Newsletter Edition 12 / 17 August 2021

Principal's Message

Dear Emmanuel College Families,
College staff and students enjoyed a deserved mid-term break yesterday and the timing was just right.  The roller coaster ride of the last five weeks combined with the week-to-week pandemic uncertainty has contributed to a level of exhaustion in the community that warrants an opportunity to recharge the batteries.  I publicly thank the Emmanuel staff, students and parents for their energy and efforts to maintain learning in the classroom and at home.  As the uncertainty continues, the College receives regular COVID updates from the Catholic Education Office based on information from the Premier's Office and Department of Health.  Based on current information there are activities and events the College is unable to conduct due to density limits, the inclusion of external individuals and/or the mixing of people.  As a result, the Year 10, 11 and 12 social and formal events are unable to occur at this time.  We remain hopeful there will be an opportunity at some point for these to go ahead.

Words for Wellbeing
The day-to-day uncertainty and disruptions to normal routines and experiences has a lot of potential to impact individual wellbeing.  With that in mind, I commend to you the work of Emmanuel’s Wellbeing Team including their fortnightly publication, “Words for Wellbeing”, compiled by the College’s psychologist, Dr. Jodie Fleming.  “Words for Wellbeing” takes a proactive approach to wellbeing as does the College’s “Fit4Life” wellbeing program.  Emmanuel’s “Fit4Life” approach encourages us to take ownership of our mental health and to be proactive in our efforts to achieve mental wellness in the same way we exercise and eat well to look after our physical health.  Printed fortnightly, Jodie’s publication is filled with strategies and ideas to help us take care of ourselves and to be fit for life.  Click here for the most recent edition of “Words for Wellbeing."

Putting a positive foot forward
Assistant Principal Claire Wrigley, the Wellbeing Team and Senior school staff are to be congratulated for their recent initiative to promote wellbeing to our Year 12 students who have as few as seven weeks of their secondary school journey remaining.  The rapid movement into and out of lockdown constantly shifts the goal posts and impacts upon the continuity of learning, especially for the Year 12s whose final assessments are due in November.  The staff shared an encouraging message with the Year 12 students during homeroom by presenting a pair of “posisocks” to each Year 12 student.  Posisocks have a positive, encouraging quote woven into their fabric.  Founded by Trent (Richmond football club captain) and Brooke Cotchin, Posisocks is a brand that exists to make a positive difference in people's lives.  Trent says, "It’s about aligning your purpose with action and trying to help others.  From the education we consume and provide, the love we give, the appreciation we show and the daily habits we create.  This for me is the journey, and that is what brings us happiness, not the destination."  Brooke says, "I love the quote that says 'Love is something you do; something not just to be said, but also to be shown.'  As a family, we have been on quite a journey since we welcomed Harper (our first) into the world.  As parents, we feel that educating our kids around being kind, present and mindful is an important part of their development and will be such a great asset for them as they grow through life.  I love the connection of putting your kids' socks on their little toes and reading to them that you love them.  Our lives tend to pass without us being aware and our minds can become very chaotic at times, leaving behind the most precious thing we have: the present moment. After all, children are creatures of connection and crave our love and attention."  The day after receiving their posisocks, the Year 12s went back into lockdown again!  Let’s hope the message of hope woven into their new socks provide inspiration to remain positive to the very end of the Year 12 year.

Youth Achiever Awards
Congratulations to the many Emmanuel students nominated for and winning recognition at the Warrnambool and Moyne Youth Achiever Awards last week.  The Awards celebrate our region's youth who have shown the traits of kindness, resilience, passion, cooperation and responsibility.  Congratulations to Bailey McDonald of Year 8 for winning the 12-15 year old Moyne award.  Bailey's ‘Scrunchies for a Cause’ business raised over $8000 for the South West Regional Cancer Centre.  Le Lou Berger of Year 12 won the Warrnambool 16-18 category.  Le Lou organised an e-sports gaming competition for Emmanuel students and uses her artistic skills to make earrings and paint skate decks.  Alumni Annie Rea of the Class of 2020 came runner up in the Warrnambool 16-18 section for achieving the Queens Guide Award which required Annie to volunteer her time to local community causes whilst completing VCE.  Alumni Andrew Pritchard of the Class of 2019 won the Warrnambool City 19-25 category.  Andrew had previously won the Warrnambool City Council Youth Citizen of the Year and now studies at Melbourne University.  Tahlia Searle from the Class of 2015 was runner up in the Moyne 19-25 age group for the amount of responsibility and hard work in helping to establish Avalon Nursery in Warrnambool.  Congratulations to each of our impressive nominees on their contribution to our region: Jace Nepean, Eddie Worrall, Louise Tamer, Chloe Mutton, Diana Fernandez, Hilary Hannagan, Amelia Bell, Benjy Hawkins, Charlotte Dyson, Cooper Miller, Rorie Miller, Emma Hannagan, Grace Kelly, Mia Cook and Grace Kenny.  Well done also to Alumni: Jacob Gome, Cornelius Wong, Caitlin Garner, Harrison Carroll-Beard (all Class of 2020) and Carly Moloney (2016).

Year 9 @RICE
Planning for the year nine students to transition their learning to the Rice Campus in Canterbury Road in 2022 continues. In this newsletter I provide further insight into the exciting new program named 9@RICE with a list of frequently asked questions and their answers.  Thank you to the Year 9 Program Director, Dr Josie Monro, who compiled the questions and answers following our recent sharing of the 9@RICE information video.  The link for the video is here if you missed it previously and the 9@RICE FAQ follows.

Apply for a Scholarship
I would like to remind families of the availability of scholarships for the 2022 school year.  Applications are currently open for four scholarships of $1000 each.  Three scholarships are for current year 10 students entering year 11 in 2022, while one scholarship is available for a year nine student completing year 10 next year.  Scholarship information was shared with families at the start of the term.  If you missed the information please contact College Registrar, Mrs Jo-Anne Nelson, via jnelson@emmanuel.vic.edu.au  Applications for 2022 scholarships close on Wednesday 15 September.

Strength for this Challenging Time
We pray for your love and compassion to abound
as we walk through this challenging season.
We ask for wisdom for those who bear the load
of making decisions with widespread consequences.
We pray for those who are suffering with sickness
and all who are caring for them.
We pray for misinformation to be curbed
that fear may take no hold in hearts and minds. 
As we exercise the good sense that you in your mercy provide,
may we also approach each day in faith and peace,
trusting in the truth of your goodness towards us.
St. Joseph: Pray for us.  May the spirit of Catherine McAuley and Edmund Rice guide us in all that we do.  Amen.
Kind regards,
Peter Morgan
Principal

A Message from Mrs Claire Wrigley

Let’s show Gratitude
In recent times our level of resilience has most definitely been tested and our capacity to live, work and play in a time of uncertainty has required us to seek support from one another. It is ok to say, “this is hard”, or “my cup is empty”, and acknowledge our emotions. As we move forward to rebuild our confidence to carry on, we need to look for strategies to help us. One such strategy is being grateful and sharing kindness.  It is easy to pick out the negatives and look to blame others, but taking time to reflect on all the great things we have and the support around us, leads to better outcomes for all.
Gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. We all have something to be grateful for in our lives. To be at school, seeing our friends and supporting one another is something to be most grateful for.  My challenge to all in our community is to over the next week spread some kindness, it might be a simple smile greeting another person or helping someone out in a time of need. What a wonderful community we could have where we put kindness before everything else and spread positive energy.
Studies show that when we practice expressing gratitude, we experience higher levels of optimism, increased life satisfaction, and decreased negative feelings. Additionally, children who regularly express gratitude appreciate close relationships and feel better about life and school.   So, let’s give it a go and spread gratitude and kindness in our community.

Uniform
When flipping in and out of remote learning it is important to retain good practice and routine as students return to school ensuring smooth transition. One component of that is wearing the correct uniform. This assists with students’ organisational skills, growth mindset and learning habits in the classroom.  Wearing of the correct uniform reflects a student’s pride in their school.
We have seen an increase in students wearing PE uniform often accompanied with a note from home with varied excuses as to why they have it on. Some students are bending the rules and asking parents to write a note to allow this to happen on more than one occasion. We accept that sometimes there is a valid reason for students to be in PE uniform however, students who are repeatably wearing PE uniform often with no valid reason or a very subjective reason are not meeting our uniform expectations.
We ask for parents support by ensuring that your child has the correct uniform for school.
Year 9-12 student are not to wear PE uniform to school and must bring it in on days they have PE or practical classes. Students who continue to wear their PE uniform will be given an after school uniform behaviour reflection.

National Child Protection Week
National Children Protection week runs from 5 - 11 September 2021.  The theme this year is:
Every child, in every community, needs a fair go. To treat all of Australia’s children fairly, we need to make sure every family and community has what kids need to thrive and be healthy.
This week aims to promote conversations and activities to engage all members of the community in keeping children safe and nurtured.  Many of you are already playing your part every day – as individuals, as community members, as volunteers and as workers – to help create these great communities for children. Here is a link to webinars and the program for this week. Please take a look if you are interested in finding out more information
Claire Wrigley,
Assistant Principal - Students

Career News

VTAC
Over the last few weeks, the Year 12’s have been in the process of creating their account for VTAC (Victorian Tertiary Admission Centre) in order to apply for University entry.  Moving forward, the Careers Team make times available to assist the students in a number of areas.  Alternatively the VTAC website offers a range of links that can be very useful in creating an account, SEAS and Scholarships.  Interstate applications have also drawn some interest with students applying widely, this includes NSW, SA and Queensland.
To find out more about the process and criteria, please go to the Emmanuel Careers Website here
>Post School Options
>University
>University Admissions Centres

Open Days
Open Days are in full swing with some Universities, where possible, offering on-site tours, with others have the availability of a virtual option.  This can be beneficial as you can create knowledge of the University and what they can offer in the comfort of your own home, we would encourage all Senior students to start creating their knowledge and awareness of what a particular University has available -  it’s never too early!
For more information, go to  Emmanuel Careers Website here
>PostSchoolOptions
>University
>Open Day/Virtual Tours 

Vacancies
Traditionally organisations and industries in the region start their advertising process for employment in Apprenticeships, Traineeships and Gap Year opportunities.  This year is no different as we are already witnessing this.  We have been notified of apprenticeships vacancies available in Engineering (Fabrication and Mechanical), Plumbing and Electrical.  Traineeships and Gap Year vacancies are also starting to filter through.  Anyone that is considering applying should have their resume and application letter up to date as these are a requirement and a factor when submitting an expression of interest.
If you would like any further information, feel free to contact me dgladman@emmanuel.vic.edu.au or we encourage to visit the following websites
https://westvic.org.au/
https://au.jora.com/Warrnambool-jobs

Careers Newsletter 
Sign up on the Careers Website for the Careers Newsletter with topics this week:

• University applications now open – webinars and resources (Year 12)
• Early entry programs closing in August (Year 12)
• Minimum and guaranteed ATAR for The University of Melbourne – 2022 intake
• Employment resources
• University scholarship for students passionate about technology
• Upcoming Open Days
• Victorian, NSW and Canberra key tertiary dates
• RMIT University webinars for prospective students
• Competitions

For more detailed information https://www.emmanuelcollegecareers.com/
David Gladman,
Head of Pathways

Library News

Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge
Many students have been reading and recording the books that they are reading on the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge website.  To successfully complete the Challenge, students need to read 15 books this year.  The Challenge will close at Emmanuel College on Monday 13 September.  Students will need to have all the books recorded by the end of this day.  If there are any questions, please email msinnott@emmanuel.vic.edu.au

SLAV Shelf Talkers Site
Two students from Emmanuel College have written a review on the new younger readers’ version of the Archie Roach story.  These reviews have been placed on the School Library Association of Victoria Shelf Talkers website.
https://www.shelftalkers.slav.vic.edu.au/

Story Box Library
Students can access over 150 stories being read by famous people on the Story Box Library website.  Students can find the log in details on the Library home page (on SIMON).   Imagine the best stories being read aloud to you by favourite story tellers.
https://storyboxlibrary.com.au/

Parent/Guardian Reading Forum
A successful Forum was held recently where information about reading was shared by staff and parents/guardians in the McAuley Library.  We are looking to hold a second Forum in Term 4.  If you are interested in attending please contact Margaret Sinnott at msinnott@emmanuel.vic.edu.au

Year 8 Picture Book Unit
Year 8s have completed their picture books, created and designed in English classes.  The books feature many different themes, topics and methods of presentation.  There are books on animals, friends, robots, ducks, dragons and dinosaurs.  The shortlisted book covers are presented for you in this newsletter.

Book Week
Book Week will be celebrated at Emmanuel College from 23-27 August.  Activities include: Book Club Morning Tea, Author Steven Herrick Visit for Years 7 and 9 students (Covid restrictions allowing), Year 7 Journal Club, Voting for the CBCA Shortlisted books in English classes, large Scrabble games, Lunchtime Quiz and other activities.  Students are asked to watch out for the daily activities that will be listed on Daily Messages on SIMON.

CBCA Book Awards
On Saturday 21 August the Children’s Book Council will announce the winners of their Book Awards.  To see the shortlist of books visit: https://www.cbca.org.au/shortlist-2021  You can print or see a pdf of the Shortlist or you can see the covers of the books and click on them to find out more about the stories.
The categories for the shortlist are:
Book of the Year Older Readers
Book of the Year Younger Readers
Book of the Year Early Childhood
Picture Book of the Year
Eve Pownall Award
CBCA Award for New Illustrator
Students are encouraged to read some of these shortlisted books that we have in the Library.
Margaret Sinnott,
Learning Resource Centre Coordinator and Teacher Librarian

Year 8 Picture Book Short List

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Emmanuel Arts Hall of Fame

Emmanuel College Creative Arts Faculty is proud to launch the ARTS HALL of FAME for 2021. All Emmanuel Students can enter with all types of Creative Works accepted so get creating. All works will be displayed in the J Wing Gallery space at the beginning of Term 4 and a winner selected.
Ask a member of the Creative Arts Team for more information or email Natasha Cummings ncummings@emmanuel.vic.edu.au

Emmanuel Equestrian

State Representatives
Despite the challenges of Lockdown travel restrictions and fewer chances to meet and compete, two of our Emmanuel College students, both members of the Emmanuel Equestrian Team,  have been chosen to represent Victoria at the Pony Club Nationals in Benalla at the end of September. This is very exciting news and a great credit to them both.
Matilda Graesser (Year 7) qualified for the Sub Junior 80cm Eventing. Eventing challenges horse and rider across a wide range of skills, testing agility, obedience and endurance. The pair compete in three disciplines - Dressage (executing a memorised test in an arena), Showjumping (jumping a set course without knocking rails down), and Cross Country (a long course in the open across a variety of jumps and terrain, within a set time). Matilda will be riding Kahean Knight Storm, also known as Storm.
Charlotte Dyson (Year 11) qualified for the Maiden Ride 2 Time, a timed event around a racetrack. The trick is to cover a distance of 1000 metres as close to 2 minutes as possible. Charlotte qualified on Custom Made, also known as Junior.
Both Matilda and Charlotte regularly represent Emmanuel College at Interschool events, and we wish both riders and their horses the best.
Jacqui Floyd,
Equestrian Supervisor

The Crystal Lee Foundation

The Crystal Lee Foundation was established in loving memory of Emmanuel Alumni Crystal Lee Johnson to meet the living needs of a young person facing end of life, whilst providing support, education, well being and memories for their family and community.
It's objective is to provide little acts of kindness to our families, filling some of the little things that were once small, that become overwhelmingly enormous when facing the end of your child’s life.  We can’t move mountains or change the outcome, but we can meet the needs of the little things that really matter.
The Crystal Lee Foundation quarterly newsletter can be read here.

Upcoming Events

Monday August 16
Week B
Mid Term Break
GWR Intermediate Football - Stawell

Wednesday August 18
GWR Intermediate Netball - Ballarat

Friday August 20
VCE Unit 1/2 Japanese Camp 
Respect Effect Leadership Program and Workshop - Year 9 Leaders 

Monday August 23
Week A
GWR Year 7 & 8 Netball - Ballarat

Thursday August 26
South West Clay Target Shooting Competition - Noorat Gun Club
Online Chess Competition 

Friday August 27
VCE Unit 1/2 French Camp