College Updates

Merry Christmas

On behalf of the college, we would like to wish our families, community, students and staff a happy and safe Christmas and New Year.

School will commence for Year 7 and 12 students on Wednesday the 29th of January and the remaining students will commence on Thursday the 30th of January 2025.

General Office Hours

The General Office will be open as normal from 8am-4pm Monday - Thursday this week but will be closed on Friday the 20th of December until 2025.

Laptop Update

For families who have received an email from Learning with Technologies advising that laptops have arrived, we will have the following collection sessions available at the college library:

Tuesday the 17th of December - 1.30pm -3.30pm

Wednesday the 18th of December - 3.30pm-6.00pm

Please contact the college on 5127 9200 if you have any questions.

Box of Books and School Saving Bonus

Having trouble ordering schoolbooks?

We have had a number of queries about Box of Books (BoB) and Edrolo, in particular about the School Saving Bonus (SSB).

Please note:

- The School Saving Bonus Code from your email that was sent by the Department of Education must be activated before you can allocate funds and order through BoB.

- Ordering through Edrolo (for some Year 11 and 12 VCE classes) - this is not currently in the School Saving Bonus allocation however it will be added soon. Please keep checking your SSB account.

- While you can order all stationary through BoB, you may find that Officeworks, Kmart and News agencies supply the same items at a competitive price.

Should you have any queries, please contact the college on 5127 9200.

Presentation Night

This year our Annual Awards Night will be on Wednesday the 18th of December. Families of students receiving an award have been contacted and are required at 6.15pm to sign in, for a 7pm start. This is a special night to recognise and celebrate student achievements throughout 2024.

Christmas Cheer

Last week our school captains spread some Christmas cheer at lunchtime!

Year 12 Graduation Evening

In late November we celebrated our Year 12's at their formal Year 12 Graduation Dinner. We wish our students from the Class of 2024 all the best for their future. Our hope is that they continue to work hard to achieve their goals and that all their dreams come true.

Year 12 Dux 2024

Following the release of Year 12 results last week, we would like to congratulate our Year 12 Dux, Brooke Hunter, who received an ATAR of 91.55. Brooke is very pleased, and surprised, with her result, and is thinking of taking some time to travel and work in 2025 and then studying something in the sporting field. Brooke worked very hard throughout the year, showing dedication to her studies as well as demonstrating strong leadership in her capacity as school captain.

We would also like to congratulate our Runner Up Dux, Ben Hall, who received an ATAR of 90.1. Ben is looking forward to studying engineering at Federation University next year.

We are so proud of Brooke and Ben, and we wish our Class of 2024 all the best for their future endeavours.

AFL Drafts

Congratulations to Year 12 students Alix Tauru and Ricky Mentha who were selected in the 2024 AFL Draft. Alix was pick 10 for St. Kilda Football Club and Ricky was selected as a Category B Rookie for Melbourne Football Club!

Congratulations Alix and Ricky, and congratulations to our dedicated Sports Academy staff who supported both students throughout their time at the college.

Food Technology Update

Year 10 Food Safari

Earlier this term our Year 10 Food Safari students researched different countries and made their own cultural dishes.

Year 10 Cafe Culture

Earlier this term our Year 10 Cafe Culture students made delicious Crazy Shakes from the design brief!

SRC Christmas Drive

The SRC organised a Christmas Drive at the end of term, with all donations going to the Salvation Army. Thank you to everyone who donated to the Christmas Drive.

Ryden's Story - ABC Takeover Latrobe

A great news story by the ABC, following the recent ABC Takeover event, about Ryden Munday's (Year 10 student) love for Automotive Class and the support he receives from Lowanna College teacher, Mr. David Mitchell.

Victoria's first high school automotive class boosts student attendance rates - ABC News

Green Tradies Program

At the end of term, our students who have participated in the Green Tradies Program throughout the year were presented with certificates to acknowledge the skills they have learnt. Well done to the students who were involved in the program during 2024, and thank you to the Green Tradies Team who provided our students with some wonderful opportunities throughout the year.

SRC Dodgeball Fun

Earlier in the term the SRC hosted a Dodgeball Competition, where our staff and Year 11 students played against our Year 7-10 students. Thank you to the SRC for organising this fun lunchtime activity.

TAFE Gippsland Visit - VCE VM Program

Andrea McNamara from TAFE Gippsland recently visited the college and conducted two workshops with our Year 11 VCE VM Work Related Skills classes. Andrea spoke to students about cover letters, Key Selection Criteria, interview skills and dress etiquette.

Students gained valuable learning during these sessions that will assist them with their future career pathways.

Art Exhibition and Soiree

Earlier this term we held an Art Exhibition and Soiree at the college. As always, it was wonderful to see our students showcasing their art and musical talents on the night. Thank you to everyone who attended and supported our students

Thank You Rotary Club

Thank you to the Rotary Club of Moe who have provided financial scholarships (Rotary Foundation Scholarship) to four of our students. The College appreciates the ongoing support that Rotary continues to provide to the school and the local community.

Remembrance Day Services

On Remembrance Day we had a number of student leaders who represented the college at the local Remembrance Day Ceremonies, whilst also holding our own ceremony at the college. Thank you to the staff and students who attended the ceremonies and to Mr. Bonnici who played the Last Post. Lest We Forget.

Gippsland Schools MTB Competition

On Friday the 1st of November we had students compete in the Gippsland Schools MTB Comp at Haunted Hills. They had an exciting racing experience and enjoyed the fun event atmosphere together, with great memories to share! Students tested their riding abilities across three skill areas on some of Haunted Hills' most popular mountain bike tracks. The competition was perfect for both first-time racers and seasoned competitive riders. Well done to all students who attended the day - below are the results.

7/8 Boys- 111 riders

7th- Samuel Jones

12th- William Ainsworth

27th- Lucky L

34th- Lochlan Heiss

9/10 Boys- 44 riders

16th- William Harris (8th fastest on Shimano track)

19th- Kye Micallef

21st- Riley Richardson

24th- Jordan Mallia

25th- Josh Polik

31th- Jye Zealley

34th- Jackson Bird

Middle School Camp

At the start of November selected Year 9 and 10 students attended Middle School Camp on the sunny Gold Coast. They enjoyed a week filled with a range of activities, including visiting theme parks, riding roller coasters and rock climbing!

Nationals Basketball

On Sunday the 1st of December, Lowanna College took an U15s Boys and an U15s Girls Team to the Gold Coast to compete in the Australian School Basketball Championships.

With the boys winning 3 out of their 5 round games, they finished 2nd in their pool, playing a talented St Joseph’s College in the quarter final, losing 37-56. Well done boys on a successful week.

Our division 1 girls could only grasp 1 win out of their 3 round games, however the competition was tight, and they placed 2nd in their pool due to only losing to the other teams by a few points. The girls played Moreton Bay College in the quarter final in attempt to advance to a medal match, however the girls became competitive too late in the game and after losing by 20+ points, they came back to only lose by 6 points. The girls later competed in a classification game to finish 5th, beating the Victorian State Champions, Mt Ridley College, 48-69. Well done girls, and congratulations to all who competed throughout the week!

Headstart VCE VM

During Headstart our Year 11 and 12 VCE VM PDS students have been creating their own Pillars of Applied Learning on the outside of a pringles tin (and got a little snack as well). The students have been engaged in creating these, a great opportunity for a hands-on activity to familiarise themselves with the Pillars of Applied Learning and the importance of these in their learning.

Rotary Awards

On Monday the 2nd of December two of our students attended the Rotary Club Awards night, where Noah Parkinson was awarded with the John Dwyer Citizenship Award and Cooper Coulthard was awarded with the Pride of Workmanship Award. Congratulations to both of our students!

VM Mock Interviews

The Year 11 VM Work Related Skills classes were involved in Mock Interviews as part of their final assessment on Thursday the 28th of November. The Baw Baw Latrobe LLEN (Local Learning and Employment Network) visited the school to conduct Mock Interviews with the students. The network consisted of a range of employers from the Gippsland area.

Throughout Term 3 and 4, students were learning specific skills that guided them to conduct themselves professionally during an interview situation, which will be beneficial for the students as they enter the workforce soon. Students were allocated into industry panels of their preferred industry and completed research on their industry and as much as possible, the interview was tailored to their industry choice. Students brought along their resume and covers letter to the interview, as well as a blurb that gave the panel members a snapshot of the students. It was positive to see students engaged in the interviews and put their learning into practice. Well done and congratulations to all students involved, it was a positive day.

Science Tech School Excursion

Year 8s

Students were introduced to a variety of different types of renewable energy and their advantages and disadvantages. Students used a variety of technologies to investigate and conduct experiments to design, build, and test a model city using renewable energy.

Melbourne University Science Roadshow Incursion

Year 9s

Our new Year 9 students had the opportunity to learn about Science from Melbourne University Science students. Our students participated in a range of experiments including making gases, immunology, AI and solving problems. Lowanna students had the opportunity learn about what university life is like and the student's backgrounds. Students were engaged and respectful!

SRC Training Day

Last week our 2025 SRC had a Training Day, where they participated in some team building games, planning and brainstorming ideas for 2025, learnt about leadership and role modelling and had fun getting to know each other!

Blue Edge Program Completion

Congratulations to the following students who completed the Blue Edge Program for the year recently:

Nate Boxshall

Kiara Goode

Blake Hodgkin

Tony Humphries

Ava Mellon

Aaden Toet

Travis White

Nick Xerri

Tyler Goyne

Photographed below is Travis White with his Fit Bit for completing the Program.

Arts Update

2024 classes have finished up and 2025 classes have started for next year. A friendly reminder to parents and students that any folios left from 2024 need to be picked up by Friday.

Year 9 Ceramics

Year 9 ceramics students finished off the year with their architectural sculptures and food inspired works.

Year 10 Drawing and Painting

Year 10 Drawing and Painting students have started Headstart by exploring portraiture as a way to communicate personal identity as well as experimentation in mono printing.