Emmanuel College Warrnambool eNewsletter

Principal's Message

Dear Emmanuel College Families,

Our college community joined Christians around the world in marking the start of Lent with Ash Wednesday last week. Emmanuel students had opportunities to hear about the Lenten message during home room and to receive the ashes at lunch time. Many thanks to Fr Bill and Jacinta Skilbeck for enabling these opportunities.

Last Friday saw a very significant occasion with the opening of the Edmund Rice Centre (ERC). The official opening and blessing of the ERC is the culmination of the decision and the necessary capital works to consolidate Emmanuel College from two campuses to one. Going forward the College community is significantly better positioned with everyone located together. We were fortunate to have Senator Raff Ciccone, Senator for Victoria, and Bishop Paul Bird, Bishop of Ballarat Diocese, officially open and bless the new building. During the opening I shared the following message with the guests and students.

2025 marks 153 years since Mother Philomene Maguire and her seven companions left their lives, their homes and their families in Ireland and sailed 24,000 kilometres arriving in Warrnambool in 1872 to establish a convent in what was Wyton House, and the school we know today as Emmanuel College.

The story will be familiar to many of you repeated as it was across the state and the length and breadth of this nation, by women and men who answered a call to deliver the transforming power of education within newly established towns and communities. Groups of courageous women and men who, sacrificing personal interest and conquering any fears they may have had, caused Catholic schools to be born in communities like ours and provided opportunities for education that were otherwise unavailable.

The story of Edmund Rice is no different. Born in county Kilkenny, Ireland in 1762, he moved to Waterford where following a series of tragic personal circumstances, he devoted his life and his family’s wealth to educating the poor and the marginalised. Like Catherine McAuley in nearby Dublin, he was joined by others who were inspired by his vision and his mission of compassion for the poor. Again, like Catherine, his work with the poor and the marginalised spread their reach across the globe, including Warrnambool. We have Brother Egan to thank for bringing the spirit of Edmund Rice to Warrnambool and today we celebrate the story and the spirt of Edmund in naming this new centre of learning the Edmund Rice Centre.

Today though is about more than a building. Today is about recognising and celebrating what is possible when a community comes together with a goal and the drive to bring an idea to life. The construction of this building was the next step in the college masterplan. The decision, however, to locate the Edmund Rice Centre here rather than in Canterbury Road on the site of the former CBC or Rice Campus, was itself a major decision. Relinquishing a site that has been the home of learning for 122 years was not an easy decision. But the completion of this new facility proves beyond doubt the right decision was made. In this location the College has gained more than classrooms. It has enabled the consolidation of the Emmanuel school community. It has removed the need for staff and students to travel between campuses, and, for parents, it means their children are no longer separated between sites although attending the same school.

The completion of this project also brings us one step closer to realising the goal of being the leading provider of secondary education in Southwest Victoria. Of course, a goal to be the best, and projects like this one, come with a significant cost. We are indebted to the Federal Government for their financial support of $2 million. Senator Ciccone, as the representative of your government today, I ask you to please convey our thanks and deep appreciation to your government for its support. Your viewing of the project will confirm the governments’ funding has been carefully utilised, creating contemporary learning spaces where staff and students may work and learn and create their futures together.

Under the auspice of the Emmanuel College Foundation, the Capital Appeal Committee, chaired by Brian Brown has raised over $1million for this project. Combined with the contribution of every family through the annual building levy, this project epitomises community participation and support. Brian Brown is unable to be with us today, but he has asked me to acknowledge the members of the Appeal Committee: Leanne Mugavin, Anthony Mahony, Gerard Tobin, Alison Byrne, Vicki Jellie AM, Glenys Philpot OAM, and Steve Callaghan. Brian acknowledges the magnificent generosity of the donors and supporters and together and on behalf of the Emmanuel community, we thank every donor and supporter of this project.

There is one individual whom we wish to pay tribute to this morning: the late Colin McKenna. A student of CBC, Colin concluded school in 1968. His story of achievement will be well known to most in this audience. His family and the company he forged, Midfield International, have been the largest supporters of capital works undertaken by Emmanuel College in the last 10 years, and his early support enabled the establishment of the Emmanuel College Foundation. We are indebted to Colin and pleased to recognise the indoor court space as the Colin McKenna Auditorium. It is our hope the work ethic and the values displayed by Colin, notably his generosity, may be an inspiration to the young people who live and learn in this environment.

We also recognise the College Advisory Council, and its Building and Finance Committees, whose expertise and support provided encouragement and guidance to consolidate the College on this site and to undertake these works. I thank the architectural practice of Baldasso Cortesse and their principal architects Tim Pyke, Shirley Cooper and Joel Harbour, and landscape architect Lyndsay Fraser, for their design expertise and project administration skills that have created this beautiful building.

Thank you to project manager, Emma Banner, who displayed continuous determination to achieve the best outcome for the College. Thank you to Business Manager Stephen Kerr who worked tirelessly to minimise the impact of a major project on a fully operational school site while juggling the budgetary demands of such a significant project. I acknowledge Nicholson Constructions for delivering this project and their team who were invested, professional and amenable during every phase of the project.

To conclude, I want to acknowledge that the choice of name for this new building was both sensitive and important to this community. The Canterbury Road campus was in many ways the last visible link to Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers within this community. While the Emmanuel College is now governed by Mercy Education and seeks to bring to life the story and charism of Catherine McAuley in our daily school life, the path to this place is a story of two schools, two histories and two charisms. Recognising the life and the spirit of Edmund Rice in the name of this building ensures the part played by the Brothers in providing Catholic education in Warrnambool remains tangible. It is my pleasure to invite Senator Ciccone to officially open the Edmund Rice Centre.

Parents and guardians are reminded of the newly completed pedestrian crossing on Raglan Parade adjacent to Hider Street and are requested to encourage their children to utilise the pedestrian crossing. Nearby residents report students crossing the highway at various, more dangerous locations, especially to the west of the new crossing, placing themselves at risk when they do so. We understand young people will typically look for the shortest route from one place to another. But given the busyness of Raglan Parade we seek your assistance to direct them to protect themselves by using the pedestrian crossing.

Wishing all members of the Emmanuel community a safe and rewarding week.

Welcoming God, free our hearts this Lent
To recognise all those you send into our lives who teach us about you.
May every person and experience be a source of wonder.
May we never miss the opportunity to find and embrace the stranger.
Open us to all.
And comfort the lonely of heart, may we always offer them your friendship.
We ask this in the name of Jesus.
Amen

(Adapted from Sheila Carney RSM)

St. Joseph: Pray for us. May the spirit of Catherine McAuley and Edmund Rice guide us in all that we do. Amen.

Mr Peter Morgan
Principal

A Message from Mrs Claire Wrigley

Non-prescription Medication
Please be aware as per our school policy staff are not permitted to store or administer any non-prescribed medications during the school day, including paracetamol and aspirin, as they can mask signs and symptoms of serious illness or injury. For school camps parents MUST fill out a medication form and send their own panadol/nurofen/hayfever tablets of which it must be handed to staff on camp and also update under medical in Operoo.

Safety Message when crossing roads to South Warrnambool
Some students have been observed engaging in risky behavior by running across Raglan Parade toward Hyland Street instead of using the designated crossing. This intersection is particularly dangerous, which is why a supervised crossing is available just a little further up the road.
We kindly ask parents to speak with their children if they walk this route to and from school. To ensure their safety, we strongly encourage students crossing Raglan Parade at Botanic Road/Hyland Street to use the supervised school crossing.

White Polo - part of school uniform
The white polo is a summer top to be worn ONLY with the formal summer school uniform. Some students are wearing the white polo for PE classes and are therefore in incorrect uniform.

We will be following this up with students and those in incorrect uniform tracked and they will be required to get the correct top for PE classes which is the navy house polo. We ask for parents' assistance in ensuring your child has a navy house polo and is wearing the correct PE uniform. Students will be required to wear these at the athletics sports on March 20.

Mrs Claire Wrigley
Assistant Principal - Students

Maths at a Glance

100% Club – 15% Question

The times on these clocks are a code to the name of which Australian city?

1:04 5:12 1:09 4:05

Answer in the next newsletter

Solution: Mary is the sixth child
Mary’s mother has six children, April, May, June, July, August and who?

Maths Help
When: Wednesday Afternoon (3.45pm – 4.30pm)
Where: McAuley Library
Students have the opportunity to get assistance with their Mathematics on Wednesday afternoon’s in the McAuley library. Look out for the Math’s teachers, bring your questions and get some help. It’s a great opportunity to work on those areas that you may not fully understand or consolidate the work that has been covered in your class.

Math Pathways – Year 7
Students should now have completed their first diagnostic test, opening up their curriculum grid and allowing the opportunity to work on their modules. Disruptions to classes may mean that some classes may have completed their first test, while other classes may be approaching the first test. However, parents can get their child to log into their Math Pathways account to checkout their progress. On the home page you should be able to:

Identify the current cycle.
See how may modules have been completes and when the upcoming test is.
Click back to see the previous cycle’s efforts.
Click on the ‘data’ link (top right) or use the ‘parent/carers’ link (top left) to explore your child’s curriculum grid.

Students should be endeavouring to complete a minimum of six modules each cycle.

VCE Maths - Upcoming Unit 3 Assessment Tasks
Students undertaking VCE General Maths and VCE Foundation Maths are fast approaching the first of their Unit 3 SAC’s. These will take place in the final weeks of term 1.

Students are encouraged to continue seek assistance from their teachers and use the help that is available to clarify any concerns.

A Final Reminder for the Upcoming Maths Competition at Emmanuel College:
AMT Kangorourou sans Frontieres (KSF) Competition

Inspired by the AMT’s Australian Mathematics Competition, Kangourou sans Frontières (KSF) is now the largest maths competitions in the world, with more than 6 million participants each year. Held in March (25^th – 27^th), the KSF is a great opportunity for students to experience maths in a competition environment prior to the AMC in August.

On online competition over 75 minutes, the KSF requires students to answer 30 multiple choice questions over a range of topics such as; basic arithmetic; fractions and ratios; algebra and pre-algebra; geometry; measurement; statistics and probability; and problem-solving.

Students interested in participating or seeking more information about the Math Com or anything else mentioned above, don't hesitate to contact Mr Hodson at: (rhodson@emmanuel.vic.edu.au)

Mr Richard Hodson
Mathematics Coordinator

Performing Arts News

Cinderella
Rehearsals are well under way for our production of The Rogers and Hammerstein musical Cinderella. The cast meet every Monday and Wednesday to rehearse scenes and the humorous songs in the show. The updated Rehearsal Schedule is in the Cast Google classroom and in Student Messages. They cannot wait to perform for the school community and Warrnambool.

Ensembles
The Brass and the Woodwind ensembles conducted by Mrs Airlie Tait and Mr Dean Mulholland performed at the Opening of the Edmund Rice Centre on Friday. The department also thanks Mrs Erin Toulmin for assisting the ensembles. Live music is a wonderful way to set a tone for any celebration and it was a great opportunity to showcase the talents of our students.

Year 7 Band Program
Almost all the cohort are now able to take their instruments home after showing they have the skills to set up and pack up their instrument safely. We encourage parents to drop off and pick up their child on Yr 7 music band days from the STAGE loop so they can access their instruments in the storage room.

10 minutes a day practice is all it takes to see success!!!

Mrs Megan Davies
Head of Performing Arts & Instrumental Music Coordinator

Library News

Children’s Book Council List of Notable Books
In preparation for Book Week celebrations in August, the Children’s Book Council has released a list of Notable books. These cover a wide range of topics, genres and styles.

People often use the Notable List to find good books to read. You may like to have a look at the list and see what you would like to read next.
https://cbca.org.au/2025-notables/

There are picture books, story books and information texts.
Later on in the year the CBCA Judges will choose six books from the Notables List to make the CBCA Shortlist. One book from each category will be chosen as the winning one.

World Poetry Day
Emmanuel College will celebrate World Poetry Day on Friday March 21. Students and staff have been encouraged to read or recite a poem in the Reading Room at Lunchtime on that day.

Book Clubs
At Emmanuel we have two Book Clubs. We have a Student Book Club that meets a couple of times a Term with stories and activities including CBCA Shadow Judging program where six books are read and creative responses are made. We also have a Parent/Guardian Book Club which meets in the evening a couple of times a Term and they choose the books they will read and discuss. New participants welcome to join in.

Please contact Margaret Sinnott, Library Coordinator msinnott@emmanuel.vic.edu.au or ring the College for more information.

Mrs Margaret Sinnott
Library Coordinator

Student Spotlights

Achievements in Surf Lifesaving!

A huge congratulations to Year 8’s Edith Harris and Year 9’s Eve Ryan for their winning performance at the State Surf Lifesaving Championships over the weekend! The dedicated duo secured a silver medal in the 2 x 1km beach relay, showcasing their speed, endurance, and teamwork.
Their hard work and commitment have been truly inspiring, with both athletes training up to six days a week in preparation for the state carnival held right here in Warrnambool.
Eve also claimed a silver medal in the 2km run—an amazing achievement!
Well done, Edith and Eve! Your Emmanuel College community is proud of you!

Above information supplied by parent.

If you would like to recognise the achievements of a current Emmanuel student, please send us the details and photos to newsletter@emmanuel.vic.edu.au

Chess Club News

Emmanuel College Chess Club – A Thriving Club!
The Emmanuel College Chess Club has reached great momentum this term, experiencing its biggest surge in participation in over 15 years! With an influx of enthusiastic new players, particularly from Year 7, chess has become more popular at our school.

To celebrate this growth, we are excited to launch our first major event of the year—the highly anticipated Inter-House Chess Competition. With up to 15 players per house competing, this tournament will highlight the incredible new talent of our students. Every recess and lunchtime, the Library is buzzing with chess challenges, as players eagerly compete to secure a place in the tournament. Our challenge card system has been a fantastic addition, allowing students to track their matches and progress.

The Emmanuel College Chess Club has an exciting year ahead. We plan to compete in several exciting tournaments this year, including:
♟️ Inter-House Chess Competition – kicking off in the next 10-12 days!
♟️ Interschool Chess Tournament – hosted at the renowned Kryal Castle in Ballarat on March 27th.
♟️ State Finals – taking place in Term 3.
♟️ All Catholic Schools, Ballarat Diocese Competition (CSSS) – a great opportunity to compete against top players from other Catholic schools.

With such strong momentum, 2025 promises to be an even bigger year for chess at Emmanuel College. We encourage all students, whether new or experienced, to join the chess club, sharpen their skills, and be part of this exciting journey!

If you haven’t yet discovered the thrill of chess, now is the perfect time to get involved. Come along to the chess club at recess or lunch and be part of something special!

Mr Andrew McKenzie
Chess Coordinator

Words for Wellbeing

TV Show recommendation
The Wellbeing Team are enjoying and can highly recommend “The role of a lifetime.” A new Australian show on ABC TV and available on iview now. Part documentary, part drama, part comedy, Kate Ritchie and Nazeem Hussain navigate the whole new world that kids and parents face today. The drama is kept very light, and then experts give tips on how to resolve issues that face most families. Let us know if you enjoyed it too!

Watch it on https://iview.abc.net.au/show/role-of-a-lifetime

Zyns & Snus
Flavoured nicotine and caffeine pouches, known as Zyns or Snus are being marketed as an alternative to smoking and vaping. Although illegal in Australia, they are widely marketed at young people and it is important that we educate our students around the dangers of these products. See the attached poster for an overview on these products.

New_Products_Infographic_Poster.pdf

Inclusion at Emmanuel College
Emmanuel College supports diversity and inclusion. We welcome, include and accept all students, regardless of their gender, sexuality, ethnicity and ability. We’ve included a fact sheet to help educate our community about gender and sexual diversity.

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless - Mother Teresa

headspace_understanding_your_sexuality_and_sexual_identity_Fact_Sheet_FA01_DIGI.pdf

postersafeschoolinclusion.pdf

SchoolTV - Free Online Seminar for Parents

Join us for an exclusive session with two of Australia's leading experts in youth wellbeing and cybersafety, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg and Susan McLean. Gain invaluable insights on how to empower young people to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.

WEBINAR: Digital Media Literacy & Safety (Part 1)
DATE: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
TIME: 7:00 pm

Please note, this webinar is a one-off event and will not be available to replay later.

To register scan the QR code on the promotional flyer attached.

a4_flyer_eastco190325.pdf

Magnetic Chess
Students visiting wellbeing are loving playing a new game “magnetic chess.” Feel free to pop up to Wellbeing at lunchtime or recess and challenge Caroline to this super quick and easy game guaranteed to make you smile.

Time and Space - 2025 Building connections, one conversation at a time

The Time and Space Program creates meaningful moments for families, guiding parents, caregivers, and mentors to have conversations they might not have at home. With the support of trained facilitators, these experiences help deepen connections and understanding.

We thank the Year 8 students and their Dads/Father figures/ Mentors for sharing a special experience together last week, engaging in heartfelt conversations and strengthening their relationships.

It was heartwarming to see so many attendees. We are also very proud of the many student volunteers who helped out on the evening from facilitating small groups to displaying the treasured items.

Save the date for our Year 7 student Mother / Female mentor evening on Monday May 5.

Some feedback from the evening :

Parent

- Good fun and great way to leave the busy workday behind.

- That’s the first time in a long time that we’ve had an in depth conversation about how we feel about each other.

- Thanks for offering this opportunity. It’s great to have someone external to initiate an activity like this. Somehow it sets up greater trust between us.

- Was a tad hesitant about coming but very happy I did.

Student

- Loved it. A great way to help me connect with others and realise how my dad feels about me.

- Had fun but I’m not gonna tell my dad that.

- Pretty good, actually had a proper conversation with my dad.

Social Justice

Project Compassion
This week we are raising money for Project Compassion to raise awareness and money for PROJECT COMPASSION.
If ALL students contribute a gold coin to the day we as a community can raise over $1000.00 to help fund vital projects, empowering vulnerable communities to overcome challenges and build a brighter future.

Plus, there will be various activities each day throughout the week—so keep those gold coins handy and get involved in the following -

All week -
Friends Of Voucher Raffle - $1.00 a ticket OR 3 for $2.00 - Raffle Drawn Monday 17^thMarch
Tickets can be purchased outside the canteen

Guess the number of Lollies in the jar - 50 cents a guess - Drawn Monday 17^th March
Outside the canteen

Thursday -
Bake Sale all food 50c- $2.00 - Table outside the Canteen at Recess Time

Shoot the Hoops Senior 10-12 Challenge - $1.00 for 3 shots - Emmanuel Centre at LUNCH time

Ms Natasha Cummings
Social justice coordinator

Languages News

Welcoming Our Japanese Assistants - Host Families Needed!
We are excited to welcome two Japanese assistants to our school community! Please meet Ayaka Matsumoto and Moemi Naito.

Ayaka has joined us for a month as part of the Assistants to Teachers of Japanese Program (ATJP), an initiative by the Department of Education and Training in collaboration with partner universities in Japan. This program places volunteer graduates from Japan in Victorian schools to support language learning.

Moemi, from our sister city Miura, will be with us at Emmanuel until the end of the year. She will be working closely with our senior students to help them develop their oral skills, while also assisting in junior classes where needed. Both Ayaka and Moemi bring valuable cultural insights and authentic language experiences to enrich our students’ learning.

To make their experience even more meaningful, we are seeking local families to host Moemi during Terms 3 and 4. Hosting a Japanese assistant is a fantastic opportunity to engage in cultural exchange, learn more about Japanese traditions, and build a meaningful international connection—all from the comfort of your own home!

Host families provide a welcoming home, meals, and a supportive environment. In return, they gain a deeper appreciation of Japanese culture and a rewarding experience for the whole family. Whether you have children studying Japanese or simply have an interest in cultural exchange, we encourage you to consider this opportunity.

If you are interested in becoming a host family or would like more information, please contact our Languages Coordinator, Julia Smith, at jsmith@emmanuel.vic.edu.au.

Let’s make this a memorable experience for both our assistants and our school community!

Faith and Mission

Whole School Opening Liturgy.

The start of our school year was celebrated recently with our whole school Opening Liturgy. This year was quite a different experience, as unfortunately Fr Bill & Fr John were unavailable to lead our celebration with a Mass. The most notable difference for many people was the absence of communion, and a liturgy led by staff and students.

I would like to thank all the staff and students who assisted in many ways, not just during, but also before and after the liturgy to create a wonderful whole school celebration and time for reflection and prayer.

The following reading and reflection were part of the liturgy.

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Colossians
You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same.
Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful.
Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom.

Reflection on the reading & 2025 theme…
This reading reminds us of our call to ‘Journey as One’, a message beautifully demonstrated by the words and actions of Jesus Christ.
Throughout his life, Jesus illustrated the importance of community and collaboration. He gathered diverse groups of people, empowering each one to contribute their unique gifts to a shared mission.
He reached out to those in need, inspiring his followers through acts of compassion and respect, and encouraged others to do the same. There is a similarity between our theme and the ministry of Jesus, gathering friends along the way who became his disciples, working with Jesus and walking from town to town, speaking to communities.
His powerful example teaches us that when we live authentically and generously, one person can change the lives of many.
The clip that was shown on the day links to our theme ‘Journey as One’ and takes inspiration from the birds in the logo of our 2025 college theme. The clip shows a flock of starlings in murmuration; a fascinating and mesmerising phenomenon that demonstrates the beauty of working together. Each bird is aware of others, and gathers new members as they journey together. Although the birds appear to be moving in different directions, or some fall away, they are still part of the whole. It symbolises the importance of cooperation and compromise, of following our intuition and being open to change, being part of something that is bigger than ourselves, and prompts us to ask ‘what can we achieve together?’ Let us consider all the ways we can ‘Journey as one’ in 2025.

Mrs Jacinta Skilbeck
Director of Faith and Mission