Newsletter Edition 1 / 2025 February 10

Principal's Message

Dear Emmanuel College Families,

The 2025 school is well underway with year seven students attending camp this week and the year 12 students experiencing their final school retreat on Wednesday. As always, a highlight of the first week was the first whole school assembly and the opportunity to celebrate and recognise the highest Year 12 achievers and the year level duxes from 2024 and for our 2025 College Captains to launch the year’s theme. 

During the assembly we congratulated year 11 and 12 students who achieved the highest results in VCE, VCE-VM, and VET in 2024 and/or received major College Awards.  Together we proudly congratulate the following recipients:

• VCE Dux of Emmanuel College: Satwika Sivasankar
• Second Dux: Claudia Tutt
• Third Dux: Robbie Morden
• VCE Vocational Major Dux: Ella Gapes 
• Catherine McAuley Award: Sophie Howland
• Edmund Rice Award: Luke Mills
• Mercy Education Award: Bethany Ferguson
• Applied Learning Community Connection Award: Ella Gapes
• VET Excellence Award: Ella Gapes
• Outstanding VET in Schools Award: Joseph Ahearn
• Outstanding Work Placement Award: Amarlie Conheady
• Social Justice & Community Service Award: Layla Thom
• Deakin University Young Influencer Scholarship: Zoe Graham
• University of Melbourne Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholar Award: Samuel Anderson
• Platinum Merit Awards: Emma Hannagan, Sophie Howland, Molly Leslie
• ADF Leadership & Teamwork Award: Eamon Dempsey
• Women on Farms Award: Leah Dickson & Brooke Mugavin
• Year 12 All Rounder Award: Mathew Gome
• Year 12 STEM Award: Emma Hannagan
• Arts Hall of Fame Award: Paige Rea

VCE High Achiever Awards for ATARs Above 90

• Mia Cook
• Estelle Evans
• Bethany Ferguson
• Xavier Gercovich
• Emma Hanagan
• Sophie Howland
• Eva Joseph
• Rose Keldan
• Ted Kelly
• Lucy Kenedy
• Molly Leslie
• Asha Nepean
• Georgia Ragg
• Thomas Walker

Individual Subject Dux Awards (based on the highest ATAR)

• VCE Ancient History: Gemma Wicking
• VCE Art – Creative Practice: Macey Cook
• VCE Art – Making & Exhibiting: Macey Cook
• VCE Biology: Zara Kelly
• VCE Business Management: Zara Welsh
• VCE Chemistry: Robbie Morden & Satwikar Sivasankar & Xavier Gercovich
• VCE Drama: Jessica Bushell
• VCE English: Claudia Tutt (perfect study score of 50)
• VCE External Studies – Sinhala: Sithmi Herath Mudiyanselage
• VCE Food Studies: Molly Leslie (perfect study score of 50)
• VCE Foundation Math: Izsak Dean
• VCE French: Satwikar Sivasankar
• VCE General Math: Mia Hynes
• VCE Health & Human Development: Sophie Howland
• VCE VET Allied Health Services: Estelle Evans
• VCE History - Revolutions: Gemma Wicking
• VCE Japanese: Charli Roache & Tom Walker
• VCE Legal Studies: Brigid Ewing
• VCE Literature: Rose Keldan & Ted Kelly
• VCE Media: Lucy Kennedy
• VCE Math Methods: Max Collins
• VCE VET Music Performance: Abby Titmus
• VCE Outdoor & Environmental Studies: Sophie Howland
• VCE Physical Education: Claudia Tutt
• VCE Physics: Robbie Morden
• VCE Product Design & Technology (Resistant Metals): Keegan Smith
• VCE Product Design & Technology (Textiles): Nikayla Purcell
• VCE Psychology: Mia Hynes
• VCE Specialist Math: Nate Roberts
• VCE Visual Communication & Design: Mia Hynes

The 2024 year seven to eleven duxes are:

• Year 7: Lucy Bishop & Brody Dubyna
• Year 8: Samantha Coghlan & Nikolas Keramaris
• Year 9:  Sienna Plozza & Max Hegarty
• Year 10: Bella Turner & Sam Anderson
• Year 11: Mia Hynes & Max Collins

The presentation of Awards to the highest achievers of 2024 is such a good way to begin the 2025 school year.  Emmanuel College educates a very diverse range of students and celebrating the success of the highest achievers is a positive way to inspire all to strive for their personal best.

The second part of the assembly saw College Captains Flynn El-Hage, Evie McCosh, Hannah Van de Camp and Charlie McKinnon announce the 2025 College Theme:  Journey as One. A feature of the theme is the link to the 2025 Mercy Education theme ‘Walking Together’ with its genesis in the Sisters of Mercy who were known as the walking nuns with their mission to engage and serve the community rather than living behind enclosed walls.

The image (below) was designed by the Leaders to portray the three Emmanuel centres of learning, Goold, Edmund Rice and McAuley, reflecting unity and marking a historic moment as the College comes together in one location for the first time.  The birds link this year with last year’s theme while the footsteps reflect our journey together from year seven to year 12.  The captains acknowledged the image is based on an Indigenous artwork depicting a long journey where the circles also represent meeting places and opportunities for communication and relationship and learning.  The Emmanuel College Captains were genuinely inspiring, and I wish them well as they inspire us to Journey as One whilst completing year 12 year and providing encouragement and leadership to the student body.

The assembly concluded with my welcome address which I share with you below:

Good morning and welcome to Emmanuel College. It’s great to have family members, special guests, and sponsors joining us this morning and I thank you for your attendance and your ongoing support.

In 2022 this beautiful book, “Common Threads - 1872-2022”, was published to tell the story of the first 150 years of this school.  As we begin the 153^rd year there is something different from all previous years. For the first time in this school’s history, every student and every staff member is working and learning together here in the same place making this week the first chapter in the next history that will be written about Emmanuel College.

This new chapter makes the 2025 theme, “Journey as One” very appropriate.  Today we begin the journey as one school, on one site, as one family, the Emmanuel family, and each of you is part of this new and exciting chapter.

This may be one of the final speeches I make at a whole school assembly because as you know I will be retiring at the end of this term. So, this morning I want to use my time to remind you what it means to belong to the Emmanuel family because being part of this family shouldn’t be taken for granted.

I believe you attend a great school.  I’m sure you can think of things you’d like to change, or you wish were different or better.  But let’s be honest!  This school is amazing. If you don’t believe me, compare your education at Emmanuel College with children your age around the world.  Last year, the United Nations Organization UNESCO, reported that globally 250 million children do not attend school.  That figure increased by 20 million in the past two years.  UNESCO says that progress towards all young people having access to education has stagnated.

These are not young people who don’t want to go to school.  They simply live in countries that are at war, or they live in poverty, or they are forced to work to support their families, or political corruption disrupts investment in schools and education in their country.  Compare their reality with your experience, of excellent facilities, school staff who care about and support you, a multiplicity of opportunities and ways to experience the world, while belonging to a school with a proud history and tradition.

What you do with this reality of course is up to you. Only you can decide to use what this school provides to your advantage. The adults in this room all know people who wished they had worked harder or made more of the opportunities while they were at school.  This is your decision and your responsibility to make as we start a new school year.

This morning, we congratulated last year’s highest achievers and subject duxes.  They used what this school provides, combined with their hard work, to be placed among the top 10 percent of students in Victoria.  Satwika’s extraordinary ATAR of 99.1 places her in the top one percent in the State.  While only one person can be the Dux of Emmanuel, collectively, all of our award recipients prove Emmanuel students can achieve academic outcomes equivalent to the best in Victoria.  Congratulations.

A strength of this school is the opportunity to experience success in many ways.  For some its academic success, for others it’s success in sport, the arts, in leadership or community service.  As we journey as one this year, each of you has a responsibility to discover and pursue your success.  Equally, you have a responsibility to support your peers to find out what they are good at and help them to be successful.

Our Emmanuel family is more diverse this year than it’s ever been, and the diversity enriches our learning and understanding and helps us to live life to the full. As we begin this new chapter in the Emmanuel story and we journey as one this year, embrace the rich diversity, and know you are part of a great school, and remember, there are 250 million young people in the world who would change places with you in a heartbeat to have what you have at Emmanuel College.

For all in the Emmanuel College community at the start of 2025,
May you be present for one another in good times and bad and listen with your hearts.
May the words and actions of Catherine McAuley & Edmund Rice

inspire you to walk the more difficult path.
May their shining lamps light your way in service to others.
As a community of Mercy, may you be faithful to the gospel of Jesus, who made strangers feel at home and gathered everyone into his welcome embrace.
May you have FAITH, to trust one another and in God’s love for you.

May you have HOPE, for the future, to see light despite the darkness.
May you have LOVE, with forgiveness, beyond yourselves, for each other.
May you take the first steps of your journey this year with open hearts
and gratitude for our gifts and strengths. 

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

please find attached the link for photos of awardees and their families from the assembly.

Mr Peter Morgan
Principal

Academic Awards & Welcome Assembly

A Message from Mrs Claire Wrigley

Student Drop Off and Pick Up
Thank-you to all families for being patient during the busy drop off and pick up times.  We would really appreciate your assistance in the areas below to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

 1. To allow buses through our preference would be for parents collecting children from Botanic Rr loop to exit via Hopetoun Rd to assist with taking traffic off Botanic Rd.

2. We would encourage those that arrive early for pick-up of their child to please use the carparks and not wait in the loop.  This will assist with traffic flow.

3. If you have to exit via the Botanic Rd loop onto Botanic Rd we please ask that you  give way to traffic where you can see a bus banked up coming through to the Botanic Rd bus bay.

Please remember to drive carefully given the high volume of traffic and pedestrians.

Uniform 
We please ask assistance from parents to ensure your child  has the correct uniform and a hat. Wearing the correct uniform displays a sense of pride and community. Blazers are expected to be worn to school everyday even if getting dropped off by car.

Time & Space Monday March 3 @6.45pm - 9.00pm - Year 8 Fathers/Male mentors.
Emmanuel College Fit4Life wellbeing team are delighted to offer you an opportunity to experience a lifetime memory with your child at our very first Fathers/Male mentors  Time & Space event. This innovative single evening program is an event we have planned especially for our Year 8 students and their fathers/male mentors.  Many mothers attended a similar event last year with their child in year 7 and now it is dad's/male mentors time! We think that this is a great time to bring you together. For registration please see operoo message sent to all year 8 parents. 

Mrs Claire Wrigley
Assistant Principal - Students 

NAPLAN

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

Schedule  
NAPLAN tests will occur on the following days:

• Wednesday 12^th March - Writing
• Thursday 13^th March - Reading
• Friday 14^th March - Conventions of Language (Students will need to have headphones for this test)
• Monday 17^th March - Numeracy
• Tuesday 18^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

Relay for Life

WHEN WE WALK TOGETHER, WE CREATE CHANGE
Relay for Life – Year 12 Team Emmanuel

This year, we are proud to have the largest team of Year 12 students and staff participating in the Emmanuel Relay for Life Team.

Cancer affects so many of us, and this year, we’re taking a stand. Our team is joining Relay for Life to raise essential funds for those impacted by cancer.

In Australia, approximately 134,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year. These individuals could be our loved ones, colleagues, or even ourselves. We are committed to ensuring that more people—and their families—receive the support they need.

To make a difference, our team is going the extra mile. Every lap we walk helps the Cancer Council provide crucial support services to families facing one of life’s toughest challenges.

On Saturday, 22nd February, we will take to the track at the Warrnambool Relay for Life event at Deakin.

Our team’s theme this year is Beach Party Hawaiian Style, and we are busy preparing our walking roster, team t-shirts and plans for the day. Our baton for the event is a Boogie Board onto which we will write names of our important people who have been challenged or taken by Cancer. More than just representing Emmanuel College, we are honouring those we love who have been affected by this devastating disease.

If you would like to support our team, donations are welcome via our team page or through supporting one of our fundraising activities at school.

United, we are stronger than cancer. Emmanuel is committed to working with our students and community to take a step toward a cancer-free future.

Community Meals @ Emmanuel

We're excited to share that our Community Meals @ Emmanuel program will resume tomorrow, Tuesday, February 11th, 2025!
Every Tuesday evening during the school year, we offer a FREE evening meal to anyone in need at the Emmanuel Café Space, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. It was a wonderful weekly gathering throughout 2024, and we look forward to resuming this service for 2025.

In 2024, we saw a steady increase in attendance – from 25 meals served weekly in the first half of the year to over 40 meals regularly in the second half. This success is all thanks to the incredible volunteers who make it happen, including our dedicated staff and students.

A huge thank you to McMahon Catering for their ongoing support and delicious meals every Tuesday evening. We are so grateful!

We’re looking forward to opening our doors again tomorrow! If you know anyone who could use a meal or a warm community space, invite them to join us. 

Ms Natasha Cummings
Social Justice Coordinator

Library News

The Emmanuel College Library
The College Library is a space for students to study and learn.  There are different spaces, seating arrangements and meeting rooms.  Students visit the Library for their study periods (Year 12s) and to work with their class and teacher during the day.  At Lunchtime students can play the many games on offer including UNO, chess, Tapple, playing cards and others.  It is an opportunity for students to meet other students and enjoy interacting over a game.

Before and after school the Library is open for students to do study, finish homework or print their work.

Borrowing Books
Students are able to borrow up to 6 items from the Library, including books and magazines.  The Library has a large collection of books, sorted in to sections, enabling students to easily find a good book to read.  Each set of shelves is labelled with the type of books found there.  These sections include Mystery and Crime, Animals and Adventure, Sport – Real Life, School and Sport, Fantasy and Dystopian and a large collection of books in the Series section.  Here the books are labelled on the spine with the number of each book, making it easier to find the next one to read.

English classes have been visiting the Library in the last week to become familiar with the collection and what the Library offers.  Year 7 students have been issued with their College ID card, which they can also use to borrow books independently on the self loan kiosk.  Many Year 7s have enjoyed checking out the Library collection, finding some old favourites and some new books that they might not have read before.  The books are on loan for a 3 week period, with the students able to renew the book or return it to find their next read.

Student Book Club
The Student Book Club meets a couple of times each Term in the Library.  Students wishing to be a part of the Book Club are asked to email Mrs Sinnott or visit the Library.  Last year the Student Book Club included students from each year level, Years 7-12.

Parent/Guardian Book Club
Emmanuel College for a number of years has organised a Parent/Guardian Book Club which meets a couple of times a Term in the Library in the evening.  Please contact Mrs Sinnott if you would like to be a part of this group.

World Read Aloud Day
World Read Aloud Day was celebrated at Emmanuel College on Wednesday 5 February.  Students gathered in the Library Reading Room and took their turn at reading a text aloud, either a picture book or part of the book The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, by C S Lewis.  Thank you to the students who participated.  This is one of the first activities being offered by the Library.  Students can watch out for the Term 1 UNO competition and other activities.

Library Lovers’ Day
Friday 14 February is designated as Library Lovers’ Day – an opportunity for people to think about a Library they love and the impact having a Library has on their lives.  Students can watch out for activities happening in the Library to celebrate the day.

Mrs Margaret Sinnott
Library Coordinator

Words for Wellbeing

Welcome to 2025!
At Emmanuel we work together to create a culture and an environment that values and promotes all aspects of health and wellbeing where students are nurtured to develop the skills and capabilities they need to flourish and be Fit4Life.  

Wellbeing Programs 
The Wellbeing Team at Emmanuel College run an array of positive programs which are good for overall wellbeing and to upskill students to cope with the busy and hectic demands of secondary school life.  Fit4Friendships, Fit4Courage and Standing Tall are all commencing in Term 1. If you have been sent an invitation for your student to participate in one of these programs we highly recommend your encouragement and a prompt reply.  Invitations to these programs are sent via Operoo.  

School TV.
As an Emmanuel College parent you have access to School TV - a free collection of resources, videos and information about issues that relate to your secondary school student.  Take a look at this video about commencing high school with lots of practical tips and suggestions for parents.   

Referral to Wellbeing
If your student needs Wellbeing support they can be referred by a parent, by a teacher or even by self referral.  The easiest way to contact wellbeing is to email wellbeing@emmanuel.vic.edu.au

Blue Mind Youth Workshop and RISING UP screening - Thursday 20th Feb
Calling all young change makers! Blue Minds Ocean Leadership will be leading a FREE 1 hour workshop in Warrnambool on Thursday 20th February from 5:30-6:30 pm at Archie Graham Centre (118 Timor St) – please see flyer attached. Led by two of Australia’s leading youth ocean and climate champions– Kal Glanznig and Cooper Chapman, the workshop is aimed to empower young people (12-25 years) and provide them with practical tools to address their climate change concerns. Plus, there will be free pizza afterwards!! Please register, as places are limited

After the workshop and pizza, join us for the screening of the RISING UP documentary at the Lighthouse Theatre at 7 pm. Created by Kal himself, the documentary uncovers stories of hope and solutions to the climate and ocean plastics crises. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with filmmaker Kal Glanznig and other special guests. View the trailer and register to attend the screening event. The screening is open to all ages

Host Families Required

We have just received news that our new Japanese assistant from our Sister City, Miura, Japan is arriving in Australia on the 21^st of February.  Moemi will be assisting in Japanese classes and we are looking for host families for the rest of the year. This can be for one or more Terms. Host families are required to provide 3 meals a day but unlike hosting a student, Moemi will be able to help around the home. She has very good English skills and hosting her would be of considerable benefit for families that have a child studying Japanese in particular. A weekly stipend is paid to families to help cover expenses. If you are interested or would like more information, please email Julia Smith - jsmith@emmanuel.vic.edu.au

NCCD Information

Upcoming Events

Monday 10 February
Year 7 Camp Week - Port Fairy
Year 7 Music Information Session - 6pm
Year 7 Math Pathways Information Session - 6:45pm

Wednesday 12 February
Year 12 Retreat - Sam Clear

Thursday 13 February
9@Rice Parent Welcome Evening - 7pm

Tuesday 18 February
Swimming Carnival

Thursday 20 February
School Photos

Friday 21 February
School Photos

Saturday 22 February
Relay for Life

Monday 24 February
School Photos catch-up day
WD Intermediate/Senior Cricket

Tuesday 25 February
WD Swimming

Community News

Child Safety