for cricket and various codes of football, cricket nets, netball courts and basketball courts for sporting purposes. These are accompanied by the 'hockey pavilion', which overlooks the hockey field, the 'Old Boys Pavilion', which overlooks the oval, and the Cadet HQ, also near the oval. Miscellaneous features include a portable classroom east of the Art Building (typically used for mathematics), shipping containers near the art building and oval (storing a handful of row boats and canoes), a stairway to Alexandra Parade and a small garden north of the T building. Since the 2010s, the areas around the school have been undergoing higher density development, with multi-storey towers being constructed nearby. Ethos, culture and student life The junior school comprises students in Year 9 and 10. They have their own four junior school captains, assemblies, and massed singing. Students in the junior school are not subject to the pressures of VCE and are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities and broaden their education. For this reason, year 9 students must involve themselves in at least one extracurricular involvement (see below). Year 10 students complete twenty hours of community involvement throughout the year as well as an assignment on civics and citizenship to be submitted at the end of the year, (civics and citizenship classes generally occurring during transition) In Year 9, students select two electives for the year while in Year 10, students select four electives. Philosophy has been made a compulsory elective in Year 9 and economics for year 10. The senior school comprises students in Year 11 and Year 12. There is only one Senior School Captain and senior School Vice-Captain. Particular members of the senior school will take up presidential roles of various teams, groups and organisations. At the end of every year, year elevens compete for a variety of coveted leadership positions, including positions in the SRC Leadership team and House leadership team. House captains and SRC presidents are determined by voting from the student body following a period of speech-making. Melbourne High School Diploma Participation and academic achievement aggregates in a points system which will culminate in the awarding of the 'MHS Diploma' at the time of the student's graduation. The first graduating class to receive the MHS Diploma was the Class of 2011. The MHS Diploma is the brainchild of Principal Jeremy Ludowyke, who strongly advocates for its continued existence as an integral part of