Dear Collingwood College Community,

We have been thinking carefully about what to write to you after such a difficult and deeply sad end to our term.

Our community has been profoundly saddened by the passing of one of our Year 10 students, and recently by the passing of our much-loved Steiner teacher, Christine Park. Both losses have been felt deeply across our school. Our thoughts remain with their families, friends, students, colleagues and all those in our community who knew and cared for them.

We have arranged for a parent session for understanding grief and loss online in Week 1 next term. This free online webinar is for adults who are parents and carers and supporters of young people. It aims to:

Provide information regarding children and young people's mental health
Build understanding of grief, loss and ways to support
Explore the conversational approach to talking to your young person
Strengthen awareness of local and national support services available to young people and carers
Grow skills and strategies to encourage help-seeking and self care

Please note: This is an online event for adults who are parents and carers of children and young people. All participants must register to be able to attend and receive follow up help seeking information post session. All cameras and audio of participants will be disabled. The session will not be recorded

For more information or questions contact - programsupport@headspace.org.au

Further details are in the Community News section of this newsletter.

Amidst this sadness, the final weeks of term have also reminded us of something incredibly important about Collingwood College the strength, care and generosity of our school community. There have been many moments of connection, celebration and joy, and we wanted to share some of those with you.

Women of the World Trivia Night

It was a pleasure to attend Audrey from Year 9's Women of the World Trivia Night. Audrey, one of our Year 9 students, brought together around 30 people and raised an incredible $900 as part of her MYP Community Project. It was wonderful to see the thought and organisation she had put into the evening, including an amazing collection of prizes, and particularly to see the leadership she demonstrated in bringing her project to life. Congratulations, Audrey!

Rotary Club of Richmond Education Awards

We were also very proud to attend the Rotary Club of Richmond Education Awards. Congratulations to Amy Buckerfield, Corrina Pellerino, Mel Singleton, Josh Whelan and Chris Millard, who were recognised for their contributions across teaching, educational leadership and education support. It was inspiring to hear and reflect upon the impact each of them has had as educators and leaders.

Grade 1/2 Sleepover

Another highlight was seeing our Grade 1/2 students have their first school sleepover. By the time I saw Simon the following morning, it looked as though he had managed to get at least some sleep! A few students had woken at 3.00am wondering whether morning had arrived, so it was certainly a memorable night. Congratulations to our 1/2 team for creating such a wonderful experience for the students – and, of course, to Jumbo, our school dog, who was undoubtedly one of the stars of the event.

Swing into Spring

A huge congratulations also goes to Hannah Marshall, Gus Casey, Geoff Rundell, Liz Keily, Brooke Simmons, Sanna Dijkema, and Juno Kane, and to everyone who contributed to making Swing into Spring such a fantastic community event. It was wonderful to see students, staff, families and members of our broader community come together on such a beautiful spring day. We were particularly grateful for the enormous support of our parent community in helping bring the event to life. Many thanks to the additional support from Fitzroy High School with staff volunteering to support the day at the last minute.

One of the most special parts of the day was seeing so many people return to Collingwood College – former families, past students, neighbours and community members – alongside families who are excited about joining our school in the future. We are thrilled to have Swing into Spring back on the weekend, and the beautiful weather certainly helped make it a very special day. Thank you to everyone who volunteered, performed, ran stalls, helped behind the scenes or simply came along and enjoyed the day with us.

Year 9 Camp Gariwerd/Grampians

Year 9 enjoyed meadows of wildflowers and mountain views on the Gariwerd/Grampians hike. The class persevered, played games, supported each other and will walk taller in the world. Many thanks to Amy and Sarah who accompanied our students and made the camp possible.

Class 3C Camp

Finally, 3C headed off on a beachside camp this week, and what a fabulous time they had. Students have touched their toes in water, fossicked in rock pools and walked to Coolart Manison. These experiences – camps, sleepovers, performances, community projects and celebrations – are such an important part of growing up at Collingwood College.

As we reflect on the end of this term, what stands out most is our kind community.

Even when really sad things happen, our community continues to turn up for one another. People notice when someone needs support. That is one of the most exceptional things about Collingwood College is how much people care. Our staff care deeply about our students and one another. Our students care about their friends, their teachers and their community. Our families and broader community care about this school and the people within it.

Over these past weeks, we have seen that care expressed in countless ways, both big and small. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported our school and each other during this time.

As the weather begins to change and spring has certainly arrived, we hope everyone has a safe, peaceful and restful holiday break. Take care of yourselves and one another.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 4 and continuing to celebrate the learning, growth and achievements of all our students.

Thank you, as always, for your care and support of our wonderful school.

Kind Regards,

Angela Watters and Chris Millard

Principals

Grief Support Session