Year 5/6 Camp Parent Information Session 3.30pm 5/6 Neighborhood
Monday 16 June
Junior School Assembly 9.00am – 10.00am Year 3
Wednesday 18 June
Regional Cross Country at Kilmore 10.00am – 3.00pm
Monday 23 June
Junior School Parent Teacher Interviews 12pm – 8pm
Monday 30 June – Friday 4 July
Year 5/6 Camp – The Summit
Friday 4 July
Term 2 Concludes
For a complete list of College activities take a look at the calendar on mE.
Events and dates may be subject to change.
Key Dates – Senior School – 30 May 2025
Saturday 31 May
Year 10 & 11 Formal
Friday 6 June
VCE Music Performance Soire
Monday 9 June
King's Birthday Public Holiday
Tuesday 10 June
Whole Year 9 Cohort in the City
Thursday 16 June – Friday 20 June
Year 7 & 9 Assessment
Sunday 21 June – Sunday 22 June
Open Cellars Weekend
Tuesday 17 June
GAT
Wednesday 18 June
Junior Regional Cross Country
Tuesday June 24
Great Victorian Bike Ride info Evening Senior School
Thursday 26 June
Year 5 - 12 Assembly
Friday 27 June
Year 11 & 12 VCE Physics Excursion
Friday 4 July
Term 2 Concludes
Wednesday 2 July
Year 11 Central Australia Tour
Sunday 6 July – Sunday, 13 July
NAIDOC Week
Monday 7 July – Friday, 18 July
Term 2 Holidays
Sunday 13 July – Friday, 18 July
Falls Creek Snow Camp
Tuesday 22 July
Term 3 Commences
For a complete list of College activities, take a look at the calendar on mE.
Events and dates may be subject to change.
College Connections
Year 8 Grampians Camp
Earlier this term, our Year 8 students embarked on an unforgettable Outdoor Education camp to the stunning Grampians National Park. Over five action-packed days, students were immersed in nature, challenged both physically and mentally, and had the opportunity to build resilience, independence and teamwork.
The camp itinerary was filled with a range of exciting and demanding activities, including rock climbing, abseiling, an overnight hike, a survival skills activity and rock exploration at Hollow Mountain. Each experience was designed to stretch students beyond their comfort zones and help them discover new strengths.
For many, the rock climbing and abseiling activities pushed them to overcome their fear of heights, while the overnight hike tested their endurance and self-reliance. The survival activity offered a taste of outdoor living, as students worked together to set up shelters and manage limited resources. A highlight for many was exploring the unique rock formations at Hollow Mountain, which sparked a sense of adventure and awe.
Throughout the camp, students demonstrated impressive perseverance, cooperation and a willingness to take on new challenges. It was a pleasure to see them support one another, celebrate achievements and grow in confidence with each passing day.
A big thank you to the staff who supported the camp and made this enriching experience possible. The memories made and lessons learned in the Grampians will no doubt stay with our Year 8 students for years to come.
On Thursday 8th May, our Prep classrooms were filled with joy and love as we welcomed our wonderful mums to celebrate Mother’s Day with us. It was a special opportunity for children to connect with their families and for us to grow our sense of community and support networks. The Preps were so excited to show their mums around the classroom and proudly share their learning space. Together, they engaged in a variety of hands-on activities including portrait drawings, creating heartfelt key rings, making colourful bookmarks, playing maths games and enjoying some creative LEGO building time. It was heartwarming to see the smiles, conversations, and shared moments of learning between children and their mums. Events like these remind us of the importance of partnership between home and school and the powerful impact it has on a child’s learning journey. A big thank you to all the mums who joined us your presence means so much to us, and we loved celebrating this special day with you.
Kelly Colson Prep Teacher
Senior School News
LifeWork Centre News
The LifeWork Career Tools website is a rich resource offered to ELTHAM College students and families.
Our aim is to provide you with all the latest information that will help you make decisions about your future career and your life beyond school.
You can use this site to locate University, TAFE and any other type of course across Australia, get information about the VCE, and much more.
The Calendar resource is regularly updated with careers and pathways events, take a look! There is also a weekly Careers newsletter which is regularly updated.
Feel free to drop into the LifeWork Centre if you have any questions.
Margie Jordan Lifework Centre Coordinator
National Careers Week Celebrations Throughout May
Special Job Skills Training Workshops for Students
Some of our Year 10, 11 and 12 students were fortunate to participate in workplace skills training workshops delivered by visiting staff from Torrens University, located in Melbourne’s CBD.
In the first session, students took part in a Business/Advertising/Media workshop, where they learned how to create and develop an advertising campaign designed to go viral online.
This week, a second workshop took place which focused on Design. Students were challenged to design a Tiny House tailored to a specific environment, with a focus on functionality and creativity. They were also required to work within realistic budget limitations and consider key furnishings, utilities and sustainability issues.
“Guess the Staff Members’ Past Jobs” Competition
This fun and engaging competition featured posters placed around the Senior School buildings, each displaying a past job held by a current ELTHAM College staff member.
Students were given a couple of weeks to investigate — asking staff for clues, exploring career pathways and discussing job roles — all in an effort to guess who had which past job.
The activity encouraged students to understand that key employability skills are transferable and that career journeys often evolve over time.
Congratulations to Year 10 student Oscar, for making the most correct guesses winning a $40 canteen voucher.
Second prize, a $30 canteen voucher, was awarded to a group entry by Year 10 students Ashton, Ben and Will — great teamwork, boys.
Check next week’s Family Newsletter for a full list of participating staff members, their current roles and their past jobs.
Ask a Careers Question and Pick Up Some Merch
Students visited the LifeWork Centre throughout the week to ask a careers-related question — and in return, received the chance to pick an item from the Tertiary Merchandise Boxes.
The merch included bucket hats, tote bags, bound notebooks, pens, sticky notes, eye masks, stress balls, and more — the boxes were nearly emptied by the end of the week!
It was fantastic to see such enthusiasm, with each student gaining valuable career knowledge in the process.
This edition explores two exciting scientific discoveries. Astronomers analysing decades-old telescope data may have found evidence of the mysterious Planet Nine beyond Neptune. Meanwhile, researchers in Spain recreated early Earth conditions to observe protocells forming offering new clues about the origins of life. Have science news to share or involved in a program?
Welcome back to STEM news Article 4! We hope you're enjoying all the awesome news about science both at school and globally. If you have heard of any news in the world of science or are taking part in any external science programs, we would love for you to reach out and let us know. Please email TeamScience@elthamcollege.vic.edu.au. We look forward to seeing what ideas our community has.
In worldwide science, a new astronomical study has taken a big step forward in the search for the theorized mysterious Planet Nine — a massive, hidden planet that some astronomers believe exists at the edge of our solar system well beyond the orbit of Neptune (and Pluto!). Using old space telescope data from NASA taken in 1983 and Japan in 2006, the team compared sky images taken 23 years apart. The idea? If Planet Nine is real, it should appear to slowly move across the sky because it is so far away. By analysing thousands of objects in each image, the team found 13 possible candidates, and one stood out. This object showed up in one dataset but not in the other, suggesting it may have moved — just as Planet Nine is expected to do. While this isn't proof yet, the results are exciting. If confirmed, this could be the first direct sighting of a mysterious planet that’s been hiding in the darkness beyond Neptune. Scientists say more telescope observations are needed to know for sure — but this is a promising lead in one of astronomy’s greatest modern mysteries.
In Spain, another team of scientists observed the emergence of protocells shedding light on the potential origins of life. Protocells are simple, cell-like structures that can form spontaneously under the right chemical and environmental conditions and are considered a crucial step in the transition from non-living molecules to living organisms. By replicating conditions of Earth billions of years ago, researchers have demonstrated how protocells can self-assemble and develop genetic material common today. This breakthrough could lead to scientists understanding the exact conditions in which life could evolve on planets, which could be a turning point for our understanding within the field of astrobiology.
That's all for this edition of STEM news, we hope you have enjoyed this article and learnt some new science stories.
Tristan and Isaac STEM Leaders
City Campus Map Awards: Celebrating Our Integrated Studies
City Campus students successfully integrated early Melbourne history and First Nations poetry through a "Then, Now and Beyond" mapping project, significantly enhanced by workshops with cartographer Anton Thomas, who also judged the top individual and group submissions.
During Term 1, students at the City Campus were engaged in completing a range of activities under the introductory theme ‘You Are Here’. The unit focuses on early Melbourne History (Humanities) alongside an investigation of First Nations poetry (English). Students have explored themes of identity and change and have reflected on how people and places are shaped over time. The main assessment task for Humanities was a historical research and mapping activity: ‘Then, Now and Beyond’. Students were fortunate enough to work with renowned cartographer Anton Thomas in a series of workshops to develop their ideas and we asked Anton to choose a range of maps for us to celebrate. The maps that have been judged by Anton as displaying the greatest merit from a cartographer’s perspective are as follows:
Best ‘Then’ map: Blake
Best ‘Now’ map: Hamish
Best ‘Beyond’ map: Josie
Anton Thomas Cartography Prize: Ali Cullen
Staff also reviewed the work completed as a group – within each class – and we wish to recognize the impressive efforts of these students.
Best Overall Group Project: Brett, Jake and Alexander (9D)
Honourable Mentions:
(9A) Tahlia , Cole and Aedan
(9B) Ruben, Erich and Max
(9C) Aksel, Cooper and Evan
Evan Watts Head of City Campus
Creative Writing Club
This week a group of talented writers from Years 7 and 8 headed to the city in search of inspiration. We began at the NGV, using a series of artworks as stimulus material. After a tour of the city campus, we learned about the iconic Melbourne zine store - The Sticky Institute. We plan to return later in the year so students can distribute some of their own work to a broader audience.
This co-curricular group runs every Wednesday at lunchtime in the quiet study space near the library. New members are always welcome. Enjoy some of the writing from the day below.
Kylie Price Head of Literacy
In response to the painting ‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’
Her beauty fierce and unmatched. Although she is not as she seems, As soon as you fall to sleep, You will see their desperate screams.
Rosalie Year 7 Student
An Ode to Music
O, music How I adore you. You are made of truth You provide joy Whether toddler or youth
O, music You enlighten me You restore my mind True happiness From your beautiful rhyme
Henry Year 8 Student
Year 7 Excursion to Melbourne Zoo
Our Year 7 students recently enjoyed an engaging and educational visit to Melbourne Zoo, where they deepened their understanding of food webs and food chains in real-world ecosystems. Through guided tours and interactive sessions, students observed how various species are interconnected and how energy flows through natural systems. The experience highlighted the delicate balance of ecosystems and the critical role each organism plays in maintaining biodiversity. Students also explored the human impact on these systems, learning about threats such as habitat destruction, pollution and climate change. These insights sparked thoughtful discussions about sustainability and the steps we can take to protect our environment. The visit was a fantastic opportunity to consolidate classroom learning with real-life observation, fostering curiosity and a greater appreciation for the natural world. A big thank you to Melbourne Zoo for hosting such an informative and inspiring experience.
Penny van Gelderen Year 7 Coordinator
Wellbeing
Webinar Digital Media Literacy and Safety Part Two
Date: Wednesday 18 June 2025 Time: 7.30pm
Join us for a special session featuring two of Australia’s leading experts in youth wellbeing and cybersafety — Susan McLean and Dr Michael Carr-Gregg. They will provide invaluable insights on how to empower young people to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.
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.
Students recently showcased their athletic talents at the 2025 House Athletics Carnival, where Nillumbik claimed the win. With strong family support and standout performances, the day was a great success. The Bell House Bowling Challenge is coming up on 2 June, with students encouraged to wear their House colours. At the District Cross Country Carnival, 36 students represented the College, with eight advancing to Division level. A special mention goes to Olive Maurer for her outstanding sportsmanship.
House Athletics Carnival On a brilliant autumn day, students took to the Doncaster Athletics Track for the 2025 House Athletics Carnival. With strong family support and sunny conditions, students competed in a range of track and field events, including sprints, hurdles, jumps, throws and long-distance races. There were many personal bests throughout the day, and the District Athletics squad will soon be announced. A heartfelt thank you to our nine parent helpers, eight College Sports Coaches, and twelve Year 12 students for their invaluable support.
Final Results:
1st – Nillumbik (154 points)
2nd – Evelyn (141 points)
3rd – Bell (139 points)
4th – Ross (134 points)
House Bowling Challenge On Monday 2 June, Junior School students are encouraged to wear their House colours proudly as they take part in the Bell House Bowling Challenge, hosted by Bell House Captain, Seb. Good luck to all participants.
District Cross Country On Friday 16 May, 36 Junior School students represented ELTHAM College at the Eltham District Cross Country Carnival. Eight students placed in the top ten of their age group and will now advance to the Division event on Thursday 5 June in Bundoora.
Top 10 Finishers:
Under 10 Boys: Jake (2nd), Ned (5th), Felix (10th)
Under 10 Girls: Natasha (1st), Isabella (4th), Katelyn (8th)
Under 11 Girls: Sophia (5th)
Under 12/13 Boys: Jacob (9th)
Junior School High Jump Trials
To finalise our Junior School Athletics results, we will be running our High Jump trials in the coming days in the Multi-Purpose Hall during school breaks for interested students.
Thursday 29 May 2025 – All 11/12 & 13-year-old boys and girls at 1.05pm
Monday 2 June 2025 – All 9/10-year-old boys and girls at 10.40am
Family Reminders
Family News and the mE App
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.
Major intersection works will begin on Monday 2 June 2025 and are expected to be completed by the morning of Tuesday 17 June 2025. The project will involve both night and day works to minimise disruption and complete upgrades as efficiently as possible.
Read full article below.
Night Works
Night works will run 8.00pm to 5.00am, excluding Friday and Saturday nights.
Detour routes will be in place from Tuesday evening 3 June.
Stage 1: Full nightly closure of the Kangaroo Ground Road–St Andrews Road and Eltham–Yarra Glen Road intersection. Detour: via Kangaroo Ground–Warrandyte Road, Pigeon Bank Road, Menzies Road, Eltham–Yarra Glen Road, Dawson Road, and Kangaroo Ground–St Andrews Road.
Stage 2: Full nightly closure of the Kangaroo Ground–Wattle Glen Road and Kangaroo Ground–St Andrews Road intersection. Detour: via Dawson Road, Eltham–Yarra Glen Road, Main Road, Wattletree Road, Ryans Road, and Main Hurstbridge Road.
Access for local residents and emergency vehicles will be maintained with guidance from traffic controllers.
Day Works
Daytime works will occur between 9.30am and 3.30pm, starting Monday 2 June 2025.
Roads will be reduced to a single lane, with traffic alternating under the direction of traffic controllers.
No detours will be required during day works.
What to Expect
Medium to high noise levels, vibrations, dust, and construction lighting.
The noisiest work will be completed earlier in the evening where possible.
Speed limits will be reduced around work zones.
All works are weather dependent and may be rescheduled at short notice. Electronic signage will provide updates on the transition between Stage 1 and Stage 2.
Please allow an extra 20–30 minutes of travel time during detours and follow all traffic signage and directions.
Stephen Mercer guest chef event has sold out for Wednesday 4 June at 6.30pm.
Nillumbik Open Cellars at Swipers Gully Vineyard & Restaurant
Swipers Gully Training Restaurant will be open during the Open Cellars weekend, showcasing Swipers Wine.
Nillumbik Open Cellars at Swipers Gully Vineyard & Restaurant Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 June 2025 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Discover the flavours of the region this winter at the Nillumbik Open Cellars Weekend, featuring nine unique boutique wineries across the beautiful Nillumbik Shire.
Visit Swipers Gully Vineyard & Restaurant and explore the full trail of participating wineries:
• Yarrambat Estate Vineyard – 45 Laurie Street, Yarrambat • Shaws Road Winery – 225 Shaws Road, Arthurs Creek • Swipers Gully Wines – 25 Eltham-Yarra Glen Road, Kangaroo Ground • Nillumbik Estate – 195 Clintons Road, Smiths Gully • Kings of Kangaroo Ground – 15 Graham Road, Kangaroo Ground • Oscar Hermann Wines – 125 Rifle Range Road, St Andrews • Panton Hill Winery – 145 Manuka Road, Panton Hill • Buttermans Track Wines – 75 Yow Yow Creek Road, St Andrews • Hildebrand Ridge Organic Vineyard – 160 Hildebrand Road, Cottlesbridge
Come along for a weekend of wine tastings, vineyard tours, and local hospitality in a picturesque setting.
The 2025 Great Victorian Bike Ride is returning to one of its favourite and most iconic routes – along the Great Ocean Road. For those interested in this five-day cycling challenge, please join us for our Information Night on Tuesday 24 June 2025 at 7.30pm in the Library Auditorium. The ride is designed to suit all ages, fitness levels, and experience levels, and can be completed on any type of bike – it is not a race!
This year’s ride will take place from Monday 25 November to Friday 28 November 2025. All students in Years 7–12 are invited to join our team, along with any interested parents. If you are unable to attend the Information Night, please contact Simon Kenny via email to request further details.
You can also find more information on the Bicycle Network website link blow.
ELTHAM College enters a team in the annual Victorian Interschools Snowsports Chamionships, held at Mt. Buller during the last week of August.
College entrants are traditionally from Year 7-12, although Junior Year students can compete. In 2025, the Junior Years divisions will compete on Monday 18 August through to Wednesday 20 August. Senior Year students compete across two days from Wednesday 20 August to Sunday August 24, depending on which division they are in.
Parents/guardians of all students do need to attend the event and supervise their own children; ELTHAM College will have a staff liaison on the mountain for support from Wednesday onwards. Please reach out if you need advice on accommodation options and be aware that the mountain is booked out early.
Finally, Senior School students will need to be at an advanced level of skiing and/or snowboarding and be prepared to attend some dryland training in the lead up to the competition.
Please read the information in the links below and if interested please email pcifone@elthamcollege.vic.edu.au for more information.
The next book club is Monday 28 July 7.30pm in the Senior School Library.
A Novel Bunch gathered on Monday night to discuss Roisin O'Donnell’s debut novel, Nesting.
Described as a "fragile flight to freedom", Nesting addresses several sensitive themes, including marriage, parenting, coercive behaviour, and the emotional abuse of a partner. The novel follows a relationship over time, depicting the shift from loving partnership to menacing and controlling behaviour. It explores the trauma and devastating effects this has on the victim—often making it more difficult to process, articulate, or even recognise the need to leave.
Our next book club meeting is on Monday 28 July at 7.30pm in the Senior School Library. We will be reading Dusk by Robbie Arnott. New members are always welcome.
A Novel Bunch is the ELTHAM community book club, open to parents, careers, and staff from every year level. Please get in touch and RSVP to ecca@elthamcollege.vic.edu.au.
Don’t forget to visit the A Novel Bunch Book Tree at Swipers Gully. Leave a book, take a book, or sit, relax, and read a book—there are many great selections to choose from.
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.
