Welcome to Term Three

I hope all students and families have enjoyed a refreshing break and that everyone is looking forward to another busy and rewarding term at Saint Ignatius College. As we begin the second half of the year, our College theme, Engagement for Excellence, continues to guide all that we do. Excellence is achieved through active engagement—in learning, relationships, service and the many opportunities that enrich College life. I encourage every student to approach the weeks ahead with enthusiasm, commitment and a willingness to embrace all that our community has to offer.

Term Three provides many opportunities for your son or daughter to learn, grow and contribute to our College community. Whether in the classroom, on the sporting field, on the stage, or through service to others, I encourage you to support your child to become actively involved. Your encouragement can make a significant difference in helping them embrace new experiences, build confidence and develop new skills. Through active participation, students strengthen their sense of belonging, form meaningful friendships and contribute positively to a community where everyone feels valued, supported and able to flourish. This is Engagement for Excellence in action.

Although 2027 may seem some time away, planning for next year is already beginning. Students in Years 8 to 11 will soon commence the subject selection process, while our Year 12 students will be making important decisions about their future pathways, including university, TAFE, apprenticeships, employment and other opportunities. I encourage students and families to take advantage of the guidance and expertise of our Pathways and Careers Team, who are available to provide advice, answer questions and help students explore the many options available to them.

One of the highlights of the term will be our annual Ignatius Day celebration on Friday, 31 July. This special day brings our entire College community together to celebrate our Ignatian identity, strengthen our sense of belonging and enjoy a range of activities organised for students. In keeping with our commitment to justice and service, we will once again support Jesuit Mission's One Foot Raised campaign, raising awareness and funds for people experiencing disadvantage around the world. Ignatius Day is an important community celebration, and I look forward to all students participating in the day's events.

Our extensive co-curricular program continues throughout the term, with a wide range of sporting, cultural and performing arts opportunities available. These experiences are an important part of a well-rounded education, allowing students to discover new interests, develop their talents and build lasting friendships. I encourage every student to become involved and make the most of what our College has to offer.

Year 7 Enrolments 2027

I am delighted to report that interest in Saint Ignatius College has remained exceptionally strong, with applications for Year 7 in 2027 once again significantly exceeding the places available.

This success reflects the outstanding reputation of our College and is a testament to the commitment of our students, staff and families to creating a welcoming, high-quality learning community. I sincerely thank everyone who contributed to our Open Day and enrolment promotion program. Your willingness to share your experiences and showcase the College played an important role in helping prospective families experience what makes Saint Ignatius College such a special place.

I have now made enrolment offers to 260 students for Year 7 in 2027. I look forward to welcoming these students and their families into our College community next year.

Semester One Reports

Semester One Reports will be available to parents on Friday, 24 July (Week Two). These reports provide a summary of your child's achievement across the first semester. More detailed information about ongoing progress, assessment tasks and teacher feedback is available throughout the semester via our Learning Management System, Canvas. If you have not yet accessed Canvas, I encourage you to ask your son or daughter to show you how to navigate the platform.

Acting Deputy Principal (Teaching & Learning), Ms Robyn Jackson, will email families with details about accessing Semester One Reports.

While there are no formal Parent-Student-Teacher conferences immediately following the release of the reports (other than for VCE Units 3/4 subjects), I strongly encourage parents to contact subject teachers if they have any questions regarding academic progress or your child's Mentor teacher for pastoral matters. Please email the relevant teacher to arrange a suitable meeting time.

Online Parent-Student-Teacher conferences for VCE Units 3/4 subjects will be held on Thursday, 6 August, from 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm.

Parent-Student-Teacher conferences for Years 7 to 11 and VCE VM students will be conducted online via Zoom on Thursday, 3 September, and Thursday, 10 September, also from 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm.

As always, I encourage our students to approach this term with dedication, diligence and determination. By engaging fully in their learning, supporting those around them and striving to do their personal best, they will finish the term proud of the growth they have achieved academically, personally and spiritually. Together, let us continue to live our theme of Engagement for Excellence, making this a term in which every student is known, challenged and inspired to flourish.

Staffing

Early this term, we farewell:

• Stephanie Muscat (Learning Support Officer)

• Garry Kane (Teacher)

We thank Stephanie and Garry for their valued service to the College and wish them every success and happiness in the future.

This term, we are delighted to welcome:

• Connor Murray (Student Wellbeing Officer)

• Jackson Couch (Teacher)

• Stephanie Nelson (Teacher)

• Breanna Parisi (Learning Support Officer and former Saint Ignatius College student)

We warmly welcome our new staff members to the Saint Ignatius College community and wish them every success in their new roles.

I wish all students, families and staff a positive, successful and rewarding Term Three.

Michael Exton
Principal

Outsiders Day

Towards the end of term 2 the Year 9 students enjoyed Outsiders Day. This was a day to celebrate our study of the novel The Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton. Many students were encouraged to get involved through the costume and writing competitions.

We further connected to the novel with the ‘Stay Gold’ letter writing activity, allowing us to write to someone we feel the story reminds us of. Students got to explore a range of cars from the 1960s, and ended the day by watching the film adaptation of The Outsiders.

Thank you to all the staff and student leaders who ensured it was a positive and exciting experience for all Year 9 students.

Ignatius Day SRC Dunk Tank

We are excited for the upcoming Ignatius Day. The SRC looks forward to a fun, successful day filled with pride in our College community. We encourage you to take part in the festivities and be involved in the many activities running on the day.

As part of the celebration the SRC will be hosting a dunk tank. Students have been given the chance to vote for teachers they wish to be dunked.

Every student is welcome to participate on the day with $2 for one ball throw and $5 for three ball throws. All money raised goes to charity, we can’t wait to see you there!

Year 9 Exams

The SRC would like to congratulate the Year 9 students for completing their first ever set of Semester exams. We should all be proud of the effort, resilience, and dedication shown throughout the exam period.

We can all take some time to celebrate our hard work and reflect on future opportunities to improve and grow.

Subject Selections

Finally, just a reminder that on Tuesday 21st of July, all Year 9 students will be given a copy of the 2027 subject selection form and participate in the Subject Selection Expo. This gives students the chance to speak to staff and discuss possible subject options. The form should be used as a draft version before any final decisions and completed before Mentor Time in week 3.

During Mentor Time in Week 3, Year 9 students will be supported to complete and submit their subject selections online via Web Preferences. Web Preferences login details and instructions for accessing the online subject selection system will be emailed to students beforehand. All Year 9 students will be able to finalise and submit their preferences in this session with the support of their mentor teacher.

Key Subject Selection Dates

• Religion Journey Forms due no later than 3.00pm 24 July.

• Accelerated Application Forms due no later than 3.00pm 27 July.

• Submit both the paper version of the appropriate Subject Selection Form and the Web Preference receipt to your Mentor Teacher no later than 1:00pm Friday 7 August 2026.

VCE Lecture Series

Saint Ignatius College Geelong is delighted to once again host the '2026 Lecture Series,' and invites students from across the Geelong region to join us for these sessions.This year, during Week 10, we will welcome the Maffs Guru!

Make sure you don't leave it too late to book in! Students and teachers are welcome to join us for this series, as we invite expert presenters across a range of subjects to our College to provide hints and tips for Unit 3 & 4 studies and examinations.

Registrations for this series can be made here --> collections.humanitix.com/2026-vce-lecture-series

VCE Unit 4 Practice Examinations

28 September - 2 October