Intensive English Centre

What a whopping Term 2 it has been at the Intensive English Centre!

As we reach the end of another busy and exciting term, I would like to take a moment to celebrate the incredible achievements of our students and staff.

Firstly, a huge thank you to our executive team – Justin Morgan, Taahira Harrison, Cendel Southern, Isobel Francis and Anjana Raj – for their leadership, hard work, initiative and brilliant ideas throughout the term. Their dedication continues to make our IEC a wonderful place to learn and grow. This term, we welcomed an additional Wellbeing Coordinator to the IEC. Miss Murphy will now lead Stage 4 wellbeing programs, while Miss Ngo continues her fantastic work supporting Stage 5 students. Congratulations also to Miss Kremalas and Miss Shams on their appointments as Girls Advisers, and to Mr Donohoe, who joins Mr Vargas as Boys Adviser. We know our students will benefit greatly from their support and guidance.

Term 2 began with our ANZAC Ceremony, where Amir Jafari confidently represented the IEC by reading a poem to the entire school. We were incredibly proud of his courage and composure.

Students also launched into our new DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) program, borrowing books from the library and developing their reading skills during Periods 3–5. It's been wonderful to see so many students engaged in reading this term.

In sporting news, congratulations to Bahati, Mohammad A, Huseyin and Arhum, who were crowned age champions at the EHS Cross Country Carnival. What an outstanding achievement and fantastic representation of the IEC. A special shout-out also goes to Kyroh, Bhen, Justin and Glenn, who competed in the Basketball Knockout Tournament. They played brilliantly, scored baskets and represented our school with pride. In Week 5, Mr Donohoe, Mr Masda and Mrs Pather accompanied our talented footballers to the Football United Gala Day. Students gave their all on the field and enjoyed meeting other young people who share their passion for football.

Throughout the term, we held two Special Religious Education (SRE) sessions. Thank you to Mrs Fernando, Mrs Anwaryar and Mrs Leung for organising such seamless and enjoyable days for our students.

Mrs Anwaryar and Mrs Chopra's Commerce students also impressed us with their mock job interviews. Dressed professionally and speaking with confidence, they demonstrated excellent preparation and maturity. Mrs Harrison and I thoroughly enjoyed watching their presentations.

In Week 10, Mr Morgan and his team organised a Parent Information Session for families wanting to learn more about pathways to high school and TAFE. It was a mammoth undertaking, but one that reflects our commitment to ensuring every family feels informed, supported and connected.

One of the highlights of the term was undoubtedly World Refugee Week in Week 9. Our students danced, sang, wore beautiful cultural attire and proudly represented their countries and cultures. The day was a wonderful celebration of diversity, belonging and community. A special thank you goes to Mrs Pather for coordinating the IEC food, our amazing SLSOs for cooking and serving food, Miss Balasubramanian for organising the performances and whole-school lesson, Miss Kremalas for capturing beautiful photographs throughout the day and all staff who rehearsed with performers, supported activities and dressed in cultural attire to celebrate diversity alongside our students. The success of the day was truly a team effort.

In Week 9, Mrs Fernando and her Vocabulary Competition team hosted another exciting word challenge for our Level 2 and 3 students. It was fantastic to see students enthusiastically putting their language skills to the test.

Our wellbeing programs continued to flourish this term thanks to the hard work of Miss Ngo, Miss Murphy and the Wellbeing Team. A special mention goes to our Polynesian student group, who participated in Street University, Haka, dance and choir. Their commitment and energy were outstanding, and their hard work shone through during World Refugee Week celebrations.

The final week of term was packed with excitement thanks to Miss Murphy and Mrs Balasubramanian, who organised both the SLT Games and the IEC Showcase. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to maintain momentum right until the final days of term, and we are incredibly grateful for their dedication.

We would also like to congratulate Liaba and Quiam, our Students of the Week, for their positive contributions and achievements.

Finally, a special thank you to Miss Murphy, who runs Breakfast Club every Tuesday morning. Behind the scenes, there is a huge amount of organisation involved, and thanks to her efforts, our students begin their day fed, happy and ready to learn.

As Term 2 comes to a close, I would like to thank all of our staff, students and families for their ongoing support, enthusiasm and commitment. The IEC continues to be an amazing place to learn, connect and celebrate success together. We wish everyone a safe, restful and well-deserved break and look forward to another fantastic term ahead!