9-12 Community News
As we have moved towards the end of another busy term, the students and staff of the 9-12 Community have continued to throw themselves into the life of the College and their communities.
Last week, the College gathered together for our St Augustine’s Feast Day Mass. It was a lovely service, made more special by the excellent performances of Sarah M and the College Choir, who led the College in singing the hymns and prayers.
The Mass also provided the opportunity for students and staff to hear from our 2025 College Captain nominees. The seven nominees, Michael W, William H, Tia H, Jett G, Lily G, Ben D and Kirby C - all delivered assured speeches in outlining their leadership aspirations for 2025. We are also fortunate to have had more than a dozen Year 11 students nominated for other leadership positions in 2025, which is a credit to the student’s willingness to serve the College and the wider community.
These aspiring student leaders will look to emulate the excellent role modelling shown by the 2024 Student Leaders, whose outstanding contributions were exemplified by the respectful speeches delivered by College Captains, Isla C and Ethan C at this week’s Lone Pine Ceremony.
Moving into spring, we have been blessed with warmer days (mixed with some fairly hectic days of wind and dust) and many students have been finishing their local community winter sporting competitions. Congratulations to all those who have played throughout their seasons. For those who have made finals, well done and good luck. For those whose teams did not reach the pointy end of their seasons, commiserations and best of luck next year.
At school, we enjoyed a very successful sporting day at the 7-12 Athletics last Friday. It was great to see so many students competing and supporting their Houses and friends. A number of students excelled in the traditional track and field events and many, if not excelling, gave their best effort and had fun. And, in the not so traditional events, there was even greater fun, as can be seen in the images from the Year 12 sack race.
Congratulations to Augustine House for your victory on the day.
Last Thursday saw the College recognise the important men in the lives of our students with the Beaut Blokes Breakfast, which saw plenty of dads, uncles, grandads and mates gather with students and staff for a chat, a kick of the footy and an egg and bacon sandwich. This was a great way to start the day, which coincided with the celebration of Footy Colours Day. As part of their RE Pay It Forward activities, many Year 11 students assisted with all aspects of this event and added to its success. There have been many other ‘Pay It Forward’ activities across the last few weeks, with Longest Kick Competitions, Acts of Random Kindness and Thank You cupcakes, among other events, being enjoyed by all.
Exploring career opportunities and pathways continues to be a focus of students in the 9-12 Community. Over 25 students from Years 10, 11 and 12 have completed their White Card training, providing certification for students to be able to work safely in the construction industries. In the final week of term, students in 10B and the VPC class will undertake work experience in a wide range of occupations. Thank you to Peter Fawcett, the College Work Experience coordinator, for organising these opportunities.
Broadening their knowledge of another important industry in our region, the Year 11 Food Studies class had the opportunity to visit the Simplot factory in Echuca. This excursion offered the students a valuable opportunity to deepen their understanding of Australian Food Systems.
This unit of work explores various aspects of Australia’s food systems, including primary food production, processing and packaging, distribution and retail. The excursion to Simplot enhanced the students' learning by providing firsthand insights into how a major player in the food industry operates. They were fortunate enough to observe the dynamics of a food production and manufacturing organisation, from innovation and processing to marketing and distribution.
As we move towards the final weeks of Term 3, there are still many events to look forward to. Years 11 and 12 are reaching theend of their Units 3/4 studies and will be gearing up for their final assessments and exam preparations. In the coming days, staff will be preparing revision guides and advice for students to follow over the final weeks of their Units 3/4 studies.
The 9-12 Community Formal is being held next Wednesday, 11th September. We look forward to seeing all those who have purchased tickets dressed to impress and ready to have fun. Tickets are on sale until 3.30pm today, Friday 6th September and can be purchased by clicking on the below link.
And, to finish off the term, we are looking forward to the second annual Staff/Student Caritas Courage Cup football match. Following last year’s inaugural event, there will be all the traditions of this great day. In the lead up to the day, there will be keenly followed and rigorous draft and team selection, followed by guernsey presentations. This will be followed by a vigorous training session (or two) with the two teams of Year 10-12 students and staff from across the College, taking to the field on the last day of term. If last year’s game is anything to go by, the crowd can look forward to being entertained by an exciting blend of skill, sportsmanship, mateship and fun. If you're free at lunchtime on the last day of term, please come down to the Kyabram Recreation Reserve to help cheer on the teams.
Michelle Downie Brad Downie
9-12 Community Leader 9-12 Community Leader
Wellbeing and Community Student Learning and Professional Practice