Student Involvement & Academic News 

Debating Team

Debating and Public Speaking Success!

This year, we entered three teams into the Debaters Association of Victoria competition, with students representing Years 9, 10, and 12. So far, two of the five rounds have been completed, and our teams have shown great skill and determination. Our Year 9 team has had an outstanding start, winning both of their debates, while our Year 10 and Year 12 teams have fought hard in two closely contested rounds, narrowly missing out on victory. With three rounds remaining, we look forward to seeing their continued growth and success!

In addition to debating, three talented Year 11 students also participated in the Lions Youth of the Year competition. Grace Boehnke, Lacey Brooks, and Zali Horner all represented our school brilliantly, with Grace progressing to the State Final in Torquay, and Zali winning the Public Speaking Award. We were also proud to see ex-student Charlotte Denman (Class of 2024) return as one of the judges, showcasing the lasting

 impact of our public speaking and debating programs.

Congratulations to all our participants, we can’t wait to see what you achieve next!

Indonesian Food Night

Selamat Datang ke Makanan Indonesia untuk 2025. Welcome to Indonesian Food night for 2025.

This year, the Year 8 classes had the opportunity to participate in an Indonesian food night where students came in and cooked a 3 course meal for their parent/guardian/friend. For the entree, students cooked spring rolls/lumpia. As the main dish, we ordered mie goreng/fried noodles from an Indonesian restaurant called Sarirasa in Mentone for everyone to enjoy. And then as the grand finale, the students cooked the traditional dessert of Klepon or Onde-Onde. This dessert is similar to a rum ball but is instead made out of glutinous rice flour and pandan flavouring, with palm sugar in the middle that pops when you bite into it.

The students welcomed their guests to “Dapur 8” for the evening and served the full 3 course meal by themselves, running the night for their parents and introducing each dish in both Indonesian and English as the night progressed.

Both parents and students enjoyed the meal and learned how to cook some Indonesian cuisine. They were also sent home with a recipe for each dish that they experienced on the evening that they could go home and cook with their family.

A huge “terima kasih - thank you” to everyone who attended over the two evenings. We had a great time having you visit “Dapur 8” and we hope you “Selamat makan - enjoyed the food”.

A huge thank you to all the Indonesian and Japanese language teachers for their support and help on the night!

Year 9 Childhood Health & Development

As part the F-Block subject 'Childhood Health and Development', our Year 9 students recently participated in a special Baby Playgroup session, where college staff members brought in their infants ranging from newborns to 18 months old. This hands-on experience gave students a unique opportunity to observe development and how toys can support physical, social, emotional and intellectual development during infancy.

In the playgroup, students observed developmental milestones in action and spoke with parents and caregivers about the growth and progress of their children. From first words to crawling, students saw theory come to life, deepening their understanding of infant development in a meaningful and memorable way.

The session was a highlight of the unit, with students thoroughly enjoying the chance to interact, observe, and connect real-world experiences with classroom learning.

A huge thank you to Mr. Johnson, Ms. Morrison, Ms. Rodden, Ms. Rochfort and Ms. Black for participating in the program and bringing along their children!