Around the College

We love to celebrate our students' achievements - if your student has won something, appeared in something, competed in something, or is proud of achieving something outside of school, send photos and information to their Homeroom teacher for inclusion in our Newsletter.

Rose Bowler - Leongatha RSL Kokoda Scholarship

Over the holidays, I was lucky enough to complete the Kokoda Trail after receiving a scholarship from the Leongatha RSL and its supporters. Whilst physically and mentally demanding, it was an amazing experience that has helped me to grow in so many ways. The Soldiers and Papuans who selflessly fought and worked for us to have the lives we have today are so tragically unrecognised, I would highly recommend researching and learning the stories of our diggers. I was so grateful to be able to pay respect to the soldiers buried at Bomana War Cemetery, 3,824 Commonwealth servicemen from World War II, confrontingly 699 of them unidentified soldiers. 

Walking the track itself gave such a deeper point of view into just how demanding it would have been for the soldiers, not even taking into account the burdens of danger and disease. Along with the abundance of history throughout the track, I was also taught resilience and the mental willpower that is required to persevere and complete challenges. When you look outwards and see the battles of others, it's easy to realise how small your problems really are.

Papua New Guinea was a culture shock, with an 85% unemployment rate, the porters are often the sole providers for their entire family. Morgan, my porter, helped me along the way after completing his back-to-back trip along the trail. It was obvious he was tired and pained, but he never once complained or failed to be right behind me. The villagers showed immense gratitude towards the smallest contributions. Although saddening, it was beautiful to see how happy and thankful they were, and the positivity they felt with so little.

The scenes along the trail were beautiful, with amazing views of rivers, mountains and wildlife. This experience has changed my life for the better, and I’m so grateful to have been given this rare opportunity that I do not take for granted.

Senior School Assembly Celebration - Tuesday 28thJuly

Our latest Senior School Assembly was a student-centred celebration of achievement, growth and perseverance, recognising the outstanding efforts of our Year 11 and Year 12 students throughout Semester One.

We were privileged to begin the assembly with keynote speaker Kaila Hutchinson, who shared her inspiring journey to becoming an Olympian. Kaila spoke openly about the persistence, resilience and hard work required to achieve success at the highest level. 

She encouraged students to believe in themselves, work hard towards their goals and, most importantly, to simply make a start. Kaila reminded students that everyone's journey is different and that success does not happen at the same pace for everyone. Her message that "everyone's finish line is different" resonated strongly with students and staff, encouraging each person to focus on their own growth and progress.

Following Kaila's presentation, we celebrated a number of student award recipients from both Year 11 and Year 12.

Year 11 Award Recipients

• Growth Award – Mitch C.
• Quiet Achiever Award – Cassidy C.
• Resilience Award – Tess C.
• Persistence Award – Sam C.
• Community Award – Rose B.
• Heavyweight Knowledge Champion – Alyssa B.

Year 12 Award Recipients

• Growth Award – Jayden S.
• Quiet Achiever Award – Lucy H.
• Resilience Award – Rosie W.
• Persistence Award – Kate M.
• Community Award – Samuel J.
• Heavyweight Knowledge Champion – Gemma M.

A special congratulations to our Heavyweight Knowledge Champions, Alyssa B. (Year 11) and Gemma M. (Year 12), who proudly lifted the championship belts in recognition of being the highest-performing academic students in their respective year levels for Semester One. This was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the assembly and a fantastic celebration of academic excellence.

Students were then treated to a wonderful musical performance by Ryder D., who captivated the audience with his rendition of Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran. Ryder's talent and confidence provided a memorable contribution to the celebration.

The excitement continued with a number of door prize giveaways, creating plenty of enthusiasm and adding to the positive atmosphere of the morning.

A special thank you also goes to our College Captains, who did an outstanding job as MCs for the assembly. Their professionalism, leadership and confidence helped make the event a smooth and engaging celebration of student success.

Congratulations to all award recipients and thank you to everyone who contributed to making the assembly such a positive and inspiring occasion. We are proud of the dedication, resilience and achievements of our students and look forward to celebrating many more successes throughout the year.