2024 Issue No.6

The last week of term and reports

As we move into the mid semester break, reports will be published on the last Friday of the school term.

Why are reports important? What a perfect opportunity for our parents/carers to come together with their son/daughter and unpack the result of a semester’s work:

What went well?

What didn’t go so well?

What can we all do to support you?

These powerful conversations (and sometimes, tough conversations) need to be had to establish a clear horizon on an improvement focus – this is all students…how can we continue to improve? Everyone in our learning community has a role to play. Our college is committed to offering high impact teaching, that suits learners at their point of need. A student’s responsibility is to work to the best of their ability, without disrupting themselves, the teacher, or their peers that want to learn; it’s a very sensible, doable, social contract that must exist, for all to thrive and flourish.

College Uniform

Emerald gets very cold.

We know that.

There are enough items on the College uniform list to keep our students warm. Hoodies have started to emerge, but they’re not on the uniform list. To that end, the uniform policy says that any undergarment can be worn, as long as it’s not visible. There are some economical clothing options available at the major retailers, that will suffice.

The College is a uniform school – a uniform encourages equity and a sense of belonging. Thank you for your ongoing support and co-operation in this matter.

Respect for School Staff

As a staff team at Emerald Secondary College, your local community college, we know and understand that there will be times when activities at school, actions taken by the school or communications with the school may cause parents and carers to become upset, angry or frustrated. 

Wherever possible, our staff team are committed to working through any issues or difficulties that students and families may be experiencing. Thank you to many of our families who handle these situations in a sensitive, proactive, positive and respectful manner.

This mutual modus operandi allows us to maintain a positive working relationship, which supports the positive outcomes for our students.

Our Respect for School Staff Policy, found on our website, clearly outlines our mutual interactions and behaviours.

Staffing changes starting next term

Teacher shortages have impacted our college, and we continue to strive and ensure that students have a positive learning experience. Thus, there have been quite a few changes set in place:

• Ms Korsten will be on leave for the remainder of 2024, until mid 2025 – she has taken up a position in the independent system
• Mr Thethi will be retiring at the end of this term
• Ms Stanton has taken up a position at another school
• Mr Bonollo has decided to focus on being a CRT for a while
• Ms Wylaars has taken up a position at another school
• Ms Caitlin Donders will be leaving our Numeracy TLI program and joining a private company
• Mrs Haines, from reception, has chosen to go back to tertiary studies

We thank all the above staff, for their service to our college and wish them all the best.

We welcome:

• Ms Norman, Leading Teacher, who will oversee Disability Inclusion and our wellbeing programs
• Ms Ryan, who will be teaching Humanities/English
• Mr Ryan, who will be taking up a P/T Maths’ position
• Mx J, (Jumppoen), who will be teaching Humanities and VM
• Mr Saliba, who will be teaching Ms Forster’s Science classes, as she will be on LSL next term

We welcome our new staff. We are still recruiting and look forward to making further announcements next term.

Building Program

Plans are well underway for the construction of a new ‘G’ Block. Engineers are running tests, analysing soil for footings, checking power and IT needs and discussing accessibility.

The first part of the program is about to take place and that is a brand new roof on E block and D block respectively. Decanting will start next term, with works to start asap, until the end of this year.

Have a restful break and we’ll see you all next term – a reminder that there is 2.30pm finish this Friday, and the first day back for students is Tuesday, 16^th of July.

James
College Principal

A note from your School Council President:

With the mid semester break almost upon us our students have their second semester of 2024 to look forward to, meaning for some: new subjects, new teachers, and different combinations of students in classes. We have rounded out the end of semester one with: Celebration Assemblies to recognise sporting and academic achievements; a Winter Concert showcasing the impressive, eclectic talents of our music students; Regional Cross-Country; Senior Sports Days; and City Excursions, just to name a few. These events provide students with opportunities and experiences beyond the classroom which are be both valuable and memorable for all involved.

While School Council discussions bring together an array of perspectives, instincts, experience and expertise, there is also the foundation of data driven analysis. School Council members saw first-hand the positive, upward trends across all year levels from the Attitudes to School Survey results. No doubt, challenges remain, and new ones will present themselves however, it is very exciting to see substantial growth across the board for all year levels, reinforcing why our local community college should remain the school of choice for all families in the area.

As has been communicated in our last two college newsletters, we are working towards our fundraising goal to build a much-needed shelter over the current bike area. All families will see a Compass Event in the next few days and we hope we can work together to reach our financial goals. Our student leadership team also presented an exciting proposal for a community event, to be held towards the end of the year, which will also assist us in raising necessary funds. Keep an eye out for these exciting developments. It’s wonderful to see our students taking responsibility in both planning and running an inclusive community event, demonstrating their willingness to being actively engaged in their community and understanding the importance of giving back. We look forward to supporting our student leadership team in creating an event for all to enjoy.

Over the past months, School Council has been discussing the Debutant Ball and other social events, specifically for our senior school students. We continue to encourage student voice and agency to ensure we have an understanding of what our student body both needs and wants.

Over the coming months we will start to see progress with both D block and E block having their roofing replaced as part of the Capital Works Funding we received in the 2023 State Budget.

All in all, things are on the up and up at Emerald Secondary College. Being a parent myself, I completely understand that at times there can be points of frustration, differing opinions and uncertainty. However, the school continues to grow and learn and I am confident that if we all continue to work together we can ensure our children have every opportunity to achieve their current and future goals and are prepared for all that lies ahead of them post Emerald Secondary College. Let’s remember that this is a school with a rich history, producing students that have gone on to be international music stars, AFL greats, Leading Global Engineers and everything in between. It’s important to always remember that the lessons learnt along the way, outside the classroom, throughout the challenges; also go a long way in preparing students for the many life experiences ahead.

Nadia Beardshaw
School Council President
[email protected]

Update on our Wellbeing Dog Axel

Students may have noticed that Axel hasn’t been around much lately at the College.  He’s had a little trouble adjusting to the business of the school environment – students and staff have been outstanding in their respect for his space and the adhering to the 3 expectations –

• We say hello to the person, not the dog
• We give lots of space when we pass the dog
• We keep moving (don’t stand around and stare)

We’ve been liaising with Dogs Connect, our Mentorship Program and with the Core Team of staff and students.  We’ve also enlisted the support of a dog behaviourist to see how we can best make sure Axel’s wellbeing is looked after and also meet the needs of students in terms of the aims of the program.  Turns out Axel may be much like the typical teenager – feedback indicates he may just be a tad stubborn! 

The Core Team are progressing with a plan to move forward with next semester.  In the meantime, Axel is enjoying his best life at home with his mates Wilbur and Walter. 

Reports

Reports have been published, and we look forward to reviewing them to celebrate students’ academic success. This has already started in year-level assemblies. Reports are important component of your child’s education as they indicate where students are academically, allowing us to extend and/or support them moving forward. Please take the time to review your child’s report and discuss their results with them.

Academic Reviews

Next term, we will conduct academic reviews based on reports and have meetings with students to support them academically and set goals that will help them thrive moving forward. Further details will come next term.

New Subjects

There is a buzz in the senior block as VCE students switch into Units 2 and 4. This is a big milestone for our VCE students and signals their progress towards their VCE certificate. There is also excitement among students preparing for their Semester 2 subjects. Our Middle Years students are eager to see what their Semester 2 electives have in store. The Middle Years program allows students to undertake a wide range of subjects in preparation for selecting their VCE subjects, which is coming soon.

GAT

A big thank you to the Senior School team for their organisation and a massive well done to the VCE students who undertook this. For most students, it was their first experience with a VCAA exam. A lot of learning took place, and it was great preparation for their end-of-year exams. Students were rewarded with a hot chicken roll at lunch, expertly served by our VM students, which was very popular!

Subject Selection

The time of year for subject selection is upon us. Students will begin to look towards next year and select their subjects based on future pathways. Keep an eye on Compass for more details pertaining to your child’s year level.

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support Update

The School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) team would like to welcome Samantha McLean who is joining us in Semester 2. The team is now comprised of:

• Samantha (Year 7 Learning Engagement Leader)
• Emily Hay (Leading Teacher – Senior School)
• Louise Mc Innes (Learning Specialist)
• Jack Talbot (VCE English Teacher)
• Felicity Wooden (Wellbeing Co-ordinator)
• Melissa Findlay (Acting Assistant Principal)

So far, the Emerald Secondary College SWPBS team has:

• Completed Tier One Training
• Launched the Broad Expectations framework that will underpin SWPBS
• Identified areas of the College where it is most appropriate to explicitly teach expected behaviours
• Transitioned to major and minor behaviours, structuring a data platform through compass
• Identified potential behaviours in the targeted areas of the college

The next step on our journey is to meet as a staff and share the behaviours identified by the SWPBS team. Staff will work in teams to provide feedback and further suggestions.

Members of our college community are welcome to provide feedback on the updates that have been shared in the College Newsletter, by contacting Melissa Findlay on 5968 5388.

Tanja Korsten, Melissa Findlay & Tiana Clayworth 

Assistant Principals

College Captaincy Report

Year 12

As the semester is quickly coming to an end, so too is VCE Unit 3 and our Year 12 cohort has been busy preparing and studying for final SACs and completing the last of the coursework ready for the commencement of Unit 4. We can’t believe were nearly halfway through the year and Year 12! Us Year 12s are also prepping for the upcoming GAT (General Achievement Test) testing our general knowledge and skills, to be completed by all Year 12 students and any accelerated Year 11 student completing a Year 12 subject. Throughout Senior School it has also been great to see our Year 11s studying hard as they complete their first VCE exams for Unit 1.

There has also been much excitement throughout our Year 12s as we get ready to come together and celebrate as a year level at our Year 12 Formal this weekend!

Senior Leadership Mentoring Opportunity

This week, we as college captains, Mitchell, Keilah, Charlotte, and I, as well as our school’s senior SRC leader Cadence, were invited to participate in the Rotary/ESC Community Mentor program. This opportunity allows us to build a one-on-one community focused and based relationship and connection with a member from the Rotary club, mentoring us to further build our leadership skills and support us through these last months of secondary college, as well as discussing how leadership is a vital skill to our future pathways afterschool and throughout our lives. On behalf of the senior leadership team, I would like to thank the Rotary mentors for generously providing us with their time and commitment to the program and look forward to our future meetings and ongoing support.

Lily Cochrane
College Captain

It has been a very eventful few weeks at the college, with an SRC fundraiser raising funds for Kids Under Cover, the 2024 Winter Concert and much more.
It was my pleasure to assist in running the carnival food fundraiser alongside SRC leader Alice Mattille, also assisted in advance by SRC leader Cadence Tyrell. The fundraiser raised $171.80 for Kids Under Cover thanks to the support of the students and staff who gathered in the quadrangle to get their hands on some delicious carnival food.

The Music Concert was a wonderful night enjoyed by supporting friends and family. The concert helped to raise funds for the music department and provided a wonderful opportunity for music students to demonstrate their musical talents and practice their performance skills.

Both events received wonderful positive feedback from the community, and we are now even more excited for term three and all the wonderful experiences and events it will bring! This includes Pyjama Day on the first Friday back in Term 3 (19th June) raising funds for the Pyjama Foundation that goes to children in foster care. Thank you to all that supported these events and get excited for an amazing Term 3!

Keilah Dewar
College Captain (on behalf of the captaincy team)

Ms. Rose
Office Administrator / First Aid Officer

How long have you worked at Emerald Secondary College?
l have been working at Emerald Secondary College for the last 11 months. In that time l have taken on the position of Administration and First Aid Officer.

What is your role at school?
In my role l have been looking after the sick bay, updating all the Asthma and Allergy Plans, creating new student plans, and making sure the medical side of things are up to date.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job would be working with an amazing group of people and looking after the children as they have been welcoming and l love taking care of them.

If you could eat one food for the rest of your life what would it be?
If l could only eat one food for the rest of my life it would be Chocolate 😊

Mr. McRae
Year 9 Engagement Leader, History/Politics/English Teacher

Hi! I am Steve McRae.

I am one of the two year 9 Learning Engagement Leaders. I am into my second year at Emerald Secondary College, having completed a couple of years at South Oakleigh Secondary College previously.

I have come into teaching through a bunch of other experiences, both in my home in New Zealand and over here in Aus.

• Supervisor on a strawberry farm in the Sunshine Coast
• Sales merchandiser for Coca Cola in NZ
• Sales Merchandiser for Goodman Fielder
• Furniture removalist in Canberra
• Worked as a fitter and turner in Dandenong south for 5 years or so
• Worked as a cutter for a company that made these enormous vulcanised rubber mats for the mining industry

All walks of life, working with pretty much every version of people that exist and I think this is something that really helps me when it comes to building relationships in the school environment.

Building these relationships is critical to being a quality teacher, both in terms of delivering curriculum and in managing a successful classroom.

My major passion (other than my wife, kids and two dogs) is soccer (football). I am in my 33rd year of playing, and as I get older have started transitioning into senior coaching and am currently the senior coach at Monbulk Rangers. Sport has always been an important outlet for me, there is tough times that everyone goes through and I have not been immune to them – sport has always been something that helped me move through these times both with the hard physical work involved, and the social network that exists in strong team based sports.

I get a massive kick out of seeing students/players take on my feedback, clearly apply and see the look on their faces when it works – knowing I have helped growth in another person is pretty cool and something that is a big part of why I have embarked on this new career in education.

Now for a couple of the fun questions –

1. If I had to eat one meal for the rest of my life, what would it be? 100% bangers and mash
   
   
2. If I could be a superhero, what powers would I have? The ability to instantly calm down any tantruming child.

I love being a teacher – I am new to education and even newer to this school, but whilst parts of the job are difficult, the staff I work with every day make it a place that I look forward to going to on the daily.

Mrs. Haines
Reception / Administration

What is your role at the school?
I’m in Reception/Administration, which means I am usually the first stop for people contacting the College. I help with anything from emails to phone calls, administering band aids, creating newsletters, making PA announcements to selling chocolate. Being in reception keeps me very busy!

When you were little what did you aspire to be?
A meteorologist.

If I had to eat one meal for the rest of my life, what would it be?
This is shamefully simple- rice crackers with tomato, cheese and cracked pepper. 

If you were a superhero, what superpowers would you have?
Time turning. I would love the ability to re-do the last minute of any conversation at will.

What skill would you like to master?
I would like to be able to speak fluent Auslan. I learned baby sign when my children were babies but would love to be able to hold a conversation with someone in sign language.

Can you believe that we are one whole Unit down in (semester 1) of 2024?

Congratulations to all our students and staff for all your contributions throughout the semester. Thank you to all our families for their supports with study preparations, afterschool SAC pickups, a shoulder to lean on and of course the stabilisers of our students.

We often talk about healthy habits; a habit takes around 60 days for it to become routine and rigour. So academic success is not solely about hitting the books relentlessly. By prioritising sleep, nourishing your body, managing stress effectively, incorporating regular physical activity, and adopting healthy study habits. As you travel along your academic journey, remember that cultivating these healthy habits contributes not only to your academic achievements but also to your overall well-being. Striking this balance will empower you to thrive academically and lead a fulfilling student life.

Semester 2 VCE SAC calendar can be found on compass to support planning of students and their families.

Year 10

The year 10s adjusted well to senior school. They have been receiving a lot of information recently regarding their pathways for 2025 and beyond; What does their pathway look like VCE or VCE VM? On Tuesday the 16^{th of} July the cohort will have the opportunity to hear from domain leaders and attend the careers fair that will kickstart the conversations around their final years at ESC and planning for their future beyond VCE / VCE VM. Please encourage them to read over the information from Ms Kennedy.

In other news it was fantastic to see the number of students that managed to find work experience for this week. These students have been contacted over the phone or visited by staff members; we have received really positive feedback from the employees.

Thank you to Mr Tony Taylor and Mr Anthony Gale who continue to work closely with the year 10s as their Learning and Engagement Leaders.

Celebration Assembly Awards for term 2:

Barry Plant – Elizabeth Gault

Respect – Jack Lord

Harmony – Aidan Bailey

Resilience – April Gaze

Excellence – Brianna Wallace 

Year 11

I believe that the reality of VCE is starting to sink into our year 11 cohort who have navigated their way through this semester. We have worked on having positive mindsets and developing healthy habits when it comes to study and life balance all while maintaining academic emphasise. Unit 1 exams were held in week 7 to which we were very impressed how each of the students approached the week with motivation and positive work ethic.

The cohort has been led by Ms Grace Sleit who goes above and beyond for all the students in the cohort, she even performed (with the support of senior school members) a song in their celebration assembly. It was great to see so many lovely photos of the students who participated in the annual Rotary Debutant ball and now as I write this article, 36 students and 4 staff members are edging closer to the warmer weather in our beautiful backyard on the Central Australia camp. We look forward to hearing about their adventures.

Celebration Assembly Awards

Barry Plant- Taj Porter 

Respect- Darcy Warford 

Resilience – Alice Nielson 

Harmony – Michael Lorne 

Excellence – Bella Richardson 

Year 12

Wow! Year 12s are heading into their last ever term 3 at secondary school. With 12 weeks of classes to go in their secondary school life we continue to build our relationships, increase study rigour, and enjoy each day. This cohort has really shown their resilience over that past few years and we commend them on their connections.

Throughout our musters each week Yoni, Hamish and Maddi have been running our “Rosie” shout outs which has become a very popular time for the group. It is amazing to see the students acknowledging one another for all the big and little things.

Please take notes of the following dates:

• Friday 20^th October – last day of classes for year 12 VCE VM and unscored students
• Tuesday 22^nd October – Last day of classes for VCE students
• Wednesday 23^rd October – ALL year 12 students – Celebration breakfast and assembly.
• Tuesday 29^th October – VCAA exams begin with English.
• Thursday 21^st November – Year 12 2024 Valedictory. More details to come.

Celebration Assembly Awards

Barry Plant Good Choice award – Jessica Marshall

Respect – Christina Colic

Harmony – Jayden De Chalain May

Resilience – Erin Williams

Excellence – Lena Dellaert 

We look forward to seeing everyone in term 3. Wishing you all a happy and safe midyear break.

Emily Hay- Head of Senior School

Student ID Cards

First Aid

Student Medical Details

Please ensure that your child’s medical details are up to date with the school. This includes the following:

• Hearing / Speech / Vision / Mobility impairments
• Asthma
• Medications
• Medical conditions
• Allergies

If your child has any new or existing medical conditions or allergies that we do not have on file, please contact the school. It is imperative that the school has this information on file in case of any emergencies.

Dental Van

Thank you to all the students who visited the Dental Van last week. For any student who wasn’t able to attend, we recommend you contact EACH to see if you are eligible for their Dental Oral Health Program, Smile Squad. 

Selina Rose
First aid Officer

Recently, Year 11 Art Making and Exhibiting students visited the National Gallery of Victoria for a visual diary viewing and guided tour of the annual ‘Top Arts’ exhibition, which showcases a range of high-level works from VCE Art students of the previous year.

This was a great experience for the class, who had only recently just finished completing their own outstanding artworks as part of their Unit 1 practical study.

Dale Fyfe

Year 8 Science and 7SEAL Science

This week year 8 science students and 7SEAL science students have started their Term 3 science unit with an introduction to cells and microscopes.  This is a favourite activity for these classes as many students have never used a microscope before and are amazed with the detail that can be seen in ordinary things.  Students looked at samples from pond water, various plants and animals, as well as inorganic material like fibres and salt. Some students were even able to take photos of their favourite specimens, including a fly wing, a mosquito larva, rat testes cells dyed pink and purple, and crystal fibres.

Year 7 dissection experiments 

Last week Year 7 science students participated in their first dissection to complete their classification unit. The dissection focused on skeletons and included 3 specimens each with a different type of skeleton: A bony fish with an endoskeleton, a prawn with an exoskeleton, and a squid with a hydrostatic skeleton (animals with hydrostatic skeletons have no real skeleton, but are held up by the water they live in). Students discussed the advantages and disadvantages of each type of skeleton and also practiced good lab safety and proper dissection procedures.

Year 7 Zoo Excursion

On Friday 21 July, the Year 7 cohort made the trip to Melbourne Zoo as part of their science unit on classification, adaptations and relationships in ecosystems. Zoo staff were on hand to speak to students about different animals at the zoo and allowed students to examine some amazing biofacts (skulls) and classify the animals according to what they eat, how they see and hear, and their habitats. They got to get up close with elephants, giraffes, macaws, and some very cute little monkeys. Everyone had a great time!

National Youth Science Forum (NYSF)

National Youth Science Forum applications close in mid-July!

Are you a Year 11 student passionate about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)? Do you want to meet like-minded young people from across Australia?

Do you want to learn more about your study and career options? Look no further than the 2025 National Youth Science Forum Year 12 Program! Applications close in mid-July: https://www.nysf.edu.au/programs/year-12-program/ 

Ashley Forster

It has been an exciting term for our junior and middle years humanities classes with a focus on History.

Students in our Year 7 Humanities and Humanities: SEAL classes conducted a historical inquiry on with some amazing artefacts being created. The creativity that was on show was amazing!

Students in our Year 8 Humanities classes have looked at the Middle Ages throughout the term and presented their knowledge and understanding through a podcast for their assessment task. An amazing amount of effort went into the historical research, script writing and presentation. Well done Year 8s.

In our middle years electives, students in the Disasters and Destruction class ended the unit by creating their own set of ruins. 

Fiona Minorgan

What a great time we have been having in wellbeing

Year 7 team building day

A day for all year 7s to get together and have a wonderful day with different activities.  They started with a presentation from The Black Dog institute on “Mental Fitness” learning about strategies to build mental fitness, how social connection can positively or negatively impact mental fitness, signs that a friend is/might be struggling with their mental health and ways to help them with resources to support their own and others mental health and wellbeing.

Next the students went from group to group and participated in Yoga, Treasure Hunt, painting mural pieces and Marrung games.  We ended the day with lots of fun and cheering in the gym.  The photos do not express how much fun they had.

Red 202

Another wellbeing program is RED 202 – A program with a select group of students working with our chaplain Brendan to help strip and rebuild an engine – Lots of hands-on fun. 

Toolbox education

We were lucky to have Toolbox Education come to our school with interactive and informative presentations for our junior school –

Year 7s – Emotion Regulation –

• Sometimes emotions can take over, this workshop was helping students understand how to let emotions out before exploding, and strategies to help them calm

Year 8s – Mental Movies

• Our minds can play mental movies over and over again, this can cause worry and anxiety, the workshop gave students some strategies to disconnect from these movies.

Year 9s – Thinking Traps (Coming in term 3)

• Our minds can often have negative thoughts, this workshop will help students to identify and manage these thoughts.

Wellbeing during the school holidays

Support numbers for families
Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14
Lifeline Australia TEXT : 0477 13 11 14 (6pm to midnight, 7 days a week)
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
Parentline: 13 22 89
FrontYard Crisis Housing & Support: 9977 0077
WAYYS Housing: 9791 6111
MensLine Australia : 1300 78 99 78, 24 hours / 7 days a week.
Relationships Australia: 9725 9964 
https://onlinecounselling.relationshipsvictoria.com.au/
EACH Family Relationships Centre : 1300 00 3224
Child First. You can self-refer by calling 1300 369 146
Safe Steps (1800 015 188) – provides 24-hour statewide family violence support
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – provides 24-hour sexual assault and family violence information, counselling and support
The Orange Door – supports families experiencing family violence and families who need extra support with the care of children
What’s OK At Home? – a website for children and young people aged 10 to 17
Djirra (1800 105 303) – offers phone and face-to-face legal, emotional and cultural support from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, for Aboriginal people experiencing family violence
InTouch Multicultural Centre Against Family Violence (1800 755 988) – offers specialist family violence support from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, for migrant and refugee women
Rainbow Door (1800 729 367) – free service by text, phone and email from 10 am to 5 pm daily, for LGBTIQA+ people and allies
No to Violence (1300 766 491) – works with and helps men who use family violence
WIRE (Women’s Information and Referral Exchange) (1300 134 130) – free support, referrals and information by phone, web chat and email, from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, for all Victorian women, non-binary and gender-diverse people.

Felicity Wooden

VCES Maths Games Day

On Thursday 27^th June, fifteen Year 7 and Year 8 students travelled to Box Hill High School to take part in the Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series (VCES) Maths Games Day.  Students worked in groups of four to complete a series of math games and challenges.  There were also participants from Box Hill HS, East Doncaster SC, Portland SC, Doncaster SC and Brentwood SC.

High ability students were invited to the day and participated in a wide variety of maths games that challenged their mathematical thinking and reasoning.  The day provided opportunities to meet other like-minded students and to amplify productive learner dispositions as they engaged in team challenges.  This allowed time to foster curiosity, problem-solving skills, critical and creative thinking, along with getting excited about mathematics.

The students all represented Emerald SC in a brilliant way.  Well done to all those who attended, including; Lani, Dakota, Jacob, River, Matthew, Sophie, Annie, Elliot, William, Rose, Riley, Alijah, Lacie, Jude, and Jasmine.

Congratulations to Jasmine, Dakota, Riley and Alijah who were the overall winning team on the day.  The photo below shows them receiving their prize at the conclusion of the day.

Lana Nunis

ESC Winter Concert

A huge thank you to the Emerald Secondary College community for joining us at the 2024 Winter Concert! The night was a resounding success, showcasing the incredible musical talents of our students. Beyond the music, the concert fostered a wonderful sense of community spirit and connectedness. Student leadership truly shone through outstanding performances, MCs, lighting, photography, stage management, artwork, and catering. Thank you to all the students and staff who contributed to the success of the night, we look forward to seeing you at the next concert!

Katrina Owen

Year 7 Girls Netball

The girls all played really well and showed some great resilience throughout their games. The red team won 2 out of 3 games and beat Monbulk in the final to finish 3rd overall in their division. Unfortunately, the blue team lost their 3 games, but they did win against Monbulk in the final finishing 5th overall in their division.

Senior Basketball

Two teams of Year 11 and 12 boys played at the Yarra Interschool Basketball Day this week.
Emerald finished 3rd overall – well done!

2024 Regional Cross Country

Fourteen students from Emerald headed to Regional cross country at Yarra Glen on Thursday the 13th of June. 

Three ESC students were successful to move on to the State event in July. Huge congratulations to:

• Alex (year 7) – 3rd
• Jasmine (year 9) – 3rd
• Miah (year 11) – 4th

All students should be super proud of the efforts with everyone running so well.

Sports in Term 3

Consent and payment for sporting events will cut off 3-5 days before the events as there are large student numbers sign up (especially for basketball) this is an attempt to keep teams a good size.

Sport Running in Term 3:
Year 7 Soccer (boys and girls)
Year 8 Soccer (boys) 
Year 8 Badminton (boys and girls)
Intermediate Basketball (boys and girls) 
Year 8 Basketball (boys and girls) 
Year 7 Basketball (boys and girls) 
Yarra Divisional Athletics 

These Sport will not run based on low sign up numbers 
Year 7 Table Tennis 
Year 8 Girls Soccer 
Year 8 Table Tennis

Yvonne Mauger