Students
Student Handbook and Course Selection Web Page
We are proud of our achievements and the ways we value add to the lives and education of every young person who studies with us. The VCA Secondary School is ranked in the top state schools for VCE achievement. Our school remains a powerhouse of student achievement.
Could potential International Students please go to the ENTRY page which provides all the information you need and relevant links.
Major awards 2009
| The Principal's Award | Jessica Lindon |
The Lenton Parr Academic Award |
Cassandra Horsman |
| The Anne Woolliams Dance Award | Madeliene Graham |
| The John Hopkins Music Award | Alden Cai |
| Junior Academic Award | Luke Severn |
| Junior Dance Award | Calvin Richardson |
| Junior Music Award | Ziggy Johnston |
| Citizenship Award | Kate Walker |
Dux of the School |
Jonathon Heilbron |
The Robert Salzer Voice Award |
Georgia Wilkinson |
| Pioneer Outstanding Solist | Nicholas Waters |
| Chamber Music Award | Olivia Halley and Melina van Leeuwen |
| Composers Award | Courtney Williams |
We are very proud of our major award winners. For list of nominations and other winners go to 'In View' from the Newsletters page.
I welcome your feedback and communication. Students may email me directly: principal@vcass.vic.edu.au or come to my room to speak to me. If my door is closed I am in a private meeting, if my door is open I am available to you.
Colin Simpson
Principal
Starting at the VCA Secondary School
As part of the Year 7 Health course, the group looked back at what it was like starting here at the VCA Secondary School. We asked the Year 7s to write about how they were coping after a term and a bit. Here’s what they said:
Dance student “I thought it might be chaotic and hard having no bell. The first week was but then we all got used to it. Now I think it’s a good learning experience having to be responsible for always knowing where you are supposed to be and when you are supposed to be there. I think the academic side of the school is very strong. You might think you wouldn’t get enough teaching having only half a day of academic studies each day, but the small class sizes and the fact that everyone really wants to do their best easily makes up for it. And having such good teachers. Our school is in the Top 3 schools for VCE results. Does everybody know that? Some people might think the school is very competitive, and I suppose it is a bit, but in a nice way. Healthy competition is a good thing. All the people in this school are really nice, there are no bullies, and everyone helps the Year 7s.”
Music student “When I first came, I was worried about how much actual school work we would do, but I quickly realized it was the same amount as any other school. We don’t waste any time during the day. We don’t have regular assemblies, we don’t have half an hour in a home room in the mornings, like at my friends’ schools. We just come to school and get on with it. And we don’t waste time in class either. I really like that. I don’t know one person at this school who doesn’t like it here. I mostly do all my written homework on the train home, then I don’t worry about it all evening. I can practice violin when I get home. Last night I did three hours. It was easy to find someone at this school who gets the same train as me, we come and go as a group, with different people of different ages.”
Gym student “I was amazed how friendly the school is. And to discover there was only one Year 7 class with less than 20 students in it. That is the best. Here is my weekly routine. Monday Wednesday and Friday, I catch the train at 7.15 to Flinders Street, then I get to school at about 8, walking down St Kilda Road with my friends to school. I start school at 8.30 and finish academic classes at 12.35. Then I have lunch in the school café, then I catch the tram to Prahran, up High Street till I get to the gym. We go together. We do homework at the gym between 1.30 and 3. Then we train from 3 till 7. On Thursday and Tuesday, we start training at the gym at 9 a.m., and finish at 12, then we catch the tram to school for academic classes in the afternoon. Then we go back to the gym for more training between 4.20 and 7 pm. I do about 28 hours a week at the gym. But it’s so much fun! I just can’t believe how friendly everyone is at this school. The benefit is I can still do all my academic classes and keep up my gym training”
Dance student “I have made the best friends at VCASS. Most of the teachers are nice, and yes, the work is hard but that is what I expected. I like having only 19 in the Year 7 class, it makes it easier to learn and get teacher time if I need it. It was hard going from 4 hours a week dancing to more than 20, all of a sudden, but I can feel myself getting stronger and better. I have been so lucky to get into this school. I wouldn’t give it up for the world.”
Music student “The very worst part of the school so far was the audition. And that was only because I was so nervous before. After that everything else was easy. The second worst part is getting up at 6.30 every morning to come to school. The teachers are nice and the kids too (mostly).”
Gym student “I get up at 6 and get home some nights at 9.05. So it’s a long day. I thought the gymmies would stick with the gymmies, the dancers with the dancers, and the musicians with the musicians, but it hasn’t been like that at all. We do everything together, and I’ve made lots of friends. It has been OK getting the tram, we only got lost once, and then I used my mobile phone to ring my mum to sort it out.”
Dance student “ We get more attention from the teachers at this school than at any other school I’ve ever been to, and the older students really look after us. The boys and girls really get on well with each other. The thing I love most about this school is I can share my passion for dancing with loads of other people. Nobody at my old school understood. I didn’t know the teachers would be so friendly.”
Gym student “I’ve only been here a term already, and everyone knows my name, and I know theirs.”
Dance student “When I first came on Orientation Day in December I thought I would need a map to get around, it seemed so big. But the staff have all been very welcoming, they only make us do the things we need to do, and the academic is as strong as the specialist training we get. Public transport was a challenge to get used to, and sometimes there simply doesn’t seem to be enough time at lunchtime to pack up the academic books, get them back to my locker, get my lunch and eat it, and get changed ready for Dance classes in half an hour. Overall, though, VCASS is a great place for me. I have the opportunity to dance and keep up my academic work.”
Dance student “I still get very tired at night as we dance 4 hours a day and I’ve never danced that much before. I get up at 6.30 and catch the train with my friends from VCASS who live on the Broadmeadows line. When we first came here some people knew each other and others didn’t know anyone. I didn’t know anyone
Music student “I couldn’t come to orientation because we lived in Tamworth then, so I was a bit nervous on the first day because everyone knew someone and I didn’t. But it ended up going really good, and now I’ve got lots of friends”
Dance student “Coming to VCASS was a life changing experience for me. Getting up so early, warming up by 8 a.m, that’s not an ideal start to the day for me. But that’s the kind of commitment everyone here has. So don’t audition if you aren’t committed. Some people say because we dance half the day we can’t do as well at academic work, but it’s just not true. Everyone works twice as hard at their academic work too. It’s a really friendly place, as soon as you walk through the door you feel like you’re at home”
Year 9 Integrated Program Comments from students
I thought IP was interesting; sometimes it was boring sometimes it was fun. The best part about IP was going to Port Phillip Specialist School, where I learnt how to work with people who are different from us; I found it very interesting. I also enjoyed helping the children with their work. I didn’t know there are lots of children who have an IQ lower then70. I learnt that they communicate by using music, therapy and art. I didn’t really enjoy working on an NGO. I didn’t find it interesting but I learnt some information about NGOs. Overall, I really enjoyed this unique and once in a lifetime experience!
In IP this semester we have done many things. First this year we went to Port Phillip Specialist School where we got assigned to a class to help for a day each week. The kids in my class were about 10-12 years old and all had slightly different problems. We helped them with art, dancing and spelling. It was a really good experience; it made me understand how something so simple for me is quite a challenge for them. Also this semester we worked on a NGO (non-government organisation). I chose to research The World Wildlife Fund. What they are doing is so important. Towards the end of this semester we started doing Health and P.E with Mr Nucci. I found the games that we did really fun and made us all work together as a team. Also in this subject we learnt about depression and how many people it kills a year and about our relationships and how they affect us. Overall, I have really enjoyed the first semester of I.P. I have achieved a higher understanding of other people and the things that affect different people and their life-styles.
In IP this semester I have gone to Port Phillip Specialist School. At Port Phillip I have learned how to deal with not just special kids but typical kids too. Every Wednesday we used to do PE, Drama and swimming with the kids. For a couple of days Monique and I joined in bike riding. Other things we have done include health with Mr Nucci. I have learned how to get out of an uncomfortable situations and conversations. In IP I enjoyed the activities at the Botanic Gardens, for example, race around the Botanic Gardens and Nucci ball.
This semester in Integrated Program I have been to Port Phillip Specialist School. I was placed in class one, where I made some friends. This was an uplifting experience as I was able to see how other people work and live. This year I have done one project on the NGO Fred Hollows Foundation, and am now doing a project on the Penan people of Indonesia. Also, we have done some work on depression with Mr. Nucci.
Throughout the whole two terms of IP my main achievements would include: going to Port Phillip Specialist School, having classes joined with other years 9’s and having fun games, which would include building social and relationship skills throughout the classroom, as well as our “Non-Government Organisations” project. When our class visited Port Phillip Specialist School I learnt that people with disabilities are also educated as much as people without disabilities; they just learn slower than us and so they would need more patience. When we finished going to the school in class we started to focus more on aspects of relationships and the different types of relationships. I found this to be a great class and look forward to more discussions about the topic.
In IP this year, I felt like I have achieved a lot. In first term, my class went to PPSS (Port Phillip Specialist School). We spent a whole term there helping the children dance and produce pots in art and we sat and watch how they spelt. I had fun at PPSS because I had the opportunity to work with people and I liked hanging out with them in activities. In HAPE, we played Nucci Ball which is similar to Dodge Ball. The second HAPE activity we did was that we had to run around the whole Tan when connected to ropes. I completed my project on an NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation), but I accidentally did the wrong NGO.
On Wednesday of each week for two whole terms my class and I have had IP, which stands for Integrated Program. During this time we have done various activities such as interesting and weird visits to Port Phillip Specialist School. At the school we joined the children in their everyday activities. This was quite confronting at first but we all got used to it. Since then we have had talks and lessons on breaking the ice in conversations and depression. That was my basic outline of an action packed program, which my class has been involved in, in the past two terms.
We are very proud of this community based work.
Colin Simpson
Principal