Principal’s Report

Dear MAC Community,

As the year draws to a close, I feel an immense pride in our school and the achievements, growth, and spirit that define our community. This year has been one of creativity, resilience, and celebration, and I could not be prouder of our students and staff.

There have been many highlights this term from the Year 12 Graduation Cocktail Event, a wonderful evening that brought together students, families, and staff to celebrate the conclusion of an important chapter and to look ahead with optimism to the future. Our Whole School Awards was an opportunity to celebrate academic success, leadership, service, and personal growth, and they highlight the diverse ways our students contribute positively to our community.

The Pre VCE and VCE Unit 2 examinations marked an important milestone for our senior students. These assessments were approached with focus and determination, and I commend our students for the maturity and resilience they demonstrated. My thanks also go to our teaching staff for their careful preparation and support throughout this demanding time.

The End of Year Music Soirée showcased the remarkable musical talents of our students, from the dulcet tones of the Hypersonics and string ensemble to the energy of our rock bands and solo performances. A final, memorable performance from our exceptionally talented Year 12 students brought the evening to a close, leaving the audience wanting more.

We were also delighted to welcome our 2026 Entry students on the Statewide Orientation Day. It was encouraging to see their enthusiasm and engagement as they began their transition to secondary school, supported by our staff and student leaders.

This year brought some truly special moments and achievements that remind us of what makes MAC such a special place, from the school production of Mamma Mia!, the Spring Arts Festival, the myriads of student-led activities and fundraisers to sports carnivals, debating and student-led assemblies.

MAC was proudly featured in The Age as one of only five schools across Victoria recognised for significant improvement in VCE performance over the past decade. We were named the 2025 Schools that Excel Winner for Western Melbourne — a wonderful acknowledgement of the dedication of our students, staff, and the collective effort that drives our success. Our final VCE results placed us among the top 20 highest-performing government schools in the state, with VCAA revising our median study score to 32 and confirming that 8.5% of our results achieved study scores of 40 or above.

This year also marked another major milestone for MAC with the completion of our Solar Panel Project, led by our dedicated School Council. Their outstanding leadership, alongside the fantastic fundraising efforts of our Parents and Friends Association, made this initiative possible. We are deeply grateful to our community for contributing funds to this important project, which will not only deliver long-term savings to the college but also contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future for our school. Below is the energy consumption for 17 December which indicates that the entire energy consumption of the school was powered by solar.

In addition, we completed a Landscape Masterplan, and in 2026 we will commence building two new multipurpose courts, down ball courts, and additional seating spaces.

I would like to express our gratitude and bid farewell to the following staff members who are departing this year: Erin Murphy, Duncan Hillier, Megan Blanch, Sarah Falah, Vesna Kendrigan, Sophia Petropoulos, and Nicholas Xuereb. We sincerely thank them for their commitment to our students and school community and valuable contributions to MAC and wish them all the very best in their future endeavours. We also extend our best wishes to Shannon McVeigh, zMarie Matiszig, Martin Conboy, and Graeme Morgan as they embark on a year’s leave.

I would like to commend our students for their hard work, determination, and spirit throughout the year. Whether through academic pursuits, extracurricular involvement, community service or student-led initiatives, you have consistently demonstrated what it means to be dedicated learners and compassionate individuals. To our graduating students, we wish you every success in your future endeavours. Your time at MAC has left a lasting legacy, and we are immensely proud of all you have achieved.

To our teachers and support staff, thank you for your unwavering commitment, professionalism, and passion. Your ability to inspire, nurture, and guide our students through both challenges and triumphs is truly exceptional. The care and dedication you show—often behind the scenes—ensures that every student feels seen, valued, and empowered to succeed.

To our parents, guardians and the wider school community, thank you for being such steadfast partners in education. Your support, trust, and encouragement play a vital role in creating the positive, inclusive environment in which our students thrive. Education is very much a shared endeavour, and we are deeply grateful for your ongoing partnership.

It remains a great privilege and honour to serve as College Principal. I firmly believe that a strong and flourishing school community is built through collective effort and a shared commitment to care, connection, and excellence. I look forward to continuing our work together and to warmly welcoming new students and families who will join the MAC community in 2026.

Thank you for being part of our school community. I wish you a safe and restful break and look forward to welcoming you back next year with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

Kind regards,

Dani Angelico, Principal

MAC School Council President’s Report Meeting 9-Dec-25

You can download this report as a PDF here. 

Dear School Community,

Here’s the latest news from your School Council:

🌞 Solar PV Project Underway Council was thrilled to observe the solar PV installation progress firsthand from the upper floor of Block F (the new building) – see photo! The project is now well underway, with all 189 solar panels mounted on the roof. The connection to the building’s electrical system is scheduled to be completed on Friday (12-Dec). Once the electrical safety certification is finalised later the next week, the system will officially go live. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to make this project a reality.

📝 School Compliance & Standards Review School Council reviewed the recent school compliance assessment and confirmed MAC school has all the requisite policies and procedures to keep students safe, support wellbeing, and deliver high‑quality learning. Parents and carers can be confident MAC is meeting all required standards and continuing to uphold best practice.

🌿 Grounds Masterplan Update Initial works will shortly begin, including removing old playground equipment, relocating furniture and shade sails, resurfacing in front of the portables, and drainage improvements. The new futsal court is also planned, but will take a little longer to complete in early 2026.

🫶 PFA Plans for 2026
MAC’s Parents & Friends Association (PFA) has an exciting year ahead, beginning with the Bunnings BBQ on 14 February, and we’re calling on parents to get involved — whether by lending a hand at events, joining in social activities, or supporting school initiatives. The PFA is all about strengthening our community, and your involvement ensures these activities thrive and benefit our students.

For more information about School Council – including membership, subcommittees, meeting dates, and documents – please visit the school’s website <click-here>. The next meeting will be held on the evening of February 24th, 2026. Community attendance as guest observers is always welcomed (except during rare, closed agenda items). Please let the school know in advance if you’d like to attend.

Finally, congratulations to all our 2025 MAC Awards recipients on their outstanding achievements and very best wishes to our graduating class of 2025 as they embark on new journeys. Heartfelt thanks to the School Council, school management, MAC’s dedicated staff and the Parents & Friends Association for another amazing year. Wishing everyone a joyful holiday season and all the very best for 2026.

Yours sincerely, Peter Hormann – School Council President 2025

Uniform Updates

Starting in 2026, Victorian government schools will make uniforms more affordable by banning compulsory logos on certain items like shorts, pants, skirts, and socks, allowing families to buy cheaper generic alternatives.

• Policy Change: From 2026, school logos will no longer be required on uniform items from the waist down.

For MAC students this includes ONLY the PE uniform – sports shorts, skort and track pants.

• Affordable Alternatives: Parents will be able to purchase generic plain black PE clothing items from regular stores, significantly reducing expenses.
• Scope:
  • Logos will still be permitted on items like jumpers, shirts, polo tops and jackets.
  • There are no changes to the MAC grey pants and shorts, dresses and winter skirts
• Impact on Families: This change is expected to ease cost-of-living pressures by cutting back-to-school expenses, especially for families with multiple children.
• Government Position: Premier Jacinta Allan and Education Minister Ben Carroll emphasized that the reform is about fairness and reducing unnecessary financial strain.

You can download a reader compatible PDF copy of the Uniform Policy – Affordable Options here. 

Administration Notices

Annual Reminder – Photographing, Filming & Recording of Students Policy

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy, describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn.

If you have completed a form and would like to make changes, please complete the
consent form and return it to the General Office in person or by email to mount.alexander.712@education.vic.gov.au 

If a form is not returned, it will be assumed that students do not have media consent.

Agreements and Local Excursion Consent

Below are links to the school agreements. We encourage parents/carers/guardians and students to read the agreements carefully to familiarise themselves with and comply with the school’s expectations.

• Student Agreement
• Mobile Phone Student Use Policy
• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Acceptable Use Agreement

An email reminder will be sent via Compass to parents/carers/guardians tomorrow if consent for Local Excursions in 2026 has not yet been received.

If you have any questions, please phone the school or email mount.alexander.712@education.vic.gov.au

Uniform Shop Dates

Additional opening dates for January 2026.  The uniform shop will be open 10am-2pm on the following days:

• Saturday 10 January 2026
• Wednesday 21 January 2026
• Saturday 24 January 2026

Book Packs and Laptop Collection

If you chose to collect book packs from school, collection day is Monday 19 January 2026 from 9am to 2pm in Room B111.  Please note the room location has changed to Room B111 (previously the Resource Centre). Enter via the ramp on Wellington Street towards the General Office on Level 1.

Laptop collection will take place on Thursday 22 January 2026, from 10am to 2pm in Room B111.

If you ordered both books and a laptop, you are able to collect both items at the same time on Thursday.

Office Closure

Please be advised that the office will be closed from Friday 19 December 2025.  We will reopen at on Tuesday 27 January 2026.

We wish you all a joyful, safe and restful holiday season.

Awards Night and Graduate Ceremony

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VM Mural Project 2025

In Semester 2, Unit 2 Vocational Major students designed and proposed a project to develop a mural art work outside A-Block. Students firstly developed a survey for the school community to provide input regarding preferred imagery, colour ideas, and design choices. With community feedback, students proposed their project and design ideas to Ms Angelico, Ms Rawlins, and Ms Stevanovic.

The focus was to replace the existing mosaic with a spray paint mural. After consultation with the Visual Art department, students developed a budget and sourced materials for the project and whilst drawing inspiration from the surrounding environment, students then decided that the design needed to contrast from the inner city skyline. A native ghost gum tree, being the feature aspect of the design, was included to represent growth as the rainbow hills represent equality and includes community feedback in requesting lots of colour. With the incredible support and guidance of Mr Dal Forno, VM students spray painted the wall in sections, collaborating each step of the way.

Jordon Donnelly,  Personal Development Skills (PDS) Coordinator, and Antonio Dal Forno, Arts and Technology Department

Music Concert

Vocational Major (VM) Excursion to Local Small Business

The Graduate 12 VM class of 2026 visited local small business ‘So & So’ cafe during Orientation. As part of their first outcome for Unit 3, students will be interviewing professionals from their area of study. This excursion allowed students to prepare for this task and build their confidence interacting with business owners. The students were engaged in asking questions and the class was able to learn about the positives and challenges of running a small business. 

Tori Robinson-Conlon, Head of Artemis House

MAC Community Garden

Student Wellbeing and Empowerment

SchoolTV

SchoolTV is an online resource designed to empower parents with credible and sound information with realistic, practical ongoing support strategies. You can access SchoolTV by either clicking the SchoolTV icon on the home page or this link.

In this edition of SchoolTV – Trauma Recovery

Following the tragic events at Bondi Beach, many children and young people may be feeling unsettled, anxious or confused, particularly if they have been exposed to media coverage or conversations about what occurred. Even indirect exposure to such events can disrupt a child’s sense of safety and lead to emotional or behavioural changes, with each child responding differently depending on their age and individual needs.

The brain stores traumatic events as powerful emotional memories, influencing a young person’s behaviour through mechanisms beyond their conscious awareness. By providing them with support and equipping young people with coping mechanisms to handle uncertainty, parents and carers can greatly enhance a child’s capacity to recover and build long-term emotional resilience.

This Special Report offers practical guidance to help identify the signs of trauma and outlines ways we can support young people through recovery.

Click HERE for the Trauma Recovery edition of SchoolTV.

Resource Centre

Staff and students can use the Library Catalogue (login using the Single Sign On with your school email address and password) from school and from home. It’s a great way to see what books are on offer in the library and to reserve a book that you’ve been looking forward to reading.

A friendly reminder to anyone who has overdue books to please return them to the Resource Centre. Bringing books back by their due date ensures that everyone is able to enjoy our collection.

Do you know we have ebooks and audiobooks?

The Eplatform has over 2500 ebooks and audiobooks that you can read or listen to with new books being added every day. You can access it by downloading the app on your device and signing in with your school details in the Single Sign On (SSO). Find out more here: mountalexandercollege.wheelers.co

Carla Iannarella, Resource Centre, Communications and Marketing Manager

Community News and Advertising

We advertise and support local organisations that reside in our catchment area. These suburbs include Flemington, Kensington, Ascot Vale, Moonee Ponds, Maribyrnong, West Brunswick, North Melbourne, and Parkville.

Register for MVFC here: https://melbournevictory.typeform.com/to/k3ajXFwJ

The myLearners Free Driving Lesson program offers a FREE 60-minute Lesson with a professional driving instructor for learners aged 16–19 who have completed 10–30 hours of driving practice.

The lesson is taken alongside their supervising driver, helping both the learner and supervisor build safer, more confident driving habits together.

This program supports families by making the learning experience more positive and less stressful. It aims to reduce crash risks for young drivers, strengthen supervising skills, and encourage safer driving behaviours early on all at no cost to participants.