The FIFA World Cup is officially underway, and the energy across campus is electric following the Socceroos’ massive 2–0 opening victory against Türkiye! While we are all cheering for goals, watching the green and gold is doing wonders for our collective mental health.
Psychological research reveals that riding the World Cup wave delivers genuine mental fitness benefits:
SchoolTV Report: https://parade.vic.schooltv.me/newsletter/physical-activity-exercise
On Friday 12 June, Year 7 and Year 12 students came together for a day of competition, camaraderie, and connection through the Failte Program.
The Failte Program pairs the College’s newest students with senior friends, helping to foster friendships, provide guidance and create meaningful connections through a range of activities and shared experiences throughout the year.
The latest events saw the Houses split, with Nolan, Lynch and Bodkin participating in a trivia competition, while Hughes and Treacy Houses took part in a mini sports carnival held on Bunjil Park, where students competed for valuable House points in a variety of activities, including a penalty shootout, egg-and-spoon race and table tennis relay.
Under some much-appreciated winter sunshine, students embraced the competitive spirit of the day while working alongside their friends and strengthening the relationships they have built throughout the year. The carnival also provided an opportunity for meaningful conversations beyond the classroom.
The Trivia provided an opportunity for the Year 7’s and Year 12’s to put their minds together in a ‘fierce’ TG competition.
During our time together I was able to share some of my experiences of Year 12 so far, while my buddy spoke about his favourite aspects of his first year at the College and how he has settled into high school after the initial nerves he shared with me on his first day.
Overall, this was a fantastic experience for everyone involved and a wonderful opportunity to create lasting memories.
A special thank you goes to all the staff, House Captains and Sports Prefects, whose hard work and organisation ensured the day was such a success.
Year 12 Shewon Perera T05- Treacy House Captain
Recently some our Year 10 and 11 school leaders took up the invitation to attend the Nillumbik Youth Summit at the Eltham Community and Reception Centre.
It was an opportunity for them to help shape our local community by giving feedback to Council on what matters to young people. They collaborated with students from other schools to produce ideas for change.
Year 9 students Billy Sapountzis L18 and Anthony Darius H11, Year 10 Tex Borg T08, Year 11s Jamie Nackoski H07 and Shevan Fernando T05, represented the College and their peers with confidence and enthusiasm, impressing us and council representatives. Ms Mazzitelli and l received so much lovely feedback about how well spoken, thoughtful and 'switched on' our students were throughout the day.
Last Wednesday, l got the opportunity to attend the Nillumbik Youth Summit. The aim of the day was to gather young people from across Nillumbik to get together and discuss topics and issues that relate to them, such as mental health and the safety of the community. It was great to meet so many people and speak to them about the issues that we all face throughout our day to day lives, and it gave me an opportunity discuss my opinions on the things that I am passionate about.
Year 11 Jamie Nackoski H07
At the Nillumbik Summit, my table was given a topic about youth employment. My group had to come up with ideas of problems people could face regarding this topic and come up with a real solution that could be used. We found that students often do not know enough about different jobs or how to prepare for the future. To fix this, we thought of a plan for two different career days. Years 7 to 10 would get a day to explore many types of jobs before choosing their school subjects. Years 11 and 12 would get an interactive day to learn about resumes, interviews, money and university or TAFE options. This project taught me how to find solutions to problems and create a clear plan to help our community.
Year 9 Billy Sapountzis L18
On Friday 6 June, the majority of our Year 12 cohort (Bundoora) took part in a highly engaging and informative Gambling Education Presentation, organised by our Wellbeing Prefect Committee – Louis Habboush H02, Jonah Cadd T06, and Keith Gunawardena B09.
Now in its second year, this initiative continues to highlight important issues affecting young people. The Wellbeing Prefects have remained committed to promoting a healthier student community, recognising the growing concern surrounding gambling and its potential impacts, including financial stress, addictive behaviours, and challenges to mental health.
This year’s session featured Missy Ali, Senior Health Promotion Officer from Gambler’s Help, alongside a guest speaker who shared his lived experience with gambling addiction. His honest and impactful story gave students a deeper understanding of how gambling can affect individuals and their families, reinforcing the importance of awareness and informed decision-making.
The presentation also emphasised the importance of seeking support and provided students with access to helpful resources, including:
Importantly, this learning will not end with the presentation. Our Preston-based Year 12 students will have the same opportunity later in the year. Also, further follow-up and reflection activities will take place in the Friday Pastoral Tutor Group Program, allowing students to build on their understanding and continue meaningful discussions around this topic.
Families play an important role in supporting young people as they navigate issues such as gambling. Open and supportive conversations at home can have a significant impact. Some suggested approaches include:
This initiative reflects the ongoing leadership of our Wellbeing Prefects and our College's continued commitment to student wellbeing through education, awareness, and proactive support.
On Tuesday 9 June, our Year 7 students participated in the Dealing with Conflict workshop, facilitated by Toolbox Education. The interactive session supported students to develop practical strategies for managing disagreement, navigating social challenges and responding to conflict in a calm and respectful way.
Throughout the session, students explored the 5 P’s of Dealing with Conflict: Pause, Problem, Perspective, Plan and Path. These steps encouraged students to pause before reacting, consider the deeper issue, think about another person’s perspective, communicate assertively and decide how they would like to move forward.
This session provided students with valuable tools to support positive relationships as they continue to settle into secondary school life.
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