portfolios next term. In the holidays VCE students will undertake their final set of practice exams. We encourage all students to take these seriously and to get the most out of it.
The Year 12 Graduation will take place on October 17, please refer to compass for details and we hope for a great turnout.
Wear it Purple Day
Friday 29 August, was Wear it Purple Day. Wear it Purple Day was founded in 2010 in response to global stories of real teenagers, real heartache and their very real responses. In 2010, several rainbow young people took their own lives following bullying and harassment resulting from the lack of acceptance of their sexuality or gender identity. This day is about showing LGBTIQA+ young people that they have the right to be proud of who they are.
R U OK Day
R U OK? Day was celebrated at the College on Friday 12 September. R U OK? Day is a National Day of Action when we remind Australians that every day is the day to ask, ‘are you OK?’ and start a meaningful conversation whenever they spot the signs that someone they care about might be struggling with life.
You don’t need to be an expert to reach out – just a good friend and a great listener. Use these four steps and have a conversation that could change a life:
- Ask R U OK?
- Listen
- Encourage action
- Check in
On the day prior, at SASC we shared a mini-lesson with students on how to support their peers. Our VCE-VM students and Wellbeing Team also organised a lunchtime event with live music, a sausage sizzle, external visitors from local organisations and activities. The day was a huge success and congratulations to everyone that helped make the event possible.
Year 9 City Experience
This year’s city experience has proven to be a resounding success, thanks to the exemplary behaviour of our students, their reliability and the overwhelmingly positive feedback we’ve received from venues and the public. Our school council president Tracy Nero was in the city one day and reported that she saw a group of our students at a tram stop. She commended them for their respectful behaviour.
The success of the City Experience would not have been possible without the expert organisation of Katie O’Connell our Humanities leader. She made sure that every aspect of the program was planned to perfection. Katie was supported by Katelyn Smith and the rest of the Humanities team. We thank them both for their dedication and commitment to the city experience program. Thank you also to the Middle Sub School team, the Inclusion team, and all staff who attended city experience.
MAC – Spamalot
This year St Albans Secondary College Music Appreciation Club presented Monty Python’s Spamalot. It was a huge success and received rave reviews. For the first time, the students performed at the Bowery Theatre which was a wonderful experience for our students and staff. This is an important event on our calendar each year and it’s wonderful to see the talents of our students and staff. Months of planning and rehearsals go into creating such a performance and we thank our Director Melissa Tamraz and Musical Director for their commitment and dedication. Thank you also to the production team and all other staff who assisted with the production.
New Uniform Policy
Thank you to everyone who contributed feedback on our uniform policy through surveys and focus groups. Your input has been greatly valued, and the Uniform Working Group, in partnership with our School Council, has now finalised the updated policy was sent out to all members of our community via Compass and has also been posted to the School Webpage.
Overall, there will be no major changes to the policy. The most significant adjustment, as required by the Department of Education, is that all pants and shorts will now be non-branded. This change provides families with greater flexibility in where these items can be purchased, provided they are consistent in style and fabric with those available at the school uniform shop. Students are welcome to continue wearing their existing branded pants and shorts, and the uniform shop will gradually update stock as current supplies sell out.
If you have any questions about the uniform, or if your family requires support in purchasing items, please do not hesitate to contact your Coordinator.
Parent Teacher Interviews
Parent teacher interviews were held on Wednesday 17 September. We thank all those parents and guardians who took the opportunity to meet with teachers to discuss their child’s progress. These conversations are always useful for all involved and assist us to provide the best outcomes for students as well as providing a forum for parents to meet their child’s teachers and share information that may assist teachers working with their child.
Please contact your child’s Year Level Coordinator if you were unable to attend and would like some feedback on your child’s progress.
