From the Principal Team

Celebrating Student Success – RoboCup Nationals 

Congratulations to our 11 students who represented Glen Eira College at the RoboCup National Championships in Canberra during the school holidays. Competing alongside approximately 750 students from across Australia, our students demonstrated outstanding problem-solving, programming, engineering and teamwork skills. 

Our results included: 

• Year 8 Soccer Team: Reached the quarter-finals. 
• Secondary Rescue Line: Jesse Machalek placed 6th out of 47 teams. 
• Riley Rover Rescue Line: Mika Machalek placed 13th out of 49 teams. 

These are wonderful achievements at a national level, and we are extremely proud of all students who participated. 

A special thank you to Osi and David Ebert for their dedication in preparing and supporting our students, including accompanying them on the long journey to Canberra. We look forward to the next national competition in Adelaide in 2027. 

New Caledonia – Learning Beyond the Classroom 

During the September school holidays, students participated in our New Caledonia language and cultural trip. This valuable experience provided opportunities to practise French in an authentic setting, experience another culture and develop independence and confidence. 

International learning experiences such as these are an important part of our commitment to developing globally aware and engaged young people. 

Thank you to Loveena Narayanen, Niketa Archer, Naomi Zander and TJ Pham for supporting and accompanying our students, and to Gabrielle Darvell and Penny for their extensive work behind the scenes to make the trip possible. 

Class of 2026 – Thank You and Best Wishes

A big thank you to our Year 12 students for the respectful and positive way they celebrated their final days at GEC. From four fantastic dress-up days to the Funfields excursion and final assembly, it was wonderful to see the cohort enjoying these special moments together.

Our final assembly was particularly memorable, with a heartfelt speech from Jenny M, a Year 12 parent. Hearing her perspective on the students' journey and their time at GEC was a wonderful addition to the celebrations.

A special thank you to Jeff Micallef, Laura Brancatella, Ting Pan, Elizabeth Tasiopoulos, Thomas Balme, Meagan Garnham, Miwako Langdon and Mark Oudshoorn for their leadership, organisation and ongoing support of our Year 12 students. Thank you also to all teachers and support staff who have guided and encouraged this cohort throughout their schooling and helped make their final celebrations so successful.

As our students prepare for their exams, we remind them that support remains available at GEC, including careers advice through Chris.Kotsonis@education.vic.gov.au Students are welcome to reach out to the College if they need assistance.

We wish the Class of 2026 every success with their upcoming exams and look forward to celebrating their achievements at the Valedictory Evening and Presentation Night.

Congratulations, Class of 2026! We are proud of you and wish you all the very best for the future.

Care and Respect – Strengthening Our School Culture 

Our 2026 focus on Care and Respect continues to guide our work across the College. 

This term, we are using feedback from students, staff and our Attitudes to School Survey to reflect on how we can further strengthen relationships, classroom learning environments and students' sense of belonging. 

We are working collaboratively with staff and student representatives to identify practical improvements, building on the positive practices already in place across the College. 

Our aim is to ensure every student feels known, valued, supported and able to learn in a respectful environment. 

2026 Art Exhibition – Celebrating Student Creativity

Congratulations to our talented Art and Design students on a wonderful exhibition opening on 12 October. It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout of parents, friends and staff celebrating the creativity and achievements of our students.

A special congratulations to our Deans Art Award winners: Elsie Barrett, Nina Todisco, Lucas Kennedy and Elizabeth Wong. Thank you to Lisa Clarke from Deans Art for presenting the awards.

Thank you to our Visual Art Captains, Elsie Barrett and Momona Ishikawa, for MCing, and to Kieran Fretwell and Hari Mani for capturing the evening through photography.

A big thank you to Karyn for her leadership, Keiko for her organisation, and Stuart, David and Mercy for their teaching and support of our students. The high standard of work on display is a credit to our students and the dedication of our Visual Art team.

Supporting Students – Reset and Return 

This term, we are strengthening our approach to supporting students who may experience difficulties managing their emotions, behaviour or engagement in the classroom. 

Our Reset and Return approach focuses on helping students recognise when they need support, access appropriate strategies to regulate their emotions and successfully return to learning. 

The approach emphasises early intervention, clear expectations, consistent responses and positive relationships. 

Importantly, we recognise the difference between a student requiring wellbeing support and behaviour that requires a consequence. 

Staff are undertaking professional learning to ensure the approach is implemented consistently across the College. 

See It, Report It – Supporting Student Voice 

We have introduced See It, Report It, a new confidential reporting process available to students through Compass. 

This initiative provides students with another way to raise concerns about incidents, inappropriate behaviour or situations that may be affecting their safety or wellbeing. 

Students can complete the reporting form in their own time, and a member of their Subschool Team will follow up to arrange a private conversation and provide appropriate support. 

Students have also been reminded that if they feel unsafe or require immediate assistance, they should speak directly with their Subschool Team or attend the General Office. 

We encourage families to discuss this initiative with their children and reinforce the importance of speaking up, seeking support and looking out for one another. 

Consistency in Teaching and Learning 

Our teachers continue to strengthen classroom practices through the implementation of the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0. 

An important part of this work is reviewing our College Instructional Model, SABRE, to ensure students experience consistent classroom routines, clear learning expectations and effective teaching strategies across their subjects. 

For example, establishing a common approach to beginning lessons will help students understand what is expected, settle quickly and engage positively in learning. 

This work will continue throughout Term 4, with staff collaborating to refine our instructional practices for 2027. 

Sustainability – Small Changes, Lasting Impact 

Sustainability continues to be an important priority at Glen Eira College. 

A new display showing live solar energy production and electricity consumption has been installed at the College. This provides a visible reminder of our commitment to reducing our environmental impact and helps students better understand how energy is used across the school. 

We are also reviewing energy consumption across our buildings to identify opportunities to improve efficiency. 

Looking ahead to 2027, sustainability will have an increased focus within our student leadership structure, with Sustainability Captains joining the Student Representative Council. 

This will provide further opportunities for students to lead initiatives and contribute to a more sustainable College. 

Cup Eve – Monday 2 November 

We recognise that student attendance on the Monday before Melbourne Cup Day has traditionally been lower than usual. 

To support continuity of learning, Monday 2 November will be a revision and consolidation day, with no new curriculum content introduced. 

Students are welcome and encouraged to attend. Classes will be combined where appropriate, with supervised learning and revision activities provided. 

This arrangement will also enable staff to undertake important professional learning and school improvement work in preparation for 2027. 

The Canteen will be closed on this day. 

We appreciate families' support and understanding of these arrangements. 

Finally 

Term 4 is always a busy and rewarding time, filled with opportunities to celebrate achievements, reflect on our progress and prepare for the year ahead. 

Thank you to our families for your continued partnership and to our staff for the care, commitment and dedication they demonstrate every day. 

I look forward to a positive and successful final term. 

Jane Thornton 

Principal