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The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is the largest, oldest and most prestigious scientific Olympiad for high school students and this year Vermont Secondary College had our very own Preet Patel competing. The history of IMO dates back to 1959, when the first edition was held in Romania with seven countries participating: Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and USSR. Since then, the event has been held every year (except 1980) in a different country. Currently, more than 100 countries from 5 continents participate. Each country can send a team of up to six secondary students or individuals who have not entered University or the equivalent, as of the date of celebration of the Olympiad, plus one team leader, one deputy leader, and observers if desired.

During the competition, contestants have to solve, individually, two contest papers on two consecutive days, with three problems each day. Each problem is worth seven points. Gold, silver, and bronze medals are awarded in the ratio of 1:2:3 according to the overall results.

At this year’s International Mathematical Olympiad held over the term break in Bath, England from the 11 to 22 July, 2019, Preet Patel (Year 12) received a Bronze medal, missing the Silver medal by one point.

Each country is allowed six members and the Australian team, of which Preet was a member, ranked 18^th overall in the competition out of 112 countries.  Preet’s individual ranking was 148^th out of 621 competitors (76th percentile). The Australian team consisting of six competitors received 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronze medals between them for their efforts.

Preet and his family are extremely happy with his, and the team’s success, and have been celebrating since. Well done Preet on such an outstanding effort in being selected to represent Australia in such a prestigious competition. Well done also on your final ranking and overall outstanding effort!

Preet was featured on the front page of the Whitehorse Leader in the Monday July 8^th edition.

If interested you can read more about this annual competition at: https://schools.aglasem.com/70850

On Tuesday, 3/6/19, I, along with staff, was fortunate enough to attend the Premier’s VCE Awards to witness three of our students gain recognition in this awards ceremony.
The Premier’s VCE Awards recognise top performing students for their outstanding academic achievements in the Victorian Certificate of Education. 

In our 2018 VCE results five students achieved a perfect study score of 50 and on Tuesday three of these students, Adorel Ng, Brandon Yeo and Mindy Tay, were recognised by receiving the Premier’s VCE Award. 

Parents and staff of the students were all able to attend the ceremony and meet up at the end of the official ceremony to share in their success. Congratulations also go to the three staff that taught the students – Laura Gerbing Business Management teacher of Adorel, Mary Zervos Further Mathematics teacher of Brandon and James Serpant Physics teacher of Mindy. 

The five perfect study scores were achieved by the following students:
Adorel Ng received a perfect Study Score for Business Management
Brandon Chen Tong Yeo received a perfect Study Score for Further Maths 
Gloria Chen received a perfect Study Score for Specialist Maths 
Preet Patel received a perfect Study Score for Maths Methods
Mindy Tay received a perfect Study Score for Physics 

This outcome is more amazing by the fact that the perfect study scores were achieved in 5 different subjects, with 5 different teachers by 5 different students. 

Congratulations to all these high performing students and special congratulations to Adorel, Brandon and Mindy who have achieved further recognition by receiving a Premier’s VCE Award. 

This week saw significant progress in the construction of our new permanent modular $4.873 million building. The Permanent Modular School Buildings Program is integral to the next stage of the largest ever removal of asbestos from Victorian schools. This is a part of the Government’s $200 million investment in the Victorian School Asbestos Removal Program.

The section of our college to be replaced through the Permanent Modular School Buildings Program is known as the ‘C block’ and this is the entire top half of the now demolished ‘C Wing’. This demolition was completed in January and the construction of the permanent modular building has taken place in Bendigo.

Throughout this week, 37 modules are to be trucked down from Bendigo and moved into place by a significantly large crane. Once the individual modules are on site and in place, the final fit out will begin. At this stage we should have full access to the new building by early Term Three.

The Department of Education and Training (DET) have a web site with information on the Vermont Secondary College project. Go to:

http://www.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au/schools/Pages/VermontSecondaryCollege.aspx

The building company behind the project is SENSUM and they can be found at: https://www.sensum.com.au/

Six portable classrooms were moved onto the school grounds late last year and it is important to note that these rooms are temporary whilst the new modular construction is completed. They should be moved off site in the second half of the year, giving us much needed grounds area back for the students. 

The previous ‘C’ wing contained 8 classrooms whilst the new construction will house 10 classrooms, including 2 purpose built science rooms, 2 purpose built ICT rooms, 6 generalist classrooms, replacement student toilets, a language faculty staffroom, an office for the Year 9 Student Managers, 2 new locker bays and a science storeroom.

It is always with some trepidation that I respond when a student tells me that they will indulge in a ‘gap-year’ after Year 12. I have visions of students lolling on couches, playing video-games and generally failing to contribute to their personal growth or their community. Thus, when one of my students, whom I have had the pleasure of teaching in both History Revolutions and Australian Politics via Distance Education, told me that she was taking a ‘gap-year’ I was mildly alarmed.

This was clearly not the appropriate response in the case of Emma Muscatello (Year 12 2018). Emma has been offered an internship in the Office of the Secretary General of the European Union in Brussels for 2019. This is an extremely prestigious offer that will allow Emma to become exposed to the mechanics of high-level international relations, to shadow high-level policy makers and government officials and also to undergo expenses paid travel around member-states and potentially further afield.

Emma’s achievement is a fine example of the benefits of undertaking language study and engaging broadly with the world. Emma has studied German whilst at Vermont and previously won the Sagse Scholarship (2017) which allowed her to travel to Germany on a cultural exchange, an experience which included delivering a speech at the New Zealand Embassy in Berlin entirely in German.

Whilst in Brussels, Emma will also undertake studies in French so she can further expand her knowledge base and better prepare herself for a future career in Law or Diplomacy. Emma is a fine example to all of us of the benefits of engaging fully with the opportunities that are presented, to working incredibly hard in pursuit of our goals and seeking to engage broadly with the world as an international citizen. All the best in the future Emma.

Aidan Message (History & Politics Teacher/ Head of Learning and Teaching)