Dear Parents & Carers,

Saint Ignatius Sport History

This year marks an exciting milestone in the sporting life of the College, with our senior boys AFL team competing for the first time in Division 1 of the Herald Sun Shield. In our inaugural year in this highly competitive competition, the team progressed all the way to the semi-finals — an exceptional achievement and a proud moment in our school’s sporting history.

Congratulations to the First XIII Team, their coach, Mr Joe McLean, Head of Sport, Mr Andrew Philp, and support staff member, Mr Matthew Waters. As well as representing our College with pride, the players have been outstanding ambassadors for their families and local football clubs. Their commitment, teamwork, and resilience have further strengthened our football program and set a strong foundation for future success.

Consistent Student Attendance

Thank you to the many parents who responded positively to my recent letter regarding the importance of consistent student attendance, particularly at key College events. Your support is greatly appreciated.

We share a common goal — to uphold high expectations for student attendance, engagement, and achievement. Our partnership with you is vital in forming young people of character, compassion, and commitment. That partnership includes your full support in ensuring your child is present, engaged, and accountable in all aspects of school life. Together, we continue to create a learning environment where every student can flourish.

Parent, Student & Teacher Pathways Interviews for Years 9 & 10

A reminder that Wednesday 13 August is the scheduled date for the Year 9 into 10 and Year 10 into 11 Pathways Interviews.

Key details include:

• No scheduled classes will run for Years 9 and 10 on this day.

• Students are expected to work from home. Teachers will provide tasks via Canvas.

• If you require assistance with setting a Canvas announcement, please contact your Learning Area Leader.

• Interviews will be conducted via Zoom and will run for approximately 10 minutes per student.

These interviews are a valuable opportunity for students, parents, and teachers to come together to plan and support each student’s educational journey. A key element of this will be making decisions about subject selection for 2026.

College Production – Les Misérables

Alongside our sporting success, our performing arts students are also preparing to make history with their upcoming production of Les Misérables, to be staged in late August. Based on the energy and quality of recent rehearsals, audiences are in for a truly spectacular performance.

The dedication, talent, and passion of the students involved are remarkable. We are proud of our tradition of excellence in the performing arts and thrilled to once again showcase this for the first time in the Companions Centre at our College. Tickets are now available online (click here) — don’t miss the opportunity to experience this outstanding show.

Staff Professional Learning Day – Friday, 22nd August

Please note that Friday, 22nd August has been scheduled as a Staff Professional Learning Day. On this day, students will not be required to attend school in person.

To ensure continuity of learning, lessons for the day will be made available through our Learning Management System, Canvas, and can be accessed via the 'Announcements' section.

We encourage students to check Canvas in the morning and complete the tasks provided.

Thank you for your support and understanding.

Best wishes for the next fortnight,

Michael Exton | Principal

Feast Day of St Ignatius

Last week, we celebrated the Feast Day of St Ignatius of Loyola. Across Australia and around the world, Jesuit and Ignatian communities joined in solidarity, marking the occasion with worship, fun, service, and heartfelt gratitude for the life and legacy of St Ignatius. We are proud to be part of the Ignatian and Jesuit and Companion Schools Australasia (JACSA) network, and it was wonderful to stand alongside others to meaningfully celebrate the special occasion.

A student-led Mass, concelebrated by ‘our Jesuit’, Fr Gerry Healy SJ, Fr Ray Bugeja, from St Thomas, Drysdale and Fr Linh Pham, from Holy Trinity Parish, Queenscliff, began our festivities. Bel Gruar and Harriet Stepto reminded us of St Ignatius’ story and legacy and our talented choir inspired reflection, concluding with an uplifting and unifying rendition of our school song, Companions of Ignatius.

Following mass, students and staff made the most of the winter sunshine during the ‘One Foot Raised Walk,’ with some students and an energetic wolf, taking on the inaugural ‘One Foot Raised Classic Run.’ While the wolf led the way, outstanding performances by Owen McCoughtry and Sophie Hopper earned them first place and well-deserved trophies, making them the first winners of this new Feast Day tradition.

The inclusion of the walk in our Feast Day celebrations was inspired by St Ignatius’ vision of a leader—someone who lives with “one foot raised,” always ready to respond to human suffering. This year, our walk was dedicated to the people of Myanmar, who have endured immense hardship since the military coup in February 2021. Ongoing violence, natural disasters, and the displacement of millions have created a humanitarian crisis, worsened by a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that has destroyed communities and left thousands injured, missing, or without shelter. With over 22 million people, many of them children, in urgent need of support, our walk was a small but meaningful act of solidarity, raising awareness and funds, and affirming our commitment to justice, service and compassion.

The rest of the day was filled with variety, with students browsing the ever-popular Thrift Shop and racing to purchase the recently retired Mr Fitzgerald’s ties, watching or playing in the first ever Alumni Wolves v Year 12 basketball match, testing skills in soccer, golf, dodgeball and the ninja warrior course. Students and staff chatted as they walked round and round carrying water, they tested their knowledge of trivia and had fun with VR. Some relaxed with film, dance and gentle movement, and artistic flair was on show with face painting, creating artworks and the photography exhibition. The Talent Quest showcased young people of courage and extraordinary talent with Matilda Ward and our Rock Band being crowned winners for the Junior and Senior categories respectively.

The highlight of the afternoon festivities was the Casa de Talento performances which celebrated House pride, talent, and good-natured competition. After a tight contest, Glowrey House emerged victorious, lifting the Cup to cheers from a happy and excited audience. The College Executive enjoyed their afternoon bus duty, taking the opportunity to connect with students who, in high spirits, shared their enjoyment of the day, especially the chance to spend time with friends and experience a break from regular classroom routines.

In the wake of Feast Day, it is wonderful to share our position on the One Foot Raised (Jesuit Mission) Leaderboard. Donations from the incredibly generous Saint Ignatius community, combined with PFA incentives for participation and achievement, resulted in our College raising an impressive $7066. Through fierce competition, MacKillop House raised an enormous $3219, with other Houses following not far behind - Ricci ($2,240), Xavier ($916) and Glowrey ($571).

This year, on Feast Day, we truly lived our Ignatian mission by having one foot raised, ready to be people for others, rather than focused on ourselves. Thank you for supporting Feast Day and encouraging your young people to be present and engaged with tradition and community.

We’re only three weeks into Term 3, and things are already full steam ahead.

We kicked off the term with the Feast Day of St Ignatius - a chance to come together as a whole school and reflect on what it means to live out our values. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to the Jesuit Missions Appeal. The amount raised was incredible, and it’s great to see the impact our community can make when we rally together.

Earlier this week, MacKillop House celebrated their feast day with a house Mass on Tuesday. As always, it was a great opportunity to acknowledge the story behind the name and the values that guide MacKillop students.

Looking back to the final day of Term 2, the Winter Ball was a definite highlight. Held at St Joseph’s College Geelong alongside other Catholic schools in the region, it was a great way to wrap up the term and connect with students from different communities. The night also had a strong purpose behind it, raising money for Ocean Minds and The Smith Family- two organisations doing incredible work to support young people. A big thanks to everyone involved in organising such a memorable event.

Year 12s are deep in SAC season, and while the pressure is on, there’s a strong sense of support around the cohort. Everyone’s working hard to stay on top of things, and we’re all counting down to the other side of Term 3.

Leadership applications have now closed, and it’s been great to see so many students putting their hands up to get involved in shaping the future of the school. We’re looking forward to what the 2026 team will bring.

And of course, one of the most exciting things coming up - our school musical Les Misérables is just around the corner. Rehearsals are in full swing, and the cast, crew, and staff have been putting in serious hours to bring it to life. Make sure you grab a ticket and support what’s shaping up to be a pretty epic show.

There’s still plenty ahead this term - so take care of yourselves and each other.

– Bel & Tucker

College Captains 2025

Feast Day

Feast Day was another success this year and there were a variety of different ways we celebrated our Saint, Saint Ignatius of Loyola. The day kicked off with a Mass followed up by a range of activities such as closest to the pin golf, a ninja warrior course and of course the talent quest. Students then participated in a whole school walk/run which was 4.5km to raise money for the organisation ‘One Foot Raised’. All students had a great time, then followed an assembly to finish the day which consisted of some very funny and entertaining house performances, with the winners being Glowery House.

Leadership Applications

Applications opened for Student Leadership positions for 2026. Students could apply for any of the following positions:

• 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 to be appointed.

Students have been given the opportunity to put themselves out there and give it a go. Applications have closed on Tuesday the 5th and interviews will begin soon!!

Senior Boys Footy

The senior boys football team has finished its 2025 Herald Sun Shield campaign and put in a mighty effort to beat Ballarat Grammar in the elimination final in Sebastopol but fell short to Parade College in the semi final in Sandringham on Wednesday.

Yr. 10 Work Experience

In the school holidays, Year 10 students were offered the opportunity to get out into the workforce and give an area of interest a go. The students who participated in this week-long program were able to give a job a go and possibly find a love for a certain career pathway.

Ricci students who did Kokoda

In the school holidays, our school provided an opportunity for students in Year 10, 11 and 12 to experience Kokoda. From Ricci House we had 4 students - Tom, Xavier, Jaya and Sam, who followed in the footsteps of the World War 2 Veterans. It was a 10-day ‘Companions Program’, where students embarked with their parent/carer on hikes and experienced historical and beautiful landscapes.

Yr. 10 and 11 Subject Selection

Yr 10 and 11 subject selections are due soon so it’s best that students begin to think about their preferences, what subjects they would like to do next year and choose the areas of interest to them.

Melbourne Netball

On Thursday 7th, selected students from all year levels are heading up to Melbourne to Parkville netball centre to compete against schools around Victoria for a championship title.

Les Miserables

This year our school will be presenting a production based on the musical ‘Les Miserables.’ Tickets are on sale now and available through the school website. This production is directed by the teachers and performed by students from all year levels. It is definitely worth coming and supporting the school performing and arts program.

From the Ricci House Captains,

Luke O’Brien and Tiarni Blair

Exciting news! Tickets for our school production of Les Misérables are on sale. 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!

Purchase tickets here.

This August, Saint Ignatius College will join hundreds of organisations around Australia to promote positive body image in support of Body Kind Schools.

This is an annual campaign that encourages young people and their communities to:

• Be kind to their own body, in the language they use, how they nourish and move their body;

• Be kind to others, online and face to face, and

• Celebrate and respect the differences and diversity in their own body and others.

Studies continue to report that the way young people feel about their bodies is affecting their health, mental health and wellbeing. The Butterfly Foundation has released data indicating that 90% of young people in Australia have some concern about their body image. A recent Butterfly Foundation survey of 12-18 year olds found that:

• Half said they were dissatisfied with how their body looks

• 70% said they experienced appearance related teasing

• Nearly two thirds reported their body image stops them from doing physical activities

We continue to see the harmful impacts of social media on body image.

Early intervention and education have proven to be critical in improving outcomes for people with body image issues. Saint Ignatius College has therefore been engaging in a number of activities in and around this month, including: running tailored classroom activities in mentor time for the junior years; displaying Body Kind messaging around the school and reinforcing the positive messaging with teachers.

The home is also an important place to foster positive attitudes and behaviours around body, appearance, eating and exercise, so we are encouraging our families to get on board and have these important conversations at home. Further information about Body Kind schools and Body Kind families can be found at www.butterfly.org.au/bodykind.

From the Wellbeing Team.

SICG Students do not pay to attend the series. Subject teachers will mark a roll in the lead up to the event.