Secondary School

On this page: Rite Journey Homecoming/ Year 11 High Tea / French Snack and Movie Night / Ethics Olympiad / Year 11 Student Leadership Training / Mary's 'Impossible' / Measuring Head Impact

Upcoming Key Events

For all calendar dates, please see the School Calendar.

Tues 26 Nov - Mon 2 Dec	Year 10 Australian Business Week (ABW)
Wed 27 Nov	Year 12 Graduation & Speech Night
Mon 2 Dec	Year 10 Awards Assembly & Final Day
Tues 3 Dec	Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 Awards Assembly
Wed 4 Dec	Last Day of Term Year 7-9 Activity Day

Rite Journey Homecoming

It was a joy to celebrate the end of our Year 9 rite of passage program, The Rite Journey, together with parents and mentors at this year's Homecoming evening.

We teachers were delighted, awe-struck and freshly surprised at the every-day miracle unfolding again before our eyes: Children outgrowing childhood and rising to the call of becoming men and women with all the challenges that entails. Many of us were struck by the noticeable leap forward in maturity represented by not only their clothes (though they did look sharp, it has to be said), but even more by the speeches each of them made in the presence of their parents and mentors.

Hearing the openness, faith, confidence, and deep reflection in their words and their manner of carrying themselves filled us with hope for the blessing they will be wherever God may send them in the days and years to come.

We thank God that we can play some small part in being the 'village' that it takes to raise a child and commend these fantastic Year 9s to your ongoing prayers!

Nigel Eaton

Rite Journey Coordinator

Secondary School Teacher

Year 11 High Tea

Both of our Year 11 Food & Hospitality classes recently continued the Emmaus tradition of holding a High Tea for invited guests, including family, friends and staff.

This is also part of their assessed SACE Group Task requirements. Students worked in small groups to choose and prepare various foods reflecting traditional and contemporary High Tea trends found in South Australia.

Their groups chose individually themed table settings, created menus, and worked together to plan and prepare food and a selection of teas appropriate for a High Tea function.

Our thanks go to all those who supported this student event!

Mrs Jude Potter and Ms Liz March

Year 11 Food & Hospitality Teachers

French Snack and Movie Night

Our Year 7 students gathered for an unforgettable afterschool French Snack and Movie Night, a vibrant event that combined language practice with French culture and fun.

The evening provided Year 7s with a unique chance to apply their French skills in real-life situations, supported by older students who volunteered to help lead the activities. These Year 8, 9 and 10 mentors presented an assortment of classic French snacks, including croissants, madeleines, and baguettes, sharing both the food and their kindness as they helped the Year 7s with pronunciation and encouraged them to speak confidently.

Following the snack session, students participated in an interactive French movie screening designed to keep them actively engaged. Representatives from each of the four Year 7 classes were selected to answer questions about scenes from the movie in an inter-class competition, adding an element of friendly competition and encouraging attentive listening to the French dialogue. Cheered on by their classmates, each team’s effort made the movie-watching experience both educational and exciting.

Overall, the evening was a resounding success, filled with laughter, learning, and a strong sense of community. The Year 8, 9 and 10 students, with their servant hearts, provided invaluable support, serving as role models while reinforcing Year 7s’ enthusiasm for French. By combining conversation, culture, and competition, the event offered an enriching and enjoyable way to bring the language to life, fostering a love for French among our young learners.

Neven Daoud

Secondary School French Key Teacher (7-12)

Secondary School Mathematics Teacher (7)

Ethics Olympiad

What makes a human teacher irreplaceable by AI? Should a school consider replacing Mr Smith with an AI bot to save money? Can fast-fashion shoppers be held accountable for the industry’s unethical practices? These were just a few of the challenging questions our Year 7 and 8 students tackled as they represented Emmaus in the Ethics Olympiad earlier this month.

The Ethics Olympiad is a unique competition, emphasising respectful and thoughtful discussion rather than traditional adversarial debate. In this online event, students from across South Australia engaged in a series of rigorous ethical debates, honing their skills in communication, critical thinking, and collaboration. Throughout weekly training sessions since last term, our students worked hard to prepare, immersing themselves in complex ethical issues and learning to articulate reasoned and well-supported stances on each topic.

On 5th November, our Emmaus teams participated in four rounds of ethical discussions, each featuring a different scenario and encouraging students to explore multiple perspectives on challenging questions. Although our teams did not place, they showcased resilience and clarity and showed some really thoughtful insights into each ethical dilemma.

This competition was only the beginning, as our students' engagement with ethical reasoning continues to grow. We’re proud of their hard work and the enthusiasm they brought to the Olympiad. Congratulations to all who participated.

Keep an eye out for future opportunities to explore ethical thinking here at Emmaus.

For those interested, here are this year's cases:

Ethics Olympiad Cases

Nick Rodda

Secondary Maths/Science Teacher

Gifted and Talented Programme Key Teacher

Year 11 Student Leadership Training

Our Year 11 Student Leaders have begun preparing for their roles in 2025 with a two-day training session filled with exciting activities and valuable learning.

A standout experience was an Escape Room challenge in Adelaide’s CBD, where all teams successfully “escaped” by showcasing exceptional teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Throughout the training, students collaborated to identify their leadership strengths, explored what it means to be a leader in our school community, and began developing meaningful initiatives to implement next year. Their enthusiasm and creativity were inspiring, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact they will make as they step into their leadership roles.

Michael Worley

Director of Year 11-12

Mary's 'Impossible'

As we think about the end of the school year, we have also started thinking about the coming of Christmas. Homegroup 10Z were given the task of leading the Year 9-10 cohort in thinking about the stories of Elizabeth and Mary during Assembly. Surely this was a Mission Impossible? But as Gabriel said to Mary in Luke 1:37 (CEV) "Nothing is impossible for God". We experienced God's goodness in the inspiration, courage, community, fun, and all-around blessing that was our Assembly in Week 6.

Mary's and Elizabeth's babies were 'impossible', but Gabriel’s proclamation about the birth of Jesus is not simply wishful thinking but an indication that God has the power to make things happen. That includes our lives right now. The class were able to share something of the Bible stories in a fun and interactive way and also tell stories of God's modern-day miracles in the lives of people we know. We had a camel, two human-sized chickens, a gender reveal (Mary wins), an angel in a leather jacket, an intriguing magic/ miracle trick, some very funny videos and a whole class of actors.

As we think about Christmas - it might be about the presents, the best worship ever or our fabulous decorations - let’s be prepared for a new thing in our lives, however unlikely. Let’s expect God to seep into our hearts and let’s hope to bear the heart of God to a world in desperate need.

Liz March

Secondary School Teacher