Need to Know
It has been a wonderful way to finish the term, with a strong sense of community and plenty of opportunities for students and staff to connect beyond the classroom.
Our students thoroughly enjoyed a range of activities, including the now much-talked-about staff flash mob performing the Nutbush — a moment of fun that certainly brought plenty of smiles. The Cheer Cheese truck was also a welcome addition, with many students (and staff!) enjoying a cheese toastie, alongside a spirited staff versus student cricket match and a highly competitive staff/student chess tournament.
Importantly, a number of our students have also been participating in focus groups aimed at exploring how we can further enhance their experience at school. Student voice is highly valued at St Helena, and these conversations play an important role in shaping our future direction.
This month we were also delighted to host two Debutante Balls. It was fantastic to see nearly 700 friends and family members at each event, proudly supporting our young people. Our students looked wonderful and conducted themselves with great poise, doing themselves and their families proud. The Deb Balls are also an important fundraiser for the College. Like last year, I will be inviting students to contribute ideas on how to best use the funds raised — approximately $5,000. In 2025, this resulted in the installation of a water-bottle filling station, and I look forward to seeing what our students propose this year.
As we head into the cooler months, I would like to remind families of our uniform expectations, particularly in relation to tracksuit pants. Only cuffed pants are permitted. We want our students to take pride in their appearance, and wide-legged pants not only look untidy but also present a tripping hazard. Bob Stewart Uniform Supplies at University Hill stock tracksuit pants that have been manufactured at our request — they are made from quality fabric, cuffed, include two pockets (one zipped), and are cut to the same pattern as the popular Elite Eleven pants. These are available for $60.
A further reminder that hoodies are not permitted under any circumstances. Hoodies will be confiscated and held until collected by a parent or returned at the end of term, whichever occurs first.
I also ask all parents and carers to please follow the traffic management signage when entering and exiting the College. Unless accessing disabled parking spaces, the deliveries gate must not be used — all vehicles are to enter via the front driveway. The safety of our community is paramount, and I cannot emphasise enough the risks created when pedestrians, buses, bicycles and cars are all navigating a confined space. We have experienced several near misses in recent weeks. While I understand that the drop-off zone can be frustrating at busy times, I strongly encourage families to consider dropping students a short distance from the school and allowing them to walk the final stretch.
Thank you for your ongoing support throughout what has been a productive and positive term.
I wish all members of our community a restful and enjoyable Easter break. Whether you celebrate Easter or simply take the opportunity to enjoy Melbourne’s beautiful autumn weather, I hope the holidays provide time to relax and recharge.
Debating News
On the evening of Thursday 19 March, the first round of the 2026 DAV (Debating Association of Victoria) Competition was held, and our St Helena debaters shone as they delivered strong speeches on their respective topics.Our C Grade debaters (Year 10 level), comprised of Nila, Duscha and Asher, argued the negative side of the topic: That we should ban airlines from overbooking flights, and were victorious over Kew High School. Best speaker was awarded to Duscha Raghuvanshi. In D Grade (Year 9 level), our three teams each argued the topic: That it should be free to camp in all national parks in Australia.Team 1, Caitlin, Devika and Sasha, argued the negative side and successfully beat one of the Xavier College teams. Likewise, Team 3, also had an extremely convincing win over Xavier College though this time taking the affirmative side. The debaters of this team were Celeste, Joshua and Matilda. Best speakers were awarded to Devika Sumesh and Joshua Dworkin respectively. Team 2, comprised of Eva, Jeremy and Maddie, argued the negative side, and narrowly lost to Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School. The team is to be commended for each speaker’s excellent manner in that debate.Congratulations to you all for daring to be excellent and for representing our college so well in the community. Round 2 will be held during the first week of Term 2. Good luck teams!
St Helena welcomes Dr Eliza Bentley
Dr Bentley recently moved from South Australia where she taught at multiple schools including Seaview High School and Hamilton Secondary College. Back in 2013 she taught Drama at Dandenong High School for a couple of terms.
Dr Bentley has always loved the nuances of the English language, and wanted to be able to share my love of learning with others. She completed a PhD in English, researching time travel narratives. She has been playing competitive roller derby for over 12 years and will be representing Australia in an overseas tournament this year. Dr Bentley says everyone has been very welcoming and lovely and she is keen to start meeting her students and settling into the classes.
Staff Merits
Please use this link: Staff Merit – Fill out form
