Dear Saint Ignatius College community members,

Reminder: Mosaic 2025 – A Celebration of Our College Community

Join us for our annual Mosaic Evening—a wonderful celebration of our students and the Saint Ignatius College community!

Venue: Costa Hall, Deakin Waterfront Campus (Brougham St, Geelong)
Date: Thursday, 20th November 2025
Art & Technology Display: 6:00 p.m. (Costa Hall foyer)
Celebration Evening: 7:00–9:30 p.m. (Main auditorium)

All Year 7 and 8 students are required to attend, and we warmly encourage Years 9–12 to join us as well. Parents are asked to arrange transport to and from Costa Hall.

Mosaic is one of our most uplifting traditions—celebrating student achievement, our shared values, and the strong sense of belonging that defines our College. Families, grandparents, and friends are all welcome to be part of this special evening.

Tickets are free but required for entry (students do not need a ticket). Please book at: https://www.trybooking.com/DFPOV.

Please save the date and come together to celebrate another inspiring year at Saint Ignatius College.
Students are to wear full school uniform with blazer.

Partnering with you on digital safety: Understanding the new social media age rules

We are committed to fostering a safe and supportive learning environment at Saint Ignatius College, and this extends to our students' digital lives. As you may be aware, new legislation is being introduced that will impact how young people under 16 years old can use certain social media platforms.

Our schools is taking proactive steps to understand these changes and, most importantly, partner with our families to help our students to navigate them successfully.

Why the changes? Protecting younger teens

The new laws are designed to safeguard our younger students (under-16s) from pressures and risks often built into social media platform design.

These features include:

• Excessive screen time: Design elements like ‘streaks’, endless notifications, and alerts that intentionally encourage prolonged and addictive use, often reducing time for sleep, study, face-to-face socialising and other activities.

• Exposure to harmful content: Algorithms that increase the likelihood of students being served negative, upsetting, or manipulative content in their feeds.

Research has found that these features are linked to real consequences and can impact wellbeing, including increased stress, disrupted sleep, and reduced concentration – elements that are all vital for success in secondary school.

Our approach: education and resilience

While the responsibility for enforcement rests with the platforms themselves, we believe this presents a significant opportunity to support our students. The delay in account access for under-16s gives our students time to:

• Learn to navigate the digital landscape: Truly understand the benefits, risks, and complexities of social media

• Build essential skills: Develop the digital, social, and emotional resilience needed to handle the pressures of online interaction

• Know when and how to seek help: Understand the importance of reaching out to a trusted adult, counsellor, or external service if things go wrong.

As partners in your child's education, we can all contribute by focusing on clear communication, effective digital citizenship education, and by modelling safe, positive online behaviours.

We acknowledge that the timing of the legislative change will have an impact on students during the Christmas, New Year, and summer period. For some individuals, this may represent their primary mode of communication and social engagement. We encourage families to proactively discuss how they will navigate this transition and explore ways to support their young person in maintaining meaningful connections with peers.

Key information for your family from the eSafety Commissioner

The new age restrictions are focused on protecting younger users, but they impact how all families manage technology at home.

The eSafety Commissioner’s Social Media Age Restrictions Hub is the go-to spot to find information about the upcoming legislation. The hub is regularly updated with resources, videos, guides and FAQs to help young people, families and educators prepare.

Quick facts about the legislation

We encourage you to use this opportunity to have an open conversation with your child about their current online habits and the boundaries that work best for your family. We will continue to incorporate digital citizenship and wellbeing into our curriculum.

For further guidance, please refer to the school's ICT Acceptable Usage Policy or contact your child's Year Level Coordinator (Yrs 7-9) or Head of House (Yrs 10-12) if you have specific concerns.

Working together, we can ensure our students are safe and thriving in the digital world.

Thank you to our PFA members

We have a positive, enthusiastic, and committed group of parents who are members of our College’s PFA. Last night, the Annual General Meeting was held. As usual, nominations for the Office Bearer Positions in 2026 were called for. All current holders were reappointed. On behalf of the College, I thank them for their contributions this year and for continuing in 2026.

President - Julie Castle.

Vice President - Warren Littlewood.

Treasurer - Julie Castle.

Secretary - Nicole Mayne.

Fundraising Lead - Julie Penfold.

It was wonderful to see some new faces at Wednesday night’s meeting, and I encourage all parents to think about joining the PFA. In addition to working on both friend and fund raising, the meetings offer a valuable chance for senior College Leaders to inform and discuss initiatives with parents.

2026 Student Leaders Investiture Assembly

The school community gathered in the College’s Companions Centre on Thursday, 6 November, to celebrate the new 2026 student leaders. Fr Gerry Healy SJ and many parents attended the event.

The incoming College Captains and Vice-Captains delivered their inaugural speeches. Judging by their impressive presentations, our college community is indeed maintaining strong student leadership for 2026.

Some students also entertained the audience with their musical performances.

And Ms Robyn Frigo, the Student Leader Development Coordinator, provided an insightful reflection on Ignatian leadership.

Congratulations to all students appointed to leadership positions for next year:

College Captains: Hannah Dreise & Owen McCoughtry

College Vice-Captains: Sarah Tolan & Hamish Dallman

Portfolio Captains:

Academic Captain: Ava Burke

Arts Captain: Heidi Bush

Environment Captain: Zoe Furber

Justice Captain: Samantha Nyatsanga

Ministry Captain: Emily Neicho

Sport Captain: Addison Lewis

Wellbeing Captain: Reuben Cook

Arrupe Leaders: Gabriela Fernandes, Willow Dunne, Jeeann Tinij, Flynn Higgins, Sarah Smith, Ashlyn Pitts, Mariella Vallente, Imogen Payne, Tess Cirillo, Jessica Reynolds, Phoebe Zahl, Natalia Eyck

FIRE Carriers: Hamish Dallman, Ella Dowling, Hannah Dreise, Ruby Richie, Bas Gee, Willow Annand, Millie Tognan, Harriet Stepto, Gabriela Fernandes, Willow Dunne, Xavier Cunningham

House Leaders:

Glowrey Captains: Ava Guarnaccia and Mitchell Payne

Glowrey Vice Captains: Lucian Joyce and William Bosman

MacKillop Captains: Chelsea Hanks and Aiden Fitzgerald

MacKillop Vice Captains: Chloe Van Den Bosch and Archie Underwood

Ricci Captains: Arabella Gruar and Sam Fenton

Ricci Vice Captains: Jaya Newton and Luke McTaggart

Xavier Captains: Ella Dowling and Will Allan

Xavier Vice Captains: Heidi Connor and Addison Fowler

SRC Representatives:

Year 7 SRC Representatives: TBC in 2026

Year 8 SRC Representatives: Eliza Wood and Bas Gee

Year 9 SRC Representatives: Amelia Andrews and George Pacitto

Year 10 SRC Representatives: Charlotte Carlson and Ziggy Newman

Year 11 SRC Representatives: Jasmine Halliwell and Murphy Lougheed

Year 12 SRC Representatives: Sarah Manzl and Molly Wray

Portfolio Mentors:

Academic: Owen McCoughtry

Arts: Sienna Davidson

Environment: Nikita Smith

Justice: Sarah Tolan

Ministry: Arabella Gruar

Sport: Phoebe Zahl

Wellbeing: Sarah Manzl

Saint Ignatius. Inspiring me to be a leader.

Congratulations Deacon Rhys Lowther

On behalf of the College, I congratulate 2017 Alumnus Rhys Lowther on his ordination to the transitional diaconate on Saturday, 1st November, at St Anthony's Catholic Church in Lara.

Bishop Martin Ashe ordained Rhys on the feast of All Saints, surrounded by family, friends, fellow parishioners, seminarians, and clergy.

As a Catholic community, we give thanks and celebrate that Melbourne's newest deacon said “yes" to God and a life modelled in Jesus Christ. We pray for Rhys as he continues his journey to the priesthood.

Yr 12 exams and pathways

Year 12 VCE students across the state are well and truly into their exam period. Many of our students undertaking these major assessments have sat two or more exams since Tuesday last week, with this week being especially busy. Please keep these students in your thoughts and prayers so they can revise effectively and demonstrate their learning to the best of their abilities.

Our Year 12 VM students have wrapped up their classes for the year, and I wish them all the best as they take their next steps toward employment or further study. I know some have already started apprenticeships, while others are enrolling in vocational courses for the coming year. Let's keep them in our thoughts and prayers as they make this important transition from secondary school.

Our Work and Further Education Staff Team has helped many VM and VCE students and parents explore possible pathways. The team remains available throughout the rest of the school year and into the next if any student or parent needs support or information about pathways, courses, or employment. A team member can be contacted by phone at our office.

Remembrance Day

As you know, next Tuesday is Remembrance Day. We will hold a short memorial service for students and staff in their classes.

The College will be called to attention at the start of Lesson Three (just after 11 a.m.). Under the teacher's supervision, students are to remain in their classrooms and give their full attention to the ceremony, which will be broadcast via a video played in each classroom.

Best wishes for the next fortnight,

Michael Exton | Principal

As the school year moves toward its denouement, the English Faculty celebrates the achievements, growth, and creativity of our students across all year levels. It has been a year of imagination, critical thought, and deep engagement with language in all its forms.

We especially acknowledge our Year 12 students, who have now completed their final examination. The endurance and focus required to sit a three-hour English exam are significant. We commend you for your determination, composure, and the thoughtful ways you approached this milestone. As you turn the page to the next chapter, we encourage you to step forward with curiosity and courage—ready to become the storytellers of your own lives.

Across all year levels, students have explored a diverse range of texts, analysing how writers shape meaning and challenge perspective. They have developed arguments, crafted creative pieces, and reflected on the world through language. In classrooms, we’ve seen lively discussion, strong writing, and moments of genuine discovery—reminders of why reading and writing continue to matter so deeply.

For our junior and middle years, the English classroom has remained a space to experiment, imagine, and find personal voice. Whether through analytical writing or creative responses, students have strengthened their ability to interpret the world critically and communicate with authenticity. As you move forward, remember that you are the main characters in your own stories—your ideas and efforts shape how your narrative unfolds.

As we look toward a new year, we hope all students continue to nurture their creativity and confidence with language. Writing is not only an academic skill but a lifelong means of expression, reflection, and change. To our graduating students—go forth and write your next chapters boldly. To those continuing—keep reading widely, thinking deeply, and writing fearlessly.

From all of us in the English Faculty, thank you for a wonderful year of learning, conversation, and creativity. We look forward to the stories you will tell next.

Dear parents and guardians,

Semester two has been a very productive one. Classroom teachers and Instrumental tutors have been very busy preparing our students for the many concerts, assemblies, plays, recitals and soirees. External music exams have also been a goal for many students and we wish them all well in the coming examinations.

Feast Day – Talent Quest

Early in Term 3 we celebrated our College Feast Day.

The Performing Arts Department was so proud of the many students who performed during the day. Congratulations especially to Sienna Davidson, our Arts Captain, Mrs Tania Grant & Mr Wilding who prepared the students for the College Mass and Mr Matt Jennings for being such a help for the talent quest.

The talent quest was very entertaining and we were delighted to have former music and Italian teacher, Mr Max Rudd, and former Deputy Principal, Mr Paul Lewis, as Judges.

Congratulations to the following students:

Junior 1st prize: Matilda Ward

Junior 2nd prize: Stella Nicol

Senior 1st prize: Heidi Bush, Blayke Mifsud, Grace Taylor and Chloe Van

Den Bosch.

Senior 2nd prize: Ella Dowling

Choral Collective

On Thursday September 11th, our College Choir joined students from other colleges in the Choral Collective which was held at Iona College. It was a wonderful evening of song which ended with the Combined Colleges Choir singing “Here comes the sun “and “I Can’t Help Falling in love with you”.

Congratulations to our Head of Voice, Mrs Tania Grant, who has worked so well with the choir and who has enthralled us with very challenging pieces.

Instrumental and Vocal Showcase

Parents and friends were treated to a feast of talent early in Term 3.

One parent commented “They get better every year!”

A big thankyou to our students for their hard work & also for their dedication and for making our work so much easier and so enjoyable. Thank you to the parents and guardians of our students for your encouragement, for being “chauffeurs” to many events, for supporting the teachers and our college and for coming to our events.

Thank you to our Bands Coordinator, Mr Michael Wilding for his direction and help with setting up of all the equipment for the concert. I also thank our Junior bands director, Mrs Janice Wilding, Strings Director, Mrs Rebecca Cowled, Stage Band Director, Mr Tim Neal, Co- curricular Bands Director, Mr Matt Jennings and our Choir Director, Mrs Tania Grant . Our staff were extremely proud of their students. I thank the music staff for their dedication and for constantly striving for excellence in our students.

Many thanks to Mr Paul James for his assistance with the sound and lighting.

Les Misérables

Spectacular! What a show!

The 2025 College musical, “Les Miserables”, was an outstanding success. Audiences were given a wonderful, first class professional level performance by our very talented students. They were backed by a production team of extraordinary dedication and skill and not to forget-a five star orchestra.

Congratulations to everyone who contributed to yet another unforgettable production by Saint Ignatius College.

Vocal Night

Term 3 ended on a high with our annual Vocal Night.

Congratulations to our vocal teachers, Tania Grant and Tara Nyuenhaus, who prepared the students so well.

Battle of the bands

A huge congratulations to our year 10 band -Agency Black for recently winning the Battle of the Bands.

A special thank you to Mr Matt Jennings for his expert direction with this band. What an achievement for such a young band. We are so proud of them all!

Bass_ Chloe Van Den Bosch

Drums- Grace Taylor

Guitar_ Blayke Mifsud

Guitar- Troy Stibbard

Keyboard- Luke McTaggert

Vocalist- Heidi Bush

Well done to Heidi, Blake, Chloe, Troy, Luke, and Grace!

VCE Soiree -Terindah Estate

In the first week of term 4, the VCE Music students wowed the crowd at Terindah Estate.

I cannot believe the standard of the acts that we all witnessed. I was so proud of all the students who performed and I sincerely wish to thank Mr Matt Jennings for all the incredible work he has put into these students' performances. He and the students should be so proud. I also congratulate all the instrumental teachers who have been involved in the musical life of these students. I also thank the many staff who came along to support our very talented students. We were delighted to see our former deputy principal, Mr Paul Lewis, who has always been a great supporter of the performing Arts and it was wonderful to see Mrs Bernadette Donnelly who has been on sick leave.

Thank you to Terindah Estate for serving a lovely meal and ensuring our night went so smoothly.

Once again, Congratulations to Mr Matthew Jennings for a wonderful night of entertainment!

Farewell to Year 12

In week 3 of this Term, we said farewell to our year 12 students. The day was filled by three important events. The Assembly, Mass and finally the Graduation.

The day was also filled with mixed emotions. Saying farewell to our wonderful Year 12 students was extremely sad but also a time to be excited for their new ventures to come. We especially thank Oliver Watson, Ethan Cromwell, Zachary Jackson, Jackson Sparke, Declan Parisi, Katherine Sotomayor McInerney and Logan Pitts for their time and talents that they have given to our college. We wish them all the best in their coming exams and hopefully their love of music and the Performing Arts will continue. We shall miss them all very much.

Year 12 Assembly

Zachary Jackson is not only a bass guitarist and vocalist, he is also an outstanding trombonist. Zach played one of his unit 4 works, “Saint James Infirmary “ by Irving Mills to the staff and students.

Many thanks to Mr Tim Neal, Oliver Watson and Ethan Cromwell for their expert accompaniment.

The Year 12 Band also wowed the staff and students with “Canned Heat “by Jamiroquai. Special thanks to Year 11 student, Flynn Higgins, for stepping in to play drums for the band. An amazing effort.

Year 12 Valete Mass

Under the direction of Mrs Tania Grant, the College choir sang for the Graduation Mass. The choir was accompanied by Mr Matthew Jennings on guitar, Oliver Watson on drums and myself on keyboard.

Many parents complimented the choir and I also thank the choir for giving of their time to say farewell to the year 12 students.

Year 12 Graduation

Many thanks to our Arts Captain, Sienna Davidson, who played keyboard throughout the award ceremony, creating a beautiful ambience.

Thanks also to one of our very talented Year 12 students, Jackson Sparke, who played one of his Unit 4 works entitled “Room 335” by Larry Carlton. It was a special moment to see Jackson playing solo. I was so proud of him as I taught him in year 10 music. Jackson was not sure if he was good enough to do VCE music but with much discussion and believing in himself, he excelled!

It was a very fitting finale when the year 12 Band again entertained the many parents and guardians with their rendition of “Goodbye” from “Catch me if you can” by Mark Selbert.

Unit 2 VCE Theatre Studies- “Man the Balloon”

Last week, our Unit 2 VCE Theatre Studies students performed Matt Cameron’s Man the Balloon - a quirky and thought-provoking exploration of identity, connection and the absurdity of everyday life. Performed in the Potato Shed, the production showcased a vibrant mix of Absurdist and Contemporary Australian Theatre styles, combining illogical humour with poignant social commentary. Students took on all aspects of production, from acting and direction to set, lighting, sound, props and costume design - collaborating to bring Cameron’s surreal world to life. The result was an explosive performance of quirky characters, inviting audiences to laugh, question and feel. Congratulations to all students involved for their creativity, professionalism and teamwork.

Andrea Broadbear
Teacher - Theatre Studies / Business Management

Public Speaking Presentation

Last evening, family and friends experienced a selection of iconic speeches, spoken by the public speaking students of Saint Ignatius College Geelong.

This presentation was entiltled “Words That Shaped Our World”: From Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century to Steve Jobs in the 21st century, our world has been shaped by courageous leaders and innovative thinkers.

It was a great opportunity for all public students to showcase the skills that they’ve been working on throughout the year.

I was so impressed once again with the quality and the confidence in which these speeches were delivered. A huge thank you to Mrs Tara Mrs Nieuwenhuys who brought out the best in each student.

Events coming up.

Junior Ensemble Concert

Monday November 10thth

7pm- 8pm

MacKillop Theatre

Piano/ Strings concert

Wednesday November 12th

MacKillop Theatre

7- 8.00pm

Years 9 and 10 Music Concert

Thursday, November 13th,

7pm -9pm.

MacKillop Theatre

Mosaic

Thursday, Nov 20

Costa Hall, Deakin University.7pm-9.15pm (6pm -Foyer display)

Year 7 Showcase

Monday November 24th

MacKillop Theatre

Contemporary Bands Night

Wednesday November 26th

MacKillop Theatre

7-8.30pm

This final term of the year is always an extremely busy one but also very rewarding as we see the culmination of the students’ efforts. We look forward to seeing you at the remaining concerts. Not long until we are singing Christmas Carols!

Regards,

Mrs Linda Pape

Head of Performance.

“Music is food for the soul”

On Monday the 27th of October, the Social Justice Team hosted our first ever ‘Charity Cook Up’! Students from year levels 8-11 cooked up a storm, all in the name of charity.

On the menu was Butter Chicken and Spaghetti Bolognese, with all food going directly to families in need in our local community. We were lucky enough to have Major Di Hobbs from The Salvation Army come to speak to us about how our contributions will directly support those around us. To hear someone speak about a cause that is clearly so true to their heart was such an amazing experience and something that students came away learning lots from.

It was incredible to know that whilst we went home to eat dinner, someone else was doing so too as a result of our actions. Students so clearly understood that this event wasn’t simply a chance to do some cooking, it was a moment to appreciate all that we have and what we can do to continue being people for others.

We extend our gratitude to Ms Smith and Ms Clark, who supported the organisation of the event, and Ms O’Brien and Ms Polwarth, who both provided the supplies for and supervised our cooking. Whether it was ensuring that our pasta didn’t boil over or showing us the best way to cut an onion - they were so incredible in supporting this endeavour.

We look forward to more Justice activities soon!

Geelong Catholic Schools First Nations Student Camp

Tuesday 28th October – Wednesday 29th October 2025

Last week, Year 7 students, Sebastian Gee, Willow Annand and Isabella Van Der Heyden joined 41 students from St. Joesph’s College, Sacred Heart College, Iona College and Clonard College on a 300km journey to visit Budj Bim, in the South West Victoria, on the South Australian border.

"Budj Bim" refers to a UNESCO World Heritage-listed cultural landscape in southwest Victoria, Australia, named after the dormant volcano that is central to the site's creation and the Gunditimara people's history.

This landscape is renowned for the ancient and extensive aquaculture systems, created by the Gunditjmara, which used lava flows to trap and farm eels for thousands of years. The area is culturally significant for the Gunditjmara people and is known as "Tungatt Mirring" or "Stone Country”.

First Nations scientists, engineers, craftsmen, farmers and astrologers, the Gunditimara People have been harvesting eels in this area for their community for 6,000 years and students were able to hear the history, culture and customs from the Traditional Owners.

A truly rewarding experience.

Students in Yr8 were able to program drones to follow creative and efficient flight paths, accurately calculating the area and perimeter of their routes. They demonstrated the use of mathematical reasoning to analyse drone flights effectively. In addition, they were able to apply and show understanding of Math content covered in STEM like unit conversions, volume, and Pythagoras’ Theorem, applying these concepts accurately to solve problems.

Saint Ignatius College welcomes the College Community to our annual celebration 'Mosaic,' an evening that highlights the many programs, events and learning that has occurred during the academic year.

This year's Mosaic will commence at 6pm on Thursday the 20th of November, featuring student works with foyer displays, and the main doors to the auditorium opening at 6.40pm.

The evening is expected to conclude at 9.15pm, with students attending to wear their Summer uniform, inclusive of the College blazer.

Students in Years 7 and 8 are expected to attend this celebration and will be seated with their Mentor Teachers and class groups, where a class role will be taken.

Parents and Carers are invited to register their attendance for Mosaic here --> https://www.trybooking.com/DFPOV noting that students DO NOT need to register.

Further information, including the Operoo for awardees will be issued in the coming weeks.

I am looking forward to welcoming our College Community to Mosaic 2025!