Welcome to our last Newsletter for 2025.
We would like to thank you all for a great year, with some excellent results. We hope you all have a relaxing festive season with your families and look forward to seeing you in 2026.
Congratulations to our Year 12 VCE Students on their Outstanding Results Released this Week
We are incredibly proud of the achievements of the class of 2025. Our results include:
- 10% of students achieved an ATAR over 90
- 30% of students achieved an ATAR over 80
- An average ATAR of 72.2
- A Median Study Score of 30, equal to the state average
These outcomes represent a tremendous achievement. This group of students began high school in 2020 and spent much of their first two years learning online due to the COVID pandemic. Their resilience, commitment, and hard work have been evident throughout their journey, and we could not be prouder of what they have accomplished.
We also congratulate two students who achieved a perfect study score of 50 in General Maths:
- Ethan Shaw (Year 12)
- Mia Costa (Year 11)
Our Top 5 ATARs were achieved by the following students.
Staffing
We are farewelling a number of staff at the end of this year.
Ms Selvina Farrugia and Ms Julie Panayiotou are moving to other schools.
Ms Amy Lee and Ms Avril Good are taking up Leadership positions in new schools.
We wish them well in their new settings and thank them for their service to our students.
We are also seeing the retirement of 3 long serving staff members – Ms Jill Donaldson, Ms Cinzia Cunningham and Ms Andrea Coleridge.
We would like to congratulate them on their careers and thank them for their years of service to public education in general, and to our school in particular.
We wish them all the best in their retirement.
Parent Opinion Survey
Thank you to all those parents who participated in the Parent Opinion Survey this year. The results have just been released, and they are quite positive.
We are above the State and Similar Schools in every factor measured. Teams will look closely at the results and use them to inform how we can continue to improve our practices.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Brandon Cvetanoski of Year 10. He competed at the All-School Australian Track and Field Championships on Dec 5 in Melbourne. He won the gold medal and is the Australian National Champion for U17 triple jump, with a winning jump of 14.57m. Well done, Brandon!
Year 12 Valedictory Dinner
Our Year 12 students celebrated the end of their secondary schooling last week at the Year 12 Valedictory Dinner, a fun and memorable evening filled with good food, music, and plenty of dancing. The event provided students with a chance to come together one last time as a cohort, reflecting on their shared journey while enjoying a relaxed social night with friends and teachers. One of the highlights of the evening was the Valedictorian address delivered by Ricardo Vom, who spoke with warmth about his school experience, challenges, and achievements that shaped the Class of 2025. The night was full of energy and celebration, with students embracing the opportunity to mark the end of an important chapter in style. Congratulations to all our Year 12 graduates. We wish them every success as they step into their next adventure.
Photos uploaded here.
Year 10 Formal
Our Year 10 students finished the year on a strong note on Friday, 6 December. Their conduct during exams was excellent, and their engagement throughout the orientation program was commendable.
The formal was a wonderful way to celebrate the end of the year, and it was great to see the majority of the cohort attending and enjoying the evening. The committee did an outstanding job in creating an inclusive event that ensured everyone had a memorable and enjoyable night.
It was fabulous to see the students dressed up and to reflect on how much they have grown in maturity over their two years in the sub-school.
Semester Reports
Semester 2 reports will be published on Friday 12 December. We ask that parents review the reports with their student and commend areas of growth and facilitate conversations around areas for development.
Alumni Success
On an exciting note, we have learned that one of our alumni, Martin Grannas (Class of 1984), is in Stockholm this week celebrating the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Since leaving St Albans High School, as it was known in 1984, Martin has completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne along with several post-doctoral studies.
Martin, together with other renowned scientists, has contributed important ‘stepping stones’ to the work recognised in this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Professor Richard Robson, an Australian chemist at the University of Melbourne, received this prestigious honour alongside Susumu Kitagawa and Omar M. Yaghi for their pioneering research on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)—porous materials with transformative applications in carbon capture, water harvesting, and catalysis. Their work has revolutionised molecular architecture.
Professor Robson, who developed the first MOF in 1989 and opened the door to major environmental and technological advances, is also well known to some of our Science staff here at St Albans Secondary College, having taught them in the undergraduate years.
Grade 6 Welcome Evening for Parents and Students
It was wonderful to welcome a large turnout for our annual Grade 6 Welcome evening on Tuesday 25 November. An overview of the range of activities and opportunities as well as the breadth of curriculum were provided during the evening. There was a social meet and greet over light refreshments provided by the Junior Sub School team who we thank for their support of the evening. Thanks also to Ron Brown and Lauren Honeycombe for their organisation of the event and the members of the leadership team who provided more detailed information in the small group sessions.
The transition to secondary school is an important milestone for Grade 6 students and we are pleased to welcome our new cohort. These evenings are always well received and provide a great opportunity for the school to build strong connections with families, so we thank all those who attended for their participation. If you have a child coming to the School in Year 7 next year, and were unable to attend, please contact the school if you require any information.
Grade 6 Orientation Day
We had a great transition day for all our incoming 2026 Year 7 students on Tuesday 9 December, students were provided tasters of many of their subjects and were able to familiarise themselves with the school environment. There was a lot of enthusiasm and excitement about making this transition from primary to secondary school and we look forward to working with all our new students and their families over the next 6 years of their education.
End of Year Student Free Days and Dates
The following are student free days in Term 4:
- Friday 19 December – Staff Day
The following are the last day of term for each Year Level with dismissal times:
| Year Level | Last Day of Term | Dismissal Time |
| Yr 9 | Fri 12 December | 3:10pm |
| Yrs 7 & 8 | Thursday 18 December | 12:40pm |
Arrangements for the Start of the 2026 School Year
Students will commence school next year on the following dates:
- Wed 28 January – Year 7, Year 10 and all Years 11 and 12
- Thur 29 January – Year 8 and Year 9
Finally, happy holidays to our wonderful school community. Enjoy the break and we look forward to seeing you in 2026. For those not returning next year, we wish you all the very best on your next journey.
