Book Week!

Last week, we celebrated English Week as it coincided with The Children’s Book Council of Australia, National Children’s Book Week. The theme this year was ‘Book an Adventure’ and we held activities throughout the week for students to get involved.

Activities included the Wordle Competition, English Week Quiz, ‘On Your Box’ Impromptu Speeches Competition, and crafty Book Folding.

Fun Fact - Reading reduces stress by 68%. Just 6 minutes of reading can reduce stress levels by up to 68%, making it more effective than listening to music or going for a walk. It's great to see our Front Office staff taking some time out to relax!

Continuing our celebration of English Week, we're sharing some more of our staff who are passionate readers, particularly our librarian, Mrs O'Beirne!

Mrs O'Beirne has been working in our library for over 15 years, and has crafted a welcoming space in the STEAM building for our readers to enjoy! The Library offers primarily fiction novels, arranged by genre so students can easily find a book of interest. Some key features of the Library are:

• Our library is supported by the Wimmera Regional Library which enables students to access ebooks on their device

• Students can request 'UberBooks' and have their borrowed book delivered right to them in class!

• Junior English classes visit weekly for quiet reading - just 15 minutes a day can improve a student's literacy

• the Library supports many extra-curricular activities such as the Premier's Reading Challenge, weekly Chess Club, MS Readathon, and various reading competitions

Fun Fact - Audiobooks boost brain activity similar to reading. Listening to audiobooks lights up many of the same areas of the brain as reading physical books, showing it's a valuable way to absorb language.

Here is a wrap up from our English Week! Thanks to our English teachers and Mrs O’Beirne who hosted a range of activities, such as a Wordle competition, impromptu speeches, book folding, and a quiz.

'On Your Box' Impromptu Speaking Competition

L to R (Back Row): Zeeahra Bodycote, Liya Boby, Ashling Barber, Laura Bartlett, Sophie McEldrew, Bethany Lynch, Alvin Jiss

L to R (Middle Row): Charlotte Boussac, Rose Perry, Dania Vinay, Sharon Tholath

L to R (Front Row): Harper Kelly, Sophie Sparke (Harper and Sophie were our winners of this competition - they had the 'gift of the gab'!)

Guess the Book Title Competition

Winner - Charlotte Boussac

'On Your Box' Impromptu Speaking Competition

Harper Kelly in action

Book Folding

Tarsh Goder

Wordle Competition

Sophie Sparke in action

Wordle Competition

Peter White and Bailey Eder were our competition winners

Presentation Ball 2025

Congratulations to the students who participated in Friday night's Presentation Ball. The annual event is a wonderful night to celebrate the achievements and aspirations of our students. In the months leading up to the night, participants dedicate time to learn the basics of ballroom dance and worked to perfect a number of dances.

Thank you to friends, family and our College community who joined us in the Heritage Hall to celebrate the students and enjoy the evening.

Thank you to everyone who was involved in putting on such a special event, including parents, staff and dance trainers, Maree T and James M, whose patience and dedication in teaching the students is always very appreciated.

Year 9 FutureMe

Recently, Year 9 students participated in the FutureMe program, delivered by Deakin University's Equity and Access Program (DEAP). Over three days, students were involved in sessions which focused on:

• Learning about the future world of work and exploring employability skills required to navigate it

• Demonstrating new skills in job application based activities

• Participating in focused career conversations with industry professionals

Thank you to the community members from a range of organisations including Skillinvest, Headspace, WSM LLEN, and from our school community for being involved in the program. It was a valuable experience for the students and their participation and engagement in the program was fantastic.

Outdoor Ed

Year 9 Outdoor Education students recently visited the Gulgurn Manja Shelter near Hollow Mountain at Mt Zero. This site, once a significant gathering place for Indigenous people, gave students insight into why these locations were chosen as gathering places. They also explored the ancient artwork within the shelter, learning about its cultural meaning and reflecting on the importance of preserving these sacred sites for future generations.

Conservation In Action!

We're excited to share that our College has partnered with Zoos Victoria to participate in a Golden-rayed Blue butterfly Conservation project!

The Golden-rayed Blue butterfly is an endangered species that only lives in the Wimmera. Zoos Victoria provided us with a number of Creeping Boobialla plants, a thick ground cover in which the butterflies live. Miss Hobbs' Year 7 Science class then planted them at the Horsham Showgrounds and will monitor their growth and hopefully attract the endangered butterflys!

We are super proud to be involved in this unique conservation project and thank Zoos Victoria and the Horsham Ag Society - 'Maydale Reserve' Horsham Showgrounds for working with us!

Helpful Information and Staff News!

Everyday helpful school advice, right at your fingertips!

Lunch Order Update