• The changes do not apply to the classes of the Victorian School of Languages.
• All VSL Centre classes will continue with remote teaching until the end of Term 3.
• All teachers and students continue to be working from home.
• All Distance Education classes for all levels will continue as usual with teachers and students working from home.

• The Government has put in place a vaccination blitz for final year school students, their teachers, and VCE exam supervisors and assessors.

• VCE Oral Exams start on 4 October
• VCE Written Exams will run from 27 October to 17 November.
• However the dates for nationally examined languages (CCAFL) may be pushed back – we are waiting for the VCAA to formally inform us.

It is our pleasure to share the news that one of our VSL Blackburn Year 11 students, Makhika Puri, is the winner of the Hindi Poem & Essay Writing Competition in Victoria. 

On the Tuesday 14th September 2021, many of our VSL Hindi students celebrated their high achievements through an online function organised by the Consulate General of India, Melbourne, in collaboration with Hindi Shiksha Sangh and Sahitya Sandhya

Once again, congratulations to our Hindi students and their parents who have been actively supporting our Hindi language program, and who embrace the language and culture through variety of activities and events. 

Samarth Ram Raghavendra was a VCE Hindi student who completed his language studies at the Victorian School of Languages, Glen Waverley Centre, in 2020, under the expert tutelage of Mrs Manjeet Thethi.  Samarth achieved a final study score of 46, for which he received a Premier’s Award to acknowledge his outstanding academic performance.   What makes his achievement so commendable is that he completed his Units 3&4 Hindi studies (and Units 3&4 Biology) while still in Year 11 at Haileybury College.

 A considerable portion of his VCE studies was completed under remote learning conditions, which were far from ideal and awkward for many students. Obviously, Samarth’s pluck and determination did not falter, as evidenced by his illustrious final study scores.

Samarth, along with his parents, was invited to revisit our Glen Waverley Centre and speak with this year’s VCE students to share with them his success story and encourage them along their learning journey to reach peak performance.  Students were awe-struck and inspired by his wise counsel, and his teacher, Area Manager and parents were equally delighted to be present and so proud of his positive impact.

He strongly believes that learning Hindi is undoubtedly one of the best decisions a student can make, owing to the great benefits it brings along with it. From academics to personality development, Hindi profoundly improves a student’s character in every way, Samarth affirms. His example is testimony of these assertions and is very likely to motivate other students to also pursue Hindi passionately in the future.

Samarth is a great example of perseverance, forbearance and loyalty to his school and ancestral roots, and we wish him every success in his academic pursuits and subsequent career aspirations.

Kevin Ryan, East 2 Area Manager

On Saturday 11 September the Amharic class at the VSL Footscray centre celebrated the Ethiopian New Year.

Despite the Covid lock down, the teacher, Ms Tenenet Taye, encouraged students to participate in various class activities, such as singing, storytelling and card making.

After class, students celebrated the New Year with their families and friends, connecting with each other through online platforms such as Zoom.

The VSL wishes the Ethiopian community a Happy New Year, and hopefully we will be able to see our students back at school soon!

On the 14th of September 2021, we celebrated the acclaimed 'Hindi DIvas' holiday as an Indian community living in Melbourne. It was an experience nothing like I've ever experienced before. Many speeches were made, many poems were recited and many essays were read by not only us students, but by renowned figures such as the Consul General himself. With so much at stake, as students we had to make sure our reading was immaculate. There was a diverse age bracket, extending from Grade 4's to seniors. It is with pure pride and pleasure that I'm able to say my fellow students had prepared such high-quality pieces and this, for me, was the highlight of the event. I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to present my essay on the topic 'Vishwa Guru Bharat,' which was enough to get me a first-place prize in my age bracket. 

I wish to extend my congratulations to everyone present on the day and to say a massive thank-you to the organizers, to the VSL and to my Hindi teachers; Ms Bhavya Shah and Ms Sangeeta Varma.

Arush Jhunjhunwala - Year 11 Hindi Distance Education student