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Principal’s Report

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Class of 2024

Congratulations to the class of 2024, as they begin their after – class journey.

For our scored students, their lead up to the final VCAA exams has been a tad different from previous years:

  • Practice exams happened in the first three days of this term
  • Classes ran until the end of second week (sprinkled with laughter, dress-ups, shirt signing, food and tears)
  • This week, (Week 3) the College is running revision lectures until Friday

Thank you to Ms Emily Hay, Head of Senior School, the co-ordination team and all the VCE teachers for introducing and organising this new initiative. Students have been attentive to the new structure and have been attending accordingly. For the most part, VCE teachers are also reporting to me that quite a few practice exams/essays have been submitted for marking and feedback.

Very pleasing to hear – culture begets culture.

The first written exam is English, that is scheduled for Tuesday, 29th of October, and the VCAA exams conclude on the 18th of November.

Not to sound simplistic, as we all understand the nerves and anxiety around exams, but our students need to try and flip the thinking to:

 

I know what’s on the exam

I’ve been preparing all year for the exam

It’s my turn to shine

 

 For the class of 2024 that don’t have exams, who are moving straight into a TAFE course, apprenticeship or the world of work, congratulations and good luck!

Collectively, this entire cohort have handled themselves with real class and their adherence to our values has been highly visible, commendable and exemplary role modelling for our younger students.

The Valedictory will give the College a final opportunity for a wrap-up.

We look forward to some terrific VCE outcomes.

 

Last term of the school year….

 ….is always busy and there is always so much going on.

2025 doesn’t just ‘happen’, so please check Compass for updates and notices about important upcoming events.

 

Our first ever Car Show!

 Great day last Saturday, where car enthusiasts gathered to talk about modifications, big exhausts, turbos and petrol!

Despite the drizzly weather conditions, there was a great atmosphere, with music, great coffee (one of our prefects Charlotte makes a mean brew!) and an amazing sausage sizzle. Thank you to the parent helpers and to the SRC who helped on the day, Mx J for running the beats and to all the car people who brought their cars to the show.

Biggest thanks must go to Keilah Dewar and Mitchell Blackwell, who proposed the car show to the School Council quite a few months ago and who worked tirelessly to bring it all together – this was on top of their studies! Their reason was centred on opening up our beautiful college to the community and raise a bit of money for a local charity, or for our new proposed bike shed. Their connection to their school and to their community is to be commended and acknowledged – thank you!

 

College building upgrade

 

There have been quite a few delays with the new building works, mostly technical. It looks like there’s been some changes to the fire rating building regulations, which means that the architects have had to readjust drawings and rethink building materials. Of course, this adds to the cost and delays the scheduling, moving forward.

On a brighter note, works on a new roof on Blocks D and E will commence in mid-November, with completion date set for early next year. This is a great start, as a large storm would create massive leaks and render some classrooms unsafe for days on end. Some parts of the roof have sheets that are ‘paper thin’, so this upgrade has been badly needed.

Hope you’re all well and we’ll chat soon.

 

James

College Principal

Assistant Principals’ Report

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Celebrating Growth and Preparing for Success

As we enter the final term of the school year, our Year 7-10 students have been engaged in Progressive Achievement Testing (PAT). These assessments are a fantastic opportunity for us to track individual student growth over time and identify areas where additional support may be needed. Our focus remains on ensuring that all students can excel, and PAT testing helps us tailor our teaching to meet students at their point of need. We are excited to use this data to continue fostering academic growth across all year levels.

Meanwhile, our Year 12 cohort is in the final stretch of their VCE journey, and we could not be more impressed with their dedication and focus. They have been participating in a series of masterclasses, designed to help them refine their exam strategies and boost their confidence as they approach their final assessments. The hard work and determination they are showing in these sessions are a true testament to their commitment to success.

We are also incredibly proud of our VM (Victorian Pathways Certificate) and unscored students who have now completed Year 12. Their achievements are significant, and they have shown tremendous resilience and effort in their own pathways. Whether pursuing apprenticeships, traineeships, or other post-school opportunities, they have embodied the school’s values of excellence and resilience. We look forward to celebrating all their achievements at the end of the year.

Across the college, we continue to focus on maintaining high expectations for success. Our Year 12 students have been exemplary role models, setting the tone for the rest of the school with their work ethic and dedication. This sense of purpose is something we strive to instil in all students, reinforcing the message that hard work and perseverance lead to achievement.

As we move toward the end of the year, we remain committed to providing every student with the support they need to succeed and to celebrating the accomplishments of our amazing school community.

 

Continuing to strengthen our culture

Our Emerald Secondary College community is humming along as we celebrate upward trends across our attitude to schools and parent opinion surveys. We are committed to creating an environment where students can thrive academically and develop the social skills they will require whilst at school, and beyond. We look forward to launching our School Wide Positive Behaviour Support framework in 2025 to further embed and explicitly teach the values of Respect, Resilience, Excellence and Harmony.

 

Melissa Findlay & Tiana Clayworth – Assistant Principals

Senior School

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Year 12 Celebration 

On Friday 18th we celebrated all things Year 12 with a Whole school assembly and a private year 12 assembly. We want to extend our heartfelt congratulations to all our Year 12 students on finishing classes! Over the past years, you’ve faced challenges, celebrated successes, and built lifelong memories as part of the ESC community.

With exams just around the corner, we know there’s still work ahead. Masterclasses have been up and running, allowing students to access feedback from their teachers and work on revision with the autonomy they need to prioritise filling in gaps of knowledge and continuing to support their strengths.

Good luck with your exams and we can’t wait to catch up in November are the Valedictory.

 

 

Warmest wishes,

The Senior School team.

Sport

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Regional Athletics!

An amazing day with some impressive results, all students who went should be proud of their efforts. Special mention to Claire, Syd, Andrew and Nate who placed.

Nate will represent the school at the state championships in the hurdles, triple jump and high jump and Andrew will be going through in triple jump. Good luck boys!

 

 

Regional Girls Basketball

Our regional girls did an amazing job on Friday playing some really tough teams. The girls managed a win, they should be super  proud.

 Yvonne Mauger

Food Studies

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Let’s Get Baking

Students in Middle Years Let’s Get Baking made chocolate cakes and cupcakes.  They have been working on sifting, mixing, and making icing the right texture.  They will soon use the Design Process to create a custom cake for a customer with dietary restrictions and/or health needs.

Year 8 Food Tech

This term year 8 food tech students have been focussing on the health components of the main food  groups – grains, proteins, dairy, and fruits and vegetables.  Their practical classes have included recipes that attempt to put as much variety and healthy options into their dishes as possible.  This week they learned to make tacos, and the outcome was very delicious!

-Ashley Forster

Creative Writing Challenge

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ESC Creative Writing Challenge – Musically Inspired Writing

 

Congratulations to our wonderful writers and their incredible stories for the Term 3 creative writing challenge – musically inspired writing. 

Our winning entry was written by Elizabeth Males, and was inspired by the song Burn Alive, by The Last Dinner Party. Our runners-up stories were written by Alyssa Ling and Annie Glasson, demonstrating great maturity in their writing.

You’ll find their stories below – please enjoy reading them!

 

Inspired by: Burn Alive, by The Last Dinner Party (Elizabeth Males)

Death was waiting for the artist at the tombstone, watching her crawl towards it with her hands plunged into the soil and hair slicken over fevered skin. In their meeting, Death was to chop down the agreement which they had avowed to, and the artist would fall. Death would be following her home.

‘We’re both addicts,’ she spat, grappling her blackened fingertips onto the edge of the smooth stone and slumping against it, ‘using my anguish as my muse promises the most money. I will sell my grief for profit as you swallow life for purpose.’

Death crouched ahead of her, hovering their hand just from her cheek, ‘You cannot come again. I will not hurt you for your gain any longer.’

The artist bit her tongue, ‘burn me again,’ she whispered, ‘the illness was too futile. People pay more for pain when they can see the scars.’

‘All for money?’

‘Must you thieve life from those not ready? Must you always prevail?’ her breathing laboured, ‘my hunger is yours too. We will both bleed for reward.’

Death paused, ‘Endings are only nature.’

‘And I am only human; it is all I can be. Does that make me a monster?’

 

Inspired by: Rather be, by Jess Glynne (Annie Glasson)

The desert sand scorches my feet, through my sandals that don’t do much beside cutting off the circulation to my toes. I have been out here for too long to notice much beside that burning anymore.

I clutch the leather bag tighter as I squint through the hot mirage and see the small shack we are heading towards, sitting beside the last oasis in the Sahara, where I can refill the almost-empty bag I’m holding. He stumbles beside me, and I catch his arm and his mutter of thanks.

I don’t even know his name, yet I am fulfilled simply by his company.

‘I can’t believe you haven’t turned around yet,’ He grunts, stopping himself from tripping again. ‘Although, it’s too late now.’

‘I’m okay,’ I rasp with a dry tongue, and wince at my croaky voice. I close my mouth and try to swallow before I attempt speaking again. ‘We’re almost there, anyway.’

‘Yeah, about a thousand miles away,’ He exaggerates, grumbling. Then he smiles at me with cracked lips. ‘Sorry. This must be… quite grueling.’

‘I’m okay,’ I repeat. ‘There’s honestly no place I’d rather be.’

 

 

Inspired by: Pioneers by For King and Country (Alyssa Ling)

Friends with a dream

In a small, bustling town, a group of friends gathered around a campfire, their faces lit by the dancing flames. They were dreamers, determined to chart their own paths despite the uncertainties ahead. The night sky, vast and uncharted, seemed to call to them, whispering promises of adventure and discovery.

Each friend carried a personal burden: one struggled with self-doubt, another with a recent loss, and another with the weight of expectations. Yet, they found strength in each other, their shared dreams illuminating the darkness. With every story and song they shared, they rekindled the fire of hope within themselves.

As dawn approached, they knew the road ahead would be challenging, but their spirits were buoyed by the night’s bond. They set out at first light, ready to face whatever came their way. In their hearts, they were not just traveling; they were carving out a new world for themselves, leaving a mark for those who would follow. And so, they ventured into the unknown, driven by the belief that their journey would inspire others to follow their own dreams.

-Prue Bon

Humanities

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Humanities

Recently, our Year 7 Homegroup teams battled it out in the final round of the Humanities ‘Class Wars Trivia Quiz’

Students were quizzed on their knowledge of: Civics & Citizenship, History, Geography and Economics & Business.  Entertained by our two Year 11 student house bands, it was a great start to the term with the teams supported and encouraged by their fellow classmates. 

After the tallying of answers, students from 7B emerged as the winners. Well done Nate, Kaelan, Noah and Connor!

Fiona Minorgan 

 

Our first ever Car Show!

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Our first ever Car Show!

 

Year 12 Psychology Exam Revision

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Year 12 Psychology Exam Revision 

On Tuesday the 15th of October Unit 3 + 4 Psychology students attended an additional exam revision seminar hosted by Connect Education. This gave students the opportunity to study and collaborate together and get different insights to some tricky key knowledge points in the Psychology study design. 

An immense amount of resilience was shown by students who stayed at school until 6pm for the seminar to finish. Jasmine from Connect Education was engaging and informative and it was wonderful for her to give students additional resources and clarification.

Superstars to say the least!

-Grace Sleit and Yvonne Mauger

 

Life Skill Program

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The Life Skills program was aimed to assist students learn important skills to help navigate their way through the world, giving them the confidence to take on anything!

 

 

Flower arranging with residents at the Glades Aged Care home

 

Auto Plus, CommBank, Library tour

RSL and Anzac walk, self defence, Emerald CFA

 

 

 

Community News

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