From the Students

College Captains Address

Hey everyone,

Now that we've wrapped up Term 1 and are into Term 2, I thought it’d be a good time to reflect on all the amazing things going on across the college and give a shoutout to everyone who's made a difference.

In the VCE building, we know how intense the workload can get, especially with SACs and exams looming. This year, we really wanted to make the space feel more relaxed and supportive. Adding plants to the building has brought a little calm to what can be a stressful environment, and we’ve had a bit of fun with projects like the Meme Wall and Gratitude Wall. These have been great for keeping us connected, having a laugh, and focusing on the good stuff, even when things get tough.

Over in VM (Vocational Major), the School Yard Beans – our student-run café – has been going strong. It's all run by students and has become the perfect place to grab a hot drink or snack. Not only does it give us a place to relax, but it’s also a chance for students to gain real-world skills. Big thanks to the VM crew for all the effort and energy they've put into making it such a success!

We’ve also seen some incredible leadership from the House Colour Leaders in Years 9 and 10. Whether it was organising events during Harmony Week or getting everyone involved in Athletics Day, their enthusiasm and hard work really brought the school community together. The competition between houses has been fierce, with Irwin (blue), Bradman (red), Freeman (yellow), and Mabo (green) all putting in solid efforts.

I also want to give a special mention to our Junior Leaders from the P-8 campuses. These students have been amazing, helping out with things like Casual Dress Days and working alongside the College Captains to raise awareness about causes they care about. It’s been really inspiring to see leadership grow at all levels across the college.

To all the students who’ve taken on leadership roles, stood up for what they believe in, or just been there to support each other – thank you. You’re the reason our school feels like such a connected and caring place.

Let’s keep up the great work this term and finish strong. Good luck to everyone with their studies, exams, and whatever comes next!

College Captains

Farzana Mohammad Aref

Ali Agha Wali Zada

College Vice Captains

Ashton Stonehouse

Tyler Collins

Kobi Matheson

Thie term, Kobi Matheson a year 8 student from our Hendy Campus travelled to Adelaide to compete in the 2025 Coles Australian Little Athletics Championships. The ALAC is an annual National Championships, which is the pinnacle event for Little Athletics.

Athletes compete for individual rewards; however, their performances contribute towards the Team awards and Trophies that are on offer, which is the major difference and focus of ALAC.

ALAC provides athletes and their families with an outstanding experience and history dating back to 1973. It has provided memories for many athletes and continues to grow and develop.

We are very proud to inform our school community that Kobi had an outstanding weekend with Meet Records in 4 events:

• U14 Boys 200m Multi-Class
• U14 Boys Discus Multi-Class 
• U14 Boys Javelin Throw Multi-Class
• U14 Boys Shot Put Multi-Class

Ashton Stonehouse - VicSRC Representative

Victorian Student Representative Council LTD was created by students to be a voice for students at the highest levels of decision making in Victorian education. VicSRC is led by a team of 15 secondary school aged students that make decisions collaboratively with a group of six adults about how VicSRC operates, what programs it offers and how it hears from students about what changes need to be made in education.

The 2025 student election was an incredibly competitive process, and Northern Bay College's very own Vice Captain Ashton Stonehouse was successful in achieving a place on the VicSRC's Student representative committee. Ashton is the only student from the Geelong region to earn a place. 

We sat down with Ashton to hear all about the process and next steps.

Tell us about the application and interview process!

So in my application, it asked specifically like what leadership stuff I done at my school before. I wrote that previously I'd been in SRCs for year nine and year 10, and I did a little bit of leadership stuff in year 11. I also put in that I had, done Be Bold Be Heard, which was representing women specifically and that I had also gotten into this year's leadership team as one of our four school captains. That was really it! I didn't put a lot because I know when there's too much, they might not read it. So I just put a little bit, to be nice and distinct. 

At the Interview, I think she was really interested in specifically what I'd done in the sense of, like, VM stuff and I just sort of told her a little bit about our plans with our leadership team now and how we meet quite regularly and how I'm constantly trying to get feedback from my own community and from the students in my program to make our program better. I explained her that I was the only person in our senior leadership team in VM, and how for me, that was really important. It wasn't about the fact that I got picked, it was about the fact that somebody from the program got picked and that was really important representation. 

Tell us about your first meeting with the VicSRC!

I got to stay in Melbourne for the the night and there were a few other students who did as well. We got to talk about our schools and we spoke a little bit about things we'd want to see change. It was a really good mix of people, but there was lots of different perspectives and lots of different ideas and things that they had, which I thought were really great. I definitely take inspiration from them.

Our next meeting's over the next school holidays. So our meetings, we do one online meeting each term, before we go to our in-person meeting, which is always over the holidays. 

What's next for the VicSRC?

I think a big part of it is changing the curriculum, which we've already discussed in our previous meeting. But I'd like to influence other students here to apply for it next year because this is something that I imagine is going to continue over the next few years.

I think that the mission that the VicSRC have to stand with and for students to elevate their voices to be heard is a really big thing for me. Like, that's that is the reason that I do leadership. It's always about empowering people and pushing them to overcome any, like any nervousness or anything step outside the box and just, you know, take a leap and do something different. Or if there's something they see and they're like, well, I really don't like this, I think it could be done like this. It would be really good to have the platform to be able to say that.

We wish Ashton the best of luck at the VicSRC! 

Stay tuned for the full interview is one of our local publications!