Newsletter Edition 11 / 2023, July 31
Principal's Message
Dear Emmanuel College Families,
Victorian Premier’s VCE Awards
During my time as principal, I have discovered the role of principal is one that affords some truly memorable experiences. One of those experiences was attending the Victorian Premier’s VCE Awards last week. Whilst I have attended the annual awards in the past, this is the first time I have witnessed three Emmanuel students receiving four Premier’s Awards during a single presentation.
Congratulations to Jace Nepean, Darcy O’Keefe and Clara Hunold who were recognised on Thursday 27 July among the very highest achievers to complete the VCE in 2022. Jace was one of only 34 Victorian students to receive a 2022 Top All-Round VCE High Achiever Award. The Top All-Round VCE High Achiever Award, is awarded to students who have achieved study scores of 46 or higher in at least five VCE studies in the most recent academic year. He also received a Study Award for French, complimenting the Study Award he received the previous year for Physics and completed whilst he was in Year 11.
Darcy received a Study Award for Literature (one of two in the state) whilst Clara received a Study Award for German (also one of two in the state) via the Victorian School of Languages. After the Awards, Jace said to me he felt “Emmanuel punched above its weight today”; and he was of course right. Emmanuel College was perhaps the most truly regional school in the State to have a student awarded the Top All-Round Award, or to have more than one student recognised with Study Awards. These achievements are comparable to the top metropolitan schools and prove once more that students in Warrnambool have as much opportunity to excel as those further afield. My thanks go to Jace, Clara and Darcy’s teachers and school support staff across the last six years, who collectively created the conditions and the opportunities for these talented young people to excel and achieve such high distinctions. Let’s hope for more in the future.
Edmund Rice Centre
At the start of the term, I let you know we were very close to appointing a builder to develop the Edmund Rice Centre. I am very pleased to advise the College has appointed Nicholson Construction to undertake this project. Nicholson’s, whom you will be familiar with from the recently completed, and now award-winning City Library, have begun to occupy the site erecting safety fencing in the last week. The Edmund Rice Centre will be the new home of Year nine student's and will be located at the rear of the College property adjacent to Mercy Place. It is also the largest project undertaken by the College costing $16 million. I will keep you posted as the project develops; however, we are looking forward to its completion over the next 15 months enabling Year nine classes to occupy the new Centre from the beginning of 2025.
St. Ann’s Day
The College celebrated St. Ann’s Day last Wednesday with alumni from St. Ann’s College. Around 70 alumni attended mass in St. Ann’s Chapel celebrated by Fr. Bill Lowry, listened to music provided by Ruby Nelson and Ruby McKenna, caught up with each other over lunch supplied by Year 9 Hospitality students, and observed the type of learning and problem solving undertaken by Year 8 and 10 students in STEM classes. On show were devices called submarines designed and created by the students to solve the problem of retrieving items from the bottom of the local swimming pool; Aquazone. The alumni came from several generations with the oldest among them being in their nineties! Pope Francis has proclaimed the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly to be celebrated on the fourth Sunday in July each year. The Day is marked near the Feast of Saints Joachim and Ann, the grandparents of Jesus, and a blessing during our mass reflected the special place of grandparents in our lives.
Social Justice
Students from Years 7 & 8 were fortunate to participate in their annual Faith and Formation experiences last week facilitated by the Youth Mission Team from Melbourne. The Year 8 program focused on Social Justice, encouraging students to realise the need to respond to injustice in the world begins by appreciating the dignity and uniqueness of every human person regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or social status. The needs of our world can appear so overwhelming that we can easily underestimate the difference we can make. Yet it is possible to impact the whole of humanity, affirming human dignity one person at a time. My thanks to Director of Faith and Mission, Jacinta Skilbeck for her coordination of these experiences. Meanwhile the students who participated in the inaugural Red Earth immersion at the end of last term and the first week of the holidays presented an insightful summary of their experiences to their families in the Wyton Theatre last week with assistance from Claire and Michael Wrigley who led the immersion. The most common words used by the participants to describe their experience in Central Australia immersed in communities and working with First Nations peoples, were “life changing”. Each of them gained a unique understanding of the issues facing First Nations people and how the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament has the capacity to make a genuine difference to their lives.
Evening of Inspiration
I am looking forward to the “Evening of Inspiration” this Friday night and the induction of several new Inspiring Alumni and Young Alumni Achievers. There are a small number of tickets remaining for the event and I encourage you to consider attending as I know you will be stunned by the calibre of inductees. Please purchase your tickets here - https://www.trybooking.com/CJGHV
In closing this week, on behalf of the College, I extend our deep condolences to David Gladman and Nadia Collis following the death of their much-loved family members. David’s younger brother Mark died suddenly in Queensland the previous weekend, while Nadia’s father Terry died suddenly last Thursday. At this sad time, we remember David and Nadia and their families in our thoughts, and in words from the recent St. Ann’s Day mass we pray:
Gracious God: we pray that all who have died enjoy the blessing of
God’s light and love, and that those who mourn them are comforted.
We pray especially for Mark and Terry,
asking the God of Mercy to hear our prayers.
St. Joseph: Pray for us. May the spirit of Catherine McAuley and
Edmund Rice guide us in all we do. Amen.
Mr Peter Morgan
Principal
A Message from Mrs Claire Wrigley
Save the date - Fit4life Parent Series - Greg Mitchell
Tuesday August 29 @7pm in to Wyton Theatre
All parents in our school community are invited to a wonderful presentation from Educational consultant Greg Mitchell, who has over 40 years experience as a teacher, deputy principal and educational consultant. Greg will be presenting on insights in the teenager's emotional world. This is a community event so friends with students in Warrnambool primary schools or secondary schools are welcome to attend. It is likely this will be very popular so parents will need to register to attend.
See the flyer and scan the code if you wish to attend, or follow the link below;
https://www.trybooking.com/CJWPC
Mrs Claire Wrigley
Assistant Principal - Students
Warrnambool Eisteddfod Debating Competition
Recently we have had a wonderful group of students representing Emmanuel college in the Warrnambool Eisteddfod debating.
The Year 7's went up against Warrnambool College debating the topic that ‘The age of criminal responsibility is both fair and reasonable’. With a very difficult topic the team of Sophie Wallace, Christian Wyse and Lena Watty did a fantastic job arguing their case. The adjudicator praised both teams saying that he wished it could have been a draw, however, we lost by one point. Special mention to the support crew of Gemma Crowe, Tate Jones, Frankie-Rose Buscombe and Zahila Monnier.
Year 8 students Stella Marris, Milla Gleeson and Lottie McCosh competed in the Warrnambool Eisteddfod Debating competition against Kings College at Mozart Hall on July 25th. After having spent recess, lunch time and Zoom sessions after school hours preparing their speeches on the topic "Work experience is important for secondary students", arguing on the negative side, the girls presented a compelling case that gained them a convincing win on the day! They were humble in their victory, crossing the floor to congratulate the opposition on an engaging debate.
Thank you to Charli Jago for volunteering to time-keep, and congratulations to all involved.
A shout out to Jackson Palmer for his contributions during preparation meetings in the lead up to the debate.
Amelia Foard, Belle Plozza and Lucas Munich represented Emmanuel as the Year 9 debating team. At the Mozart Hall, they argued the negative side of the topic "violence must always remain a choice". They were successful winners against a strong Brauer side - with the adjudicator singling out Belle Plozza's excellent public speaking skills and quick-thinking rebuttals. The team was completed with timekeeper Caitlyn Belleville.
Our Year 11 team of Layla Thom, Diana Fernandez and Ally Rowbottom, supported by Paige Rea and Scarlett Gurry went up against Warrnambool College on Thursday afternoon. They were arguing against the topic that ‘The recent coronation of King Charles reveals that the monarchy is still relevant to Australia.’ The girls had some fantastic arguments and rebuttals, unfortunately they weren’t enough to get them across the line on the day.
I would like to thank all students who participated in the debates, it is a lot of extra work on top of their regular school work and they should be commended for their efforts. I would also like to thank Ms Tims for her work with the Year 8 team, and Ms Wilson for her work with the Year 9’s.
Ms Catherine Ryan
Literacy, English & Public Speaking Coordinator
Sports Update
On Friday July 21st, Emmanuel College’s Year 7 & 8 boys competed against St Joseph’s Geelong in the Jonathon Brown/Cameron Ling Cup. In its fourth year, the games have been an excellent opportunity for the junior boys to challenge themselves against quality opposition, with St. Joseph’s having approximately 300 boys to choose from for each year level and having won the Cup each year on aggregate.
Year 7
For the Year 7 team, an extensive selection process involving 8 lunchtime practice matches throughout Term 1 & 2 and the Junior Sports Gala Day resulted in a squad of 25 students picked to match up against a historically strong St. Joseph’s team.
We arrived at the Mack Oval with bounds of energy, excitement, and nerves! Emmanuel got off to a solid start, kicking 2 goals early into the breeze in the first quarter to give us a handy lead at quarter time. St. Joseph’s fought back in the 2nd quarter by moving the ball cleanly and quickly through the middle, outscoring us to bring it back 3 points at half time. The third quarter was a tight contest, with plenty of pressure applied by both sides making it difficult to score, with the margin only slightly extending in our favour to 7 points going into the last. The Emmanuel boys rallied in the final term, with plenty of strong tackling, marking and smart use of the footy to ensure that we were able to run away with the win. When the final siren blew, the scores were Emmanuel 5.13.43 to St. Joseph’s 3.4.22.
It was a really even match all day, with every player contributing to the win and rounding out a typical ‘team’ performance. The group conducted themselves extremely well and showed great sportsmanship throughout the day. Luke Harrison from 7E was awarded Best on Ground by the St. Josephs coach for his blistering speed and ball use across half forward. Other strong performers on the day were Hugh Hunter, Hudson Greene, Kain Parsons, and Billy Schrama. A huge thanks to Mr Templeton for organising, and to Jordan Garner and Jase Moloney for umpiring the match. Hopefully we can replicate the performance when we reciprocate the journey to Geelong later in Term 3!
Year 8
The Year 8 football team began the game against St Joseph’s in fine fashion making the most of the sunshine in the first half. Right from the first siren Emmanuel played a fantastic brand of football, displaying an ability to use the ball quickly by hand to create a number of chances in front of goal. The first half was dominated by Emmanuel with Ollie Turner kicking 4 first half goals and Emmanuel College dominating all over the ground. The midfield was in total control with Paddy Sell giving Jimmy Stephens and Hugh Allen the opportunity to get the ball away from the contest, while Paddy Ragg and Charlie Jellie got creative around the packs. Emmanuel went into the half time break in total control and in front by 69 points
The second half saw a little change in conditions for the worse and an opportunity to give all players a chance to play different positions. The opportunities on goal continued in the second half with Emmanuel College kicking further away to finally win by 119 points.
All players really enjoyed the game and are looking forward to playing again in Week 10 and a chance to continue to move the ball with speed and precision. The game showcased a talented group of Year 8 footballers that are very keen to keep improving and developing their game.
Well done to all involved. All players showed a real team approach to how they supported each other on and off the field which was appreciated by the coaches, Mr. Marris and Mr. Brisbane. Best Players on the day were Ollie Turner, Hugh Allen, Jimmy Stevens, Charlie Jellie, Harry Pollock, Paddy Ragg, & Paddy Sell.
Mr Daniel Weymouth & Mr Tim Hunt
Teaching Staff
Library News
School Library Association of Victoria
What a school library can do for you?
Earlier this year Emmanuel College Library staff used an infographic from the School Library Association of Victoria to brand it as our own and make it animated. Erin, Library Assistant and Mrs Sinnott took this in hand and made a short clip to show on our Library TVs. We then shared this with the School Library Association of Victoria and now they have promoted it to all the school libraries.
The theme of the clip is how libraries and Library staff can help students and staff to achieve learning outcomes and enrich learning.
You can view further information and the animation here:
https://slav.wildapricot.org/what-a-school-library-can-do-for-you
Journal Club
Students, we're excited to announce the Term 3 Journal Club!
What happens there? We have a different presenter every week share a thought provoking, creative prompt for you to journal about through writing, art, music, or however you choose.
See poster below for more details.
CBCA Shadow Judging Creative Responses
The Student Book Club continue to meet each week to work on their creative responses for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Shadow Judging program. The group is reading each of the six shortlisted books in the Early Childhood category and making a creative response. These will be submitted, along with the group’s decision about which book should win the category. Discussions will be held using the CBCA Judging Criteria for this category. These discussions will include:
- How the setting and sense of place contribute to the storyline
- Main and minor characters and convincing dialogue that readers can identify with
- The plot and consider its pace and the mood that is established
- How the action and resolutions are achieved
- How well the ideas are crafted
- The age appropriateness of the text
- Consistency in the author’s use of effective words and phrases
- How well the story can be read aloud
- Design – including end papers, fonts, styles and size.
- This week we read the book ‘Where The Lyrebird Lives’ by Vikki Conley and Max Hamilton.
Library and Information Week: 31 July to 6 August
This is the week where we celebrate the work that library and information workers do all around Australia in many different workplaces. Providing access and guidance to the community through the myriad of information channels available is one of the most basic and essential services that the sector provides.
This Library and Information Week we are going back to the basics – back to the idea of the ‘source’.
During this Information Week, we would like everyone to ask:
- How can we know the accuracy of information?
- How can we determine copyright – are we allowed to use this information?
- How do we do research in our school subjects and know the source of the information?
- How can we record where we have got our information from? Use a bibliography?
Activities happening this week are:
- Teachers are asked to send in by email their ideas for helping students do research and find information
- Where’s The Source bookmarks available to use
- Find A Word – find the sources of information
- Sources and Sauces – match the three food items with the best sauce to have with them and name a food related book that is on display in the Library and the place where it was published
- Year 7 and 8 students may like to check out their College diary where there are two pages of information about research and bibliographies
- Classes watching the Real Research movie that shows the information research process and how to document information sources: Real Research Movie
- Where’s The Source? clip being shown on the Library televisions.
- Students and staff are invited to visit the Library to check out what is happening and be in with a chance to win some prizes.
Mrs Margaret Sinnott
Library Coordinator
Balloon Recycling Initiative
Our highly motivated and eco conscious students in the Green Group @Emmanuel have introduced balloon recycling into classes at our school that use balloons for learning purposes. Member Nikolas Kermaris has a passion for this cause and has lead the introduction of this program. Well done Nikolas!
The Green Group @Emmanuel understand the BEST way is to avoid using balloons and encourage our students to use home made bubbles, flowers or reusable paper crafts to celebrate their birthdays. However, for learning purposes such as science equipments exploring gases we use balloons.
Although, some balloons are marked biodegradable. Unfortunately, the CSIRO found that no balloons are fully biodegradable. While natural latex may be biodegradable, the addition of chemicals and dyes in balloon manufacture can make balloons persist for many months in the environment. Many animals mistake so-called 'biodegradable' latex balloons for food, which blocks their intestines and can kill them. (source- sustainability Vic)
Our Science rooms will now include a collection bucket for used balloons. Which will be sent to https://balloonrecycling.com.au/. A FREE recycling program that takes latex and foil balloons and turns them into epoxy flooring, concrete edging, bear stuffing, and door stops.
Our Green Group @Emmanuel were busy today creating a signage board for the LRC to promote this program. They hope that our students will consider the affect of balloon use and if essential they will send their balloon waste to - https://balloonrecycling.com.au/.
Remember: the BEST thing to do is to LIMIT balloon use, however, if this is not possible than consider sending your own balloons waste to this FREE program. See Mrs Jones and the Green Group @Emmanuel Students for more information or if you would like to join us we meet Week B recess in the LRC.
Ms Brooke Jones
Environment & Sustainability Coordinator
Upcoming Events
Monday July 31
Library & Information Week (all week)
Tuesday August 1
Subject Selection Portal Closes - Year 9, 10 & 11
Thursday August 3
GWR Intermediate/Senior Basketball
Friday August 4
Evening of Inspiration - https://www.trybooking.com/CJGHV
Monday August 7
Melbourne Experience Camp - Year 8 (all week)
Tuesday August 8
Road Smart Incursion - Year 9 & 10
Intermediate Girls State AFL - Quarter & Semi-final
Wednesday August 9
Road Smart Incursion - Year 9 & 10
VCE Drama Solo & Written Exam Workshop Day
Thursday August 10
Road Smart Incursion - Year 9 & 10
CSSS Ballarat Diocese Chess Competition
Year 7 Athletics Trials
Monday August 14
Mid Term Break - Student & Staff Free Day
Nation Science Week (all week)
Tuesday August 15
Staff PD Day - Student Free Day
Wednesday August 16
Year 10 Social