ELTHAM College Family News 15 August 2025

Monday 18 August

Junior School Assembly - Book Week

Wednesday 20 August

Junior Music Soiree - 6pm - 8pm Harold Mitchell Performing Art Centre

Tuesday 26 August 

Lara McQuillan Competition

Monday 1 September 

Junior School Assembly - Year 5N

Thursday 4 September

Father's Day Breakfast 

Junior School Father’s Day Neighbourhood Celebration

Sunday 7 September

Father's Day

Friday 12 September

Junior School Footy Colours Day

Term 3 concludes

Monday 6 October 

Term 4 commences

Wednesday 8 October

Year 2 Sleepover Parent Information Session

Monday 13 October

Junior School Parent Teacher Interviews

Friday 24 October

Year 2 Outdoor Education (Camp) & Sleepover

Year 1 Outdoor Education (Camp)

Prep Outdoor Education

Wednesday 29 October

Year 6 Canberra Tour Parent Information Session

Friday 31 October

Grandparents Day 

Monday 3 November

Mid term break

Tuesday 4 November

Melbourne cup public holiday

Thursday 6 November

Spring Music Soiree

Monday 10 November

Junior School Assembly 

Wednesday 12 November

Prep Swimming Demonstration  

Friday 14 November

Junior School House Swimming Carnival

Monday 24 November – Friday 28 November

Year 6 Canberra Tour

Monday 1 December

2026 ELC 4 – Year 6 Orientation Day 

Thursday 4 December

Morning Melodies Christmas at Swipers

Friday 5 December

Year 1 – 4 Instrumental Music Concert

Monday 8 December

Junior School Assembly 

Wednesday 10 December

Term 4 Concludes

Flagpole Assembly

Friday 19 December

College Closes

Friday 15 August 

House Captains Offers

Sunday 17 August

Year 5-9 Production - Wizard of Oz - Rehearsal

Wednesday 20 August 

Year 5-9 Production - Wizard of Oz - Rehearsal

Thursday 21 August 

Year 5-9 Production - Wizard of Oz - Rehearsal

Sunday 24 August 

Year 5-9 Production - Wizard of Oz - Rehearsal

Monday 25 August - Tuesday 26 August 

Specialist Captain and Leader Interviews

Tuesday 26 August 

Radio Show Production at Banyule Nillumbik Tech School

Lara McQuillan Public Speaking Presentations Final

Friday 12 September 

Term 3 Concludes

Please join the College in congratulating the following students who have been offered the Captain and Vice Captain roles for 2026.

Captains
Mietta Franzmann
Tristan Wood

Vice Captains
Alex Dodd
Abigail Kay
Caelan Robertson
Supriya Sedhai

Our new leadership team is to be commended for achieving their new positions through the College's multi-stage process of selection.

The panel of Director, Senior School Lesley Moulin; Year 11 Coordinator Nick Milne; Year 12 Coordinator Simone Kenny; current College Captains and myself, were deeply impressed by the passion, thought and commitment displayed by all applicants.

Interviews and offers are underway for House and Specialist Captains, building out the College's student leadership team for next year. Look out for these further announcements in the coming weeks.

Richard Lisle
Principal/CEO, ELTHAM College

Auditions and callbacks are done, and the show is now officially cast!

Thank you to all students for submitting your audition tapes for The Wizard of Oz! We’ve loved watching your performances, and we’ve been truly impressed by the talent, creativity, and hard work that went into every single audition. It was no easy task narrowing it down!

We’re excited to share that this year’s production will feature an incredible cast of 48 students, spanning Grade 5 to Year 9. It’s going to be a fantastic production with so many students involved — and we can’t wait to bring this classic story to the HMPAC in October.

Here’s the full cast list, as well as all the Senior School students who completed an application and selection process to fill Student Director, Vocal Coach, Production Design, Props, Costume and Multimedia roles.

This is going to be a full school effort.

Keep an eye out on Family News and mE in the coming weeks for further announcements about how you can get involved.

The Wizard of Oz Production Team

(Gareth, Nicole, Michelle, Pip, John, Lily & Caitlin)

At the start of Term 3, 3C visited CERES in Brunswick for an exciting excursion. We learned how CERES used to be the old tip and how a group of students and community members turned it into the Urban Farm it is today. We took part in a program called Towards Zero Waste. We explored what waste is, where it comes from, its impact on the environment, and some creative ways to turn waste into something useful. Three hands-on sessions, we discovered how rubbish travels through drains and ends up in rivers and oceans, the value of worms and composting, and how recycled paper can be used to make new paper. It was a fun, educational day that inspired us to make small changes for a healthier environment.

Celeste Watts
Junior School Teacher

Match One: ELTHAM College 2 – Plenty Valley 0

ELTHAM College started strong with a decisive victory. Henry and Sebastian were a formidable presence in defence, while Lilu's powerful kick helped maintain pressure. Felix, Luke and Harry controlled the midfield, setting the stage for Hunter, whose sharp instincts led to two well-earned goals, sealing a memorable win.

Match Two: ELTHAM College 1 – Holy Trinity 5

Despite the scoreline, the team showed great resilience. Rhys contributed fearless headers, and the impressive pace of Jacob, along with Jarvis’s drive, kept the team in the game. Ella's tireless support across the field was invaluable, and Jack G remained a solid presence in defence.

Match Three: ELTHAM College 1 – Diamond Valley 0

In their final match, the team bounced back with another win. Rhys returned strong, and Jonty brought a fresh burst of energy. Harry and Luke hustled throughout the game, and Hunter once again found the back of the net. Goalkeeper Caspian kept a cool head under pressure, while Leon's enthusiastic sideline cheers inspired the entire team.

Final Result: 2nd Place – Full of Heart

Although they did not advance to the next round, the team's exceptional teamwork, spirit, and skill made ELTHAM College incredibly proud. They are true legends in red and white.

Nick Cheadle
Junior School Teacher

Last week five outstanding public speakers from Year 7 competed in the Story SLAM final. This English task draws inspiration from internationally renowned story telling podcast, ‘The Moth’, a production that the school has shared a strong connection with over the years. In the final we saw students taking bold risks, in both their performance and in the personal reflections they shared with the cohort. This demonstrated real courage and heart, two things we strive to foster in our students at ELTHAM.  

Our Literacy Captains, Thomas (Year 11) and Lottie Year (11) judged the entries. They were blown away by the high standard, describing Tom is winning story as ‘dynamic and electric’. Well done to all the courageous speakers who shared their personal stories.

Kylie Price
Head of Literacy

Part 3 Specialist Captains and Specialist Leaders

• Applications OPEN: Friday 15 August at 9.00am
• Applications CLOSE: Wednesday 20 August at 12pm
• Interviews: Monday 25 and Tuesday 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 mE 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 of Senior School

Christopher Barnes Award

Year Levels

• Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12

Subject Area

• Creative Arts

Prize Details

• One award of $2000 cash

Application Dates

• Open Friday 1 August 9.00am
• Close Friday 22 August 12pm 

Interview Dates

Week 7 & Week 8

AMPOL Award

Year Levels

• Year 12

Subject Area

• Best All Rounder

Prize Details

• One award: Certificate and Medallion

Application Dates

• Open Friday 1 August 9.00am
• Close Friday 22 August 12pm 

Interview Dates

Week 7 Monday 1 September

Science Week started with a bang - or was that just the sound of the meteor over Melbourne on Sunday night? 

Last week, in the lead up to this week’s events, not only did we run our Science Olympiad over four consecutive days, as well commencing as our Science Photography Competition, we also had guest speaker Mark Van Haandel visit our Research campus on Thursday to present to our Year 10 cohort on building sustainability. 

This week, our opening Science Week event was the Science House Quiz Competition, held on Tuesday at lunchtime by STEM Leaders Tristan and Isaac in the ECCA Stadium, with Bell House the victors on the day. You can find out more about this event in the STEM update in this edition of Family News.  

On Wednesday, ELTHAM College’s female students attended the ‘Go Girl, Go for IT’, a STEM-focused conference aimed at inspiring young girls to consider a career in STEM by showcasing some of the exciting and possible career opportunities that exist. Held at the Burwood Campus of Deakin University, the conference this year turned its attention to artificial intelligence, with the theme ‘InspireHER – Creating a Bold Future with AI’. 

On Thursday, our Research Campus hosted four guest speakers from different areas across the Science field, giving students access to different perspectives in the industry and the intersectionality of ideas that exist within it. Professor Graham Sewell from The University of Melbourne presented on the merging of business and science to our Year 11 and 12 cohort; Ms Linda Wood, Head of Deliverables from ATMOS renewables, presented to Year 9 on science in industry; Dr Isabelle Lohrey from the University of Melbourne spoke about the science of insects to Year 8; and Dr Lily Van Eeden from RMIT University presented to Year 7 on sustainability and the environment.  

A very big thank you to all of the staff in the Science Faculty, as well as the professional staff in support and coordination roles, who made the events of this week possible – one of our best Science Weeks yet. 

Lakshmi Sharma 
Head of Science

It's National Science Week 2025! This year the theme is Decoding the Universe – Exploring the unknown with nature’s hidden language placing a focus on exploring the mysteries of the Universe through mathematics and quantum physics. Tuesday the STEM team ran a house science trivia event, where teams were asked a range of questions with, extra points given to the team that could name the most digits of pi or the most elements on the periodic table. here is a sample of some of the questions - you can find the answers at the at the bottom article.   

1. What is the heaviest internal organ in the human body?
2. Which animal has fingerprints so close to humans that they can confuse crime scene investigators?
3. Which part of the brain controls balance and coordination? 
4. Which scientist is known for creating the first widely accepted periodic table of elements?

The winner of the quiz was Bell's Year 12 team got 33/40 followed closely by Year 11 Bell team who came in second with 32/40. 

Friday 22 August, marks the deadline for the Science Photography Competition make sure to get your photos submissions to Dave Tonkin before COB Friday August for a chance to win a cash prize (make sure to include a short blurb with each photo submitted.

In international STEM news, eight healthy children have officially been born using the DNA of three parents - though the babies only take on the traits of the original two parents. This technique has been used to mitigate incurable genetically passed mitochondrial diseases by replacing affected mitochondria in fertilised human eggs with that of a third unrelated parent's genetic code. This is a highly significant step for using IVF to prevent the continuation damaging genetic diseases through generations.

Tristan and Isaac
STEM Leaders

1. Liver
2. Koala
3. Cerebellum 
4. Dmitri Mendeleev

On Friday 8 August, Year 11 Geography students set off for a field trip to the Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley to explore tourism in a rural environment. The day offered a diverse itinerary, beginning with a visit to Olinda and the beautiful Dandenong Ranges Botanical Gardens. Students toured the award-winning Chelsea Garden, guided by its designer, Phillip Johnson, who shared insights into its creation and environmental design.

Our journey continued to Yarra Glen, where we visited De Bortoli Wines. Here, a winemaker and events coordinator explained the winery’s sustainable practices, providing valuable links to our studies. Students also enjoyed the opportunity to explore the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice Creamery, tasting delicious chocolate treats and observing how local produce contributes to the region’s appeal.

Along the way, we heard from people who work in the region, gaining first-hand perspectives on the benefits and challenges of tourism. The variety of experiences demonstrated why the Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley remain such popular day-trip destinations, attracting visitors for their natural beauty, local food and wine, and unique attractions.

It was an engaging and insightful day, enriching our understanding of tourism and its role in rural communities.

Anya Greenhill
Senior School Teacher

Year 10 student Anson Kam has been selected as one of only 18 students Australia-wide and the only Victorian to take part in the prestigious Bell Shakespeare Work Experience Program in Sydney from 17–21 November. During the week, Anson will gain a unique, behind-the-scenes insight into the 2025 production of Romeo & Juliet, exploring all aspects of theatre production, including marketing, casting, design, and rehearsals. She will also enjoy backstage tours, live stage viewings, group projects, and discussions with Bell Shakespeare staff. Remarkably, Anson has only been at our College for a year and is already deeply involved in the Arts, from Art and Design to Media and Theatre.

We are incredibly proud of her achievement.

Peter Attard
Head of Arts

In May 2025, 28 students from ELTHAM College took part in the Australian Geography Competition, joining over 600 schools from across the country in this challenging national event. The competition tested students’ knowledge of physical and human geography, as well as their ability to interpret and analyse data.

We are proud to congratulate the following students for achieving outstanding results, showcasing their curiosity and knowledge of Geography.

High Distinction:

• Ryan (Year 7)
• Hamish (Year 9)
• Ijsbrand (Year 10)
• Oscar (Year 10)
• Aidan (Year 10)

Distinction:

• Tanay (Year 10)
• Harry (Year 12)

Credit:

• Ava (Year 9)
• Marco (Year 11)

Well done to all 28 students who represented our school so positively. All students who took part in the competition will receive a certificate to acknowledge their participation.

Anya Greenhill
Humanities Teacher 

On Thursday 7 August, our International Captain, Cookie, and International Leader, Porsche, brought the spirit of World Friendship Day to life with a fun lunchtime celebration. Their message was simple but powerful: true friendships lift our spirits, help us feel less alone, and give us strength during life’s tougher moments.
The event drew a strong crowd, with staff and students enjoying the music, activities, and most memorably the lively, laughter-filled quiz.

Nick Grant 
International Mentor

Webinar Details

• Webinar: Digital Media Literacy & Safety (Part III)
• Date: Wednesday 3 September 2025
• Time: 7.30 pm
• Topics: New social media regulations, digital footprint and reputation, screen time and brain development, and parental controls.

Stacey Morris and Alicia Lands
Student Services

Congratulations to all our Junior School students who participated in this weeks Bottle Flip House Challenge. Hosted by Nillumbik House Captain, Alistair, there was lots of bottle flipping skills put on show. All House teams enjoyed the friendly competition with Ross putting in a big last quarter effort to just fall short of Nillumbik who won the Term 3 House Bottle Flip Challenge.

Final Results:

• Nillumbik 360 points
• Ross 340 points
• Bell 145 points
• Evelyn 25 points 

Anthony Panou
Junior School House Coordinator 

List of Division Athletics Students who attended the event which was held on Monday 8 September

• Seb (High Jump)
• Cisco (200m)
• Thomas (High Jump and Triple Jump)
• Ned (1500m)
• Eadie (Discus)
• Jacob (100m and Triple Jump)
• Jack (800m)
• Sophia (Hurdles and Triple Jump)
• Natasha (800m and Discus)
• Jake (800m and Triple Jump)

Anthony Panou
Junior School PE & Sport Coordinator 

Opinions might have varied on the characters, setting and landscape, but, at our recent book club meeting, A Novel Bunch members were united in their praise for Robbie Arnott's latest novel 'Dusk'. The novel follows the journey of twins, Iris and Floyd, who somewhat reluctantly join the hunt for an illusive puma which is killing shepherds and stock in remote highlands, where the land itself becomes one of the novel's most important characters. Great questions and discussion left us wondering if this could be a novel to re-read again over the summer holidays.

At our next book club meeting on Monday, 1 September, A Novel Bunch welcomes senior English teacher Hannah Reid. Hannah will lead us in a discussion of Smart Ovens for Lonely People by Elizabeth Tan. Book club meets from 7.30pm in the Senior School library and is open to parents and carers from any year level. New members are always welcome. Please RSVP for catering purposes to ecca@elthamcollege.vic.edu.au.

• Monday 1 September
• Monday 20 October
• Monday 1 December

Felicia and Jacqui 
A Novel Bunch Coordinators