New Each Day

As we have quickly gotten into the swing of the 2026 school year, I have been heartened by the sense of purpose evident in the Secondary Years. Our teachers and staff are working hard to create challenging learning experiences and environments, and our students have started strong, slipping into learning routines and re-integrating with their social circles and myriad extra-curricular opportunities. The campus is buzzing and full of energy, and everywhere I go, I have been greeted with warmth and curiosity.

We know that, as things go, further challenges will confront us in the weeks and months ahead as more assessments become due and the excitement of newness subsides into the patterns of daily College life, sharing a campus with close to 900 other people. It's in these moments where our College values most resonate and come to the fore: grace and respect, in particular. It is also why events like the recent Secondary Years Swimming Carnival are so important to our culture of belonging. It was wonderful to spend the day meeting students and watching them laugh and play in the pools, compete fairly and in support of one another in races, and embrace opportunities to connect through art, face-painting and other sporting activities.

Each day brings new challenges and new opportunities for growth and reflection about how lucky we are to be part of this community. I pray that the weeks ahead will continue to see moments of connection and flourishing, as well as moments of deep learning and intellectual challenge.

Lamentations 3:22-23: "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Yours faithfully,

Daniel Wood

Head of Secondary Years

Secondary School Swimming Carnival

The Good News Lutheran College House Swimming Carnival was held on the 13th of February at the Werribee Outdoor Pool, with students showing great enthusiasm, sportsmanship, and house spirit throughout the day.

It was a fantastic event filled with competitive races and exciting moments in the pool. Congratulations to Hume House, who were crowned overall winners, with Baker House finishing in second place after a close competition. A special congratulations also goes to our Swim Champions, with Arielle White named Girls Swimming Champion and Ronak Vohra named Boys Swimming Champion for their outstanding performances.

Thank you to all staff who assisted on the day and helped ensure the carnival ran smoothly.

Liam Lambert

Sports Coordinator

Introducing our 2026 Student Leaders

At the Secondary Years Assembly on Monday, Week 3, we were proud to introduce our 2026 student leadership team members to the community. The students were presented with a certificate and congratulated publicly by their peers. We look forward to the contributions they will make to the College across the year.

Worship & Mission Leader (Yrs 11 & 12)

Year 12

Alexandria Enriquez, Magdalena Sladecek, Grace Ling, Jayden Davies, Ephrata Gebreselassie, Jeronice Nelson

Year 11

Chelsea Kirkman, Johan Simon, Eleasha Emrith, Shalom Solomon Berhane, Shiloh Cucanic, Zoe Samson, Caleb De La Cerna, Shainaa Aggarwal, Maneet Turna

Student Led Council (SLC) (Year 7-12)

Anwesh Jha (12), Rhythm Chahal (12), Ekam Sandhu (11), Baden McFarlane (11), Derek Zhang (10), Shayna Punni (10)

Anisha Pagadala (9), Tanish Vij (9), Ruansh Chowdhury (8), Niranjani Niranjani (8), Gurman Soni (7), Khushi Chand (7)

Sports Leaders

Nishka Patel (12), Mackenzie Paterson (12), Charan Subrama (12), Ishan Vadher (12)

Sports Representatives

Gurnaz Kaur (10), Eveleen Sachdeva (10), Dishan Vij (10), Prabhav Innamuri (9)

Arts Leaders

Iris Hintsa (12), Ngoc (Kelly) Nghieu (12), Madisson Boniquit (12), Niva Gahlot (12)

Stage & Media Team

Connor Tweedley (12), Adam Trusiak (12), Justin Zhang (12), Paarth Arya (12), Vidhi Verma (12), Aiden Aby (11), Yom Shah (11), Paavni Kapoor (10), Anant Awasthi (9), Aaron Vaid (9), Isaac Nordbrock (9), Manyu Gokani (9)

Daniel Wood

Head of Secondary Years

NAPLAN 2026 Information for Families

NAPLAN 2026 will take place during the national testing window from Wednesday 11 March to Monday 16 March 2026, with catch-up sessions scheduled from Tuesday 17 March to Thursday 19 March.

Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will complete assessments in Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy. Our focus is to ensure students feel calm, prepared and supported throughout the process. A schedule outlining specific testing dates for our school is provided below.

A detailed Parent Information Pack is attached for further information about the assessments and what to expect. If you have any questions regarding Years 3 and 5, please contact Rebecca Moore at moorer@goodnews.vic.edu.au. For enquiries related to Years 7 and 9 please contact Rizal Ahmad at ahmadr@goodnews.vic.edu.au.

Rebecca Moore - PYP Coordinator

Rizal Ahmad - MYP Coordinator

Career Pathway Information

In Australia, there are two main entry routes into medical programs: Direct Entry and Graduate Entry. Monash University offers a direct-entry MD program. Applicants must meet the following requirements: A high ATAR, UCAT, prerequisite subjects: English and Chemistry. Assessment information and practice materials for the UCAT can be found at: www.ucat.edu.au

Please also see the attached flyer. Graduate entry requires the completion of Bachelor’s degree before applying. Many of our past students are currently studying Science or Biomedicine with the goal of pursuing graduate-entry medicine. The University of Melbourne requires: A completed Bachelor’s degree, GAMSAT score, and Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) More information on medical interviews can be found at: https://medicmind.com.au/medicine-ucas-guide/topic/interview/.

Students are always welcome to contact me or the Careers Team throughout the term for support, guidance, and further information on this and other pathways.

Peter McCarthy

Pathways Coordinator

Date	Event
Thursday 23 February	Year 12 Jacket Ceremony
Friday 27 February	Year 11 Retreat Day \| Fun Fields (Thrills and Togetherness)
Monday 9 March	Labour Day
Monday 16 - Friday 20 March	Year 6 Canberra Camp (Tarneit & Mambourin)
	Harmony Week
Wednesday 18 March	Athletics Carnival (Years 7-12)
Friday 20 March	Harmony Day
Tuesday 24 March	SY Academic Conferences
Wednesday 25 March	SY Academic Conferences
Thursday 2 April	Term 1 Ends

Upcoming Diary Dates

Term 1, 2026