Newsletter Edition 2 / 2024, February 19

Principal's Message

Dear Emmanuel College Families,

Ash Wednesday
Last week staff and students observed Ash Wednesday and prayed the following prayer in home room and mentor groups:

Loving God,
You care for us and all in our global family.
You want fullness of life for all people.
Help us see the challenges faced by so many. Help us search for justice.
Fill our hearts with love. Turn our compassion to action.
Help us renew the world, now and for all future generations.
We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Ash Wednesday and the forty days that follow draw us into a quieter, more inward time of reflection. It’s a time to think about Jesus’ life and suffering and the ways he continually showed compassion and forgiveness to those around him, even those who unjustly sentenced him to death. It’s also a time to contemplate our own lives and the ways we need to seek and share compassion and forgiveness with those around us. We are asked to consider and act for others - in our school, in our family, and in our national and global communities. We are asked to respond in many ways, but most importantly, to a true inner change in our hearts as we seek to follow Christ's example.

Project Compassion
Each year Project Compassion accompanies our journey through Lent and supports Caritas Australia to continue their charitable work in Australia and internationally for all future generations. Project Compassion boxes can be seen around the college enabling individuals and classes to contribute donations to the work of Caritas. Of equal importance is the opportunity to deepen our understanding of the injustices in the world that give rise to poverty, hunger, and lack of opportunity. Project Compassion gives us a practical way to be the difference we wish to see in the world.

Rice Rally
If you follow the Emmanuel College Facebook page, it’s impossible to have missed the great stories about the Rice Rally occurring this Friday 23 February. The Rice Rally is a celebration of the rapidly developing Edmund Rice Centre (ERC), the new home of year nine and the 9@RICE program. When completed later this year, the ERC will facilitate the consolidation of Emmanuel students onto the one site for the first time in the school’s history. The Rice Rally also marks the public launch of a campaign to raise $1.5 million that will ensure the ERC is finished to the standard we plan.

The Emmanuel community is invited to join us this Friday 23 February starting at 10am when Coast FM will broadcast live from the Emmanuel Centre co-hosted by inspiring alumni Gorgi Coghlan and Johnathan Brown and regular host Rookie. During the morning and over lunch, visitors are invited to learn about the Edmund Rice Centre, the 9@RICEprogram and the transforming impact of the consolidation of Emmanuel College by the beginning of 2025. Food vans and displays will add to the celebratory atmosphere. 

The highlight of the day will be the All Stars basketball match against the best Emmanuel basketballers kicking off at 2pm.  All our Year seven and eight students who will be the first to occupy and learn in the new ERC, will be attending the All Stars match, and we hope as many friends of Emmanuel College as possible will purchase a ticket and join us. Remember to be seated for a 2pm start. Even if you can’t attend, as many supporters as possible are encouraged to purchase a virtual ticket for the match and receive a link to the live stream or purchase a bunch of tickets in the raffle and support the fund-raising for this major project. The raffle has an irresistible prize including two Medallion Class tickets to the Collingwood vs. St. Kilda game on March 21 inclusive of accommodation, a Mercedes Benz supplied by Callaghan motors for the weekend to get to and from the match, plus a hamper of business vouchers and local goodies. The College is extremely grateful to the major sponsors of the Rice Rally, ACE Radio, Callaghan Motors, Canterbury Creative House, Star Printing and Watson Media.

Purchase your tickets here:
Rice Rally Tickets - https://www.trybooking.com/CNQUL 

Raffle Tickets - https://www.rafflelink.com.au/rice-rally-raffle 

House Swimming Carnival
This week also sees the annual House Swimming Carnival at Aquazone. The House Captains have been busy drumming up support among competitors and supporters, all of them hungry to see if they can defeat Egan House who has won the House Cup the last two years. The forecast for Tuesday is 25 degrees so it is vital students are equipped with hats, sunscreen, and water bottles. The College also supplies sunscreen and promotes the repeated application throughout the day. Thank you to Sport Coordinator Alastair Templeton, the overall organiser of the day, with its multiple logistics and time pressures. Thank you, Alastair.  The swimming sports is always a fun day with its activities and experiences for all students.

I recently read the following message from Bishop Paul Bird, Bishop of the Ballarat Diocese, and to conclude this week I share it as a reflection on Catholic education and the point of difference between Catholic schools and state schools: 

On the home page of our Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education website we find a sentence expressing our vision for our school communities. “As partners in Catholic education and open to God’s presence, we pursue fullness of life for all.” These words sum up a great deal about our aims as a Catholic education community. We seek to be partners in Catholic education, partners with students, partners with students’ families, partners with our teaching colleagues, partners with the parish community, partners with the broader community. As a Catholic education community, we acknowledge God as the One who has made us and all creation. We acknowledge God as the One who sustains us, and we seek to be open to God’s presence. As a Catholic education community, we seek to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. He came that people might have life and have it to the full. In union with him, we pursue fullness of life for all.

Kind regards,

Mr Peter Morgan
Principal

A Message from Mrs Claire Wrigley

Concussion Guidelines
Recently the Concussion Guidelines extended the mandatory minimum stand-down period to 21 days from the time of concussion until returning to competitive contact sport. Previously, this was 10 days. It is recommended not to return to competition before day 21 post concussion and for the person to have remained symptom free for at least 14 days.
Click on the links below for resources and information for parents.
https://www.concussioninsport.gov.au/parents_and_teachers

As per Emmanuel College’s First Aid Policy, “Students will not be permitted to participate in Health/PE classes after a concussion until medical clearance is provided to the school.”
If your child suffers a concussion please notify the school and once they recover fully please provide medical clearance for when they can resume participation in PE classes.

Fit4Life Parent/Carer Series 2024
Dr Justin Coulson Breaking Point Webinar - Tuesday Feb 27 at 8pm
Emmanuel College Fit4Life Wellbeing team are providing to parents this live webinar with Dr Justin Coulson (one of Australia’s leading parenting experts and presenter on Channel 9’s “Parental Guidance” TV show).
To attend registration is compulsory via this link –
https://happyfamiliesfamilyeducation.ac-page.com/EmmanuelCollegeWarrnambool

Upon registration you will receive a link to watch the webinar live. It will be recorded but only available for 14 days after the event.  This event has been sent to all parents however I’m sure staff would find it relevant and interesting too. 

Outline of Webinar - Unpacking the crisis in youth mental health  - Our children are not ok.
Latest national statistics indicate that mental health challenges are at an all-time high in Australian children and youth. Anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders are wreaking havoc in our schools and families (not to mention the amplification of these challenges if your child is neuro-diverse). Suicide and self harm are rising. And finding good help is increasingly challenging. 
Our kids and our families are at breaking point.
How do we know if our kids will be ok? What can we do to support their mental health and resilience? What's going wrong, and how do we fix it?

Join Dr Justin Coulson, Australia's leading parenting expert, as he unpacks the mental health crisis enveloping our kids. He'll cover:

• The root causes behind the deteriorating state of mental health, and who (or what) is responsible
• The tools you need to reverse this trend for your children  
• Science-backed, relationship-focused strategies to remedy school refusal  
• Realistic approaches for managing screen time in a way that protects your child's wellbeing without completely alienating them from their peers  
• Creating margin in your home and family life to protect and promote mental wellness  

This isn't just a workshop; it's a call to action. Join the conversation and be part of a dynamic, interactive experience where we collaborate to reshape the future of your children's mental health. Hear real stories, explore innovative solutions, and discover practical strategies to empower your kids.

Time & Space  - Year 7 Mothers/Female Mentors
Thursday Feb 29 @ 6.45pm - 9.00pm
Emmanuel College Fit4life wellbeing team are delighted to offer you an opportunity to experience a lifetime memory with your child at the annual Time & Space Night. This innovative single evening program is an event we have planned especially for our Year 7 students and their mothers (or female mentors). We think that this is a great time to bring you together. For registration please see operoo message.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FJty-BWMgNdaF0_WRoQjSJo7pkkqZpFk/view?usp=sharing

Mrs Claire Wrigley
Assistant Principal - Students 

Important Updates Regarding Changes to Interim and Semester Reports

Important updates regarding some changes to Interim and Semester Reports. Also information regarding this term’s Parent / Student / Teacher Conferences

Reporting
We have made three changes to the way we give students and parents feedback on our Interim and Semester Reports. 

The first change is that we have added another ‘habit’ that our teachers can give feedback on. This is in addition to the four that were already there. The new habit is ‘Appropriate use of laptop and technology’. With the use of laptops and technology so abundant in how students learn and how they are utilised during classes, it is imperative for productivity that feedback is given in this regard.

The second change is that we have categorised the five feedback habits into two sections. Under the heading ‘Preparation for learning’, we have ‘Punctual and prepared for the class’ and ‘Consolidates learning with revision and homework’. Under the second heading named ‘Engagement in learning’, we have ‘Uses class time productively to complete set work’, ‘Respectful to others and the learning environment’ and the new habit of ‘Appropriate use of laptop and technology’. 

The third and last change is that we are using a new scale to rank these habits. We formerly used the scale ranking from high to low using the following terms - Excellent, Good, Satisfactory, Needs Attention, Not Satisfactory and also Not Applicable, which was used mainly for practical subjects that do not complete homework.

We will now be using the scale of Always, Almost Always, Generally, Sometimes, Rarely and have kept the Not Applicable option. We would like students to strive to achieve ‘Always’ when it comes to their preparation and engagement in learning work habits. We believe this scale is a better way to grade these habits. Below is a visual of how reports will look in the future. Please note that ‘Generally’ has just been selected to show you how the green dot would sit on the graph.

Parent / Student /Teacher Conferences
As has been outlined in Principal Peter Morgan’s letter to families several weeks ago, our first conferences will be from 8:45am till 2:45pm on Thursday March 28th which is the day before Good Friday. The day will be an Independent Learning Day for our students where work will be placed up on their Google Classrooms following their timetable that day. We will give parents the option of coming in to the Emmanuel Centre on the day, or by virtual means via Teams. Students are encouraged to attend the conference with parents.

All dates of when conferences open and close are on College Calendar and will also have Operoo emails alerting parents to these times. All bookings for conferences are able to be made on PAM. Interim Reports will be available to students and parents on 18th March just before bookings for the conferences open. Please note that teachers may have ‘requested’ to see you at the parent/student/teacher conferences through the interim report. The default is 'welcomed' as we encourage parents and students to touch base with their teachers to allow dialogue about progress.

Mr Justin Houlihan
Assistant Principal - Teaching & Learning

Student Voice - Green Group @ Emmanuel

Alex McCallum, Year 8
Hi, my name is Alex McCallum. I started in the Green Group @Emmanuel last year.  I am continuing this year because I am excited to do something good and contribute to my school. 

We had our first meeting on 9th Feb, with many returning members and 5 new members. Welcome James Turner, Finn Davis, Brody Dubynon and Otto Gass. In that meeting we decided in Term 1 to focus on encouraging more students to join Green Group. Please know that anyone can join and we would love to see some new faces! So come, join in but please do not feel obligated to join or come to every meeting. However, if you would like to join we meet Week B Friday’s at recess in the Library. See the poster below for more information. Also, credits to Zane Lockland for making the amazing poster about Green Group below.

This Term, we are also focusing three main activities: 

1. Clean up Australia Day on 3rd of March - We will organise a group of us from Green Group to clean up with rubbish bags at lunch on Friday 1st March. All students and staff are welcome,  with merit points for participation. 
2. Ride to school day is on 22nd of March - The Green Group people will be handing out prizes for people riding/walking and encouraging everyone to do so. 
3. Earth hour day which is also on 22nd of March-  At lunch in the library we are going to turn off the lights and there will be no technology, just quiet carbon free activities. So please come along! We will also be encouraging people to turn their own power off that night at home and do their bit for the environment. 

Some other projects that Mrs Jones is working on at the moment and wanted me to share are:

1. The introduction of bin tags being collected for Wheelchairs at the Library. We have always had batteries, but now you can bring in your plastic bread tags for recycling and to go towards providing wheelchairs for people in need. 
2. New signs in the classroom, reminding us the correct temperature to have our air conditioner on in Summer and Winter. 
3. Starting the roster for the Year levels’ Keep Aus beautiful everyday’ program. 
4. Working with Year 9 students on Climate Change solutions. 

Open Evening

Find out how Emmanuel College encourages all students to grow!

Bookings are essential. Book Here: http://tinyurl.com/th493bsx

Year 12 Retreat - Sam Clear

Last Wednesday, Year 12 students focused on the year ahead, their final one together, with a retreat day facilitated by inspiring guest speaker, Sam Clear.

Sam’s goal of trying to unite people in the Christian faith by courageously travelling over 15,000 kilometres through numerous countries, mostly on foot, enabled him to engage students and staff with personal stories that were amazing, sometimes unbelievable, and very inspiring.
https://www.walk4one.com/sam-clear

The aim of the day was to provide students with an opportunity for reflection, on their own journey ahead, on their interaction with their peers, and on the lives of others, from a Catholic perspective. It was an opportunity for both students and staff in attendance, to take a break from our routine and reflect on who we are and where and how we are going.

There were many opportunities to respond, either quietly with an invitation to prayer, or in more obvious ways with team quizzes and whole group activities which provoked some interesting responses! The group also enjoyed lunch together provided by the wonderful team at McMahons, got into the spirit of the day with many opting to dress to a theme, and demonstrated curiosity and empathy with activities and presentations throughout the day.

I thank students for their enthusiasm, and staff in attendance for their support, particularly Sean Fitzgibbon, all of which contributes to an enjoyable and successful day. Please read some student reflections below.

Student reflections:
- Sam’s story resonated with me as he was able to persevere through adversity to try and make a change in the world and spread the message of unity.

- If he walked across the world, in poor, unstable and dangerous conditions and didn’t let that stop him, what is stopping every individual in this world to achieve what they set out to do? (people without real barriers)
He was very relatable, and I feel like he demonstrated the ups and downs of life throughout his session. He snuck in a couple of life lessons in there too, for example:

•   Don’t focus on the bad
•   #dontpunchthepig
•   Persistence
•   Decision making

- If anything, he has motivated me to stay optimistic. Life will sort itself out and don't stress so much on the future or the unknown. He is really inspiring.

Ms Jacinta Skilbeck
Director of Faith & Mission

Study Hall

Dear Parents/ Guardians, 

As our students embark on their learning for 2024, we are happy to inform you that Study Hall will be facilitated once again at Emmanuel College. Study Hall provides students with the opportunity to develop and embed effective study habits throughout their schooling. At Emmanuel, we offer two different sessions, each with individualised focuses to accommodate the varying stages of students. The programs run as follows: 

Students in Years 7 - 8:
Students can attend on Monday after school in the library from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

Within this program there is a focus on organisation, developing the use of the diary, completing homework and using the resources within the school. Students receive a merit point for participation, with points awarded at the end of each term. Students are supervised by Mrs West, with the support of Mr Bourke and Mrs Sinnott.

Students in Years 7 and 8 are welcome to join other sessions as well.

Students in Years 9 - 12: 
Students can attend one or more sessions a week. Sessions occur before school from 8:00 am to 8:50 am every day. After-school sessions run Mondays to Thursdays from 3:30 pm until 5:30 pm; on Fridays, after-school sessions begin at 3:30 pm and finish at 5:00 pm. Students primarily participate in individual study; however, teachers do work with students regularly with different study techniques and habits that can assist with their preparation for internal and external assessments. These sessions are also an opportunity for the senior students to access their teachers for assistance with their study. Students have been provided with a live calendar of teacher availability for Study sessions.
Here is the link.

Study Hall provides a positive opportunity for students to engage in their learning process. This enables them to access facilities and resources that they may not be able to at home. 

Students do not need to register for these programs, they just need to attend.

Kind regards,

The Teaching and Learning Team: 
Ms Simone Rolfe, Director of Learning
Ms Donna Macpherson, VCE Coordinator

Performing Arts News

Wow -It is only Week 4 and so much has been happening!

The music tutors have been through a long and detailed process of instrument allocation for the Year 7 Band program. This started at the end of last year, where our tutors visited the 2024 Emmanuel Year 7 cohort’s primary schools. The students had the opportunity to ‘play’ each instrument, and then make an informed decision to nominate their top 3 preferences to learn at Emmanuel during their music lessons.

Using the information the tutor’s job was to then allocate instruments per homeroom to form a class concert band which is made up of a certain number of instruments in the brass, wind, and percussion families.

The first three weeks are always very busy for Year 7, so we look forward to distributing instruments to each homeroom during music lessons this week. Via Operoo, parents have been sent a musical instrument agreement to sign and return before the instrument can go home with the student. Parents will be invited to a concert in late Term 3. Like most things, but especially learning an instrument takes time, perseverance, and regular practice. We look forward to a great partnership with families and students, so they achieve their best through this experience.

We are very lucky that 2 very different music performances are available during lunchtimes at the Wyton Theatre in Term 1. Students are most welcome to chat to the band members about pathways and the Performing Arts industry after the performances.

29^th Feb
Inventi are a leading force in Australian music. Award winning performances in Australian concert halls and festivals have led to an enthusiastic following of their innovative programming and outstanding style. They are one of the most prolific chamber ensembles in Australia, with over 80 diverse concerts in their 2023 season. Inventi is an exciting voice in Australian music. Their shows are an interactive experience, seamlessly combining music, visuals and other effects.

8^th March
19 Twenty  Punk/blues/roots band 

The Sound of Music -youth edition
The cast have been announced for our 2024 show. Congratulations to the following students:

Maria Rainer - Ruby Nelson 

Captain Georg von Trapp - Flynn el-Hage

The Children
Liesl - Layla Kermond 
Friedrich - Callum Wade
Louisa - Matilda Webster
Kurt - Henry Ezzy
Brigitta - Mia Jackson
Marta - Natalie Turner
Gretl - Anna Robson

Rolf Gruber - Jack Steffensen 

Max Detweiler - EJ Gass 

The Mother Abbess - Amelia McLeod 

Sister Berthe - Mistress of Novices - Akira Fish-Laird

Sister Margaretta - Mistress of Postulants - Grace Pollock

Sister Sophia - Hayley Gottliebsen

Admiral Von Schreiber - Belle Plozza

Frau Francis - Jessica Kelly

Frau Schmidt - Emily Rankin

Nuns  Chorus - Molly Sheen, Maddi Crowe , Helena Purcell, Isabella Berry, Sarah Wright, Emily Blain, Sienna Plozza, Sofia Resk-Wilson, Dakota Symons

Lonely Goatherd Ensemble AND Nuns/Monks Chorus- Daisy Advincula, Immy Edwards, Erin Howlett, Amelie Williams, Evie Cooper, Daisy Greening, Lexi Amarant, Elise Mahoney, Noah Sabo

Girl in the pale pink coat - Mia Robinson

Mama of Girl in pale pink coat - Molly Sheen

Herr Zeller - Ethan Wu

Baron Elberfeld - Finn Davis

Nuns Chorus AND Party Guests- Molly Mansbridge, Grace Stephens, Finn Davis, Gretta Wake, Sierrah Chuck, Hayley Gottliebson, Cara Carlin

Nuns chorus AND Two new postulants - Paisley Meyer & Zara Francis

German Officials AND Nuns (monks) Chorus - Finn Davis, Jasper Bell , Jack Steffensen 

Contestants in the Festival Concert (also in Nuns Chorus) 
Trio of Saengerbund of Herwegen - Grace Stephens, Maddi Crowe, Helena Purcell
Fraulein Schweiger - Bonnie Leslie

Warrnambool Eisteddfod 2024
Information regarding the Warrnambool Eisteddfod Music and Vocal sections will be advertised via student messages in the coming weeks.
June 11-14 - Vocal
June 17-20 - Instrumental.

Music Ensemble Groups: New members are welcome!
Ensemble rehearsals commenced last Monday.
We would like to welcome back our existing players and to extend an invitation to any students who would like to join us. 

Please note the extended Concert Band rehearsal time for this year. 

If you have any questions, please email the teacher in charge of the ensemble, or come and see us in the Music Office. 

• Junior Jazz with Mrs Toulmin: Monday lunchtime 
• Training Band (formally Junior/Step Up Band) with Mr Mulholland: Friday lunchtime 
• Concert Band with Mrs O'Neill-Smart: Monday 3:30 - 4:45pm 
• Woodwind Ensemble with Mrs Tait: Friday 3:30 - 4:30pm 
• Contemporary Soul Band (Vocalists & Rhythm section) with Mr Leonard: Monday lunchtime 
• Contemporary Soul Band (Full Band) with Mr Leonard: Tuesday lunchtime

Ms Megan Davies
Head of Performing Arts & Instrumental Music Coordinator

NAPLAN

Emmanuel encourages student participation in NAPLAN tests for students in Year 7 & 9.

Schedule  
NAPLAN tests will occur during periods 1 and 2 on the following days:

• Wednesday 13^th March - Writing
• Thursday 14^th March - Reading
• Friday 15^th March - Conventions of Language (Students will need to have headphones for this test)
• Monday 18^th March - Numeracy
• Tuesday 19^th March - Catch up tests

Please support this process by checking that your child has charged their laptop and that they get to school on time during the testing period.
Please email me if you have any questions.

Ms Simone Rolfe
Director of Learning

Social Justice Update

Relay for Life
On Saturday, Emmanuel College had the privilege of being part of the 21^st Warrnambool Relay for Life out at Deakin. Our team joined 26 other teams to walk laps around the oval from 12.00- 10.00pm only breaking for a very moving Candlelight ceremony at 8.00.

Our team of over 20 Year 12 students and 15 Staff carried and pushed our totems around the oval to activate our team motto of CELEBRATE, REMEMBER and FIGHT BACK and FAITH, HOPE & LOVE. Our Totems – a rainbow clown wig, rainbow wings and a wheelbarrow- represented aspects of the journey of cancer for all that the dreaded illness affects. It is with much thanks that we walked and for all involved it was a meaningful experience.

Well done team Emmanuel and well done Warrnambool Relay for Life- we look forward to being part of this amazing community event for years to come!

Project Compassion
This past week, the season of Lent began with Ash Wednesday, which also marks the beginning Caritas Australia’s annual Project Compassion Appeal.

The theme of Project Compassion 2024 is ‘For All Future Generations’ and reminds us that the good we do today extends to impact the lives of generations to come.

By donating to Project Compassion, Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, can work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.

Collection boxes have been placed in all homerooms and mentor group rooms so please support PROJECT COMPASSION and send along any spare change or donations you can to be placed in these boxes or donate online - https://schools.projectcompassion.org.au/o/emmanuel-college

Library News

Book Clubs At Emmanuel College
We have two Book Clubs at Emmanuel College – one for students, one for parents/guardians.

Any students wishing to join the Book Club can email Mrs Sinnott msinnott@emmanuel.vic.edu.au or come along to the first Book Club meeting of the year which will be held in the Library Reading Room on February 22 2024 at Lunchtime. At the meeting we will plan out the year and find out what have been the good holiday reads from Summer. The Student Book Club will normally meet at least twice a Term to discuss books and all things reading.

The Parent/Guardians Book Club meeting is held usually twice a Term, after school, usually at 7pm on a Monday evening. Interested parents/guardians can email msinnott@emmanuel.vic.edu.au to find out some more information.

Library Lovers’ Day
The Library celebrated Library Lovers’ Day on Wednesday 14 February with a display of book and library related books and a feature shelf of the Relationship genre books. The Relationship shelf includes books about love stories, teenage stories, family sagas and friendship stories. Students can search for these books on the Library homepage and can also browse the shelves in the Library and ask Library staff for help with choosing a book.

For the celebration of Library Lovers’ Day the Library conducted a competition, guessing how many pink and white lollies in the jar.  The winner of the competition is Ryan McLean from 7F. Congratulations, Ryan, your guess of 128 lollies was one away from the correct amount of 129 lollies. Thanks to all students for participating in the competition.

Mrs Margaret Sinnott
Library Coordinator

Words for Wellbeing

Introducing the Emmanuel College Wellbeing Team 2024!

Supporting your child’s transition to high school 
Free Webinar for parents of Year 7 students
When: 21 February @ 7pm

Marie Vakakis, an accredited mental health social worker and family therapist, is delivering a free Webinar for parent/carers delivering practical strategies and insights to support you in understanding and assisting your child during this crucial developmental milestone.

Register and get tickets from: 
https://events.humanitix.com/supporting-your-child-during-the-transition-to-high-school

Podcast Recommendation:
Parenting without power struggles Podcast with Susan Stiffelman:
https://susanstiffelman.com/podcast/

Susan is a psychotherapist and hosts the parenting without power struggles podcast providing tips, tools, and practical guidance for raising joyful, resilient kids while staying cool, calm, and connected! Susan's guidance reflects an understanding that as we raise our children, we are also raising ourselves; growing, stumbling, healing, and becoming more of our true and wisest selves. 

Cyber Safety at Emmanuel College
Tuesday February 6 was Safer Internet Day – a global initiative to raise awareness of online safety issues. On Safer Internet Day we’re encouraging everyone to take three simple actions when approaching online safety - Connect, Reflect, Protect.  

• Connect safely by keeping apps and devices secure and reviewing your privacy settings regularly. 
• Reflect on how your actions online may affect others or your safety. 
• Protect yourself and others by visiting eSafety.gov.au to find out how to stay safe online and report online abuse.

By doing these things and sharing the Connect. Reflect. Protect message, we can work towards making every day a Safer Internet Day. 

The safety Commissioner has excellent resources and we encourage all parents to view these:  
https://www.esafety.gov.au/

The Emmanuel College Fit4Life Team’s top tips for staying safe online :

1. Read and be aware of the terms and conditions of any app or game that you use.
2. Curate your feed – like and follow pages, hashtags and influencers that have a positive vibe and similar interests to you. 
3. As a parent, use the tools, apps and play the games your kids are playing.  Know what they are up to online. 
4. Stop doom scrolling
5. Turn off your location settings

Financial Grants for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students

Opening the Doors Foundation: 
Financial Grants for Aboriginal and  Torres Strait Islander Students 

The Opening the Doors Foundation provides grants to families to assist with the extra costs incurred in the schooling of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary or secondary school students. The 2024 Grant Round is now open, with a closing date of 12 April 2024.

Full criteria and guidelines are included on the Opening the Doors Foundation website and the Opening the Doors Foundation Application, but the following points may prove helpful for families who are considering applying: 

• The Applicant (child) must be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. 
• The Applicant must be enrolled in a Catholic or Independent educational institution located within the State boundaries of Victoria. 
• The Applicant can only submit one regular grant per year. 
• First time applicants must provide a Confirmation of Aboriginality Certificate, which must be in the child’s name. If a Confirmation Certificate is not obtainable, please contact the Foundation as applicants may be able to submit a Statement of Recognition (Recognition of Aboriginality Form) instead. 
• The Foundation supports the extra costs of school. This does not include 'fees'. 
• Items already purchased cannot be reimbursed. 
• Maximum grant amounts are included in the app. 
• Applications will not be accepted after the closing date - 12 April 2024. 

Pertinent information: 

• Website: Opening the Doors Foundation; Foundation Application Criteria and Guidelines 
• App link: Opening the Doors Foundation Application 
• Phone: 0401 487 414 or 1300 236 356 
• Email: enquiries@openingthedoors.org.au 

Closing date: 12 April 2024 

Financial Assistance for Concession Card Holders

Parents/guardians holding a valid concession card on 29 January 2024 should submit an application form for the Camps, Sports & Excursion Fund (CSEF) allowance to Suzanne Dwyer via the McAuley Campus office or email info@emmanuel.vic.edu.au

Parents/guardians who have already applied for the allowance this year or in the past at Emmanuel College do not need to apply again.

The CSEF allowance is valued at $250 per student and is for holders of a health care card, or are a foster parent, or a Veteran Affairs pensioner. Payments are made to the school and will be deducted from a family’s school fees.

Further details about the CSEF allowance can be found at the Department of Education and Training’s website at https://www.vic.gov.au/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund

Autism Seminar - Professor Tony Attwood

Upcoming Events

Tuesday February 20
House Swimming Carnival

Wednesday February 21
WD Senior & Intermediate Cricket

Thursday February 22
School Photos Catch-up

Friday February 23
Rice Rally

Monday February 26
WD Swimming

Tuesday February 27
Breaking Point Webinar - 8PM

Wednesday February 28 
Year 7 Athletics Trials
Senior School Information Night - 7PM

Thursday February 29
Opening College Mass
Year 7 Time & Space Parent Evening - 7PM

Monday March 4
Year 9 Immersion Week (all week)
Maths Pathways Parent Information Session - 7PM

Child Safe