Learning and Teaching Report - December 2025

Awards Assembly

The College community came together on Thursday 4 December for Mount St. Joseph Girls' College Awards Night. This evening was a wonderful finish to the 2025 academic year.

Our awards night celebrated many of the fantastic achievements of our students. We had the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the many gifts and talents of students in the areas of learning, the arts, community and sporting involvement. The evening was a tribute to the many and varied talents of the MSJ College students.

We take this opportunity to thank the staff for their contribution in the provision of these opportunities and the parents who have provided much support and guidance that allows students to succeed.

MSJ Awards 2025

Josephite Spirit Award 2025

NameYear
Mila C
Year 7
Taysha F
Year 8
Amelia C
Year 9
Zixuan Y
Year 10
Bella M
Year 11

Community Award 2025

Name
Year
Isla E
Year 7
Mila C
Year 7
Taysha F
Year 8
Allegra W
Year 9
Veronica B
Year 10
Abbey N
Year 11

Sports Award 2025

Name
Year
Lottie G
Year 7
Mila G
Year 8
Chloe D-B
Year 9
Jessica H
Year 10
Gemma W
Year 11

Music Scholarship 2025

Name
Year
Category
Isabella F-S
Year 7
Voice
Tatum G
Year 8
Drama
Elspeth L
Year 7
Voice
Stephaine S
Year 9
Drums
Jody B
Year 8
Strings
Zoe M
Year 7
Piano

Outstanding Student Awards 2025

Name
Award
Year
Chloe W
2025 Alice Mary Roche Excellence in Legal Studies Award
Year 11
Evie S
Junior Performing Arts 2025
Year 9
Chloe G
Visual Arts Junior 2025
Year 9

Special Awards 2025

Name
Award
Year
Grace M
Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars 2025
Year 10
Charlotte Le F
ADF - Long Tan Leadership Award 2025
Year 10
Hannah B
ADF - Future Innovators Award 2025
Year 10
Hannah B
Sr. Kath Nolan Environmental 2025
Year 11
Charlotte F
Virtue & Courage Award - Mable Pinto 2025
Year 11
Mia M
Zonta - Evelyn De Bonnaire Encouragement Award 2025
Year 11
Mia M
Tim Watts Book Award
Year 11
Isabelle C
Melissa Horne Book Award
Year 10
Emilie B
St Vincent de Paul Society - Kay Middleton Award
Year 11
Maddie T
St Vincent de Paul Society - Kay Middleton Award
Year 11

Subject Awards 2025 - Year 7

Name Subject
Rose C Year 7 English & Mathematics
Audrey D Year 7 Product Design and Technology
Anurika V Year 7 Music
Alice B Year 7 Food Technology
Mila C Year 7 Drama
Meagan N Year 7 Visual Art
Zoe M Year 7 Digital Technology
Josephine H Year 7 Religious Education
Amelie T Year 7 Humanities
Emily K Year 7 French
Isla C Year 7 Visual Communication Design
Isla E Year 7 Science
Amelia C Year 7 Health and Physical Education
Isabelle C Year 7 Japanese
Lana B Year 7 Italian
Miley B Year 7 STEM

Subject Awards 2025 - Year 8

Name Subject
Emily C Year 8 Food Technology
Gabriella M Year 8 STEM
Swara A Year 8 STEM
Lily C Year 8 Religious Education
Andi C Year 8 Visual Art
Eliza L Year 8 Health and Physical Education
Eloise M Year 8 French
Eloisa O Year 8 Science
Charlotte J Year 8 Digital Technology
Tatum G Year 8 English
Eliza S Year 8 Product Design Technology & Visual Communication Design
Gabriella Parra G Year 8 Italian
Lola C-P Year 8 Drama
Aradhya S Year 8 Japanese & Mathematics & Humanities
Taysha F Year 8 Music

Subject Awards 2025 - Year 9

Name Subject
Sophie B Year 9 STEM
Mila T Year 9 Italian
Georgia E Year 9 Religious Education
Bernice C Year 9 Music
Savannah N Year 9 Mathematics & Japanese & Health and Physical Education & Science
Teresa M Year 9 French
Lana M Year 9 Drama & Food Technology
Evie S Year 9 Dance
Aoife M Year 9 Outdoor and Environmental Studies
Annabel G Year 9 English
Chelsea I Year 9 Media
Chloe G Year 9 Humanities & Visual Art
Allegra P Year 9 Program: Bold Award
Laura J Year 9 Visual Communication Design
Orlaith B Year 9 Product Design Technology
Marley B Year 9 Duke of Ed
Alira M Year 9 Digital Technologies
Mila TYear 9 Digital Art - Photography

Subject Awards 2025 - Year 10

Name Subject
Keira B Year 10 English & French & Food Technology
Hannah B Year 10 Modern History - Semester 1, General Mathematics Unit 1, Science, Australian and Global Health - Semester 2 & Italian
Isla S Year 10 Mathematics Foundation
Grace G Year 10 Drama, Product Design Technology & General Mathematics
Milla F Year 10 Dance
Deandra C Year 10 Literature
Nia O Year 10 Money Markets and Management - Semester 1
Leah M Year 10 Digital Technology
Sydney B Year 10 Outdoor Education
Esha H Year 10 Geography People and Planet - Semester 1
Kaitlyn V Year 10 Japanese
Ariana M Year 10 Government and Citizens - Semester 1
Isabella T Year 10 Music
Gihara J Year 10 Visual Communication Design
Kiana H Year 10 Mathematics Methods
Charlotte Le F Year 10 Visual Art
Chiara F Year 10 Religion
Ruby M Year 10 History - Semester 2 & Business Management Unit 1
Grace M Year 10 Health & Human Development Unit 1
Hannah G Year 10 STEM & Human Movement - Semester 2
Leah M Year 10 Media
Indiana B Year 10 Health and Physical Education - Semester 1
Navya N Year 10 Essential HPE - Semester 2
Bianca G NYear 10 Digital Art - Photography


Subject Awards 2025 - VCE-VM

Name Subject
Imogen K Units 1 & 2 Japanese
Georgia H VPC Endeavour
Sonia G Units 1 & 2 Foundation Mathematics
Amelia P Year 11 VET Sports & Recreation
Jessica B Unita 1 & 2 General Mathematics & Biology
Amalia B-R Units 1 & 2 VET Music
Anabelle S Units 1 & 2 Psychology
Daisy B Year 11 Ethics, Applied Computing & Media
Mukundi C Units 1 & 2 Business Management, Physical Education & English Language
Amelia B Units 1 & 2 Visual Communication Design
Olivia B Units 1 & 2 Religion and Society & Health and Human Development
Chloe W Units 1 & 2 Legal Studies & Outdoor and Environmental Studies
Amber S Units 1 & 2 Food Studies
Arden R Units 1 & 2 Italian
Chloe A Unit 1 & 2 Physics, Specialist Mathematics & French
Laticia N Units 1 & 2 Chemistry & Mathematical Methods
Erin A Unit 1 & 2 Accounting
Tamara B Units 1 & 2 Product Design and Technology
Amelia G Year 11 VM Endeavour
Georgia T Units 1 & 2 English
Sofia I Units 1 & 2 Art Making and Exhibiting
Holly A Units 1 & 2 Modern History
Ella B Units 1 & 2 Literature
Alexa Z Units 1 & 2 Geography
Tara M Units 1 & 2 Drama


Dux & Top Academic Achievements 2025 - Year 7

Name
Emily K
Zoe M
Anurika V
Josephine H
Jasmine T

Dux & Top Academic Achievements 2025 - Year 8

Name
Eloisa O
Aradhya S
Lola Crosbie P
Tatum G
Amanda P


Dux & Top Academic Achievements 2025 - Year 9

Name
Savannah N
Annabel G
Alyssa W
Theresa M
Emily P

Dux & Top Academic Achievements 2025 - Year 10

Name
Hannah B
Keira B
Kiana H
Hannah G
Christina O


Dux & Top Academic Achievements 2025 - Year 11

Name
Olivia B
Laticia N
Anabelle S
Chloe W
Chloe A

Headstart Program

At the conclusion of November, we welcomed our 2026 Year 11 and 12 students for their transition to their Senior Program.

The purpose of these transition programs is to:

  • To help students make a confident transition into their senior studies.

  • To introduce the expectations, routines, and study habits needed for success.

  • To begin coursework and set clear goals for the year ahead.

  • To start the 2026 school year feeling prepared, organised, and focused.

This year we have made alterations to the Headstart program at year 12. Students have undertaken more contact with each of their core subjects, we are aiming with this new program, to enhance the opportunity for revision prior to examinations.

Students commenced their course of study and have been given homework to complete over the Christmas break. Students should be completing the set homework tasks as well as revising the work completed.

Students have also participated in a range of information sessions that have included information on the requirements and policies of VCE, the process of special provisions as well as key dates. We would like to alert parents and guardians that a Parent Information Evening is scheduled for 10 February 2026 and the dates for the compulsory Trial Examinations is also set for 18 September to 28 September.

Examinations

Students from years 8 - 12 undertook examinations from the end of October to the first week of December.

We congratulate all of our students on their exemplary conduct throughout the examination period. Their focus, commitment to doing their best, and respectful behaviour has set a wonderful standard for our learning community. The integrity displayed, reflected the maturity and dedication that each student had to their learning journey. We are incredibly proud of the way students supported one another, upheld our school values, and approached this important time with responsibility and confidence.

Well done on demonstrating not only academic effort, but admirable character!

VCE Results

Year 12 students as well as students who undertook a Unit 3/4 subject will be receiving their VCE results on December 11. We look forward to celebrating the successes of students with our school community.

We encourage all students to ensure that they have updated their contact details so that they are able to receive their results from the VCAA. We also ask that students work through Meaghan White mwhite@msj.vic.edu.au to ensure that their results can be accessed by their teachers for review purposes.

Our Pathways staff: Naomi Nolan and Ana Stafrace have provided resources to students in relation to changing preferences if required after the ATAR release. It is important to note that our staff will be available on site, to work with students alongside these directions if so required.

School Resources for 2026 – Important Reminder

Campion Education is the official school resource supplier for Mount St Joseph Girls’ College. Please place your order online by 19 December 2025 to access the full range of required resources and the best available handling costs.

Orders can be made at order.campion.com.au, with the school resource code searchable within the platform.

Family Support:
The Campion Parent Hub includes How to Order videos and guides in 11 languages:
campion.com.au/parents/how-to-order/

Further help is available via the FAQs, email help@campion.com.au, or phone 1300 433 982.

Chantelle Gauci
Deputy Principal - Learning & Staff


Learning Resource Centre

Our goals in the Learning Resource Centre for 2025 were to increase both borrowing and reading. We planned to achieve this by having more English classes visit the LRC more often, to borrow and to read. In addition, in year 7 and 8 we ran the MSJ Reading Challenge, rewarding students for their reading efforts, whether it was blocks of time, chapters or books.

We are pleased to report there was a substantial increase in borrowing on previous years.

Book Borrowing Figures
YearBorrowings
20234046
2024
3980
2025
5315


We also did a thorough weed of the collection, removing tired, much-loved and long-forgotten books from the shelves. We purchased multiple copies of last year’s most popular books and made sure we purchased additional copies of this year’s new in-demand books, such as Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. We also expanded our most popular genres - Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Love Stories and Mystery - buying the new and highly recommended books in these categories.

2025’s Most Borrowed Book
1
(38) Guts by Raina Telgemeier
2
(28) A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
3
(27) The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
4
(20) Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

(20) Scar Town by Tristan Bancks
5
(19) To all the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

(19) It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
6
(16) The Do-Over by Lynn Painter

(16) Heartstopper Vol 5 by Alice Oseman
7
(15) The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

(15) Kill Joy by Holly Jackson
8
(14) Hinata and Kageyama by Haruichi Furudate

(14) One of Us is Next by Karen McManus

(14) Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
9
(12) Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
10
(11) Caraval by Stephanie Garber

(11) Five Survive by Holly Jackson

(11) Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

(11) One Of Us Is Back by Karen M McManus

(11) A thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole

(11) A Curse For True Love by Stephanie Garber
11
(10) Grace Field House by Kaiu Shirai

(10) One of Us is Lying by Karen M McManus
12
(9) Animal Farm by George Orwell

(9) Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by Joya Goffney

(9) If Only I had told her by Laura Nowlin


(The figure in brackets shows how many times the title was borrowed)

The benefits of reading are enormous, and include: increased vocabulary, improved sleep, greater emotional awareness, improved maths, more empathy, reduced stress, lower cholesterol, better memory, more world experiences, boosted creativity, more experiences of love and many other emotions, self discovery and broadened horizons.

Students who read regularly can expect to excel in all sorts of areas. Encourage your children to read over the holidays, it’s so good for them. And if they’re not sure what to read, try something from our Most Borrowed list.

Have a happy holiday.

Rebecca Green - Librarian