Whole School News

Languages Program

Celebrating the Magic of Our Annual Chinese Culture Festival! 

Dear School Community,

The mid-year breeze always brings a familiar sense of excitement to our campus, marking the return of one of our school’s most cherished traditions: our Annual Chinese Culture Festival - Chinese Food and Cultural Market. Established to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, promote language learning, and encourage cultural exchange, this special day does more than just showcase traditions—it brings our entire community closer together and helps fundraise for our upcoming China Leadership Program.

This year, the festival was bigger, brighter, and better than ever before! The energy on campus was absolutely incredible, and we are still smiling from all the wonderful moments we shared.

The Behind-the-Scenes Magic

Our journey began early in the morning. From 9:00 AM, our dedicated staff members were already hard at work in the kitchen, prepping a massive feast. The delicious aromas of sizzling pan-fried dumplings, crispy spring rolls, and steaming fresh buns filled the air. Staff also guided students in crafting traditional treats, from threading sweet Tanghulu (tangy candied fruits) to molding beautiful Mid-Autumn mooncakes.

A Vibrant Campus Transformation

Thanks to everyone’s hard work, our school undercroft was beautifully transformed into a bustling cultural hub, decorated with traditional elements. Volunteers ran back and forth from the kitchen to keep the food stations fully stocked. The festival officially kicked off with a wonderful speech by our Assistant Principal Lori, followed by a heartwarming performance from our primary students, who filled the air with their beautiful bilingual songs.

Community Spirit in Action

The true heart of the festival was the incredible teamwork on display. Our amazing student and parent volunteers worked tirelessly to serve guests, handle the busy food stalls, and patiently explain the rules of traditional games to eager players. The excitement reached a peak during our lucky raffle draw, and children's faces lit up as our wonderful sponsors handed out authentic Chinese toys and cultural souvenirs.

With Deep Gratitude

An event this successful simply cannot happen without an immense amount of love and effort behind the scenes. We want to extend a massive thank you to all our students, parents, and wider community members for your overwhelming support. So much of the hard work happens quietly in the background, and while we cannot thank every single person individually by name, please know that your contribution is deeply felt and appreciated.

Thank you for making this year’s festival an unforgettable memory. We already can't wait to see you all again next year!

Warmest regards,

The Languages Team

International Students

For three weeks, our school had the pleasure of welcoming a wonderful group of students from South Korea and Hong Kong. During their time at Collingwood, the students integrated into our classes and wider school community, building connections, sharing experiences, and creating lasting memories.

Through this short term international placements, we have received some wonderfully positive feedback from both students and parents. Our friendly students and dedicated teachers were consistently highlighted as two of Collingwood’s greatest strengths, with many families sharing that they would love to return if given the opportunity. There were plenty of tears on their final day, along with heartfelt words of appreciation and thanks for the wonderful experience they had at our school. This is a wonderful reflection of the warm, inclusive and welcoming community that our teachers and students have helped create. 

In addition, our school hosted 16 participants from Macau, Suzhou and Shanghai who took part in the Good Talk Competition, organised by CLTAV. The students and their supervising teachers were once again very impressed by our classes, programs and the positive atmosphere of our school.

We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to all the students who acted as buddies throughout these programs. They were fantastic hosts and wonderful representatives of Collingwood, helping our visiting students feel welcome and included throughout their time with us. 

Felicia PEH

Leading TeacherEAL and International Operations

EAL and Mandarin Chinese Teacher

French Language

Melbourne’s Little Paris:

There are several French owned businesses around Degraves Street, where you might have chance to practice your French:

https://www.lemonandbutter.com.au/

https://www.roulegalette.com.au/

In addition, do not forget the Alliance Francaise Film Festival:

https://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/

I would encourage all families to consider Franch as interest the family can share. I intend to run parent lessons through the Winter Terms to co-inside with the market, to help you support your kids. This opportunity to retrieve, expand and renew your own French not only provides your kids with an amazing example, but also provides motivation for this challenging but rewarding journey. 

https://www.afmelbourne.com.au/

This the only French language school in Melbourne to offer official French Government Certified Language Certifications (DELF and DALF) which supports working and student visas. These certifications allow undergraduate and post-graduate entry into French Universities all over the world (I did a course online through the University of Martinique) at prices WAY below Australian Universities…

Moana Kerr,

French Teacher