With the help of God, I have come to know in this religious community the joys and challenges of a life dedicated to God. I now ask to be allowed to make perpetual vows in the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea for the glory of God and the service of the Church.
Sr Emma Llewellyn RSM
22 November 2025
The simple two sentences above marked a profound commitment by a woman of God as she committed herself to religious life and service perpetually last weekend. Alongside hundreds of Sisters of Mercy as well as many family and friends, Sr Emma Llewellyn RSM professed her forever vows at St Monica’s Church, Moonee Ponds. It was the first perpetual profession that I have been privileged to attend and I found myself both humbled and awed by the event.
Sr Emma is an alumni of Sacred Heart College (class of 2004) with her siblings, Jessie, Kate and David also attending Sacred Heart. I was joined on the day by a number of longstanding and/or retired SHC staff including Sr Mary Moloney RSM, Brett Lefebvre, Karel Turang and Debbie Ware.
The arrangements for students are as follows:
Friday 28 November – Wednesday 3 December 2025 - Year 7 - 9 Exams & Year 11 & 12 2026 Step Up classes continue
Thursday 4 December 2025 - Final Day for all students - End of Year Mass and Year 9 Graduation
Friday 12 December 2025 Final Day - Teachers
Wednesday 17 December 2025 - College Office closes
The successful Year 7 & 8 students elected to the 2026 Sacred Heart College Junior Cabinet are featured later in this newsletter, along with the House Captains for 2026. Congratulations both to the successful candidates but also to all those who applied.
Pictured here are our Senior and Junior Captains for 2026.

The final weeks of school are very busy with a number of significant events for the College community:
This morning, all Year 7 - 11 students gathered together to celebrate the school year with the end of year Student Awards. This important event provides an opportunity to celebrate excellence across a range of school areas including academic achievement, The Arts, sport and community service. Awards Booklet and photos can be found in the Deputy Principal - Learning and Teaching article following my report.
The Year 7 – 11 Awards Assembly also provided a wonderful symbolic moment as the 2026 College Captains received their leaders’ blazers. This presentation marked the official start to their twelve months as College Captains and was very warmly received by the College community – students, staff and parents.
Bereavements: Your prayers are asked for the following families who are mourning the loss of a loved one recently. The Doria family on the passing of Claudio Ruffo, grandfather of Amelia Year 9, and Lauren Year 12. Also the Halvarsson family on the passing of Sune Halvarsson, grandfather of Bryndis 7A, Tove Year 9, Jonah Year 11 and Sigrid Year 12.
Our thoughts are with you at this sad time.
Yours in Mercy,
Dr Darren Egberts
Principal
Awards of Excellence Assembly
Yesterday we gathered as a community to hold our Awards of Excellence assembly. This assembly is a very special occasion in the life of our school, as we came together to recognise, congratulate and celebrate the efforts of students who have attained significant levels of achievement in 2025.
Over the course of the assembly, we saw a large number of students walk across this stage to receive an award which recognises them for their personal accomplishments, and for the gifts they have shared with our college community.
In all cases, the students who graced the stage yesterday deserve our acclaim and admiration. And in all cases, the students we recognised and celebrated have something in common. They are each curious people. Curious about our world and their place in it. Curious about their particular fields of academic interest. Curious about their own limits, and how far they can push their thinking. Curious about how we can make use of our learning to build a world where respect is the norm, and where warm hospitality is commonplace.
This spirit of curiosity is at the very core of a Sacred Heart education. Each day, we invite our students to think boldly, and to ask brave questions. Because curiosity is the parent to creativity, and the sibling to compassion. And, as we equip our students to face the joys and challenges of young adult life, curiosity is one of the resources our world is in most need of.
Our assembly celebrated a particular group of students, because they have helped to show us that growing together as People of Mercy begins always with a spirit of curiosity.
To all of our award recipients, we offer a hearty vote of congratulations. You each deserve to feel enormously proud of your achievements. And to all students of Sacred Heart, we invite you to reflect with pride on your own personal successes throughout the school year. Let’s make the most of our final week together, and stay curious.
Junior College Captains | Alex Price and Gracie Cook |
| Faith Leader | Benjamin Knight |
| Academic Leaders | Liv Norman and Oscar Tate |
| Culture Leaders | Romina Doria and Milla Beattie |
| Mercy Justice Leader | Elsa Schulz |
| Public Speaking and Debating Leader | Angus Jewell |
| Sports Leaders | Calista Smith and Maddison Woodman |
| Student Wellbeing Leaders | Matilda Gibson, Molly Cusack and Anna Dunn |
| Sustainability Leaders | Olivia Howes and Catalina Seychell |
| The Arts Leaders | Bridget Laird and Jasper Bailey |
| Music Leaders | Quinn Blanks and Georgia Morelli |
| Chisholm House Captain | Melia Hayes |
| Chisholm Vice Captain | Renae Osmond |
| Chisholm Junior Captain | Mackinley Hardy |
| Nightingale House Captain | Velvet Mancuso |
| Nightingale Vice Captain | Ciara Reeves |
| Nightingale Junior Captain | Charlee Bender |
| O'Neill House Captain | Sierra Benedict |
| O'Neill Vice Captain | Ethan Raynor |
| O'Neill Junior Captain | Matilda O'Brien |
| McAuley House Captain | Zara Hooppell |
| McAuley Vice Captain | Indi Trotter |
| McAuley Junior Captain | Miley Meadows |
Friday night’s Graduation Dinner marked the end of the secondary journey of the Class of 2025. Students, family and staff gathered for the celebration of this milestone, a wonderful achievement. We wish you all the very best and look forward to watching you flourish, as people of Mercy, in your chosen pathways beyond secondary school!
On Monday 17 November, Year 8 students had their Reflection Day. We focused on the theme of ‘who is my neighbor,’ throughout the day, diving into the Parable of the Good Samaritan as well as looking at the Mercy values of Sacred Heart.
We had the chance to listen to a panel with past Mercy students including Mrs Knight, Mr Lefebvre, Mrs Thompson and Mrs Holmes. We got to ask them questions about their Mercy school experience and advice they would give us as Year 8 students. They responded with really good answers, leaving us with the takeaway message to make the most of every opportunity
After that, we got to meet Adrian Eagle, an Australian singer, who told us about his life and his music. It was really inspiring to meet him, and after his presentation we even got to hear a live performance of one of his songs.
Following that, the Year 8s were split into two groups - in the Atrium we made Christmas gift bags for people in our wider community, making cards and adding some little gifts in with them. In the Chapel, we explored some of the actions that happen in the Chapel and College Mass, such as the prayer candles that are lit while praying. We got to ask Mr Travers-Hucker questions and found out some new things.
Approaching the end of the day, we all sat down as a cohort and watched a documentary about the asylum seekers and refugees around the world. It was really interesting and showed us an insight to the lives of others who are suffering and have to leave their homes in a split second. It really showed how lucky we are as people to have what we have, as well as live in a country without war or violence.
Finally, we looked back on our day by completing a booklet that reminded us of what we had experienced on our year 8 reflection day. It was a great day and having icy poles was the perfect end to the day!
By Alice McKenzie, Year 8
The intrepid travellers have enjoyed their first few days of sightseeing and exploring Tokyo. The first day involved a sensory immersion at Team Lab Planets, followed by the opportunity to learn about the life and work of the world-famous artist Hokusai. A group dinner at a traditional Japanese restaurant completed.
The second day included a visit to the Meiji Shrine, shopping at Harajuku, a chance to experience the crowds at the Shibuya crossing, time exploring Senso-ji and the nearby Asakusa souvenir market, before a night visit to the impressively tall Tokyo SkyTree.
We stepped off the Shinkansen (bullet train) into glorious Kyoto. Our three days were in the old capital included: visits to the Nijo Castle, Nishiki markets, Arashiyama bamboo forest and monkey park, Sanjusangen-do (a temple with 1001 statues of the Goddess of Mercy), and Kiyomizadera Temple.
En route to Osaka we enjoyed a stop at the Nara Park (overrun with deer) and the immense Todaiji Temple. We arrived yesterday afternoon in Osaka to visit our sister school, Ibaraki Nishi High School, meeting the school community, host siblings and families. The chance for a rich and immersive language and cultural experience is a genuine highlight for everyone! Students have already been attending classes with their host-sibling this morning and will enjoy cultural club activities in the late afternoon.
We finished our time in Kyoto with a visit to a Karaoke booth!
During the Year 9 multicultural foods unit students investigated a country of their choice. This included gaining knowledge on the country's common ingredients and how other factors such as location, climate and culture practices impact their everyday food choices. Students had an opportunity within a practical lesson to independently cook a savoury dish from their selected country. An amazing effort by all students.
Recently the Year 7 and 8 Food Technology classes completed a design brief on Healthy Hamburgers. This involved students researching typical ingredients that go into a hamburger and looking at a variety of hamburger recipe options. In a practical lesson they had the opportunity to create their hamburgers, using their prior knowledge, such as knife skills, to prepare their salad items and stovetop temperature control to ensure that their burger was cooked to perfection. Afterwards they evaluated its nutritional qualities and if it met the overall design brief requirements.
On Wednesday 26 November a group of students from SHC participated in a VET Orientation experience; travelling to Castlemaine to check out where (some of them) will be completing their external VETDSS courses in 2026.
The purpose of the day was for the students to experience where they will be attending their VETDSS course training next year and to become a little familiar with their surrounds.
It was also an opportunity for the students to ask their VET Trainers any questions they had about their chosen course for next year, and be more confident when attending their first official day of TAFE training early next year.
Thank you to Kristina Delaney, our Careers Practitioner, who accompanied the students on the day and who also had the opportunity to visit the brand new state of the art facilities for the Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance.
Two of our students also attended Castlemaine Secondary College where they met their trainer and spent the day in their first VET Cert III in Music – Sound Production class.
Well done to all the students who took the opportunity to attend the VET orientation experience. Next week we’re off to Salesian College for another VET orientation afternoon.
VCE study scores, ATAR and VTAC Scaled Study Scores will be available to students via the Results and ATAR website. All current VCE students will receive a statement of VCE study scores from the VCAA.
The VCE results and ATAR Service is available in December. To access VCE Unit 3 & 4 results and ATAR, students will first need to register for the service. You will need your VCAA student number. Yr 12 VCE students that have applied for courses through VTAC can access their ATAR in the VTAC account.
If students are a current paid VTAC applicant, they will receive an email registration request to create a My eQuals account. Within the My eQuals portal, they can view and share their official ATAR statements and any qualifications from tertiary institutions.
With VCE Results and ATAR being released on Thursday 11 December, Careers Staff will be at the College from Thursday 11 December 9:30am until Friday 12 December 4:00pm to assist/advise students on tertiary selection and change of preference. Students can also access change of preference support hotlines, events, and activities from the VTAC site: https://vtac.edu.au/courses/cop/cop-events.html?highlight=WyJjb3AiXQ==
A representative from La Trobe University will be at the College on Thursday 11 December 2:00pm – 3:00pm for change of preference support.
2026 Academic Year Booklist
It's time to prepare for the 2026 academic year! To ensure your child has all the necessary resources, please follow the instructions on the How To Order Flyer in the link below. Booklists are now available on the Campion website. You can also access these booklists via PAM in Documentation for Families - Booklists.
Key Information & Dates:
We encourage all families to refer to the guide and place their orders by the deadline to ensure a smooth start to the 2026 academic year. Need Help? Visit the Parent Hub for hints, tips, and helpful videos at campion.com.au/parents.
Please find below the holiday hours over January. Please note:
The College will also be closed on the afternoon of Wednesday 10 December, and the whole day on Friday 12 December. The College closes for the Christmas break from Thursday 18 December.

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