IONA 8

A Thriving School Community

Research suggests that student outcomes (learning and psychosocial) are enhanced when there is a strong sense of connection and belonging to the school community. The College’s co-curricular program serves to enhance this connection, as well provide multiple avenues for students to explore their areas of interest and ability. Supporting this connection is also the relationship we build with families. Since the previous edition of the Iona, it has been our pleasure to host the Father/Male Mentor and Daughter Evening, the parenting webinar with Justin Coulson, and the Instrumental Music Concert. In this coming week we will host the Junior Performing Arts Concert, and the Year 7 – 10 Art Exhibition, which will be on display in Gayip biik and the Hall Foyer.

Thank you to all the families who come along and support these events, and support the building of a thriving school community. Thank you also to the College staff whose energy and commitment ensure that these events are able to take place.

I would like to acknowledge the work of the Parent Engagement Committee, supported by our Deputy Principal Brigitte McDonald, as they work to build parent connections to the College community. The Mother/Daughter Movie Night is close to selling out, and plans are underway for the Trivia night in August. I would encourage all families to consider supporting these events, as well as the co-curricular events that are ahead on our calendar.

Our Ignatian Tradition

Throughout his lifetime, St Ignatius of Loyola developed many prayers, meditations and contemplative practices. Mary Aikenhead was drawn to this reflective tradition, and the formation of her congregation and the Sisters was grounded in this Ignatian Tradition. Mary Aikenhead’s vision for her fledgling congregation was that, “they were to be contemplatives in action, seeking always to live in the presence of God, discerning God’s will and finding God in all things” (https://www.sistersofcharity.org.au/our-story/our-ignatian-heritage).

At St Columba’s College, we are also inspired by this tradition, especially the challenge of discerning God’s will and finding God in the everyday. Each Friday morning, all staff are invited to a short prayer session using the Examen prayer form. We reflect on our week and where we encountered God in our daily lives. We also pray about where we might have encountered God, but for various reasons, closed minds and/or hearts meant we failed to recognise the holy and divine in our midst. It is a joyous way to end our week, to acknowledge the great gifts in our lives, and to renew our commitment as contemplatives in action for the coming week.

Launch of New Donations Page

The College is pleased to announce the recent launch of the Building & Maintenance Fund Donations page, as we shared with you in the Building and Maintenance Fund letter distributed in the last week.

If you choose to donate to the fund, a receipt will be automatically emailed to you providing details of your 100% tax deductible donation.

As the College advances through the completion of the highly specialised Foxford Innovation Centre and then onto the subsequent stages of the master plan, your greatly appreciated donations will enable the College to realise the vision of the various new initiatives that will positively impact the College community.

The next project following the completion of the Foxford Innovation Centre and sports precinct upgrade will be the Wellbeing Centre which will provide a wellbeing hub for all students as the Counsellors, Learning Diversity Team, First Aid and Student Reception functions are centralised for easy access to a wide range of wellbeing services. Your thoughtful donations toward this project will enable this stage of the master plan to become a reality. Thank you to the community members who have already donated to the fund.

ST COLUMBA’S DAY – 20 JUNE

Staff and students are looking forward to this significant, upcoming event.

The structure of this day is as follows:

A letter, with further details, will be sent to families today. We ask that you please read the information carefully.

CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE EVENING

In term 4, we will be celebrating the wonderful achievements of our students throughout 2024. 

Not only do we want to celebrate all that they have achieved at St Columba’s College, we also want to acknowledge their achievements beyond our school setting.

If your child has been successful in an external endeavour (eg. passed a Music examination, represented the state in a particular sport etc) this year, please forward the following to the relevant House Leader or to Donna Kellett via this email   address kellettd@columba.vic.edu.au:

• Name of student
• Achievement
• If possible, a relevant photo

PARENT ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE (PEC)   

Every parent in our community is a member of the PEC and we welcome your involvement. If anyone is interested in joining the PEC or learning more about what we do you can join us in person or online – 7.30pm – meet.google.com/fij-hziu-ymk). Here are the PEC meeting dates and events planned for 2024:

• Wednesday 19 June Mother/Child Movie Night 
• 16 July
• Saturday 31 August Trivia Night 
• 20 August
• 17 September
• 15 October
• Friday 15 November 2025 Yr 7 Parents’ Welcome
• 19 November

This year, the PEC will use our events as opportunities to raise some funds for the upkeep of our beautiful wellbeing dog, Millie.

Millie made a surprise visit to the Father/Male Mentor & Child Evening. What a wonderful evening this was! Thank you to the dads/father figures who attended with their children. 

Congratulation to Georgia Seymour and her VET Sport and Recreation class for the well thought out and planned evening of engaging activities. Thank you, also to the parents involved in the PEC for providing the BBQ and drinks.

Participants provided us with fantastic feedback on the night and indicated that they thoroughly enjoyed themselves and loved meeting Millie. For those who missed out this year, we do apologise, but we recommend you get in early next year!

If you have any questions or feedback for the PEC, please contact us at parents@columba.vic.edu.au

Give Your Coffee Pods A Second Chance Today!

Hello STCC community,

Recently we have joined the Nespresso pod recycling program. It is where used nespresso capsules are put into a bin that is then given back to the Nespresso company. The aluminium in the pods is melted to make refined metal. This can then be used for homewares, bikes, computers, cars, knives, BBQ tongs, ladders, window frames or even another coffee capsule. Then whatever coffee grounds are left are sent to a composting facility where they help fertilise and enrich the soil in rice fields and vineyards. From this process we will be taking steps to making this school and the world more environmentally friendly! Make sure you put your Nespresso pods in the cardboard bins that match the picture! For our families who would like to contribute to our nespresso pod recycling program, there is a bin at Front reception. Give your coffee a second chance today!

Thank you, in advance, for your support.

Josephine (Student House Rep on Laudato si Action Group)

Happy Families – Every Day Counts – Justin Coulson 

There’s a relationship between how much your child attends school and their overall academic achievement.

Regular school attendance is strongly correlated with academic success, and chronic absenteeism, or prolonged periods of school absence, can have a negative impact on a child’s educational attainment.

To view this article click the link : JustinCoulson_Every-day-counts

Upcoming Webinar event:

Championing Neurodiversity – Helping Your Child Thrive in a Neurotypical World

https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/championing-neurodiversity/

On the afternoon of Sunday the 26th, we (Josephine and Charlotte) as members of our Laudato Si Committee, accompanied by Mr Lance Jilbert and Mrs Mary Udovicic, had the pleasure of meeting some of our Religious Sisters of Charity for afternoon tea and a chat at the PACE in St Therese’s parish. We were both invited due to our involvement in the Laudato Si Committee to talk about what this group has been up to as well as our hopes and concerns for the future. We had the pleasure of meeting with Sr Cathy, Sr Helga, Sr Margaret, and Sr Maureen amongst other special guests. The Sisters loved talking to all of us over a cup of tea and hearing what we were up to.

Laudato Si week was celebrated this year from the 19-26th of May. Coincidentally, we gathered on the 26th so we were all able to talk about our initiatives and accomplishments this week. Laudato Si week is just one part of what the Laudato Si committee organises. We are made up of teachers and students including the Justice, Environment and Liturgy captains. This way we can connect like-minded leaders who can problem solve and empathise to make our world a better place.

We began the gathering with an introduction, followed by an introductory prayer for Mary Aikenhead. After that, the focus was on Jospehine and Charlotte to talk about our hopes for the future and what we are concerned or anxious about in regards to the environment and caring for your world. We got time to speak from our hearts as well as time to respond to questions some of the Sisters and other companions had. During the gathering Josephine, Charlotte and Mr Jilbert spoke about the initiatives that were recently undertaken at St Columbas for Laudato Si Week. These initiatives included; the new Nespresso pods recycling program, pledges made in homegroups to save resources, Precious Plastic Program pots, seed planting and many more! Josephine and Charlotte’s hopes for the future and care for their environment sparked endless and interesting conversation. The topics that were explored throughout the meeting were technology use such as AI, marginalisation, school life and environment care. After an afternoon tea break (where many enjoyed some of Charlotte’s delicious baking!), we then reflected on some Laudato Si quotes before we were led through a Liturgy to conclude. This week, to support Laudato Si week, Charlotte prepared and delivered a Liturgy during Friday lunchtime to conclude and reflect on Laudato Si week. This was shared during the gathering as a way to ponder our actions for this week and to prayerfully reflect on this year’s theme ‘Seeds of Hope’.

We concluded our gathering by having some more time to contemplate some quotes from the Laudato Si encyclical before we finished for the afternoon. As part of Laudato Si week, we planted some seeds into tiny plastic pots (made from bottle tops as per our ‘Precious Plastics Program’) which we were able to hand out to the companions from the day’s gathering. The Sisters and special guests were all very touched and expressed their appreciation to hear from young women and have a newfound hope for the coming generation who will have the opportunity to help our Earth.

Help Support your children during their exam period

For more information join the webinar at the link below on Wednesday June 5 at 6:30pm

https://go.elevateeducation.com/auschoolwebinars

Our Year 11 (and 12) students have just completed Unit 2 of VCE English ‘Crafting Texts’ demonstrating a new vigour and refreshing level of authenticity in their efforts. Working closely with their dedicated English teachers, they have become more attuned to the empowering and uplifting nature of writing borne from hard work and an often laborious process of refinement. Our senior English teachers are abuzz with excitement as they read what is emerging as a new wave of writing excellence from many students who are seeing the results of their efforts to craft original, inspired works. Students are willing to experiment with variations in phrasing and syntax, vocabulary, form, structure and literary devices used in Mentor Texts examined within and outside of the classroom. The challenge has always been to write a piece that ‘no one else could ever have written’ to reach and ‘move’ their chosen audience. 

The key learning is that regular reading in any way –  for inspiration, pleasure, information and/or guidance – is the key to developing the confidence and inspiration to be able to hone the life skill of effective communication through the written word. 

Congratulations to our Year 11s for embracing the grind of the process!

Working within the Framework of ‘change’, here is an extract of one such piece from a Year 11 student, Emily S about the experience of migration from Italy to hope and new prospects in Australia.

This was the visual prompt provided in the SAC for this piece.

Generations – Emily S (written in timed Exam conditions) 

The water churns beneath my feet. The slight shift of the dock causes an ache in my chest. At first, the water looks calm. Slow. Dependable. But the longer I gaze towards the horizon, the more I notice the water’s viciousness. The waves rise slowly and crash violently down. In the brief moment, just before the waves fall, I imagine myself out there. In the water. My feet can’t touch the ground and my head barely peeks out through the surface of the freezing water. I can’t breathe. I feel like I’m suffocating. The water is too strong, too forceful. It’s unavoidable.

I slowly shift my feet underneath me, taking a small step toward the end of the dock. My toes hang just over the edge, above the surface of the water. I wonder what it’s like over there in that far away land. The place in which my husband’s been hidden away. I can almost feel the pressure of his hand on my shoulder. He stands to my side. I wish he was with me. He’s already made it over the sea and I barely have the strength to dip my hand in to test the water. His voice plays in the back of my mind. It feels like a melody that I’m slowly forgetting. A childhood lullaby that loses its meaning as I grow older.

I feel like I’m stuck in an endless hallway. I can try to keep moving but no matter how far I walk, there are still only two doors open to me. One leads me back home to my mother and the life I’ve always known. The soft yellow glow from the door shines down the hallway and I’m almost ready to follow it. Until I hear my husband’s voice calling me from the second door. He extends his hand towards me. I want to reach for him too but the glow from the first door is too comforting. I feel too warm. I pull away.

‘Do you see that, bella?’ I point our hands toward the line where the sky meets the sea.

‘That’s where we’re going tomorrow.’

Red Earth has been collaborating with St Columba’s to facilitate immersions and give students the opportunity to make meaningful, personal connections with First Nations People.

We are often asked by parents of students who travel with us ‘When do we get to go on an Immersion?’. Well, now is your chance! A small group of Melbourne schools including Loreto Toorak are coming together to offer a chance for Parents + Friends to join us on an Immersion to Cape York this August.

Itinerary highlights include; Reflective walks through and around this property learning about Bushtucker and its history, refreshing creek swims, sitting under the vast night sky listening to dreaming stories around the campfire, walking with Traditional Owners to the sacred sites of the Medicine Man rock art and the Scar Tree, plus more!

For more information and register your interest; Red Earth Organisation Pty Ltd

An online information evening in happening on Wednesday 19th June

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. 

At school we participated in numerous lunchtime activities including: students wrote messages on the windows; we watched ABC Indigenous documentary on Cathy Freeman; students and teachers signed up to do “Walk with me” tour around the college led by a Fire Carrier student to discover First Nation artefacts and resources; we watched “What does Reconciliation mean to you?” in Religion classes; we made bookmarks with Contemporary Australian Indigenous paper; and we listened to a Dadirri Meditation in the Chapel. 

The National Reconciliation Week theme for 2024, is “Now More Than Ever”. Now more than ever, the work continues. In treaty making, in truth-telling, in understanding our history, in education, and in tackling racism. We need connection. We need respect. We need action. And we need change. Now more than ever, we need reconciliation.

Kathy V- Social Justice Captain

St Columba’s College and St Bernard’s College are proud to present the eagerly anticipated, Chicago – ‘The High School Edition’ Musical to our College Saturday 20 July!

In the roaring twenties Chicago, Roxie Hart commits a crime and convinces her hapless husband, Amos, to take the rap…until he finds out he’s been duped!

Watch the glitz and glamour come to life on stage – Don’t miss out!

Get your friends and family together and book your tickets via the QR Code

Tickets will be available soon.  For more information scan the QR code below.

Over six after-school sessions, Ace D, Julia S, Jessica P, Sheridyn B, Luka R, Georgia B, Daniella V, and Pia L committed their time and energy to developing life drawing skills. This group of senior art students challenged themselves by drawing from both nude and clothed models, tackling the twists and turns of human anatomy, posture, and personal expression through a series of different timed poses while exploring various art materials.

Our dedicated art staff, Ms. Silvia Famularo and Ms. Hilary Breman, conducted the workshops, providing the students with an opportunity to sharpen their observation skills and deepen their appreciation for the discipline and beauty of life drawing. We wish to thank Emma Fergerson and Keira Hudson, the Art Technicians, for organizing and supporting this wonderful opportunity and tradition, which is important for developing art skills and provides an excellent skill set for students looking to advance their folios to the next level of tertiary education.

After saying goodbye to our families and loved ones we tackled a 14 hour flight to Dubai. Many girls were comparing what movie they watched and the snacks they ate before the second flight to Paris which was an extra 6 hours. After what felt like days of travelling we hopped on a bus and arrived in Albert, a neighbouring town in the Amien region. We were all able to enrich ourselves in the beautiful French countryside and catch some much needed rest before our first big day of touring– which we all knew we would have to soon adjust to throughout all 17 days. The first day, we were jam packed with a welcoming tour of Amien, visiting the extravagant Notre Dame Cathedral built in the 12th Century with gothic architecture we rarely see in Melbourne. It was so interesting to see all the history of it, with extraordinary efforts to obtain it despite the WW1 efforts close to Amien. After the town tour, we were taken to the battlefield tour, being able to see Newfoundland communication trenches, German bomb sites, and many memorials; it was great to be able to reflect on Australia and how our ancestors had made their livelihood over the region. 

Our first stop on the outskirts of Paris was ‘La Défense’, being one of the major business districts in Europe. Whilst in the district, the Contemporaine Museum visit was great in discovering a wide variety of an incredibly rich collection of items from modern history of the First World War. After this, we all encountered our first metro experience; taking the train to the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower ascent, (although having many stairs, until we caught a lift from the second floor to the top) was an experience Group B collectively agreed was one of the most memorable, especially since we skipped out on dinner for; and can account for a lot of spontaneity that night, with going to bed 20,000 steps later (which is what ultimately happened most nights). 

Our first day in Paris was much busier as opposed to the calm restful Amiens. After climbing to the top of the Eiffel tower and arriving at the hotel close to 11PM, all of us knew that this was in fact not a holiday. On Easter Sunday, we were all lucky to attend the Sacre Coeur Easter Mass. Juxtaposing the wonderful experience of Mass at a world renowned Cathedral, we took a long stroll down the street of the Moulin Rouge. The long day of walking exceeded into a great night; on a Seine River Cruise, where we received an amazing tour of all the architecture across Paris in the dusk skyline. The next day, we saw the Louvre, luckily enough being provided with four long hours to explore. However, the three of us (plus Chiara) had gotten lost and ended up in the sculpture area multiple times; driving us all insane. Soon we learnt we should have stuck close by to Mr Taylor who had been to the Louvre three times. On our last day in Paris, we climbed our second landmark and went up the Arc de Triomphe. After many stairs, but still not as many as the Eiffel Tower, we got to the top and were taken aback by the amazing views. We were there at sunset which made it even more spectacular. I (Meg P) was encouraged to do something a bit different and speak to a stranger and to start with the line ‘nice view, isn’t it?’ I undertook this as a bet and ended up meeting a really nice student who was from Mexico and also in his final year of high school. He had been to Melbourne before so we chatted about that and about how we were finding Europe. Glad to have made a friend, I didn’t accept the one euro I was owed from the bet. Shortly afterwards, the Eiffel Tower’s lights sparkled and we got to see its dazzling lights for the third time which was so special and just as breathtaking as the first time.

As history students, being in France, especially Paris allowed a comprehensive understanding of what life would have been like during historical events such as the French Revolution, World War I and World War II. It was so interesting to visit places that we are currently learning about in class such as The Champ de Mars, the Conciergerie, Versailles, the National Archives (–seeing many relevant documents to our studies), and the Salle de Jeu, famously known where the Tennis Court Oath took place that many say ultimately projected the fundamentals of the 1789 Revolution. The group was constantly collectively overwhelmed by stunning architecture, mind blowing facts, but also the cultural differences of being overseas. 

After a jam-packed week in Paris, we had an early wake up call at 3am. It was safe to say that not everyone’s faces were bright on the morning trip to Berlin. The plane ride was memorable with a rather bumpy landing, scaring more than a couple of people. Upon arrival it was interesting to view how different life was like in a country that was right next to the one we had just previously been in. Although Germany still has stunning, old architecture just like France, much of it was new and modernised and it was very educational to learn that the city is like that because of how much had been destroyed previously during wars.

Visiting many museums such as the Holocaust Memorial, the Gestapo ‘Topography of Terror’, the Berlin Wall Memorial and Documentation Centre, the Jewish History Museum and even ‘Museum Island’. By this point, it was safe to say the trip was catching up to everyone; constantly exerting new information into our brains everyday. On the third day of Berlin, we visited the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and Memorial.  Walking through the Camp and all of the memorials relating to the Holocaust was truly eye opening as many of us have only read about or heard about certain things, seeing it with your own eyes is a completely different experience. The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp was extremely interesting to visit but it left many students with a pit in their stomachs, reflecting on the tragic pasts of our world. Observing the overall eerie feel, it allowed us to deeply reflect on how lucky we are today in Australia.

Whilst we were away, we found that fresh fruit and vegetables were hard to come by, something I (Meg P) struggled with as an avid avocado enjoyer. I was used to my daily avocado and suffered some severe withdrawals. I was fortunate enough to find an avocado and salad roll in Belgium which cost 6.10 euros and had revived me. I (Meg C) also ate an entire jar of salsa due to the lack of fresh fruit and veg in supermarkets (with chips).

After saying goodbye to Berlin we took our last short flight to Belgium, Brussels. Our only activity for this day was visiting Waterloo, most famous for Napoleon  and the French being defeated by opposing countries. Many of us were rather surprised by the array of entertainment that Waterloo had on offer; the same ABBA song playing on repeat in the gift shop, three men in different army gear as well as a live cannon demonstration. This was also the night where we had the choice of our own dinner – the kebabs in Belgium did not disappoint. 

On our second day in Brussels, we went to the Museum of the European Union Parliament, however they were fully booked and only half of our group were able to go in. Fortunately, the museum was surrounded by a gorgeous park, with a lake where we got to watch some swans and ducks. The lake was surrounded by tulips and looked absolutely majestic. Afterwards, we visited the European Parliament, finally the Global Politics students were able to come into play after cluelessly studying history for two weeks. The European Parliament was especially exciting as we had studied the European Union and the effectiveness of its power in class. It was fascinating to see the Parliament during session and we noticed how quickly they voted on issues. Furthermore, we were extremely lucky to have seen a protest, which we heard were extremely rare. The protest entailed a group of people in matching shirts chanting ‘this vote kills; vote no’ in regards to immigration policy and they threw paper planes into the Parliament Chamber. This was of significance to the politics students as we had a case study last year regarding the EU’s handling of a migration crisis and it was very interesting to see.  

When visiting the city of Brussels we encountered the ‘Grand Place’ which is now a major tourist destination within Brussels, with many restaurants and most importantly chocolatiers. Taking a walking tour of La Grand Place, this old part of Belgium reminded a lot of the girls of Paris, the mix of different architectures was truly something to take in and remember about Europe. 

Our last night of the trip was one full of many different emotions. We were lucky enough to have a group liturgy survive that Ms Grima had spent time planning where we all had the opportunity to speak about something that we wanted to take home with us or something we wanted to leave in Europe. The flights home were much quieter than the ones on the way to Europe, many of us were ready to lay in our own beds and be reunited with our families. 

Not only was it useful for me (Matilda) in learning about both my history and politics studies, I was able to immerse myself in the French language that I have so long wanted to have this high-school experience, talking about it with my Grandma before going to St Columba’s. Although it was not an exchange, we all still feel incredibly fortunate to have such great teachers such as Ms Valenzuela, Ms Symthe and Mr Avery who tackled the long planning and were able to get an international trip going ahead, which had not been done before 2019.  

Overall, this trip was definitely worth it and one to remember. Not only did it benefit our learning as year 12 VCE students, but it was also so fun to make memories with all of the other girls and the accompanying teachers. This experience is something we were all grateful to have, ultimately opening many windows to express our independence and we recommend it for any future students who are interested in studying History or Politics. 

P.S Shout out to Lizzie Billen who will make Ms V redo the risk assessment for future years.

Just a reminder about a few VCE Matters

GAT – Please note the GAT letter was sent out 2 weeks ago

The GAT is being held on the 18th June.

The GAT Assembly is being held on the 7th of June during lesson one.  All students will be required to sign in. Left over GAT exams from last year and the 2024 GAT brochure will be made available to students to collect during this assembly.

Mrs Newton, VCE Leader, will be running the assembly and providing VCAA exam information with a focus on the GAT and Ms Marriner will support the assembly.  

Year 11 students who are unable to attend the assembly due to the exams will be contacted after the assembly.

Practice GATs can be found on the VCE and VM student portal.

Students will be required to have a scientific calculator and dictionary for the GAT and will not be able to borrow from staff.  

Students are expected to attend in full Academic uniform.

There will be no VCE classes, except for Year 11 VM classes, running on this day.

VCE VET student guide

All the college and VCAA rules that govern the running of VCE at St Columba’s College can be found on the VCE VET student guide. As stated during the transition assembly, it is the responsibility of the students to have read the guide and be aware of all the rules and to abide by them.

SACs

Students who have elected to accelerate their program by completing a Unit 3/4 subject while in Year 11 must be aware of the following:

• During the Year 11 exam period, Year 11 students are expected to attend their Unit 3/4 classes. Where an exam clashes with the class, the exam takes precedence.
• If a Unit 3/4 SAC is scheduled during the same time as an exam, students are expected to contact their teacher as soon as possible to discuss a rescheduled SAC.

Year 11 SAC reschedules

Year 11 students are only provided a single reschedule opportunity. If students cannot make that reschedule time, and provide the correct evidence, then they will be given a zero score and an NA note. If they do not provide appropriate evidence, then the student will only receive a zero score. If this means that the student has not met the required evidence to achieve an S (satisfactory completion of the key skills and knowledge that can be found in the VCAA study designs) then they may need to complete redemption work.

St Columba’s College is offering Academic Excellence Scholarships for students entering
Year 7 2026 as well as Year 9 and Year 11 in 2025. Students are encouraged to take up
this opportunity and will receive a report of their achievement levels for each area tested.
Further details and online registration are available on the College website.

Registration closing date is Friday19 July 2024

Scholarship testing date is Saturday 27 July 2024

Please note the College does not have practise papers for the testing as this is conducted by
an external organisation, Academic Assessment Services.

For more information please get in touch with Tammy Colson (St Columba’s Registrar)

Year 8 Reflection Day was an incredible experience where our students learned how they can make a positive impact on the lives of others.

The day kicked off with a fun charades session, followed by a drama activity where students performed to earn acceptance from their peers. The day concluded with personal sharing and lots of laughter.

These days are treasured in our college community, fostering growth and respect for all individuals, regardless of appearance, race, or background. Through faith, our students learn to respond to the needs of others with compassion and understanding

Wednesday 5 June: Year 10 & 11 Exams continue

Thursday 6 June: CGSAV Football Competition, Junior Performing Arts Concert, 7-10 Art Exhibition

Friday 7 June: GAT Assembly

Monday 10 June: Kings Birthday Public Holiday

Tuesday 11 June: Student Free Day 

Wednesday 12 June:  Semester 2 Timetable commences

Thursday 13 June: Year 12 Ministry Retreat

Friday 14 June: Year 12 Retreat Assembly

Monday 17 June: Cater House Celebration Day

Tuesday 18 June: GAT  – No VCE Classes