ELTHAM College Family News June 26 2026

For a complete list of College activities take a look at the calendar on mE.

Events and dates may be subject to change.

26 June 2026

Term 2 Concludes (All Students) 

5–10 July

Falls Creek Snow Camp (TBC)

12 July

Les Misérables Retreat 

14 July

Term 3 Commences

As we reach the end of Term 2 and the halfway point of the school year, it is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the many moments of learning, achievement and connection that have shaped our College community over the past six months.

Term 2 has been a particularly full and rewarding term, with students embracing an extraordinary range of opportunities both within and beyond the classroom. From outdoor education experiences including the Overland Hike in Tasmania, Year 8 Camp, Year 6 Canberra Tour, Bush Adventuring and Nature Reserve programs, to academic milestones such as the GAT, Science Olympiads and Morrisby Careers testing, our students have continued to challenge themselves, build resilience and grow in confidence.

Across the College, our co-curricular program has continued to flourish. Music performances, drama productions, sporting competitions, House events and community celebrations have showcased the talent, creativity and commitment of our students, while events such as the Year 10 and 11 Formal, the Class of 2024 Reunion and the opening of the Basketball Precinct have strengthened the sense of connection that makes ELTHAM such a special community.

Throughout all of these experiences, our students have continued to demonstrate the qualities we value most at ELTHAM: curiosity, courage, kindness and respect. It is inspiring to see the way they embrace new opportunities, support one another and continue to grow as capable, compassionate young people.

None of these experiences would be possible without the dedication of our exceptional staff. I would like to sincerely thank every member of our teaching and professional staff for the care, expertise and commitment they bring to their work each day. Much of what they do happens behind the scenes, and their willingness to go above and beyond creates the rich and rewarding educational experiences our students enjoy.

I would also like to thank our families for your ongoing partnership and support. The strong connection between home and school is central to our students' success, and we greatly value the trust you place in us as we work together to support every learner.

The winter break provides a valuable opportunity to pause, rest and spend time with those we care about. I hope all members of our College community enjoy a safe, restful and restorative holiday, and I look forward to welcoming everyone back for another exciting term of learning, growth and connection in Term 3.

Richard Lisle

Principal/CEO

ELTHAM College has been recognised as one of Australia's Top 100 schools in the Schools360 2026 rankings, placing #85 nationally.

Schools360 is an independent school comparison platform that considers a broad range of factors beyond academic performance, including student wellbeing, learning programs and the overall school environment.

While we recognise that no single ranking can fully define a school's impact or the unique experiences of its students, this acknowledgement is a wonderful reflection of the breadth of the ELTHAM experience and the commitment of our staff, students and families.

Every day, our community contributes to an environment where students are encouraged to be curious, courageous and connected learners, supported by meaningful relationships and opportunities that extend well beyond the classroom.

We thank every member of our community for the role they play in making ELTHAM College such a special place to learn, grow and belong.

Janelle Turner

Admissions

What an incredible term it has been for ELTHAM College Sport. It feels like only yesterday that we gathered at Doncaster Athletics Track for our House Athletics Carnival, where Evelyn House led from the outset to claim the 2026 House Athletics Trophy.

Since then, we have celebrated the conclusion of another fantastic EISM season, with many of our teams achieving outstanding success. Congratulations to the following teams on reaching their Grand Finals:

Year 7

Boys Soccer – Premiers

Hockey – Runners-up

Years 8–9

Boys Basketball B – Premiers

Girls Basketball A – Premiers

Girls Basketball B – Runners-up

Boys Hockey – Runners-up

Girls Soccer – Runners-up

Senior Sport

Boys Basketball A – Premiers

Boys Basketball B – Premiers

Boys Basketball C – Runners-up

Girls Basketball A – Premiers

Boys Softball – Premiers

A special mention goes to our Year 7 Boys Soccer team, who produced one of the most remarkable turnarounds of the season. Earlier in the year, they suffered 8–0 and 6–2 defeats to Alphington. Rather than letting those results define them, they continued to improve, worked tirelessly as a team and earned another opportunity in the Grand Final. This time, they emerged victorious with a thrilling 2–1 win to claim the premiership.

Our Athletics team also represented the College with pride at the EISM Division 2 Athletics Carnival. The team displayed outstanding competitive spirit and camaraderie, with many students stepping into additional events to ensure the College was represented across the program. Congratulations to our Under 13 Boys, who were crowned Age Group Champions, while our Under 14 Boys and Open Girls both claimed victory in the 4 × 100 m relay.

There were also exceptional individual performances throughout the carnival. Congratulations to Jack Guyett, Jacob Guyett, Luke Oldfield, Vivian Jones, Leo Steidle, Hamish Macdonald, Austin Iredale, Brody Stokes and Maddy Meagher, who each won individual events. We look forward to seeing a number of these athletes represent EISM at the Victorian School Association Championships later this year.

Congratulations to all students who represented ELTHAM College this term. Your commitment, teamwork and sportsmanship continue to make our community proud.

Brent Wallace

Head of Sport

As Term 2 comes to a close, I’m reflecting on what a busy and rewarding term it has been for Music at ELTHAM College. We have enjoyed the Senior Soirée, Junior Musicians in Concert and the VCE Soirée, just for starters.

The past two weeks alone have been especially busy, with four major performance events.

Club VET was held on Friday 12 June, providing performance opportunities for all students studying VET Music Performance in Units 1 and 3.

Photo Credits: Jensen Spencer

Tuesday 16 June was another busy day, with two concerts taking place. At 4pm, the Year 7 Concert gave all Year 7 students the opportunity to showcase how much they have learned during their first two terms of secondary school. Audiences enjoyed performances on flute, clarinet, oboe, trumpet, trombone and percussion, as well as ensemble performances from all three Year 7 classes.

Later that evening, we held our first-ever Night of Rock, dedicated to all things rock and roll. Five bands took to the stage, performing a diverse repertoire spanning Taylor Swift, AC/DC, Chuck Berry and Men At Work.

Finally, the Music Showcase on Thursday 25 June highlighted the work of our larger music ensembles, featuring performances by three choirs, two concert bands, two percussion ensembles, the Flute Ensemble, Clarinet Ensemble, String Ensemble, Chamber Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble and the Sidewinder Jazz Band. It was a fantastic evening, with far too many highlights to mention them all.

Thank you to all of our young musicians for their enthusiasm, dedication and willingness to get involved throughout the term. Term 3 promises to be just as busy, with the Senior Musical, Les Misérables, Artist Spotlight: Sting and The Police, the Junior Soirée, and soirées for our VCE and VET Music classes.

Enjoy the well deserved break.

Aaron Searle

Director of Music

NAIDOC Week is a time for all Australians to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples while recognising the importance of connection, respect and reconciliation.

This year's theme, 50 Years of Deadly, marks 50 years of NAIDOC Week as a national week-long celebration, recognising five decades of strength, resilience, culture and community leadership. While NAIDOC's origins date back much further to the Aboriginal rights movement, this milestone provides an opportunity to reflect on progress while continuing to learn from the world's oldest living cultures.

Families play an important role in helping children and young people build understanding, appreciation and respect for First Nations peoples and perspectives. This Special Report offers practical ideas and resources to help families celebrate NAIDOC Week together and continue meaningful conversations at home.

Here is the link to this topic:

http://elthamcollege.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-celebrating-naidoc-week
 

As families spend time organising and decluttering over the school holidays, we invite you to set aside any good-quality, pre-loved clothing that could be given a second life through our Big Group Hug Clothing Drive.

We are collecting clean, gently worn clothing in children's sizes through to small adult sizes to support children and families experiencing hardship. Every donation, no matter how small, can make a meaningful difference by helping ensure quality clothing reaches those who need it most.

Donations can be dropped off at Junior School Reception from Monday 20 July to Friday 31 July (Weeks 2 and 3 of Term 3).

Thank you for helping our school community share kindness, reduce waste and support families in need. Together, we can make a positive difference for local families.

Students are invited to audition for this year's Middle Years Production of A Christmas Carol!

Audition registrations are now open. This original adaptation of Charles Dickens' beloved classic will bring the story of Ebenezer Scrooge to life through a colourful cast of familiar and imaginative characters.

Alongside Scrooge and the Cratchit family, students will have the opportunity to portray a range of unique roles, including three ghosts: lady Tibshelf, Mrs Trowell and Caroller.

Whether you are an experienced performer or considering stepping onto the stage for the first time, we encourage all interested students to get involved and be part of this exciting production.

Audition information is listed on the mE page: https://me.eltham.edu.au/homepage/code/9535

Students are encouraged to register their interest, provide their availability and complete the audition form as soon as possible.

We look forward to seeing students embrace the spirit of this timeless story and help bring A Christmas Carol to life on stage.

Tickets are selling quickly for ELTHAM College's production of Les Misérables – School Edition.

Presented by students from Years 9–12, this iconic musical tells the powerful story of Jean Valjean and brings to life themes of justice, redemption, sacrifice and hope through unforgettable music, compelling characters and outstanding student performances.

With opening night fast approaching, now is the perfect time to secure your tickets and support the incredible work of our cast, musicians, crew and production team. Audiences can look forward to a memorable theatrical experience as the Clarke Auditorium is transformed into nineteenth-century France for this much-loved production.

Performance Dates

Thursday 13 August – 7.00pm

Friday 14 August – 7.00pm

Saturday 15 August – 2.00pm

Saturday 15 August Gala Performance – 6.45pm arrival for a 7.30pm performance

The Gala Performance includes a pre-show drink and light refreshments, making it a wonderful opportunity to enjoy an evening of entertainment while supporting the Performing Arts at ELTHAM College.

Don't miss your chance to experience this extraordinary production. 

Tickets are available now via Humanitix:

Thursday, Friday & Saturday Matinee Tickets

Saturday Gala Performance Tickets

With winter now underway, ELTHAM College is pleased to announce that registrations are now open for the 2026 Victorian Interschool Snow Sports Championships, to be held at Mt Buller in August.

The Championships are one of Victoria's premier junior snow sports events, providing students of all ages and abilities with the opportunity to represent ELTHAM College while competing alongside schools from across the state. Events include alpine racing, snowboarding, moguls, cross-country skiing and slopestyle.

Families wishing to participate are encouraged to begin planning now by registering for the event, arranging accommodation, purchasing lift passes and ensuring their equipment is ready for the season.

This year, a new registration process has been introduced. Families can find all the information they need at:

https://www.snow.org.au/membership https://www.interschools.com.au/registration

For further information, or if you have any questions, please contact ELTHAM College Snow Sports Coordinator Darren Stasinowsky via email at darren.staz@protonmail.com or by phone on 0412 382 803.

We look forward to seeing our ELTHAM College students on the slopes this winter.

Brent Wallace

Head of Sport

Year 8 students recently participated in an exciting Outdoor Education camp in the northern section of the Grampians National Park, where they developed independence, resilience and teamwork while experiencing a range of adventure activities in a spectacular natural environment.

Working in their expedition groups, students rotated through a series of activities, ensuring everyone had the opportunity to experience each challenge. A major highlight was rock climbing and abseiling in Summerday Valley, where students tested their confidence, supported one another and built trust in both their peers and instructors as they safely pushed beyond their comfort zones.

Students also explored the unique landscape of Hollow Mountain, learning about the area's fascinating geological features while navigating the natural terrain. The activity encouraged environmental awareness, careful movement and effective communication within each group.

A significant component of the camp was the overnight hike along the Pecks Trail. Carrying all of their own equipment, students navigated sections of the track and worked collaboratively to manage their pace, hydration and shared responsibilities. The experience provided a valuable opportunity to build resilience, self-management and problem-solving skills in a remote setting, while also preparing students for the challenges of Year 9 Outdoor Education.

The camp also included a survival night, during which students used a compass to navigate to a designated location before constructing shelters to sleep in overnight.

Throughout the camp, students self-catered using Trangia stoves. Working in small groups, they planned, prepared and cooked their own meals, further developing their teamwork, organisation and independence.

Overall, the camp was a highly rewarding experience that challenged students both physically and mentally, while strengthening their connection to the natural environment and to one another.

Guy Mitchell

Outdoor Education 

This week my grade went up to Elidon for year 10 retreat. We completed a range of different activities through the three days we were up at Elidon, all of which brought our whole year level closer. 

The various activities we completed were: Pathways with Margie, Teamwork with Brad and Guy, Leading through action with Shane, Your future self with Sim, Landscapes with Brad and Gratitude with Les. 

We also had guest speaker Scott B Harris come and talk to us about his life changing events and how he has dealt with his disabilities ever since and how to achieve our goals in life. It was a truly inspiring speech and we were extremely lucky to have had this opportunity. 

During our free time, my friends and I would go down to the rec room and play pool and basketball. The views were so beautiful. 

We were truly so lucky to have had this opportunity and we’ll never forget it. 

Grace Gunn

Year 10 Student

2027 Applications for Student Leadership Positions 

The first stage of the three-part 2027 Leadership Application Process has commenced. 

Please see the timeline below for the leadership process: 

PART 1

College Captains and Vice Captains

Applications OPEN: Wednesday 24 June - 9.00am

Applications CLOSE: Wednesday 15 July - 12noon

Interviews: Tuesday 21 July 

PART 2

House Captains and House Leaders

Applications OPEN: Friday 31 July – 9.00am

Applications CLOSE: Wednesday 5 August – 12noon

Interviews: Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 August

PART 3

Specialist Captains and Specialist Leaders

Applications OPEN: Friday 14 August – 9.00am

Applications CLOSE: Wednesday 19 August – 12noon

Interviews: Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 August 

Please note that late applications will not be accepted, so it is important that you familiarise yourself with the above key application dates and times. 

This LINK will direct you straight to the application page. 

It is suggested that you read through the application questions, draft up your responses in a word document and copy them into the form when you are ready to submit. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Senior School office at any time snroffice@elthamcollege.vic.edu.au 

We wish all applicants the best of luck. 

Lesley Moulin

Director, Senior School | ELTHAM College

On Monday, 15th June 2026 the ELTHAM College Cosmos Club attended the 1st Eltham Scouts for a night of telescopes and technology. 

Tristan Wood, Ryan Cook, Nathan New and Andrew Yen ran an evening with the group with an overview of the Cosmos Club, a history of star-gazing and the opportunity to get hands on with telescopes and the opportunity to tap into the NextAstro system to explore and photograph the stars and beyond. 

Thank you to the Cosmos Club for bringing the Scouts a taste of outer space! 

Ryan Cook
Year 8 Student

Year 9 student Llewy MacIsaac participated in work experience at the "Fire and Clay" Festival held at Montsalvat last week. 
 

As well as assisting with audiovisual set up for the festival, Llewy also worked closely with artists stoking the very large kiln to fire the ceramic creations made at the festival.

Llewy impressed all the staff he worked with there and dealt very well with the extreme heat and constant need for firewood that the kiln required. 

Well done Llewy!

Margie Jordan
LifeWork Centre Coordinator

Missed the recent SchoolTV webinar?

A recording is now available to replay until Monday 3 August.

Click below to watch:

Understanding Anxiety and Depression to Foster Resilience (Part II)

And don’t forget to download a copy of the KEYpoints Flyer to help support conversations at home.

The final part of this Webinar Series will be available next term. Further details will be shared as they become available.

 

For all information regarding the Sport program including Carnivals, EISM Fixtures, Team Lists, Training Sessions and Seasonal Sporting events please visit the ELTHAM College Sports page on mE link below.

2025 sees us move to our new improved newsletter, which is now available fortnightly.

Key Dates and more timely information will be shared via the mE app. If you have not already installed the mE app on your phone and enabled notifications, we ask our families to do so.

Parents can access this information from the Information for Families page on mE and by clicking on the mE App tile. 

On Saturday 20 June, we held our Hollywood-themed Trivia Night at Swipers Gully Training Restaurant. It was a wonderful evening filled with fun, laughter, and a celebration of our brilliant College community.

It was fantastic to see the effort and creativity that went into costumes on the night, with Chris and Heather Phillips taking out the Best Dressed award for their impressive Matrix-inspired outfits.

The ELTHAM College-themed trivia round, presented via video by Richard Lisle, provided both a challenging and, at times, amusing journey through the College’s history.

We were also thrilled to raise $1,083 for our Flagship Partner, Big Group Hug – an incredible organisation that supports some of our community’s most vulnerable children and families.

Congratulations to the team of Year 5 families, who were crowned the overall winners!

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the evening such a success, and to our wonderful ECCA team for making the night possible.


Lisa Burleigh
Community Engagement Coordinator

Join us for an evening of laughter as ECCA and ELTHAM College welcomes comedians Josh Smith (Class of 2026), Sam Zito and Luke Kidgell to the Clarke Auditorium for a special Comedy Night fundraiser.

Taking place Saturday 29 August, the event promises an entertaining night of stand up comedy, with proceeds supporting the College's Service Learning Program and House charities including, FightMND, Team Kill Cancer, The Smith Family and WWF.

Tickets are $40 per person and include generous canapes on arrival. Beer, wine, cider and soft drinks will also be available to purchase throughout the evening.

The event is open only to guests aged 16 years and over. No BYO food and drinks.

Gather your friends and family and don’t miss what is sure to be a fantastic night of entertainment while supporting meaningful causes within the ELTHAM College community.

Date: Saturday 29 August 2026

Venue: HMPAC - Clarke Auditorium ELTHAM College, 1660 Main Road, Research VIC 3095

Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Show commences at 7:30pm

Tickets: $40 per person

Tickets are available now via Humanitix.

Hillcroft Dress Hire, a local dress hire boutique based in Yarrambat, is offering ELTHAM College families an exclusive 15% discount on dress hire rentals.

Dress Hire offers a range of dresses available for hire, from school formals, weddings, special events or celebrations, helping you find the perfect outfit for your occasion. 

To redeem the offer, simply use the code EC15 when booking. The discount has no expiry date and is available to members of the ELTHAM College community.

For more information, scan the QR code provided or contact Hillcroft Dress Hire directly.

Hillcroft Dress Hire
hillcroft.au
info@hillcroft.au
0487 512 223

Child Safety at ELTHAM College

All staff at ELTHAM College are responsible for providing a safe environment and the protection of children and young people within our care, including promoting physical, emotional and cultural safety. All staff are responsible for reporting information about suspected child abuse. All staff share in the responsibility for the prevention and detection of child abuse and promptly raise any issues or concerns about a child’s safety. All staff are required to follow the School’s Child Safe policies and Child Safety Code of Conduct.

ELTHAM College takes a zero-tolerance approach to child abuse and is fully committed to ensuring that its strategies, policies, procedures, and practices meet all Child Safe Standards as specified in Ministerial Order No. 1359 (2022).  All applicants should refer to our Child Safety Policy and Code of Conduct found at Policies - Eltham College.