Last Wednesday I had the privilege of attending the monthly Old Paradians luncheon at the RACV Club in Melbourne to provide our Alumni with an update on what has happened at Parade College in 2025. I am pleased to say that our Alumni were very impressed with what we are offering our students today. The breadth of curriculum offerings and lots of extra-curricular activities were acknowledged and I received many comments from the attendees who wished some of the offerings were available in their time at Parade. It was a wonderful luncheon, and we look forward to welcoming back many Old Paradians to our College events in 2026. An open invitation exists for them to join one of our regular College tours.
We continue to pray for all of our students as they work toward concluding the 2025 academic year and prepare for the new challenges ahead:
Best wishes to all of our students.
Over the coming weeks there are different programs across all year levels, as we prepare our students for the rigours of a new academic year. On Monday 24 November, our 2026 classes commence and run for two weeks for our current Year 7 to 11 students who will be returning in 2026. Our Yr 8’s are also involved in camps next week.
The final day of classes this year will be on Friday 5 December.
Next Friday will be a student free day as our teaching staff complete a number of academic and administration tasks related to their classes and student reporting. The day will provide our students with an additional day to prepare for the 2026 commencement classes, the following week.
Our traditional Christmas carols event, ‘Carols Under The Cross’, will be held on Wednesday 26 November. We look forward to many families and friends attending to support our wonderful musicians and staff.
As we close the 2025 academic year, we celebrate the achievements of all our students, particularly those in Years 8-12 who have recently completed their examinations.
To our Year 12 students, whatever the results bring when they arrive in December, take time to acknowledge those who have walked alongside you - your teachers, friends, and family who supported you through every challenge. Your positive impact on our College community throughout your years here have made us immensely proud.
A special acknowledgment goes to our Edmund Rice Pathway Program and VCE Vocational Major students. Throughout the year, their involvement in a range of applied learning activities, work experience placements, and their contribution to creating a positive senior environment at our VCE Vocational Major Preston Campus has been a credit to all involved. While our senior VCE students await their results before deciding on their next steps, many of our VCE VM students are already actively working towards their chosen pathways and, in many cases, will make a seamless transition from school life to post-school life.
We also are excited and welcome our new families and students as our 2026 Early Commencement classes get underway.
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we wish to remind families to order your child’s resources for 2026. Resource lists were emailed to families and are also available online at Campion Education (www.campion.com.au).
To place your orders, please visit Campion’s website and use the following codes:
For students enrolled in VCE Unit 1 & 2 or Unit 3 & 4 subjects that require an Edrolo textbook and/or digital subscription, payments must be made via the Edrolo Payment portal. These subjects will be clearly indicated on the resource list. Detailed instructions on how to make payments for Edrolo resources were included in the letter sent with the resource lists to families of students in Years 10-12.
All other Year 7-12 digital resources listed on your child’s resource list must be ordered and paid for through Campion Education.
Please note that Friday 21 November is a student free day for Years 7-10 due to Semester 2 report finalisation. Year 11 students will have their final day of camp on this date.
Semester 2 Reports will be made available on SIMON /PAM from 10 December.
All students will be emailed their 2026 Commencement timetable on Friday 21 November to their school email address. Timetables are also scheduled to be made available on SIMON from Saturday 22 November.
All students continuing at Parade in 2026 are required to attend school for Early Commencement classes. 2026 commencement classes begin on Monday 24 November until 5 December (Year 9 2026 classes commence following camp).
To our 2025 Year 12 class, we would like to remind you that VCE results will be released by the VCAA from 7am on Thursday 11 December. You can find details on obtaining results on the back page of the VCAA Navigator, which all students received, as well as online.
The College will be offering both career counselling and emotional support at this time. If you feel that you need to talk with one of the counsellors from the Wellbeing team, you can book a counselling appointment on https://www.parade.vic.edu.au/contact-us-counselling-wellbeing.
Wellbeing counselling will be available during the following times:
Students may book a Careers meeting on https://www.paradecollegecareers.com.au/ and then email Mrs Bult or Ms Barnes.
Careers counselling will be available during the following times:
All Year 12 students in VCE, VCE VM (including Sport and Business Academy) will launch into their 2026 school year with an opening day at La Trobe University on Thursday 29 January. Guest presenters, past students, and staff from both La Trobe University and Parade will run a day that caters for all students in the Parade Class of 2026.
This is a compulsory event for all Year 12 students with the correct summer school uniform to be worn. Students will need to make their own way to and from La Trobe University (Plenty Rd) with the day concluding at 1.00pm. This program has previously proven to be a fantastic way to kick start the school year, demonstrating its success and benefits for students.
More information will be sent to families regarding details, as well as a map of where students are to meet.
Students received their 2026 subject allocations emailed to their school email accounts and the following that was emailed to parents on 31 October, 2025.
Year 8 students have only been informed of their electives, as all other subjects are core.
Food Studies is an extremely popular subject at our College. Due to the limited number of kitchen facilities available at any one time, we prioritise access for senior students undertaking VCE or VET studies. As a result, we are unable to offer Food Studies to all Year 9 students who selected it as a preference for 2026. We understand this may be disappointing and wish to reassure families that students are welcome to select Food Studies in Year 10 and in VCE. Not being enrolled in Year 9 does not prevent future participation in the subject.
As we wrap up another big year, we want to wish our Year 12s all the very best as they finish their final days of school. We’re so proud of everything they’ve achieved, and a huge congratulations goes out to all of our award recipients from Preston Campus—you’ve really shone this year. We also recently gathered for an assembly to farewell our Year 10 and 11 students and celebrate their many achievements. It was a great moment to recognise their hard work, growth and the positive impact they’ve had across our school community.
Just as we feel like we may be coming to the end of term, we also prepare for early commencement. Please see some important information below about where students in the ERPP and VM space will be over the next few weeks.
As we approach the end of the school year, there are a number of important programs and learning experiences taking place across our ERPP and VCE VM pathways. These opportunities are designed to support student growth, skill development and a successful transition into their 2026 studies. Sport Academy and Business Academy students in Year 11 and 12 will be completing a full two weeks of Early Commencement. Sport Academy students will receive information about their program over the next few days.
Students currently enrolled in ERPP and VCE VM (2025 cohort) will be off-site during the final two weeks of Term 4. During this time, students will be participating in the Work Learning Program, immersing themselves in real workplace settings and continuing to develop professional and employability skills. This means that an ERPP student will have their final day on campus on 21 November and a Year 11 VM student will have their last day on 17 November.
Our current Year 11 students will attend the Year 12 Commencement Camp from Wednesday 19 November to Friday 21 November. This camp supports students as they enter their final year of schooling, with opportunities to form stronger connections, build confidence and set goals. We look forward to seeing our young people grow, uplift one another and step into leadership. Preston students are to meet at Bundoora Campus at 8.00am in Nolan Court.
Current Year 9 students entering ERPP in 2026 will be completing their Early Commencement Program at Preston Campus. During this program, students will participate in VET subjects, wellbeing sessions and continue with their timetabled classes. More detailed information about this will be communicated by Ms Hopkins.
Students moving from Year 10 at Bundoora into VCE VM for Year 11 in 2026 will undertake an additional week of work experience from 24 November to 28 November, as communicated previously with families.
Following this, students will take part in an Early Commencement Program
from 1 December to 5 December. This will include timetabled VCE VM classes, VET sessions and learning opportunities across both Preston and Bundoora campuses. Further details will be emailed to families by Ms Hopkins in the coming weeks.
VET subject selections have now been issued to students. Booklists have been emailed to families and were also distributed to students at Preston Campus last week.
Please access the QR code and VET enrolment information HERE.
Students need to complete this form with a parent/guardian.
Students entering VET programs must ensure they have:
• Completed the online VET enrolment form (accessible via the QR code provided in the hyperlink)
• A valid USI (Unique Student Identifier).
If a student does not yet have a USI, please follow the instructions provided in the link. It is essential that both enrolment and USI details are completed to confirm placement in VET courses for 2026.
In preparation for the ExCEL program in 2026, Year 9 students (current Year 8) will participate in an orientation excursion encompassing activities designed to familarise students with navigating around the city (CBD) and to assist with building confidence in using public transport for independent travel, which is a requirement of the ExCEL program.
Students will begin their day at 8.40am at Bundoora Campus, meeting their ExCEL teacher in Moore Hall. After being briefed about the day, groups will travel (accompanied by staff), completing a loop journey that will include travelling by tram (Bundoora/Preston Campuses), commuting by train (Preston/City) and utilising a chartered bus (Federation Square to/from Bundoora) returning to Bundoora Campus in time for 3.15pm dismissal.
Parents will be emailed further details including permission forms.
Our 2025 Year 11s will head to Phillip Island this week to prepare for their final year of schooling. The Commencement Camp allows time for our students to meet their final year subject teachers, House/Wellbeing Leaders and mentors that will support and assist them throughout their final year at Parade College.
Situated on 80 acres of landscaped grounds in the heart of Phillip Island, The Resort makes for a positive relationship building experience for all staff and students involved.
We kindly ask parents and guardians to inform the College of any new or changing medical conditions, allergies, or other relevant health information. Please update your child’s medical profile on PAM and you may also share or forward this information to your child’s House Leader and the First Aid office at secfirstaid@parade.vic.edu.au.
This ensures we have all the important information to support your child safely at school, on excursions, and during camps.
From 10 December 2025, a new law will require social media platforms to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under 16 from having a social media account and deactivate or freeze existing accounts held by people under 16.
It is believed that delaying access to social media accounts until the age of 16 will protect young Australians at a critical stage of their development, giving them 3 more years to build real world connections, online resilience and digital literacy skills before they join global platforms.
This change will reduce access for young people to some of the harmful aspects of social media, such as algorithms that recommend content, infinite scrolling, and other features designed to keep users continuously engaged. The law is intended to capture social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, X, Facebook and YouTube.
But it won’t stop young people from staying in touch with friends online, playing games, learning new things and being entertained. In fact, they will still be able to access messaging apps, online gaming, professional networking and development services, and services that are primarily for the purposes of education and health support.
For more information, and tips for helping under 16s prepare for the change, visit the eSafety website.
The Australian Government passed a new law called the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024. This law “bans” under 16s from holding some social media accounts from Wednesday 10 December 2025.
Eg; Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube
No. The laws only impose obligations on social media platforms. If a child under 16 accesses a social media account, the child cannot be penalised and nor can their school or parents/carers.
Schools do not have an obligation to monitor compliance with the laws, i.e. if the school discovers that an under 16 holds an account with an age-restricted platform, the school may report this but is not legally obliged to do so.
Under the law, the responsibility lies with the age-restricted platforms to find and deactivate existing accounts held by under-16s and to prevent under-16s from creating new accounts.
Visit eSafety’s social media age restrictions hub to find out what’s happening and how to prepare.
Australian Government - Social Media Minimum Age – Fact sheet
eSafety Commissioner - Social media age restrictions Hub
On Thursday 13 November the Year 8 Game Development class worked with Mindflight7 using our Virtual Reality Headsets to look at a variety of different simulations in the area of Gaming. Virtual Reality has been proven to improve student engagement. The students were first given an overview on how to use the headsets and controllers. The Game Development simulator allowed students to immerse themselves in interactive virtual reality experience in gaming.
This week we will look at a Game Development Simulator where students will experience an office setting in a game production company as they collaborate with a team of creatives to produce and develop a video game for a game development competition. Students will get a taste of everyday life for a game developer which involves writing code, collaborating with various departments, and making informed decisions regarding the structure and result of a video game.
At our Term 4 College Assembly, we celebrated something truly special — 20 years of Eddy’s Brekky Van. Every Tuesday morning, for two decades, Parade College students and staff have gathered at Olympic Village to serve a hot breakfast to the Heidelberg West residents— many of them schoolchildren who might otherwise go without.
What began as an idea of the 2005 College Captain Paul Daly as a simple act of service has become so much more.
Over the years, the Brekky Van has built a bridge between the Parade and Heidelberg West communities. It is a place where stories are shared, friendships are formed, and compassion is lived out in very real ways. For our students, this program offers something no classroom can teach — the experience of connecting with others and serving with humility.
Year 11 Orlando Pettinella T07, one of our 2026 Community Action Prefects recognised one specific volunteer for an incredible 20 years of dedicated service with the Brekky Van. Over the two decades, Geraldine Fernandes – mother of 3 Old Paradians’ and Grandmother of Year 11 Nicholas Fernandes N01 has been a constant source of warmth, kindness, and compassion to everyone she serves at Brekky Van. She has formed countless positive relationships with our patrons — greeting each person with respect, a smile, and a listening ear. We thank Geraldine for her commitment and to those of you who have cooked, served, and cared over the past 20 years — thank you. Your generosity has warmed far more than just breakfast plates; it has created community.
We are once again running our annual Community Action Christmas appeal - let us come together as a school community to support those in need.
Donations will go to Big Group Hug, Salvos, and Vinnies - agencies who do incredible work in supporting those in need, particularly at Christmas.
We are asking every student to bring in at least one donation. Your donations will benefit families facing hardships. The 2026 Prefect body has allocated different donation categories to each of the Houses of Parade College.
Every student that donates 15 or more items gets an entry into the raffle to win a $30 gift card. Donation boxes will be placed in each tutor group at Parade College. There will be a collection box at College Reception. Donations will be collected until the end of term.
This year’s reading challenge is done and dusted with some mighty readers coming out on top. The results for this year are:
First Place - Raphael Glow B09 in Year 10 with 10,367 minutes read ($100 Voucher)
Second Place - Nathan Drazic L16 in Year 9 with 7,991 minutes read ($70 Voucher)
Third Place - Akshar Bapodra B12 in Year 7 with 6,663 minutes read ($50 Voucher)
Honourable Mention - Brian Khuu B13 in Year 7 with 6,610 minutes read
Congratulations go to these students and all those that logged throughout the year. Keep an eye out to start logging for the Summer Reading Challenge.
A group of students have gathered to design, write and publish a new student newspaper; the first since the infamous “The Pile” largely driven by Peter Hellier. The new look ZINE style publication will include student focussed articles covering pop culture, comedy, artwork, opinion pieces, comic strips and much more.
Keep an eye out for the first edition coming soon and for future opportunities to contribute.
Borrowing of books will cease as commencement classes begin. You are still able to borrow digital comics, ebooks, magazines and audiobooks through our HOMEPAGE over the summer. There is a huge range on offer. Please start to return your borrowed items in the next few weeks.
Applications for Parade College’s VCE VM Scholarship will close on Friday 28 November. This scholarship is offered to new students who enrol in our VCE Vocational Major program (VCE VM) at our co-educational Preston Campus for Year 11 2026, and who demonstrate the potential to be outstanding contributors in their chosen field of interest within one of the following VCE VM Programs at Preston:
Successful applicants must display a strong desire and willingness to make a valuable contribution to the College community. For further information about the scholarship and application process, please visit Scholarships at Parade College.
Registrations are now open for Parade College’s 2026 Open Day on Sunday 22 February 2026. There will be a number of displays and activities happening around the College with all Learning Area Leaders and staff available to answer any of your questions. Facility Tours will be running throughout the day. Prospective families are invited to register their attendance via the College website.
It has been a busy month at the Old Paradians Association. We have completed our very successful OPA Golf Day, hosted 2 Old Paradian Reunions and participated in the OPA RACV monthly lunch.
Another great day was had by all at the OPA’s Annual Golf Day again held at the Rosanna Golf Club Friday 31 October. Luke ‘The General’ Thomas (1988) and Steve Nailer (1987) both did a wonderful job in organising the event.
88 braved the inclement weather to hit off in what ended to be a beautiful day for golf. 24 carts were guided around the course. Players covered several decades since leaving school. Previous Peter Walker Trophy winners, veterans Vin Arthur, (1958) winner in 1998 and Chris Chamberlain (1960), winner in 2001 were both again participating in this year’s event.
The event was blessed with the support of the Qube team, Peter Reid and Asahi, Andrew Bennett and Veritas, the Rosanna Golf Club and OPA who were able to provide some prizes for the event.
The days template is certainly a winner, with most players back to the event for the third time. Registration, pre-golf food and drinks, post-golf drinks and awards followed by dinner at the Club covers everything off beautifully.
The Peter J Walker Trophy for best individual score was won by Michael Geary with 47 points. The Lou Arthur Memorial Trophy for Best Team Aggregate was won by Phil Lucetta, Matt Considine, Jason Croall, and Chris Keating with 110 points.
We look forward to hosting the event again in 2026, scheduled again at Rosanna on Friday 30 October 2026.
Over 120 Old Paradians have gathered at our 1995 (30-year) and 1985 (40-year) Reunions held recently at the E Bar, Old England Hotel. Excellent attendance (66 at the 1995 reunion and 62 at the 1985 event) made the nights a great celebration and opportunity to reconnect with classmates. At the 1995 event, Vice Captains Michael Grech and Warrick Stapleton addressed guests and spoke passionately of what their Parade College experience meant to them. A real theme was the development of strong values and enduring friendships. Similarly, Mark Scillio, College Captain in 1985, spoke of the lifelong friendships and the influence of so many staff in the 6 years he had been at the College. Thank you to our Alumni Relations Officer Hayley Workman for facilitating such successful events.
Details with photo gallery can be found at https://www.oldparadians.com.au/our-news
Old Paradians have gathered weekly at various locations, in recent times the RACV Club in the CBD since 1936, which is truly remarkable. Each month a guest speaker addresses the group, and we are most appreciative of their contribution to the day. Recent lunches have seen OTI Racing and Breeding’s Terry Henderson (1966) and champion trainer Tony McEvoy conduct an entertaining and informative Question and Answer. Tony went on to train both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner Half Yours.
Our October Lunch was attended by our largest guest list, with 73 in the room. We were able to combine our guest speaker, Brendan Money (1976), with a reunion of the 1955, 1965, and 1966 groups. Brendan retired in 2019, after working for 34 years with Corrections Victoria, Australia. He worked in a variety of leadership roles, including Prison General Manager across male and female prisons, Community Corrections, and Sex Offender Management. The last ten years of his career were in the position of Assistant Commissioner responsible for the security classification/assessment and placement of prisoners.
It was a fascinating and informative presentation. So much so, Brendan is coming back in 2026 for a Q&A follow up.
The November Lunch saw College Principal Mark Aiello (1990) address guests with insights into the many and varied things happening at the College. Guests were amazed at what the College offers its students and how far it has changed across the years.
Reports and photo gallery can be found Details with photo gallery can be found at https://www.oldparadians.com.au/our-news
Once again, our students have demonstrated their exceptional mathematical talent through their participation in the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC). Their enthusiasm, persistence, and problem-solving skills were on full display as they tackled a range of challenging problems requiring both creative insight and logical reasoning. We are proud of their achievements and commend all who took part.
In the AMC, students are recognised for their performance with various awards:
We are pleased to acknowledge the following students who received Distinction Awards:
Year 7: Atharva Ganesh N16, Jonathan Jiang B13, Brian Khuu B13, Manuka Manannalage H15, Hayden Stella B19, Luke Wright H12
Year 8: Kavindu De Alwis H11, Tharuka De Silva H11, Adam Xu H14
Year 9: Leroy Angley N12, Erik Bosco L14, Nathan Drazic L16, Fabien Habboush H14, Alexander Lawson H16, Achyut Patel B16, Hersh Patel B12, Aaren Peiris B12, Mahiru Tennekoon H17
A special congratulations goes to Year 8 Nathan Dang L14, who achieved a High Distinction Award, placing him among the top mathematical minds in the country for his year level.
back
.svg){kind=icon}
