P r i n c i p a l ’ s R e p o rt

P r i n c i p a l ’ s R e p o rt
Volume 29, Number 35
Friday 18 November 2016
White Ribbon
Friday 25 November is the UN International
day for the elimination of violence
against women and is also known as White
Ribbon day. The White Ribbon campaign
originated in Canada in response to a horrific
event. A troubled young man, himself
the victim of domestic violence, walked
into a class of a Montreal Polytechnic with
a gun and ordered the men and women in
the class to separate sides of the room.
He allowed the men to leave before firing
on the women wounding all and killing 14
women and then himself. He had deliberately
targeted an Engineering class due to
his hatred of women who in his mind were
intruding into areas that should be the exclusive
domain of men. This was a deeply
troubling tragedy not just because of the
extreme actions of a disturbed young man,
but because of the conduct of the other
men, including their teacher, who meekly
left the room when given the opportunity
in full knowledge that they were condemning
their female colleagues to death.
The UN campaign recognises that the key
to eliminating violence against women is
for every man to take responsibility not
just for their own conduct, but also to educate
their peers to abandon the misogynistic
attitudes that underpin violence against
women. It further recognises that it is the
collective responsibility of men, not women,
to redress these destructive attitudes.
A recent Commonwealth research report
again highlighted the degree to which domestic
violence and the social attitudes that
underpin and perpetuate domestic violence
are still an endemic concern. One in three
women will experience violence at the
hands of someone they know and the vast
majority (94%) of the perpetrators of this
violence will be male. One in four young
people do not think it is serious if a man
slaps a woman if he is drunk or they have
been arguing.
A research report released as part of the
White Ribbon campaign reveals that
many young men still retain troubling
and misguided ideas about violence
against women and their personal responsibility,
not only for their own conduct,
but a collective social responsibility
shared by all men to respond to the disrespectful
or sexist conduct of their peers
whether this be in word of deed.
MHS has been an active member of the
White Ribbon campaigns for several
years and the Rugby fraternity which has
championed this initiative. The School
has also expressed interest in acting as a
lead school for the Respectful Relationships
program next year. This is a DETsponsored
program that forms part to the
state and Commonwealth Government’s
Respect agenda.
An all-boys school provides an ideal
opportunity to prepare and educate young
men to rise to these personal and social
responsibilities both within the School
and throughout their lives. MHS describes
as its ambition the desire to raise
socially responsible and just young men.
It is therefore beholding upon us to ask
our young men to show leadership
amongst their peers in standing against
violence against women as one of the
most abject aspects of masculinity. The
approach of the School has been to ask
our students to be ‘active bystanders’.
If any of our students overhear a peer
making a sexist, misogynistic, homophobic
or racist remark they are encouraged
to turn immediately to their peer and say
‘that is not okay’.
Often when someone makes such an
offensive remark, the response of those
nearby is an embarrassed silence. This
means the conduct goes unchallenged or
can be taken to be implicit agreement
with the attitude expressed. The research
has shown that a simple response that
makes it clear that the remark and the
attitude behind it are not condoned can
reduce the incidence of such unacceptable
behaviour by 80%.
This is certainly been our experience at
MHS. We insist on respectful behaviour
and language at all times and have asked
both staff and students to challenge unacceptable
behaviour. The reduction in
the unthinking use of hurtful and prejudicial
language has been noticeable.
If the young men in our care leave the
School with a clear understanding of
respectful relationships and are prepared
to challenge those around them if they
conduct falls short of these standards,
then we are on our way to creating a
future that will safer and more respectful
for everyone.
School Leaders 2017
I am pleased to announce that the following
students have been appointed as our
senior leaders
SRC President Bowen Hafey
Vice President Yath Pathmanathan
Como Captain: Anthony Giannopoulos
Vice-Captain: Chow Lui
Forrest Captain: William Walker
Vice-Captain: Johnston Mai
Waterloo Captain: Itai Shaul
Vice-Captain: Kareem Habib
Yarra Captain: Gasha Admassu
Vice-Captain: Lynden Kane
Jeremy Ludowyke
Principal

Second-hand Uniform Shop
MHS Second Hand Uniform Shop (SHUS) will open this Friday 18 November at morning tea (11am - 12.30pm).
The 18th and the 25th November, will be your last opportunities to purchase uniform, required for Speech Night.
The shop will be open – for purchase and drop-off
Friday 18 November - during the students MORNING RECESS, up to 12.30pm
Friday 25 November
open including, Morning recess – 10 am–11.30am
open at the end of the school day, 3 to 4pm
Tuesday 13 December - 1.30 – 6 pm
Wednesday 14 December – 1.30 - 6pm
Monday 23 January – time to be determined
Tuesday 24 January – time to be determined
LABEL UNIFORM ITEMS – often clothes are misplaced around the school. The school does their best to return uniform when it
is clearly labelled with the students name. Best to use a laundry marker to ensure the name remains after washing and dry cleaning.
e.g. Sharpie Rub-a-Dub Laundry Marker Black, Artline Laundry Markers in Black and White.
The SHUS accepts Uniform as a donation, or to be sold on behalf of the owner, with part of the sale retained by the
SHUS. All sales will support school activities.
Do you have uniform items, your son has outgrown? No longer needed?
Uniform items must be clean and in good condition. Blazers need to be dry-cleaned, with the dry cleaning tag left attached. These
can be dropped into the shop on Fridays during opening hours, or delivered to the General Office on other days. Please provide the
following details: list of all items delivered to the shop, bank details and an email address for contact.
The Second hand uniform-shop is run by the Parents and Friends Association and provides the opportunity for families to sell and
purchase uniforms at a reduced price. The shop is operated by current school parents as volunteers.
Any questions, or would like to join the team in 2017, please email to mhssecondhanduniformshop@gmail.com
DATES TO REMEMBER
FROM THE LIBRARY
Wednesday 23 November Laureate launch
Thursday 24 November Valedictory dinner
Friday 25 November White Ribbon Day
Monday 28 November Speech Night
Tuesday 29 November Year 11 final assembly
Wednesday 30 November Year 10 final assembly
Thursday 1 December Year 9 final assembly
We sacrifice control in the name of convenience. As we
become like cyborgs, we should expect more control over our
technology.
http://www.digitalpedagogylab.com/hybridped/in-the-clutchesof-algorithms/
Tania Sheko
Librarian
Tuesday 31 January Year 9 commence Term 1
Wednesday 1 February
Years 10, 11 & 12 commence
Term 1

MHS Speech Night 2016
MHS parents please note the promotional code to receive
your two free tickets for Speech Night this year is
mhsspn16. Please use this link to purchase your
tickets: http://www.mhsoba.asn.au/speech-night
Graduation Gift
Other benefits include:
MHSOBA bumper sticker.
MHSOBA membership card.
Special events and programs.
Mentoring and work experience opportunities.
Free Strong Like Its Pillars (History of MHS)
The Tie and cufflinks sets are selling fast. If you would like
to purchase a MHSOBA tie and cufflinks for your son at
the discounted rate of $50 for the set, please contact Margie
Burton 9824 0480 or pop into our office to pay and collect
the set.
SM30 Membership
SM30 memberships are the best value MSHOBA memberships
and are available only to current MHS students!
SM30 memberships expire on the member's 30th birthday.
This provides up to 16 years of membership for the price of
about 6 years!
What’s in it for me?
MHSOBA membership offers access to an incredible network
of Old Boys. Recent MHSOBA functions have been
attended by Rhodes Scholars, Olympic athletes, world-class
businessmen, entrepreneurs and experts in every professional
field.
Set of Kenneth Jack Prints
How do I sign up?
SM30 memberships can be purchased on the MHSOBA website
and are payable in one instalment of $400 or up to four
annual instalments of $100 each.
YOU | ME | US
Keep up to date with MHSOBA news on Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.
T (03) 9824 0480
F (03) 9827 0257
E
W
administrator@mhsoba.asn.au
www.mhsoba.asn.au

MHS FOUNDATION
MHS FOUNDATION is raising funds to build the Health Promotion Centre:
HEALTH PROMOTION CENTRE
Student wellbeing is our first priority. We are excited that a generous donation from an Old Boy has enabled us to make a start on
the Health Promotion Hub, which will centralise health and wellbeing services. The hub will also provide private counselling rooms,
a new nurse bay, a dedicated space for students to enjoy health and wellbeing activities, including seminars, workshops and mentoring
and workstations for student wellbeing staff.
Please donate what you can to help us complete this vital project by donating to the Building Fund Option #3 /Health Promotion
Centre. To support student wellbeing programs, please donate to the MHS Foundation Health Promotion Trust.
Donations of $5,000 or more will be recognised on a Donor board at the centre.
保 证 学 生 的 健 康 成 长 是 我 们 的 首 要 任 务 , 令 我 们 感 到 欣 慰 的 是 有 一 位 校 友 的 慷 慨 捐 赠 使 我 们 能 得 于 建
造 学 生 健 康 发 展 中 心 。 该 中 心 将 集 中 提 供 健 康 和 保 健 服 务 。 中 心 还 将 设 立 私 人 辅 导 室 , 新 的 医 务 室 及
学 生 健 康 和 保 健 的 活 动 区 域 , 其 中 包 括 给 予 负 责 学 生 健 康 的 工 作 人 员 举 行 相 关 研 讨 会 , 讲 习 班 , 辅
导 班 和 工 作 坊 的 专 用 空 间 。
请 尽 您 所 能 帮 助 我 们 完 成 这 个 重 要 的 项 目 , 捐 款 给 建 筑 基 金 3。
捐 款 5000 元 或 以 上 将 会 在 健 康 中 心 的 捐 赠 板 上 刻 下 您 的 名 字 。
MHS FOUNDATION LTD
CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL AND ITS COMMUNITY
Please visit our website to DONATE, view scholarship and further information.
Jodie Gunton - 9823 7196
www.mhsfoundation.org.au

Student Wellbeing & Support
Mrs Jennifer Mill
Student Welfare Coordinator
COPING WITH EXAM RESULTS
It's normal to feel a whole range of things before or after you get your exam results. How you feel is probably related to your expectations,
and those of people close to you. Passing or failing exams may make you feel positively or negatively about yourself. It can
affect your confidence. Most of us worry about how others, especially family and close friends, might react to our results. A good
exam result is something to brag about to our friends and relatives. A bad one is seen as the end of our academic careers.
Many of you may be pleased with your results; however, it may be that your results have not been what you hoped for.
Emotions that can be felt when waiting for or receiving exam results include:
Happiness or excitement
Guilt, confusion or sadness
Disappointment or depression
Stress or anxiety
Numbness
Anger
There are many ways you can deal with the pressure of expectations. No exam result is so important that it will stop you achieving
your goals in the long term. Your exam results are just that – marks given to something you wrote down, once. They're not a number
that reflects your worth, and they won't stop you doing what you want in the long-term.
Doing badly or failing a subject can put a pretty big dent on your self-confidence. But even though it might be a huge disappointment,
it’s worth keeping it all in perspective. Recognising that failing has little to do with your talents and abilities as a person can
be the first step to feeling better.
When it comes to failing an assessment or a subject, there are things you can do to make you get back into it and work on building
your confidence up again.
If you were struggling to get work done. Sometimes there’s too much going on. You have friends, family, work, relationships
and general life stuff. Fitting study into a hectic schedule can sometimes be a hugely overwhelming task. If this is
the reason for failing, it’s a matter of working out how to balance it all. Deciding what your priorities are, time management
and having the ability to step back and say no is the key.
If you were not keeping up. The challenge with school is that each person in the class has a different learning style and
speed. Teachers often aim their classes at the majority. If you feel you’re lagging and not able to keep up, don’t be afraid to
talk to your teacher about what you can do. The sooner you talk to someone about it, the easier it will be to resolve. Your
speed of learning doesn’t reflect anything about your intelligence or ability.
If you weren’t able to complete the course. Sometimes we just have to struggle through a subject that’s not working
well. Whether it’s to do with personal stuff or just generally feeling overwhelmed, it’s important to get help. Talking to your
teacher, Student Learning Coordinator or a member of the Wellbeing Team will assist you in getting back on track.
It is important to understand that failure is a part of life. Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison,
Sachin Tendulkar- all these people had a tough time academically. What made them successful? Their determination and belief in
their own abilities. Accept that sometimes you nail stuff and sometimes you bomb out. Beating yourself up about it ultimately ends
up being unproductive and upsetting. Talking to someone about how to bounce back is usually helpful.
Adapted from http://au.reachout.com/failing-a-course-or-subject and http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/how-to-deal-with-exam-result-anxiety/
Mental Health Contacts
Kids Help Line (24hrs) 1800 55 1800
Lifeline (24hrs) 13 11 14
Grief line 95967799
Gay and Lesbian Switchboard 9827 8544
Drug and Alcohol ‘Direct Line’ 1800 888 236
Reach Out
www.reachout.com.au
Kids Help Line 1800 551 800
www.kidshelp.com.au
Online counselling via eHeadspace https://www.eheadspace.org.au/

Careers Room
Ms Annette Travers
Careers & Work Education Coordinator
Study in the USA
Current Year 10 and 11 students interested in applying for university courses in the USA should be sitting the SAT or ACT tests
this cycle of exams. The SAT and ACT tests are a major requirement of the application process.
The Melbourne High School code for registration for the SAT or the ACT is: 700168.
Students are able to register for the SAT at the College Board web site at: www.collegeboard.com.
Current test sites:
December 3 Melbourne Grammar School Victoria (87284) Late registration deadline is November 22
January 21 Currently nothing in Melbourne
May 6 Wesley College Prahran (87279)
May 6 Haileybury Keysborough (87244)
May 6 The Kilmore International School Kilmore (87249)
June 3 Scotch College Hawthorn (87280)
Students can register for the ACT at: http://www.actstudent.org/
Current test sites:
June 10 Geelong Grammar School Corio (874210)
June 10 Carey Baptist Grammar School Kew (865140)
Test centres fill up quickly so students should register as soon as possible.
For further information students should see Mrs Travers in T39.
Hawker Scholarship
The Charles Hawker Scholarship, valued at up to $50,000 over four years is available to undergraduate and postgraduate students
in Australia. It is available to students who intend to study and reside at the following interstate universities and residential
colleges.
The Australian National University – Burgmann College
The Flinders University of South Australia – St Mark’s College
The University of Adelaide – St Mark’s College
The University of Adelaide - Roseworthy Campus
The University of Cambridge – Trinity College
The University of New England – Robb College
The University of South Australia - St Mark’s College
The Marcus Oldham College
Preference will be given to applicants with careers aspirations in the Australian political field, public affairs or community service.
For further information visit: www.hawkerscholarship.org . Applications open on Monday 5 December 2016 and close on Friday 6
January 2017.
Monash Residential Services (MRS)
Prospective students who are considering on-campus Monash accommodation to get in early and apply. Monash Residential Services
(MRS) offer a range of accommodation options across campuses (Clayton and Peninsula).
There is no application fee, and prospective residents are not required to sign any offer of accommodation until after they have received
their Monash University offer. Detailed application information can be found at: https://www.monash.edu/accommodation/
apply-now.
For more information, please contact Monash Residential Services on 03 9905 6200 or mrs.applications@monash.edu
Dates to Remember:
University of Melbourne Summer School 2017
The University of Melbourne Student Union VCE Summer School. VCESS is a two week programme that runs in early January each year,
offering tutoring and a head start in VCE to students commencing years 11 and 12.
Date: Monday 9 January 2017 to Friday 20 January, 2017 Cost: $240.
For an application form or further information go to: http://umsu.unimelb.edu.au/jump-in/summerschool/. Applications close on Friday 2 December
2016. Contact: summerschool@union.unimelb.edu.au, phone: 8344 8204 or fax: 03 9349 4559