2026 Issue No. 5

Principal’s Message

Welcome to Term 2

It’s May already…

We wonder where the year goes so quickly???

Busy lives, busy families, busy students! Always a good thing with so much going on and also an opportunity, at times, to take a breather and practise your own form of mindfulness:

Read a great book

Cheer on your favourite team

Get to those weeds!

Have a laugh with siblings

Pay some extra attention to pets

Etc etc

Having said that, our students are busy – second term is all about summative assessments and staying on top of SACs CATs and Work Requirements. There are always clear expectations about what’s required from our students to succeed and do well – they can do it and do it well! We know they can.

Open Morning Tours

The College has moved away from Open Nights to Open Mornings – rationale? Easy….we’re proud of our college and we want to showcase our wonderful school during operating hours. The spirit, the connectedness, all the good things that are going on, even the bumps and bruises. Our prospective parents (very large numbers) were greeted by students, taken on tour by students, questions were answered by students and most of the presentations were about student experiences. The SRC and members from the Interact Club willingly gave up their time to show our parents around – we thank them for that. Thanks, must also be extended to our AP, Mel Findlay who was the main driver throughout and to Belinda Doyle in the front office who did all the bookings and answered so many questions.

Culture is changing at ESC.

School Review

The College has just completed its review, and a new four year Strategic Plan will be formed from the advice of our reviewer and our challenge partners. There will be changes in our Teaching and Learning and Wellbeing, to support this school in becoming the best version of itself it can be.

I will keep you updated as changes start to evolve.

Industrial Action

You and I both know that government teachers are currently in negotiations with the government about a new, four year agreement. Disruptions are stepping up, after the first full strike day and another thing you’ll notice is that our progress reports might look a little different, where members have been instructed to report on levels of achievement only, not on study habits. There will be rolling half day stoppages throughout May and June and once again, I will keep our community informed. Of course, like you, and all our staff, we’d love to see this resolved as soon as possible.

New roof on our gym…

….is progressing at a rate of knots, with completion due late May.

Now, all we want is to see the same rigour and attention applied to our new build!

James

College Principal

Assistant Principals’ Message

ANZAC Day Ceremonies

On Friday 24 April, our Year 7 and 8 students walked to Emerald Primary School to participate in a meaningful ANZAC Day assembly alongside the Grade 5 and 6 students of EPS. The service provided an important opportunity for students to reflect on the significance of ANZAC Day.

The assembly was enriched by special guest speakers, Kane Falconer, Emerald RSL President, and Krystal Browne, who shared valuable perspectives on this year’s theme ‘Women in Service’ and the importance of remembrance and the ongoing legacy of ANZAC Day. Students listened attentively throughout the service and demonstrated our school values of Respect, Resilience, Excellence and Harmony.

A highlight of the assembly was our School Captains Jonathon Malseed, Rhys Nickell, Anabelle dewar and Elizabeth Gault, who delivered a thoughtful and confident speech on this year’s theme of Women in Service, recognising the significant and often under-recognised contributions women have made throughout history. Their address was delivered with maturity, respect and sincerity, reflecting their strong leadership qualities.

In addition, Lenny Raukola, represented ESC with pride by laying a wreath during the service, a solemn and respectful act of remembrance on behalf of our school community.

Our School Captains continued to represent the College with pride across the broader ANZAC period, including attendance at both ANZAC Day services in Emerald. At each event, they demonstrated confidence, respect and integrity and serving as outstanding ambassadors for their peers.

We are incredibly proud of the way our students conducted themselves throughout these commemorations and the leadership they continue to demonstrate. Their efforts and achievements are a true reflection of our school values and the strength of our student leadership.

Open Morning

 Our recent Open Mornings provided a wonderful opportunity to welcome prospective parents and families into Emerald Secondary College and showcase the College in action. Visitors were able to experience firsthand the learning environments, programs, and opportunities that make ESC a vibrant and engaging place to learn.

Families were taken on tours of the college, visiting a range of classrooms where they observed students actively engaged in their learning. A particular highlight was the practical Food Technology class, which proved extremely popular with visitors as they watched students develop their culinary skills in a hands-on setting.

Guests also had the opportunity to visit our resident chickens, which continue to be a unique and much-loved feature of our school grounds, adding to the sense of community and connection across the college.

Throughout the morning, visitors were able to see everything ESC has to offer in real time, from classroom learning to specialist programs and student engagement across the school.

A sincere thank you must go to our student helpers, who spoke with confidence, guided tours, and shared their genuine pride in being part of Emerald Secondary College. Their enthusiasm and willingness to represent the school left a lasting impression on our visitors.

If you were unable to attend and would like to visit our college, please visit our website for more information and future opportunities.

We look forward to welcoming you to ESC.

Grade 5 Exploration Day

Attached it our Grade 5 Exploration Flyer. It’s a fabulous opportunity offered to our local Primary School students to experience student life at Emerald Secondary College. We always look forward to meeting our future students!

Tiana Clayworth & Melissa Findlay

Assistant Principals

Melbourne Careers Expo

Our Year 11 students recently attended the VCE and Careers Expo held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday 30th April.

This excursion provided a valuable opportunity for students to explore a broad range of post-school pathways. Throughout the day, they engaged with representatives from universities, TAFEs, employers and industry organisations, gaining insight into course options, career opportunities and entry requirements.

The expo featured a diverse range of exhibitors, including major universities such as University of Melbourne, Monash University and RMIT University, alongside TAFEs and training providers like Holmesglen Institute and Chisholm Institute. Students also connected with employers and organisations including Toyota Australia, Victoria Police and ADF Careers, providing insight into a wide variety of future study and career pathways.

Experiences such as this play an important role in supporting students to make informed decisions about their futures. We encourage families to continue these conversations at home as students begin to consider their plans beyond secondary school.

Sarah Kennedy

Careers & Pathways / VET Co-ordinator

Sporting Events

Cross Country, Year 7 Tennis, Intermediate Team Sport, Senior Badminton and Rocky Mountain Bike Train Racing!

School Cross Country Results

On Monday 27th, Emerald Secondary College held its annual Cross Country event. All Year 7 students successfully completed the course, along with 60 students from Years 8–12.

The weather conditions were ideal, contributing to some outstanding performances across all year levels. The fastest time of the day was recorded by D’Art (Year 8), closely followed by Jude (Year 10) and Connor (Year 7).

The top three place-getters are listed below. The top 10 students in each age group have qualified for the Divisional Cross Country, to be held on the 14^th of May at Lilydale Lake.

Year 7 Tennis

Our Year 7 students recently enjoyed a fantastic day of tennis at Lilydale Tennis Club, representing the College with enthusiasm and determination. With two teams competing, it was pleasing to see every student grow in confidence, develop their skills, and demonstrate strong sportsmanship throughout the day. Their collective effort resulted in an impressive 2nd place overall, reflecting both their teamwork and commitment. Congratulations to all students involved on a wonderful achievement.

Intermediate Sport

Our Year 9 and 10 students recently participated in Intermediate Sport, with 60 students proudly representing the College across soccer, football and netball.

It was a highly successful day, with students demonstrating strong teamwork, resilience and sportsmanship in all matches. Emerald achieved excellent results, finishing 2nd in both football and soccer, and 3rd in netball.

We commend all students for their efforts and the positive way they represented the College throughout the day.

Rocky Trail Academy – School Mountain Bike Racing

On Friday 25 April, ten students from Emerald Secondary College participated in the Rocky Trail Academy Mountain Bike Series, the largest school-based mountain bike event in Australia. It was an exciting and challenging day of competition, with students demonstrating outstanding resilience, determination, and sportsmanship throughout their races.

Across a demanding course, students pushed themselves both physically and mentally, representing the College with pride and enthusiasm. It was fantastic to see their growth in confidence and skill over the course of the event.

We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to the parent volunteers who supported the event. From assisting as marshals on course to ensuring students were well looked after with hot food and drinks, your contribution played an important role in the success of the day and is greatly appreciated.

Notable results included:

• Ollie C – 5th place
• Khan M – 8th place
• Rainger K – 13th place (out of 99 riders, Junior Boys Division)
• Freia L – 4th place (Junior Girls Division)

We also acknowledge the efforts of Jasper M, Lachie M, Vinnie S and Connor G in the Junior Boys Division, and Zac S and Austin K in the Intermediate Boys Division. Their commitment and perseverance were commendable.

Congratulations to all students involved for their fantastic representation of Emerald Secondary College. We look forward to continuing our involvement in this exceptional event in the future.

Senior Badminton

Senior Badminton had a strong showing this year, with excellent play throughout the day. Both our Senior Girls and Senior Boys teams performed brilliantly, earning their place at Regionals.

Yvonne Mauger

Sports Co-ordinator

Duke of Edinburgh

Woori Yallock Farm School

Barista Training

A group of 25 Year 11 and 12 students recently completed their barista training, gaining valuable hands-on experience in hospitality. Throughout the program, students learned how to operate an espresso machine, prepare a range of coffees, and develop their latte art skills.

Beyond the technical aspects, the training also supported students to build confidence, communication skills, and an understanding of workplace expectations. These are important capabilities that will support them in a variety of future pathways.

The program was a great success, with staff fortunate enough to sample some of the students’ high-quality coffees. It was fantastic to see students so engaged and developing practical skills for life beyond school.

Sarah Kennedy

Careers & Pathways/VET Coordinator

Year 12 Geography Fieldwork Excursion

Year 12 Geography Students investigate land use change at Averley Estate

Year 12 Geography students recently undertook a fieldwork investigation at Averley Estate in Pakenham East, examining how land use change has shaped the area’s physical and human characteristics.

The fieldtrip forms a key component of their Unit 3 studies and will directly support their upcoming assessment. Students explored the transformation of the Pakenham East landscape from predominantly agricultural land into a rapidly developing residential community.

Throughout the day, students engaged in a range of primary data collection techniques. These included conducting species counts to assess biodiversity, measuring slope and aspect to understand the physical landscape, and completing resident and visitor surveys. Students also created detailed field sketches to capture spatial patterns and land use features across the estate.

The hands-on experience provided students with valuable opportunities to apply classroom knowledge in a real-world setting. By collecting and analysing their own data, students are developing key geographical skills such as observation, data interpretation, and critical thinking.

Rebecca Holmes

Year 12 Learning Engagement Leader

Marrung

Last term, seven of our students attended the Koorie Metro Day Out.

Lowan B (year 7) reports that the day was “great fun”, especially with all of the activities and the opportunities to see what careers are possible. While Lowan hasn’t yet decided what the future might bring him, he certainly agrees that being able to attend events such as the Metro Day Out will help with making some of those decisions when he’s a bit older. And in the meantime, the hot chocolate and shooting hoops are “super fun”.

All of our students were all able to connect with organisations and leaders who are shaping real pathways beyond school, giving students the opportunity to learn, explore and network with universities and organisations such as Deadly Science. We are incredibly proud of our emerging leaders for showing up, getting involved and embracing every opportunity.

The energy across the day was strong. Students showed curiosity, confidence, and a genuine interest in where their journey could take them.

Proud of our emerging leaders for showing up and getting involved.

There are more opportunities for our Koorie students coming up this term – please keep an eye out for these, but also if you have any questions, please get in touch with Katie or Prue.

May brings with it the emergence of wombats from their burrows, longer nights and misty mornings. This is Waring – the wombat season – characterised by lengthier evenings, cooler weather and more rainfall. Balayang (the reddish star in Scorpius) rises at sunset and the Bulen-Bulen begin their courtship dances.

Artwork credit: Emma Woods, paper take me.

Our Woiwurrung word of the month is wiinj (pronounced wing), which means fire – a good place to stay warm during Waring is by the wiinj.

You can find more Woiwurrung words online at the 50 words project.

Katie Ryan and Prue Bon

Marrung Lead Co-ordinators

Library

Issue 5, 2026

What are you currently reading? We’d love to know, so please take a minute to fill out this form!

The research is in, and it clearly demonstrates that when young people are able to see the adults around them engaging in reading for pleasure, they’re more likely to make time for it as well.

It’s also worthwhile considering just how reading can be an act of resistance in a world of growing technology, fake news and influencers – the more you read, the more you know! Perhaps the encouragement your student needs right now – to pick up a book – can come from suggesting that they resist the status quo!

Bookweek is coming… welcome to our symphony of stories!

While Bookweek itself isn’t until August, we’d love to encourage you to get started early! Our ‘design a bookmark’ competition is now open for entries designed around the theme of “symphony of stories”. Submit your entry to the library and speak to Ms Bon if you’ve got any questions.

Our reading challenge is also open – students can pick up a bookmark with the challenges to tick off from the library desk. All students who complete all 5 challenges will go into the draw to win an amazing prize, full of bookish goodies!

Recommendations

Two Wolves, by Jack Heath (available in the Library)

One afternoon, police officers show up at Ben Silver’s front door. Minutes after they leave, his parents arrive home. Ben and his little sister Olive are bundled into the car and told they’re going on a holiday. But are they? It doesn’t take long for Ben to realise that his parents are in trouble. Ben’s always dreamt of becoming a detective – his dad even calls him ‘Cop’. Now Ben gathers evidence and tries to uncover what his parents have done. The problem is, if he figures it out, what does he do? Tell someone? Or keep the secret and live life on the run?

Coming soon to the Library: the exciting follow up book to Two Wolves!

The Model Murder: Book 4 in The Tea Ladies series, by Amanda Hampson

Ms Bon has just started reading The Model Murder after having recently attended a book launch at Realm Library with author, Amanda Hampson. While she can’t give too much away about the plot just yet, knowing that it is the fourth book in the series means that it is sure to be a good, cosy murder, full of daring escapades, secrets and tea! And scotch fingers, which are – without doubt – the best biscuits to have with a cuppa!

Prue Bon

Teacher Librarian

Interact Club: Student Leadership in Action

Emerald Secondary College’s Interact Club continues to set a powerful standard for what student-led initiatives can look like when given trust, structure and responsibility.

This is not a club that waits for direction. Our students have taken full ownership of their work. They have developed and delivered their own Invocation and Acknowledgement to Country, and now independently lead each meeting. Agendas are created by students, minutes are recorded and shared, and actions are followed through with accountability.

At this point, Interact is being run by students, for students — with staff advisors Katie Ryan and Melinda Moulday supporting from alongside, rather than leading from the front.

Their work this term reflects both service and connection:

• Interact leaders will attend an upcoming Rotary Club of Emerald meeting, where the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer will be formally presented with their badges and Interact certificates
• Students will take part in a food packing evening with Rotary, contributing to global aid efforts by preparing and packing food supplies for communities in need
• Interact will support Emerald Secondary’s inaugural Chess Tournament by running a snack bar and co-ordinating lunch orders on the day
• Members are working closely with School Captains and SRC to strengthen student voice and collaboration across the school
• Planning is already underway for a series of student-led social events in Terms 3 and 4, focused on building connection and community

Meeting fortnightly, Interact students continue to show initiative, organisation and a genuine commitment to improving both their school and the broader community.

This is what happens when students are trusted to lead.

Katie Ryan

Student Connectedness Co-ordinator

♛ ESC Chess Makes Its Move: Inaugural Tournament Announced ♛

17 ESC students to compete as the College hosts its first-ever chess tournament in the EPAC.

The game continues at Emerald Secondary College—and this time, it’s a big move!

On Wednesday, May 20th, Emerald Secondary College will host its Inaugural Chess Tournament, marking a major milestone for our growing program. Held in the EPAC, the event will see 17 of our students represent the College in a full day of competitive play—an exciting opportunity to showcase their development, composure, and strategic thinking in a formal tournament setting.

This moment is the result of strong momentum built throughout Term 1 and into Term 2. What began as a small opening move has quickly evolved into a thriving, student-driven community. Our Tuesday and Thursday lunchtime sessions continue to grow, filled with competitive matches, shared analysis, and a genuine passion for the game.

Students across all experience levels are developing not only their chess skills, but also the ability to think critically, remain patient under pressure, and engage in respectful competition. It has been particularly encouraging to see new players step forward with confidence, supported by a welcoming and knowledgeable group of peers.

Under the leadership of Club President Jude Penketh and Vice President Elliot Goldsmith, the club continues to build a strong identity grounded in student voice and ownership. Their leadership has helped shape a culture where ideas are shared, initiatives are driven from within, and every member has a role to play.

In true community spirit, the Chess Club has partnered with our Interact Club to bring this event to life. Interact students will support the day through attendance, concessions, and overall event operations—ensuring a welcoming, well-run experience for all involved. This collaboration highlights the strength of student leadership across the school and the impact of working together toward a shared goal.

There is a real sense that something special is building within the ESC chess community—and this tournament is just the beginning.

As always, new players are welcome at any stage—whether you’re making your first move or refining your endgame.

If any members of our community—or local businesses—are interested in supporting the continued growth of the ESC Chess Program, we would greatly appreciate the opportunity to connect. Whether through partnerships, sponsorships, or contributions toward resources and events, your support helps us continue to expand what is possible for our students.

Jack Ryan & Matthew Powell
Chess Advisors
Supporting student-led strategy and community through chess

In partnership with student leaders Jude Penketh (President) and Elliot Goldsmith (Vice President)

First Aid

Immunisations for 2026

 The Year 7 Immunisations will be on the 3rd of June 2026

• Diphtheria-tetanus-whooping cough
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)

The Year 10 Immunisations will be on the 11th of May 2026

• Meningococcal ACWY 

The Cardinia Shire Council use an online platform provided by the Victorian Department of Health, called the Central Immunisation Records Victoria (CIRV) to manage those receiving an immunisation. Our college will provide you with an immunisation session visit date, along with a CIRV portal link to complete an online consent form for your child. Parents/guardians are required to complete this online form, even if they choose not to consent for their child to be vaccinated at school. If Council do not receive a yes or no consent, further follow up and correspondence will be sent.

Cardinia Shire Council will be sending the CIRV booking code closer to the scheduled date.

For further information on the Secondary School Vaccine Program, please visit www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/immunisation-in-secondary-schools

Smile Squad

Emerald Secondary College would like to announce that in May this year we will have Smile Squad visiting our school to do free dental checks. This means all students can get free dental checkups, preventive services and treatment at school every 2 years.

This program is being led by the Department of Health and Oral Health Victoria, with input from the Department of Education. Services are currently being delivered across Victoria by local community dental agencies.

The program is completely free for all Victorian government school students.

Students will be seen by Smile Squad during school hours, saving families time and money. Smile Squad includes all required treatment (excluding orthodontics).

Objectives of Smile Squad

• Students can receive free dental care regularly
• Students learn about the importance of good dental care
• Students will have better oral health outcomes through early intervention.

Regular dental checks can prevent or address dental health issues before they become serious.

What to expect?

Oral health packs (including oral health promotion) are offered to all students. Dental check-ups are carried out in school rooms using portable equipment and further treatment is delivered in our treatment vans that house a full dental clinic. Think of it as a dental clinic on wheels.

Your friendly Smile Squad staff include oral health therapists, dental therapists, oral health educators, dental assistants, dentists and specialists.

Smile squad dental packs are available to collect from the office now. If your child would like a free dental pack, please call into the office and pick one up after school.

2 different packs available.

Selina Rose

First Aid Officer

Community News