Dear Parents & Carers,

Final week of term two

We have just passed the winter solstice and have one day remaining before the mid-year break. Semester One is nearly complete, and after a busy term, we look forward to the upcoming break. Over the past few weeks, students have been busy completing and submitting their final pieces of work for the semester. Teachers have also been busy with marking and preparing Semester One Reports.

These reports will be available early next term, on Friday, 1st August (Week Two of Term 3). These are summative reports that show overall results for the semester. More detailed information about student progress can be found by accessing assessment feedback through our online Learning Management System, ‘Canvas’. If you haven’t already accessed Canvas, your daughter or son should be able to show you how to do so. Acting Deputy Principal (Teaching & Learning), Ms Robyn Jackson, will email parents in the first week of next term with the relevant dates and instructions on how to access the Semester One Reports.

Apart from VCE Unit 3 and Vocational Major subjects, there are no scheduled Parent-Student-Teacher (PST) conferences to follow up on these reports. However, you are very welcome, and I encourage you to reach out to any subject teachers regarding academic concerns or the Mentor teacher for pastoral matters. Please email the teacher to arrange a suitable time for a meeting.

All VCE Units 3/4 subject PST conferences will be held on Thursday, 14th August, next term. Later in Term Three, all Years 7 to 11 and VCE VM PST conferences will take place on Wednesday 3rd September and Thursday 11th September. All interviews will be conducted via Zoom, running from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

I wish all students an enjoyable, safe, and restful break, and I encourage them to spend some time revising and preparing for the next term. In particular, VCE students should use this time to review the work covered so far, preview upcoming topics, and complete any set tasks from teachers.

Please note that classes for term three resume on Tuesday 22nd July 2025. Monday 21st July 2025 will be a Staff In-service day.

Staff changes

Farewell and thank you to Ms Jessica Cummins (Information Learning Centre), and Mr Kallum Wallace (Teacher), who finish at the end of this term.

Thank you to Mr Michael Wilding, who has been the Acting Performance Coordinator for Semester One, and Mr Matt Waters for taking on the Acting Year 9 Coordinator role for Term Two.

Farewell and thank you to Mr Anthony Fitzgerald – 25.5 years of outstanding service

After more than 25 years of dedicated service to Catholic Regional College (CRC) and then St Ignatius College Geelong, we farewell and thank Mr Fitzgerald as he embarks on a well-earned retirement.

Beginning at CRC on 25 January 1999, Anthony has been a highly respected teacher of Science and Mathematics. His thorough, dedicated, and competent teaching has left a lasting impression on numerous students, especially in the fields of Science and Chemistry. Many of these students have gone on to build successful careers in these areas, demonstrating Anthony’s skill and care as an educator.

Throughout his time at the College, Anthony also held several leadership roles, including Years 7 & 8 Coordinator, Years 7 & 8 Curriculum Coordinator, and Assistant Daily Organiser for 11 years. He went on to serve as both Timetabler and Daily Organiser for 3 years, followed by a further 7 years as Daily Organiser. His strong organisational skills and consistent dependability ensured the College was staffed and ready each day—an often complex and demanding task that he managed efficiently.

His contributions go well beyond the classroom, and his work has played a key role in keeping the College running smoothly every day.

We wish Mr Fitzgerald all the best for his retirement.

College Feast Day – July 31st

A special event for our College community will be the annual celebration of the Feast of St Ignatius of Loyola on Thursday 31st July 2025. Parents and Friends of the College are invited to attend the whole school Mass (9.15 am to 10.30 am) in the Companions Centre. Please report to the Loyola Centre Reception at 9.00 am so a seat can be organised for you.

Special activities are being organised for the rest of the day. More details will be provided in the next newsletter (first week of term three). All students are expected to attend on the day. We have celebrated Feast Day for many years, and each celebration has been a great success. I am looking forward to another very successful day this year and encourage all students to embrace the spirit of the occasion.

Best wishes for the Term Two holidays,

Michael Exton | Principal

Over the past few weeks, Religious Education here at the College has provided students with rich opportunities to explore faith in action, deepen their understanding of core Catholic values, and engage meaningfully with real-world issues through an Ignatian lens.

Our Year 7 students recently led class liturgies centred on the theme of Caring for Creation. These student-led experiences not only encouraged personal reflection but also helped to foster a deeper awareness of our responsibility to protect and respect God’s creation. It was inspiring to see our youngest students confidently lead prayer and discussion, demonstrating both reverence and thoughtful engagement with the message of stewardship.

At the other end of the College, our Year 12 students were fortunate to hear from guest speaker Mark "Squiz" Squirrell. Squiz’s extraordinary life journey from army officer to humanitarian aid worker, offered students an insight into ethical decision-making, global justice, and what it means to live a life in service of others. His stories of courage, resilience and hope powerfully reinforced the Ignatian call to be men and women for others.

We extend our sincere thanks to the Parents and Friends Association for their generous support in helping bring this event to life. Their contribution continues to enrich the learning and spiritual formation of our students in meaningful ways.

As this Term comes to a close, we take pride in the many opportunities students have had to explore their faith, engage with real-world issues, and grow as young people of conscience and compassion.

Thank You to Our Student Leaders — and an Invitation to Future Leaders

As we approach the middle of the school year, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and thank all of our student leaders for their commitment, energy, and initiative so far this year. We are very pleased with the numbers of leaders and aspiring leaders who have committed to the Manresa Student Leadership Challenge. Students who have attended the Ignatian Leadership Academy modules have developed valuable skills and had the opportunity to contemplate and journal their understandings.

Looking ahead, we are excited to announce that applications for student leadership positions for 2026 will open after the upcoming school holidays. This is a great opportunity for students who want to make a difference and contribute to our school’s ongoing success.

We encourage any student who is interested in taking on a leadership role to start thinking now about the strengths and ideas you could bring to these positions. Information on the application process will be shared at the start of next term. We will appoint

• SRC reps from all current years 7 - 11

• House Vice Captains from current years 9 and 10

• Portfolio captains (Academic, Arts, Environment, Justice, Ministry, Sports, Wellbeing) from current year 10

• Arrupe leaders from current years 10 and 11

• House Captains, College Captains/Vice Captains from current year 11

• FIRE carriers

We look forward to seeing current leaders and new faces stepping up for 2026!

Ms Robyn Frigo

Student Leadership Development Coordinator

“I would like to know you as you are: your image of me will be enough to change me.”

At Saint Ignatius College, Geelong, an Arrupe Leader is a student who models leadership in the spirit of Fr Pedro Arrupe SJ, embracing the Ignatian call to be a "person for others."

Our Arrupe Leaders are:

• Service and justice focused - They take initiative to support others, both within and beyond the school community, demonstrating a commitment to fairness, inclusion, and advocacy for those on the margins.
  
  

• Reflective and faith-filled - They engage in thoughtful reflection, making decisions aligned with the College’s Jesuit identity and values.
  
  

• Courageous and compassionate - They lead with heart, showing empathy, kindness, and quiet strength.
  
  

• Active contributors - They play a role in shaping the culture of the College, helping others feel seen, valued, and inspired.
  
  

An Arrupe Leader is not defined by a badge or title but by their everyday actions, their service-oriented mindset, and their desire to make a difference, following in the footsteps of Fr Arrupe’s vision of forming students who are ‘agents of change’ in a complex and needy world.

Here are two of our Arrupe Leaders, Enda and Harriet, sharing the ways that they have been working to be people of service:

Enda Fitzgerald:

For Neurodiversity Celebration week, I helped our College’s Wellbeing Leader, Sarah Manzl, with the art competition. Together we decided the winners of the competition, and on the screens in the MacKillop Centre we showcased the creative talents of the participants; the event raised awareness within our community for neurodivergent individuals. I also attended multiple of our school’s social justice meetings, where there was meaningful discussion and supportive initiatives focused on equity, inclusion, and representation for all.

Harriet Stepto:

On Tuesday the 24th of June, we welcomed family and friends to the Potato Shed for our very first Performing Arts Evening. This night consisted of outstanding performances from across the college in Dance, Drama and Theatre Studies. I was fortunate to compere this event alongside our wonderful Arts Captain, Sienna Davidson. It was an amazing night and we are so grateful to the College for supporting our performing arts programs.

In Term 2, Year 7 & 8 students wrote postcards to defenders of Ukraine with a message of encouragement and hope in mentor time, through the topic of advocacy.

I’d like to thank all staff and students who delivered this activity through advocacy in mentor time, to write a message of hope. Also to those students who took the time to write a postcard during their lunchtime.

Last time we embarked on this activity in 2023, Postcards To The Front had delivered 7,872. Two years later, they have now delivered over 20,000 cards of hope and encouragement.

Thanks to our office staff for posting the cards to the ambassador for Australia, Peter Rammadge. Our cards are now on their way on a dangerous journey to the frontline in Ukraine.

It can take 6-8 weeks to get to the defenders.

You have done more than you know. Here is a message from Peter to the students at SICG: 

“Tell the kids that because of their great work our total number of cards sent to Ukraine is now 20,370.

With the war in its 1,221st day (at the time of writing) Ukrainians need to know that they haven't been forgotten. With numbers like this they will know that they haven't been forgotten by Australia. It is such a wonderful thing that your students have done. Each card is treasured by the recipient, usually it is kept in a top pocket next to the heart as a talisman and re-read many times.“

You can track their progress and see some of the recipients proudly holding their cards via social media on Facebook:

Postcards To The Front Australia (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577956821895)

and on Instagram: Postcards_to_the_front_aus (https://www.instagram.com/postcards_to_the_front_aus/)

Also here is the link to the website:

https://postcardstothefront.com.au/

Thankyou

Kerry Horbowsky (social media contact for Postcards To The Front Australia)

Exciting news! Tickets for our school production of Les Misérables will go on sale next Monday, 7th July. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to see the amazing talent of our students in one of the world’s most beloved musicals. Make sure to grab your tickets early – they’re sure to sell fast!

The EMPOWER (stress and anxiety management) program was offered this term and had another successful 5-week run. Eleven year 7 students participated in this small group setting, which was hosted by the Wellbeing team. EMPOWER stands for Educate, Mindfulness, Progress, Obstacles, Wellness, Emotions, and Regulation.

The aim of the program was to enhance students' ability to cope with stress and anxiety more effectively through psycho-education, emotional regulation and cognitive and physical relaxation skill-building. Students received an overview of common stressors and participated in activities to learn about their own triggers and reactions, as well as developing and practising various coping strategies. They were provided with valuable resources to enable physical relaxation and combat unhelpful thoughts - most of which are accessible to all students on the Wellbeing Canvas page under the “Stress 101” tile. Students also created “personal coping menu cards” to take away and refer back to in their day-to-day lives.

Some of the techniques covered included box breathing, five-finger breathing, grounding techniques, and thought reframing.

Student evaluation showed collective positivity towards the program, with 100% saying they would recommend the program. Some of the feedback included “I have learnt how to manage stress, especially school-related” and “[I’ve learnt] breathing techniques and coping strategies”. Many students also spoke about other helpful strategies that they were able to take away from the program.

The EMPOWER program is now in its sixth year, and continues to be highly regarded by participating students. This year we had so much interest that a second program is being offered to another group of year 7s during Term 3.

From the Student Wellbeing Team.

wellbeing@ignatius.vic.edu.au

Closed July 4th. Opening the 2nd week of the holidays - 18th of July - 10am - 2pm then normal trade from the Monday first day back at school. 

Please see regular trading hours below.