Presentation Ball

The Lyndale Secondary College Presentation Ball, has been an annual highlight at Lyndale for the past eighteen years.   Years 11 and 12 students have been presented at a fantastic ball at Rembrandts.  This has always been a major social function for the North Dandenong community with up to 700 guests attending. 

Mathematics Competitions

Students at Lyndale Secondary College are offered the opportunity to participate in the Australian Mathematics Competition which is the largest of its kind in the world.  Over half a million students from all over the world enter each year.  The top 45% will be awarded Credit or Distinction Certificates and all Australian Mathematics Competition entrants not receiving one of these will receive a Certificate of Participation.

The competition consists of a 75 minute test containing 30 questions which range from simple to quite challenging.  In the past Lyndale students have performed extremely well in the competition.  The competition fits very well with the college philosophy as it encourages excellence in students’ performance. The Mathematics Talent Quest is conducted annually by the Mathematical Association of Victoria and promotes an interest in, and increases the awareness of Mathematics among students, parents and teachers.  This year every Year 7 student will participate as a part of the College Mathematics Program.  The best projects will be entered for state judging.

Alliance Francaise Competition

Created in 1890, the Alliance Francaise de Melbourne is a self-supporting non-profit organisation, which aims to promote the French language and culture.  Lyndale offers the French language to all students and caters for all levels.   Students in their classes learn, consolidate and practise French.   The students are given an opportunity to extend their language ability and display their appreciation of the language by taking part in the statewide French Poetry competition.

Students select a poem provided by the Alliance.  Then on a given date, they present their oral recitation of this poem to the Alliance Francaise.  Their effort is rewarded with a Certificate of Merit.  There are many advantages of the competition.  Most importantly, it has been established that language is effectively learned when students are involved in its use.  The Alliance Francaise competition provides students with a greater opportunity of active participation in the use of the French language.

English Competitions

Effective participation in Australian society depends on an ability to understand the various uses of the English language.  English competitions are held to enable all students to develop their critical understanding and control of the English language so that they will use it in a wide range of situations from personal and informal to more public occasions and to develop a level of competence in this.

We consider English competitions to be an integral part of students’ learning and encourage all students to participate in competitions throughout the year.  We especially celebrate English Week where the faculty organises many competitions such as:

• poetry reading and writing

• essay writing

• spelling bee

• poster design of students’ favourite books

• debates

Each student entering the English Competition is presented with a Certificate of Merit and prizes are awarded to winners.  Students are also offered the opportunity of participating in The Australian Schools English Competition which involves a one and a half hour test focusing on vocabulary, language, everyday documents, diagrams, data and reading comprehension. As well there are also many other opportunities for entering Essay Writing Competitions run by various organisations.

Special Science Programs

Lyndale involves its students in a number of special science events organised by bodies outside the college.  These events are selected for their interest value and educational worth.  The four events in which our students participate are:

• Australian Schools Science program

• Science Talent Search

• Science Summer School

The Australian Schools Science Competition is run annually by the University of New South Wales.  Schools from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Turkey and Vietnam enter.  The competition involves a one hour test of scientific skills and processes using novel but real data and situations.  The competition aims to motivate, stimulate and challenge all students and to recognise and reward excellence.  Being a test, it exposes students to the experience of performing under time restrictions.  This is an experience central to the VCE.

The Science Talent Search allows students to be creative and original within the context of project work with some underlying themes.  The Science Talent Search has been conducted by the Science Teachers’ Association of Victoria since 1952.  It aims to stimulate an ongoing interest in the study of science, to promote the involvement of students in the processes of science and its communication.  Projects can be as simple as a poster or can be a working model, video or photographic essay.  All students from Years 7 to 10 undertake a project.  This is followed by a round of school based judgments where projects are selected to represent Lyndale in the Science Talent Search.  The project work done by students is an integral part of their assessment.  The Science Summer School is conducted at the Australian National University in Canberra over two weeks in January each year.  Successful students attend classes and do practical work run by scientists. 

Scientific tours are included in the program.  Places in this program are hotly contested and are based on academic merit.  Lyndale students are frequently represented in the program.

Success in any of these four competitions becomes an important part of a student’s experience at the college and will be recorded on college references.