Ms D’AMBROSIO (Mill Park—Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Minister for Solar Homes) (Thursday, 4 March 2021) (09:48): I rise to congratulate The Lakes South Morang College on an important milestone in its 14-year history. This year the school welcomed its first VCE class since it opened in 2007. Last week I had the opportunity to visit the school, meet with the year 11 students, hear about their VCE experience and see the new VCE centre facilities. I was also honoured to present the first VCE student captain badges and congratulate Emily Fyffe and Jakob Pike for their achievements as the 2021 captains of the school.

I would like to thank the First Nations senior students Josh Thompson and Maddy Giampolo for the informative and comprehensive tour of the school’s VCE centre. My thanks also to the principals of each campus, Kerrie Heenan and Bill Panas, and their teaching staff for their efforts in providing all the support needed in order for the first VCE class to excel. It was great to hear that the students of the first VCE class at The Lakes are enjoying such newly established facilities as the Common Room, a specially designed quiet study space for the students to attend online classes or do their homework.

To enable the students to choose subjects they are passionate about and enhance their prospects to succeed in their future endeavours, the school has established partnerships with Hazel Glen College and the largest online state government college, Virtual School Victoria.

Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving one’s community and world better than one found it. It is great to see that this is what The Lakes South Morang College school community is doing every single day, and I congratulate the school leadership, both students and staff, and parents.