SSP NEWS

SSP NEWS:

Our SSP Leader Renee Lane will be on Long Service Leave for Term 3 (this was scheduled prior to Renee commencing her role in 2024). Susie Robinson will be Acting SSP Leader for Term 3 and we wish her all this best throughout the Term!

We are thrilled to acknowledge and extend our heartfelt thanks to Geelong Galvanizing for being the first sponsor of our Fiji Tour for the female specialist soccer program students. Their generous donation is genuinely appreciated and will significantly and positively impact the student's journey. It's terrific to see such support for our students, and we encourage the WHC community to show their appreciation by supporting Geelong Galvanizing.

For over 30 years, Geelong Galvanizing has specialised in delivering high-quality surface finishes for steel installations and products in the construction, landscaping, and engineering industries.

We hot dip galvanize steel components for superior corrosion resistance and durability in wet or dry applications. Our paint over steel finishes deliver a strong, protective aesthetic for projects and our innovative Duplex coating system applies paint to galvanized steel for the ultimate in low maintenance, long-life performance.

We also manufacture a range of customised steel components to your specifications. These fabricated products may be grated walkways for the mining industry, pier fittings or cleats for infrastructure projects.

Netball 

NEWSLETTER 18/9

As we come to the end of Term 3, we have much to celebrate in the SSP Netball Program. On Friday 6th September our Year 8 Netball Team competed in the School Sport Victoria Netball State Championships and were Runners Up. They played extremely well all day winning all their round games. They had a tough Semi-Final where they fought so hard to eventually win by 2 goals in double overtime. They headed straight into the Grand Final with very little rest against a very strong Bendigo school. Unfortunately, the team couldn’t quite get the win in the grand final but second in the State, two years in a row now, is a pretty amazing result. Well done to all those involved and thank you for the wonderful family support we had on the day.

Not only did we have the team success of our Year 8 netball team, we have also recently had two of our Year 7 student athletes selected to be part of the School Sport Victoria Team Vic 12 & Under Netball Squad. Zara Fereti was selected as a training partner and Aliyah Lesa was selected as a team member to represent Victoria and compete at the School Sports Australia National Championships held in Melbourne from 8th September – 13th September. This was an amazing achievement to be selected as two of the top 16 netballers for their age group in the State. The Victorian team went on to win the Bronze Medal at the championships and Aliyah played an integral part in the team and represented WHC and the SSP Netball program extremely well. 

Our Year 7 and 8 Netball students in the program also had the opportunity to attend the National Championships as an excursion. It was great for our school be represented to be there to support Aliyah and Zara and the Victorian Team, but they also got to experience netball at a more elite level. They observed the high standard of netball on display and what goes into the preparation to be playing at this level. They also observed other states playing and took statistics and discussed trends of the game. It was a fantastic experience for our youngest netball athletes.

Special mention must also go to Evie Christopher who recently won the League Best and Fairest in the GDFNL 17 & Under Division 1 competition and Milla Saltalamacchia who was League Runner Up Best & Fairest in the BFNL 13 & Under Division 1 competition. Evie was also recently named in the Geelong Cougars Development Squad for 2025, fantastic reward for the hard work that Evie has consistently put in throughout her time in the SSP Netball Program. 

We are all very proud of these special achievements.

For the last part of the term at all levels we have been focusing on Nutrition in our education sessions. For our Senior girls this culminated with a learning task involving the researching, planning, preparing and then cooking of a nutritious snack or meal that would be an appropriate and good choice to fuel their body’s on a game day. We utilised the school’s cooking room last Friday, where the girls cooked and enjoyed the prepared recipes. We were extremely impressed with the level of knowledge and planning that went into these snacks/meals and the finished results were amazing. The students thoroughly enjoyed this activity and will go away with a WHC SSP Netball Recipe Book and many practical ideas they can now make and eat before, during or after a netball match. 

All the best to those athletes still in finals over the next couple of weeks. We would like to wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday break and look forward to getting back into it in Term 4.

Susan, Ainsley, Stacey & Seth

The SSP Netball Crew

AFL

Scratch Match vs Iona College

On Monday 16th September, our Year 9-11 girls took part in a scratch match against Iona College, on what was a true Geelong day weather wise! Our girls have had quite the year in the SSV competition and were excited for the opportunity to play against a school outside of our normal competition. It was also a unique chance for our intermediate students to play with some of our senior students, representing Western Heights for the first time as a combined team. 

The girls were absolutely fantastic all day, playing an exceptionally tough and physical style, whilst being clean and composed with the ball in spite of the conditions. This endeavour to work for one another and play for the team, saw them come away with a victory, 110-0.We look forward to providing these girls many more opportunities to play together and represent Western Heights against schools from around Victoria.

Intermediate Girls State Final

Exert from article to be featured in the Geelong Advertiser:

2024 has been a year of great achievement for the AFL Program, both on and off the field. We continue to applaud our students for their unwavering commitment in pushing themselves to find new limits in developing their football and as young people.

One group of individuals in particular represent everything that is what the development of young people is all about, and that is our Intermediate Girls. A team comprised of both year 9 and 10 students, from all 4 of Western Heights pillar programs (AFL, Basketball, Netball & Soccer), these young women represented the values of the AFL Program valiantly every time they took the field.

From the initial stages of the SSV competition, it was clear the work rate and capacity to compete harder and longer was a standout trait for the group and something that would prove to be vital as they progressed. This vigour, paired with a matched ability to take on feedback from the coaches during the game enabled them to adapt to the situation the game presented and outplay their opponents on almost every occasion. 

The girls entered the state final undefeated thus far, however met a worthy opposition in Rowville Secondary College, winners of the 2023 SSV Intermediate Girls State Final and a team who had no less than 7 days prior, taken out the 'Herald Sun Shield - Division 1' title. 

We entered the game willing and ready for the challenge, viewing it as a great opportunity to test ourselves against an exceptionally talented team in Rowville. The girls showed glimpses of what had become somewhat of their trademark across this 'season', an ability to compete at the contest and outnumber to gain possession and move the ball forward, however an inability to sustain this for extended periods proved to be costly as the game went on.

Ultimately suffering defeat, we left disappointed, but extremely proud of the development we have experienced as a group, and individuals this season. We as coaches, look forward to continuing to support this group become valuable young women in the community, through their leadership, dedication and engaging personas, whilst having the privilege of also being able to play a role in the development of something that brings them joy, their football.

This group represents everything there is to love about coaching and should be extremely proud of the footprint they leave behind for future girls to follow within the program and beyond.

Senior Boys State Final

It's fitting, that a team containing 6 members of our inaugural intake of students from 2021 when the program began, have gone on to be a part of the programs first ever State Championship.

A lot of the young men that took part in this team, were a part of a state final two years ago where we were outplayed on the day, by a side who were willing to compete longer and more consistently than what we were. It is a credit to the development of this group, that two years later, when presented with the same challenge, of a far bigger opposition, on a miserable day, the ability to show the growth in not only their skill, but their ability to absorb pressure from the opposition and stick to the game plan, to walk away victorious. 

Our program prides itself on students being ultra-competitive in the contest, working relentlessly for their teammates and always putting the team first. 

Deservedly so, this group will always be able to say they were a part of the programs first State Championship, doing so by playing in a way that represented everything the program is about. We as coaches and staff are incredibly proud of not just the boy's performance on the day, but their contribution to our program and the school as a whole and will always look back on the day as a monumental occasion for the program. 

We wish those students who are leaving us this year all the best in their footballing future, and look forward to continuing to work with those who will continue on in our program going forward to hopefully achieve our second State Championship sooner rather than later.

Basketball

Soccer

The Western Heights College soccer program is making remarkable strides this year! We are thrilled to announce that we have successfully completed trials for the incoming group of Year 7 students. The talent we’ve seen in both the girls' and boys' groups is truly exciting, and we can’t wait to see how they develop in the program.

A massive Congratulations to our exceptional Year 7 Girls team for clinching the coveted State Schools Victoria (SSV) title! This victory is a testament to the countless hours of training, teamwork, and unwavering commitment that have gone into this year. Our players, not all from the soccer program demonstrated extraordinary skill, resilience, and sportsmanship throughout the tournament, resulting in a well-deserved title win. 

Our intermediate girls won two of their three games in the State Finals, narrowly losing to Rowville 2-0. Alot of positives came from the day knowing that all of these girls bar 1 can compete in the same competition next year. 

Our success extended beyond the State Title with an amazing performance at the Schools Cup Invitational Tournament. We proudly secured two invitational wins, the first being with our year 7/8 girls and also our boys 9/10 team.

Looking ahead, we are also busy securing sponsorships for our upcoming Under-15 Girls International Tournament in Fiji. This trip promises to be nothing short of phenomenal, providing our girls with the chance to engage with the local community while delivering donations and support. Competing against Fijian teams and other international players will be an incredible experience, allowing our athletes to connect and grow both on and off the field. 

At Western Heights College, we feel privileged to offer our girls such enriching experiences, and we are committed to making this trip financially accessible for all families involved. We believe that these opportunities not only enhance their soccer skills but also foster important values of community service and cultural exchange.