Sacred Heart College as a Phone-Free Environment

This newsletter is published three weeks into term three and a similar period following the introduction of the phone quarantine for Year 7 – 12 students. I would like to offer my genuine thanks to all who have supported this initiative – parents, families, staff and members of the SHC community. At this stage, the procedures that have been implemented for the start and end of the day are working well and it has been very interesting getting initial feedback from our students on the differences that they are experiencing during the day. The College will undertake a series of more formal reviews this term and before the end of the year.

Special Arrangements for Year 7 & 8 students next week

With Year 9 Alpine Camp commencing next week alongside an increase in illnesses amongst SHC staff, the capacity of the College to cover all student classes next week is quite difficult.

Given these circumstances, the College has decided that special arrangements will be in place next Monday and Friday:

• Monday 10 August - No Year 7 classes to run
• Friday 14 August – No Year 8 classes to run

On these days, most students will be at home and expected to complete work that has been set for them in class. Special online classes will not be held. Supervision arrangements will be in place for students who cannot be at home on one of these days.

Staff Wellbeing PL Day

Last Friday, all College staff gathered to mark the formal commencement of a new and comprehensive Wellbeing program for Sacred Heart College. Titled Restorative Practices 2.0., the program builds on previous work we have undertaken in restorative practices and respectful relationships through a formal partnership with external agency, Real Schools. Over three years, the partnership with Real Schools will include a series of staff workshops, parent presentations and student sessions with ongoing focus on staff language, conduct and mindset. Congratulations to Haley Galloway and the College Wellbeing team for the work ahead of the day.

Strengthening Our Community: Restorative Practices, Child Safety and Working Together

Dear Parents and Carers,

This edition brings together three important updates for our community: the launch of our new partnership with Real Schools, our College's focus on child safety this fortnight, and a reminder about how we work together to support student wellbeing and behaviour.

Launching Our Partnership with Real Schools

We are delighted to share that Sacred Heart College has entered into a three year partnership with Real Schools, a leading provider of restorative practice in education. This partnership formally launched at our Staff Professional Development Day on Friday 31 July, facilitated by Kirsty Lush.

Kirsty brings almost twenty years of experience in education as a teacher, coach, school principal and university tutor. She has spent seven years as a principal, where she worked with her whole school community to embed restorative practices and build an authentic, connected culture. More recently she has supported leadership teams and teachers across twenty five schools to drive improvement, and she was a finalist for Principal of the Year in the SA Education Awards.

Over the coming three years, Real Schools will work alongside our staff, students and families to strengthen the culture of our College through a framework called RP2.0. Each year of the partnership includes a professional learning day for staff, a classroom support day where Real Schools works directly with our teachers, a parent information session, and regular articles and updates like this one to keep our community informed.

At its heart, RP2.0 is about building strong relationships with everyone in our school community and using those relationships to support both wellbeing and learning. Rather than relying only on punishment and consequence when things go wrong, a restorative approach focuses on repairing harm, restoring relationships, and helping students take genuine responsibility for their actions.

This way of working sits naturally alongside our Mercy tradition. As a College in the Mercy Education Tradition, inspired by the vision of Catherine McAuley, we are called to live out the values of Compassion, Justice, Service, Courage, Hospitality and Respect in all that we do. A restorative approach gives us a practical, everyday way to put these values into action, choosing compassion and respect over judgement, and justice and healing over punishment alone. We look forward to sharing more with you as this exciting journey unfolds.

Child Protection Week: A College Focus

National Child Protection Week is coming up, running from 6 to 12 September, with this year's theme “Every Conversation Matters, Shifting Conversation to Action.” Ahead of this, Sacred Heart College is placing a dedicated focus on child safety this week and next.

As part of this focus, students will take part in an age appropriate presentation covering forms of abuse, the role and obligations of mandatory reporters, and the Child Safety Officers within our College. Our Child Safety Officers, Ms Haley Galloway (Deputy Principal, Student Wellbeing) and Mr Rene Spence (College Counsellor), are the nominated contacts for any child safety concerns and can be reached at childsafe@shckyneton.catholic.edu.au.

You may also be aware that the Victorian Government has recently refreshed its PROTECT guidance, which schools use to identify and respond to concerns about child abuse. Importantly, staff reporting obligations, including mandatory reporting, have not changed. What has changed is that the guidance now provides clearer, tailored pathways depending on where a concern arises, whether that is from an adult connected to the school, between students, within a family, or in the community, so that students and families are connected to the right support at the right time.

We encourage all parents and carers to familiarise themselves with this important information:

Our College Child Safe page: https://www.shckyneton.catholic.edu.au/our-college/childsafe

Our College Policies and Forms page, including our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy, Child Safety Code of Conduct and Child Protection Reporting Obligations Policy: https://www.shckyneton.catholic.edu.au/our-college/policies-and-forms

The Victorian Government's PROTECT website: https://www.vic.gov.au/protect

Working Together to Support Every Student

At Sacred Heart College, we believe that a strong partnership between home and school is fundamental to every student's success. When parents, carers and College staff work together, students benefit from consistent guidance, encouragement and support that promotes both academic achievement and emotional wellbeing.

Open communication and active engagement enable us to respond effectively to students' needs, celebrate their successes, and address challenges before they become barriers to learning. We encourage families to attend parent-teacher interviews, information evenings, wellbeing discussions and other important school events that contribute to a shared understanding of each student's progress and development.

In some cases, regular Student Support Meetings may be necessary to ensure a consistent and coordinated approach between home and school. These meetings provide an opportunity to review progress, discuss strategies, and work collaboratively to support a student's learning, wellbeing, attendance or engagement. A unified approach helps students receive clear and consistent messages, expectations and support across both environments.

We understand that family life is busy and that parents and carers often balance many competing commitments. However, as part of the agreement to enrol a child at Sacred Heart College, there is an expectation that families will prioritise attendance at meetings relating to their child's education and wellbeing. By working together in partnership, we can provide the best possible support for every student to flourish and reach their full potential.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support.

Learning Achievement Awards Assembly

It was a special pleasure to celebrate the achievements of our students at this week’s Learning Leadership Awards Assembly. These awards provide an opportunity to acknowledge and acclaim the many students who quietly and consistently apply themselves in the classroom. Those recognised as Learning Leaders have demonstrated a consistent and dedicated approach to their studies, and have approached their learning with commitment, perseverance, and determination throughout Semester 1.

Each award recipient should be immensely proud of the positive learning habits, resilience, and work ethic they have demonstrated in their daily school work. Their commitment to learning enriches our College community and serves as an inspiration to their peers. We commend the enthusiasm, responsibility, and growth they have shown throughout Semester 1, and encourage all students to continue embracing the opportunities and challenges that are a part of the rich learning life at Sacred Heart.

Semester One - Learning Achievement Awards Booklet 2026

We also extend a warm vote of thanks to our dedicated staff and supportive families whose encouragement and guidance play an important role in student success. The partnerships between home and school help create the foundations upon which these achievements are built.

The following wisdom was offered by Ms Kim Twilley, Director of Learning Culture, to all students as part of the assembly:

“At Sacred Heart, we celebrate the behaviours and habits that are at the centre of learning. Things like asking questions, persisting when learning gets hard, taking pride in your work and consistently showing up to class prepared and ready to learn. These are the habits that we commend when we notice them, as these are the things that last beyond your time here at the college. Working hard, being curious and always persisting will set you up for success in every part of your life.

It is worth noting that every student in the College has demonstrated these behaviours at one time or another. Learning leadership is not something that is out of reach for anyone. That is shown by the sheer number of students who were nominated by their teachers for their determination, growth in learning, independence and curiosity. When individuals demonstrate these behaviours, it can be contagious, we can inspire the same habits in others. That is what takes us from being just a school, to being a learning community. And that is something that is definitely worth celebrating.”

The Festival of Languages concluded with our Year 8 Japanese Languages students participating in a Kendo Workshop with Gary Oliver and his helper, both from Ballarat Kendo Club. Students had learned about some history of Kendo and vocabulary before taking part in the workshop. The students found it to be much harder than it looked. The most popular part of the workshop was where some selected people got to slice the newspaper in half with the shinai (bamboo practice sword). The most challenging part was sitting in seiza (kneeling on the floor), which is a big part of Japanese culture.

Whilst the Kendo workshop was happening, we had our Year 8 and Year 9 French Language students participate in a Djembe Workshop. Students did some pre-work on French colonisation and why a lot of Western African countries still speak French. The workshop was a perfect mix of French language, culture, music and dancing, and our students had a blast!

It is thanks to the Federation of Associations of Teachers of French in Australia (FATFA) that we were able to hold such a great workshop with our students. We would like to thank them for their bursary donation, to enable our students to see the various ways in which you can engage in the French language and culture beyond the classroom.

It is hard to believe that 10 days have already passed since our Japanese visitors from our sister school, Ibaraki Nishi High School, arrived from a balmy 38 degrees in Osaka to our foggy Kyneton winter. However, there was a great buzz in the room in both Japanese and English as the SHCK students met and got to know their exchange students.

Over the week, the Japanese students joined various classes with their hosts, participated in an EAL lesson and attended our academic awards assembly. They also learned a lot about Australian school life by doing seemingly normal things such as visiting our school canteen. Some students even attended an Outdoor Education class where they practised putting up a tent!

The second week culminated with an excursion to the Malmsbury Primary School. The students and teachers from Ibaraki Nishi High School experienced a very short VLINE train ride and then played soccer with the Primary School students. Then it was time to come inside and rotate through some Japanese activities. The activities included Uno, Kendama (cup and ball), and Daruma san ga koronda (The Daruma fell over), origami and fukuwarai (placing parts of the face onto the piece of paper blindfolded). The Malmsbury Primary School students then gave a lovely omiyage to our visitors. We would like to thank Jaimiee Rice, the Japanese teacher at Malmsbury Primary who is also an assistant Japanese teacher here at Sacred Heart, for the thought and preparation into the activities. It was greatly appreciated by all.

Thursday saw the farewell pizza lunch with speeches and exchanges of gifts before attending their final lesson with their hosts. Then, Friday morning, it was time to say the final goodbye. Where there many tears. We are sure this is the beginning of many long-lasting international friendships.

A huge thank you to our generous host families who have opened their homes to our Japanese guests, and to the broader SHC community who have made them feel very welcome.

We look forward to welcoming our French sister school Lycée Notre Dame du Roc in Term 1, 2028, before our Japan Study Tour later next year.

Some of the wonderful places our host families took the Japanese visitors:

AFL game, Mt Macedon, Meeting Cows, Shopping, Local footy game - Visiting Sovereign Hill and Ballarat wildlife park. Melbourne- shopping day, local football and netball, family Japanese dinner, wildlife park, first day at SHC, Collingwood v Geelong at the MCG, visit to the Ballarat Wildlife Park, sushi making night at home, Spiderman the movie, visit to the granite rocks in our paddock in Baynton.  Local Footy, Graffiti in Melbourne, Icecream in Melbourne - Melbourne Skydeck, Night Market, extended family lunch.  

This week, we celebrated the achievement, progress and learning of our students at our Awards Assembly. These accomplishments deserve recognition and remind us of the importance of encouraging every young person to discover and develop their gifts.

Catholic education, however, is concerned not only with what students achieve, but with who they are becoming. As 'The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium' reminds us, a teacher “does not write on inanimate material, but on the very spirits of human beings.” Education shapes heads. Hearts, hands, and lives.

Inspired by Jesus’ promise that all may “have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10), Catholic schools support the formation of the whole person—intellectually, socially, emotionally, morally and spiritually. We encourage students to seek all that is true, good and beautiful, and to ask: “What kind of person am I becoming?” and “How can I contribute to the lives of others?”

At Sacred Heart, faith, learning, formation and community belong together. Our Mercy values call us to recognise the dignity of every person, seek justice and use our gifts in service.

Religious Education is central to this mission. Through RE, prayer, liturgies, Masses, retreats and reflection days, students explore life’s deeper questions and encounter the Scripture and Catholic tradition that shape our College.

Our families bring many different experiences and perspectives, and we welcome the questions students bring. Together, we seek to form young people who are knowledgeable and capable, but also compassionate, courageous and committed to the good of others.

Year 11 ACRATH Presentation

As part of their Religious Education studies, Year 11 students have been discussing the question “who is my neighbour?” with a particular focus on the marginalised in our world, and how to respond to matters of injustice.

To deepen this concept, students listened to a presentation from guest speaker Mr Bernard Dobson from ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans), who spoke on the concept of modern slavery in its many forms worldwide, including the scourge of human trafficking.

Students had the opportunity to listen, reflect, and learn how to work towards social action and change. Thank you to Mr Dobson for his work.

Year 12 Courage Presentation

As a part of their Religious Education studies, Year 12 students have been discussing notions of ‘Everyday courage’, in alignment with the Mercy value of Courage which is enacted through service to others.

Year 12 students had the privilege of hearing from some of their teachers who shared their own understandings and experiences of courage. These included: finding the stories of success in one’s own family history, facing your fears head on and enjoying the experience, how travel and stories of danger build resilience and an appreciation of life, plus the courage we find in ourselves and others when we take chances, remain grateful, and embrace the gift of life.

Thank you to Mr Diamond, Mr Matthews, and Mr Gallagher for sharing their stories and photos with the Year 12 students.

Unit 4 Biology Zoo Excursion

On Tuesday 4 August, we were lucky enough to travel to the Werribee Zoo as a Unit 3/4 Biology cohort. The day – although absolutely freezing cold – offered amazing opportunities for us to consolidate our recent Key Knowledge point on ‘Acquiring Immunity’, and see how the processes we learnt about in class are applied in real-world situations.

The day began with a visit to the new lion cubs, (a female cub is called Sukari, meaning ‘sugar’ and her brother Kwame [pronounced: Kwah-may], which means ‘born on a Saturday’). We then made our way to the safari bus for a ride through the sanctuary, where we became well acquainted with many different animals, learning fun facts about their physical and behavioural traits, along with “which animals make the biggest poos”. Next was the main attraction – a behind the scenes tour of the zoo’s Vet Hospital, with the Senior Laboratory Supervisor (Peter Munster) who explained how they keep the Asian Elephants safe from Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV - a virus effecting young elephants), and an opportunity to explore the different ways that elephants at Zoo’s around Australia acquire their natural and artificial immunity. Education leaders Fiona and Sian told us the story of Man Jai, a young elephant that passed away from EEHV at Melbourne Zoo in 2023, and used his story to illustrate the devastating and fast acting effects of the virus, emphasising the importance of building each elephant’s immunity under careful care. Our learning today will extend to a case study for our upcoming Unit 4 SAC, along with other observation we completed transferring into our future ‘Human change over time’ Key Knowledge point.

Overall, despite the dreary weather, our excursion to the Werribee zoo was such a valuable consolidation opportunity, and (quietly) a nice break from the intensity of term three. 

Some student additions, recorded while stuck in unfortunate traffic on the way home:

A short poem by Year 12 students Ollie and Jonah: “Today we went to the zoo, and found out which animal did the biggest poo. It was rhino and the elephant too!” Some words to describe the day: “Informative”, “educational”, “cold”, “exhilarating” and “a truly enriching experience!”

Cate Mahony and the Unit 4 Biology Classes

Year 7 Immunisations

Year 7 students are eligible for free vaccinations as part of the National Immunisation Program. These include:

✔ Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine – helps protect against cancers and diseases caused by HPV.
✔ Diphtheria, Tetanus & Pertussis (Whooping Cough) (dTpa) vaccine – provides protection against these serious infections.

These vaccines are provided through the Secondary School Immunisation Program and will be administered by nurse immunisers from Macedon Ranges Shire Council at school.

Parent/Guardian Consent Required
To ensure your child receives these important vaccines, you must complete the consent section via the Central Immunisation Records Victoria (CIRV) portal or another relevant online platform. Consent can be yes or no—if you do not wish for your child to receive the vaccines, please decline online through CIRV.

📅 Immunisation Date: Friday 4 September 2026

🔗 Submit your consent here: https://portal.cirv.vic.gov.au//PrivacyCollection/?id=4f8fb39e-bd16-f111-8341-70a8a554803d&Year7

🗓 Deadline for consent: Friday 28 August 2026

For more details about these vaccines, visit: The Better Health Website

Should you require further information, please don’t hesitate to contact Health Centre Coordinator, Jalna Holmes at the College on 54211 200 or via email jbholmes@shckyneton.catholic.edu.au

Year 10 Immunisations

Year 10 students are eligible for a free Meningococcal ACWY vaccination as part of the National Immunisation Program.

This vaccine is provided through the Secondary School Immunisation Program and will be administered by nurse immunisers from Macedon Ranges Shire Council at school.

Parent/Guardian Consent Required
To ensure your child receives this important vaccine; you must complete the consent section via the Central Immunisation Records Victoria (CIRV) portal or another relevant online platform. Consent can be yes or no—if you do not wish for your child to receive the vaccine, please decline online through CIRV.

📅 Immunisation Date: Friday 11 September 2026

🔗 Submit your consent here: https://portal.cirv.vic.gov.au//PrivacyCollection/?id=79cd699f-bd16-f111-8341-6045bdc221ae&Year10

🗓 Deadline for consent: Friday 4 September 2026

For more details about these vaccines, visit: The Better Health Website

Should you require further information, please don’t hesitate to contact Health Centre Coordinator, Jalna Holmes at the College on 54211 200 or via email jbholmes@shckyneton.catholic.edu.au

To ensure safe administration and storage of medications, any student requiring medication while on camp must hand their medication into their Group Leader the first morning of camp. All medication needs to be clearly labelled with the student’s name and in its original packaging. All medication needs to be accompanied by a completed Medical Authority Form. A Medial Authority Form can be found on PAM and on the College website or via this link https://www.shckyneton.catholic.edu.au/our-college/policies-and-forms. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact Health Centre Coordinator, Jalna Holmes at the College on 5421 1200.

On Thursday 30 July the Sacred Heart Show Band embarked on a tour of three local Primary Schools. The first stop was St Ambrose in Woodend, followed by Holy Cross in New Gisborne and, finally St Michael's in Daylesford. At each school the Show Band presented a forty minute performance that was comprised of new and old favourites from many different musical eras. We heard 1930s Swing, 1980's Pop, and classic TV themes such as 'Mission Impossible.' Stella Egberts and Kai Yai took to the microphone to provide vocals for 'Footloose' and 'It Don't Mean a Thing, If it Ain't Got That Swing.' Our band leader, Sarah Gill, made sure that crowd participation was the order of the day, with many primary school students joining in on percussion or to dance. We even saw the dancing debut of Dr Egberts on the 'Macarena.'

The day was a resounding success with our Sacred Heart students presenting with great professionalism, musical energy and enthusiasm. The Show Band very quickly worked out effective systems for packing and unpacking the school van in short order. The setup for St Michael's was completed in under 10 minutes; which for a band of twenty is a fantastic effort!

The Show Band would like to show their gratitude and thanks to each of the schools we visited and, to Sarah Gill, Sue Morris and Mark Roberts for their wonderful work on the day. The Show Band looks forward to taking their talents to many more schools in the near future.

Congratulations to all our senior Debating students in Years 9, 10 and 11 on completing an outstanding DAV competition this season. Throughout the season, our debaters consistently delivered debates of a very high standard on a wide range of known and secret topics. Our students are to be commended on the way they supported each other displaying our true Mercy values. It is very exciting to announce that our Year 10 - C Grade debaters finished on top of the ladder. For our last round of debating, two visiting students from our sister school at Ibaraki Nishi High School in Japan joined in to watch.

A special thank you to Ms Lawrence who generously gave her time to support our students throughout the season.

Please congratulate:

Year 8 & Senior Boys AFL NMR Grand Finals

A huge day for both teams playing in the Northern Metropolitan Region grand finals.

Both teams competed hard and gave it their all. showing grunt around the stoppages and some composure moving the ball.

The 11/12 team had a lot of outs with injuries and some of the Year 8s stepped up to play, so a massive thank you to them.

Both teams ended with the runners up flag playing some quality opposition. A massive thank you to Lachlan Hall for coaching both sides and all the staff that supported us to make the days possible. 

Congratulations on a fantastic effort from both sides and representing the school in great manner.  Archie Maher  

Year 7 Girls Basketball

On Wednesday the Year 7 girls headed off to the Broadmeadows Basketball Stadium for the Mickleham Division Basketball Competition. The team played exceptionally well across all three games. Even though we lost our first game, the team stayed positive, worked together and didn’t give up. We came back together and won our next two games through teamwork and determination. Overall, it was a great experience, and it was great to coach.

Team Highlights: 

• Tia used her height to get baskets
• Marni was strong getting to the basket and scoring
• Amelia had great communication.
• Ameilia S had amazing defective pressure. 
• Bethany had great intercepts leading to easy points. 
• Maybel got our rebounds and had great hit outs.  
  
  Frankie & Macy

Year 8 Boys Basketball

On Wednesday, the Year 7 boys joined the girls at the Mickleham Division Basketball tournament. The team played hard all day, winning half their games in a series of nail-biting, close-scoring matches.

Team Highlights:

• Ollie: Played with 100% effort and left everything on the court.
• Charlie: Dominated the boards with huge rebounds and steered the offense.
• Oliver: Applied relentless defensive pressure on the ball all day.
• Tom: Shut down the opposition with massive defensive plays.
• Miles: Ran non-stop to keep the ball moving and support every play.
• Jackson: Cleaned up with key rebounds and locked down his player.
• Hawke: Understood and used all the set plays.
• Oscar: Coordinated team strategies and moved the ball with precision.

Jacob & Owen

State Netball Championships

Senior 

This week the Senior Netball Team went to the Victorian State Championships and had a great day. We came back with two wins and two loses, but everyone put up a great fight all day. The vibes were high and everyone backed each other, which was really good. The defensive pressure from Minty, Isla and Liv were very impressive. The strong mid court with Addi, Macey and Asha was very powerful. And finally, the shooting end with Audrey and Jewel was the dynamic duo. Overall, the day was great, and everyone had a good time, which is what it’s all about.  Audrey Macdonald

Intermediate  

On 4 August the Intermediate Netball Team went to Parkville to play in the school Vic Champs. We won all our games, apart from one which we drew. It was a lot of fun and a good experience. We finished top of our ladder after our playing games but unfortunately had to forfeit the last game to get back to school so we came home with second place. It was a great effort from the team!  Mila Benedict and Isla Woodhouse

Junior  

The Junior Team made up of players from the Year 7 and 8 teams, played in the State Championships in Parkville. This was a really tough competition, and we managed to come away with one win. The whole team put in lots of effort, and it was a good day overall. A highlight of the day was getting a photo with Di Honey, the Head Coach of the Melbourne Vixens!  Rosie M and Jessica Roan

If you've spotted one of Macedon Ranges Shire Council's waste collection trucks recently, you may have noticed some artwork displayed on the side.

Congratulations to Isabella Desira (Year 10) and Madeline Desira (Year 7), whose outstanding entries were selected as winners in the Macedon Ranges Shire Council Recycling Art Competition last year.

The competition invited students from across the shire to create artwork encouraging the community to reduce waste and recycle correctly. Isabella's colourful design reminds residents to "Be an Everyday Hero" by putting waste in the correct bin, while Madeline's artwork encourages everyone to "Choose to Reuse" and highlights how every small action can make a positive difference for our environment.

Their winning designs have now been transformed into large displays on the Council's waste collection trucks, meaning thousands of residents across the Macedon Ranges will see their important environmental messages as the trucks travel throughout the shire collecting household waste.

This is a wonderful achievement and a fantastic example of our students using their creativity to inspire positive environmental action within the wider community. Their artwork reflects Sacred Heart College's commitment to sustainability, stewardship, and caring for our common home.

Congratulations, Isabella and Madeline, on this incredible achievement. We are immensely proud to see your creativity making a real impact across the Macedon Ranges!

Photo 1: Isabella and Photo 2: Madeline.

In VCE English Language, students explore the dynamic nature of Australian English, examining how language shapes national identity, attitudes, and cultural stereotypes in contemporary society.It was fortuitous timing that the new film How to Speak Australian was released just in time for our current VCE cohort. Thanks to Bendigo Cinema, who kindly hosted a private screening for our school, students had the opportunity to view the film on the big screen. The excursion provided our Year 11 and 12 students with fantastic contemporary evidence for their upcoming Unit 3/4 essays, offering sharp insight into how Australian English, broad accents, and slang are perceived on a global stage.

Student Reflection:  Amelia Melville - Year 11

On Thursday 30 July, the Year 11 and 12 English Language students travelled to Bendigo to see the comedy film 'How to Talk Australian', which was about some linguistics students from India who came to Australia to learn about the culture and language. 

While it was a good opportunity for all of the English Language students, it tied particularly well into the Unit 4 study of Australian English and identities. It was nice to spend time outside the classroom, especially because English Language excursions are rare! Thanks to Ms Hill and Ms Monagle for an informative and interesting day.

The Year 10 Outdoor Recreation classes recently scaled new heights during an action-packed excursion to Gravity Worx. Swapping the classroom for the climbing walls, students immersed themselves in both indoor rock climbing and bouldering. Throughout the session, the groups focused on practical skill development—from mastering harness safety to reading route holds and refining precise footwork across a variety of wall angles.

Beyond developing physical technique, the trip proved to be a fantastic exercise in confidence building and teamwork. A major highlight of the day was seeing many ambitious students step up to challenge themselves on the venue’s Olympic-style course, testing their endurance, agility, and grit. Whether tackling tough boulder problems or cheering on classmates from the floor, everyone pushed past their personal comfort zones and had an incredible time along the way.

Information for Year 12 Students

For Year 12 students, Term 3 is a busy and important one as they begin to finalise their decisions about post-school options.

Students who are planning on applying for further education need to complete an application through VTAC (Victorian Tertiary & Administration Centre). Applications open on Monday 3 August 2026.

To support our students, Careers will be delivering a VTAC presentation on the application process on Wednesday 5 August. Follow up sessions to support their application will be offered throughout the remainder of the year.

To assist students and parents/ guardians/carers in the application process, we encourage you to access the VTAC Year 12 Guide below to support your student at this critical time.

VTAC Year 12 Guide Link: https://vtac.edu.au/files/pdf/...

Should you have any queries please contact a member of the Careers Team via email careers@shckyneton.catholic.edu.au. Alternatively, you can contact VTAC directly at (03) 9926 1020.