IONA 10

Welcome Back for Term Three

It was a pleasure to welcome everyone back for Term Three last week. The students I have spoken with are looking forward to an exciting term ahead.

As per the letter that was sent to families on Monday 21 July, we are grateful for your cooperation and support as we ensure that students are following the College Uniform and Grooming Procedures. Our high expectations in the areas of learning and engagement apply equally to all areas of school life including wearing the College uniform with pride.

College Musical

Congratulations to all of the students and staff involved at St Bernard’s College and St Columba’s College for the fabulous opening night performance of the Disney musical “Newsies”. Both lead and ensemble performances were full of energy, with a level of professionalism that is hard to fault. If you have not yet secured your tickets, I would strongly encourage you to do so. It is a great night of entertainment.

2025 Venerable Mary Aikenhead Oration

The annual Venerable Mary Aikenhead Oration offers an opportunity for those involved in the health, caring, research, and education ministries of Mary Aikenhead Ministries to be newly inspired in our shared mission to bring the Gospel values to life — as Jesus called all people to do, and as Mary Aikenhead so faithfully modelled.”. This year’s Oration, “From Dublin to Digital: Mary Aikenhead’s Vision in the AI Era” was delivered by Maggie Doherty, Director of the Centre for the Art of Living and Dying Well, St Mary’s University in London. While our tech-laden and AI-emerging world is far removed from the early 19th century when Mary Aikenhead’s ministry was first evolving, there are some parallels that remind us of the values and principles that impelled Mary Aikenhead which remain pertinent for us today. There were two that were particularly salient for me. 

The first – a reminder that Mary Aikenhead lived a life of innovation. She created, she solved problems, she built partnerships, she agitated lawmakers. She did not accept the limitations of her time, and she carried out the work in God’s name despite the barriers. 

The second – Mary Aikenhead’s life was dedicated to bringing dignity, hope, love, and compassion to those most marginalised. Today, with the power of technology at our fingertips, we must ask ourselves—how are we using it to give voice to the voiceless and to reach those most in need? Our mission is to bring Jesus’ transformative vision for all people to life. As a woman of deep and unwavering faith, Mary Aikenhead devoted her life to this mission. In turn, her example both inspires and challenges us to make a similar difference in our own time.

Millie – Our Wellbeing Dog

Millie has returned from her term break. She commenced school on Monday 28 July. This term Millie will be at the College on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

2026 Student Executive Applications

Current Year 10 and 11 students have the opportunity to apply for the following roles for 2026:

• College Co-Captain
• House Captain
• Liturgy Captain
• Justice Captain
• Arts Captain
• Environment Captain
• Sports Captain
• Student Wellbeing Action Team (SWAT) Captain

Applications will open on Monday 11 August and will close promptly at 9:00am Monday 25 August. Late applications will not be accepted.

Students aspiring to leadership were invited, by our current Student Executive team, to attend an information session about these leadership roles. The team provided valuable advice and tips to their peers. 

Student leadership plays a vital role in our school community. It offers young people the chance to:

• build confidence through public speaking and decision-making;
• develop key skills like communication, teamwork, and time management;
• foster responsibility and a strong sense of accountability;
• enable positive impact on school culture and student voice; and
• enhance future opportunities with valuable experience for resumes and applications.

We look forward to receiving many student leader applications to continue to build our College culture with the support of an enthusiastic Student Executive team. 

Our College Co-Captain, Jemma, provides further detail about the Forum below.

2026 Student Executive Forum 

This week, our Year 12 Student Executive Team had the privilege of speaking to the Year 10 and 11 aspiring leaders at our 2026 Leadership Forum. We spoke about what our roles as leaders involve, and what it truly means to represent St Columba’s College. I shared my own experience as College Captain, how the role is both a huge responsibility and an incredible opportunity to serve, support, and shape our school community.

The application process for the 2026 Student Executive is quickly approaching, and it’s no small undertaking. It begins with a written application, where students are asked to reflect on their leadership experiences, their values, and how they would contribute to the College in their final year. This stage encourages applicants to dig deep and present themselves honestly and thoughtfully.

From there, selected students are invited to an interview with a panel made up of our staff leadership team, Ms McDonald, Ms Lang, and for the College Captain role, an external guest. The interview is a chance to speak about your leadership goals, respond to real-world scenarios, and show that you’re ready to take on a significant leadership role.

It’s a competitive and demanding process, but one that brings out the best in those who go through it. I encourage any student who feels passionate about making a difference at STC to step forward. You grow so much through the experience, no matter the outcome.

– Jemma M, College Captain 2025

PARENT ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE (PEC)

Every parent in our community is a member of the PEC and we welcome your involvement. If anyone is interested in joining the PEC or learning more about what we do you can join us in person or online – 7.30pm – meet.google.com/fij-hziu-ymk). Here are the PEC meeting dates and events planned for 2025:

• Monday 4 August PEC Rep for 2026 Year 7 Parent Information Night
• Wednesday 13 August (Change of date was necessary)
• Saturday 30 August Trivia Night (7:00pm – 9:00pm)
• Tuesday 16 September
• Tuesday 14 October
• Tuesday 11 November
• Friday 14 November Year 7 2026 Parents Welcome

If you have any questions or feedback for the PEC, please contact us at parents@columba.vic.edu.au 

Trivia Night – Saturday 30 August

We are excited to host this event again. We encourage you to put a table together of family members, friends and or colleagues and come along for a fun night. The PEC is hoping to raise funds to provide useful and fun resources for our students, so your participation would be valued and appreciated.

Visit www.trybooking.com/DEBSS

ALUMNAE COMMITTEE

Our Alumnae Committee meet once per term on a Wednesday night between 7:00pm and 8:30pm. They are working hard to build the College’s connections to our former students so that our alumnae are able to remain in touch with each other and with the college, improving engagement with our staff and students, fostering lifelong relationships and a sense of belonging. 

If you are an alumna and would like to become a member of the Alumnae Committee, please contact alumnae@columba.vic.edu.au. 

Our first ever Alumnae run Pop Up Market occurred on Sunday 20 July and it was a wonderful day of connection and community! We were thrilled to welcome back so many of our incredible alumnae—whether running a stall or simply dropping by to support the event. The market was filled with handmade goods and the unmistakable buzz of old friends reconnecting and new networks forming. Thank you to everyone who made the day such a success. Your presence, talent and enthusiasm remind us of the strong and lasting bonds within our school community. Thank you, also, to the Alumnae committee who worked tirelessly to ensure that the day was a great success.

Catholic Network Australia (CNA) and Cyber Safety Project are hosting a free ‘AI & the Digital Generation’ webinar for parents and carers of primary and secondary school students on Monday 11 August 2025 from 7.30 to 8.00 pm.

The webinar offers essential insights into topics including:

• generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI companion apps
• deepfakes and online misinformation
• AI safety at home
• legal and ethical considerations of AI use.

The webinar will help parents and carers:

• understand the online tools and technologies their children are using
• build confidence in discussing AI, deepfakes and digital truth with their children
• learn practical strategies to encourage safe and ethical online behaviour.

Registration and further information are available via bit.ly/AICSP25.

Anne B and Alessia H were selected from over 2,000 students across Victoria to compete in the finals of the prestigious Italian Dante Alighieri Poetry Competition, where only 200 students earned a place. They performed exceptionally well, showcasing their talent and dedication. We congratulate Anne and Alessia on this impressive achievement and commend them for representing St Columba’s College with such distinction.

During the last week of Term 2, the Year 9 Mock Interviews took place over 3 evenings. Here is a reflection from one of the Year 9 students.     

My overall Mock Interview experience held on the 30th of June, was a valuable and eye-opening opportunity that gave me the tools and confidence I need for real life job interviews. One of the biggest positives from the evening was learning how to prepare myself properly: this included writing a resume and a cover letter, understanding how to dress professionally and knowing how to speak and behave in an interview setting. The Future Directions seminar was a key part of this preparation, and without it, I would not have felt as ready as I did. I also appreciate that I had the opportunity to practise answering real interview questions, which helped me become more comfortable with any unexpected questions which could have been brought up during the actual interview. 

Another major positive was the way the interviewers conducted the session. For my interview I was lucky enough to have Mary and Tracey, and even though I was nervous at first, their friendly and calm attitude helped me relax and gain confidence as the interview progressed. The fifteen minutes felt like an ideal amount of time, it allowed us to cover all the key questions without feeling rushed or losing focus. 

Despite a few small challenges, like forgetting one of the certificates required for my job, I walked away from the experience feeling much more confident about future interviews. I have learnt that job interviews like these do not have to be overwhelming and that it is okay not to be perfect as long as you are prepared and authentic. My advice to next year’s students is to practise, know your strengths, be presentable, stay calm and most importantly, be yourself. 

In summary, the Mock Interview process was a realistic and supportive way to prepare us for future employment opportunities, and I would highly recommend this experience for the upcoming Year 9 students.  

At the end of term 2, the year 12 cohort embarked on a retreat at the Melbourne University college in Melbourne. From there we spent the next 3 days reflecting on the past 6 years, all whilst bonding with our peers and of course having some fun. We started retreat with a mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral, before heading out for some exploring in the city. Upon arrival back to the College we had the opportunity to hear from Rose, the founder of Christmas on the Streets, an organisation dedicated to supporting those experiencing homelessness. Her story was incredibly moving, not only because of the work she does, but because of the way she spoke with so much heart, humility, and conviction.

One of the most powerful things we learnt was the importance of connection. Rose reminded us that sometimes what people need most isn’t money or food, but connection. She spoke about learning people’s names, sitting with them on the street, and just being present, how these small acts of kindness can restore a person’s sense of worth.

Throughout the retreat, we explored the city and took part in a range of meaningful activities that helped us slow down and reflect on our journey so far.

We created prayer beads using a variety of coloured beads, each symbolising something personally significant. Tai Chi with Ms Saade offered a calming moment to focus on breathwork and stillness. Through the Mosaic of Me art activity, we expressed our identities using shapes, colours, and symbols. We also took time to write affirmations in each other’s journals, a simple but truly uplifting experience as we shared positivity and encouragement with the people we’ve grown alongside.

One highlight was The Amazing RACE – a city-wide race that used clues to guide us to locations linked to our school’s heritage. It was a fun and meaningful way to explore our shared history.

Finally at lunch on the last day, we were given back our Year 7 letters, a touching and for many a funny moment that reminded us how far we’ve come since our first days at the College.

Our retreat was a beautiful few days of laughter, reflection, and connection – a memorable part of our final year together.

Every night, we joined the staff for music trivia, card games, and even friendship bracelet making. These moments were filled with laughter, light-hearted competition, and shared memories that brought us closer together. In the midst of our final year, the retreat gave us the chance to slow down, enjoy each other’s company, and strengthen the bonds that have carried us through our school journey.

We concluded the retreat with a liturgy and farewell to our dear teacher and staff member Mr Le. It was a very wholesome and bittersweet goodbye as we wished him well on his endeavours back to France.

Thank you to all the staff and students who made this retreat possible, and to Mr Jilbert for organising everything! We had an amazing time. 

In our Exploring Pathways classes throughout Term 2, the Year 10’s took part in the Project Based Learning (PBL) program. All the different classes were tasked with different briefs, working with an industry partner to help create solutions to their problems. I had the opportunity to work with Fraser’s Property, specifically working on their development of Bradmill Yarraville. This is a residential project which aims to make a strong, welcoming community that incorporates the history of the site, while integrating Yarraville’s diverse culture. Each group took on the problem differently. My group and I decided to tackle the problem with a cultural lens, creating the idea of Project CHARM. 

CHARM is an acronym that stands for Connection, Hope, Acceptance, Respect and Multiculturalism, and was an initiative we created to help foster the different cultures across Yarraville. The Project CHARM initiative has 3 main parts. The CHARM festival, Language Classes and Cultural Sports. The CHARM Festival is a festival we came up with that would be run for a weekend annually. It would have many cultural foods, dances, music and various stalls with other cultural items, aimed to bring the community closer. The Language Classes aimed to teach the community different languages, we chose Italian, Greek, Hindi, Vietnamese and Spanish, after researching they were the most common in Yarraville. The Cultural Sports would happen every weekend. We chose Bocce and Soccer, and thought about involving the neighbouring McIvor Reserve to help connect with the wider Yarraville community. We created a website to showcase our idea, and also created a brochure. Our website also contained various posters, as well as a social media page that we designed. This was a very fun project and helped my group and I to build our collaboration, communication and problem solving skills, as well as fostering our creativity! It was a great experience overall! 

Pictures of our website:

Picture of our brochure:

Over the course of Term 2, our Year 10 students immersed themselves in the Project-Based Learning (PBL) program, collaborating with a range of industry partners including Bld.Eng, Moonee Valley City Council, Essendon Football Club, the Bionics Institute, Akorn Education, and Fraser’s Property. The industry partners were genuinely impressed by the quality, creativity, and depth of work produced by the students.

One standout group (Amy B, Carla P, Sophie D, and Sophia S) worked with Fraser’s Property on a proposal for the Bradmill site in Yarraville. Their concept Second Stitch inspired the company so much that they are now exploring ways to incorporate a similar initiative into their broader community plans. As a result of this powerful collaboration, the students were also invited to attend the premiere of The Stories of Bradmill at the Sun Theatre in Yarraville during the first week of the holidays.

To capture the student perspective, Year 10’s Anabelle D has written an insightful article about the experience.

As part of the St Columba’s College year 10 curriculum, the Exploring Pathways subject allows students to explore potential future directions and develop critical employability skills, whilst finding ways to traverse the difficulties that we may face in life. One of the best opportunities we are given is Project Based Learning, also known as PBL. This program allows each year 10 class to form a partnership with an industry partner, and work over 10 accumulated lessons on a proposed challenge where we collaborated with new people and stepped outside of our comfort zone. 

My class was very lucky to have been able to work with Bldg.Eng as our industry partner, who presented us with the challenge of designing a classroom for the new building at Santa Maria College. We had to utilise an empty room and bring our vision to life whilst staying within our hypothetical budget guideline of $350k, and work with the dimensions of an area of 144m2 and a height of 2.7m. In order to complete this project effectively within the given time window, we were provided with a Design Thinking Folio that followed the Double Diamond Design Approach. This included the four stages of discover, define, develop, and deliver, where we would do some research about Bldg.Eng, define our challenge, produce a diorama of a classroom design, and lastly, present our final product to our industry partners.

In my group’s final design, we incorporated many different features that catered to the functionality and needs of year 9 and 10 students, whilst also being aesthetically pleasing and fitting the orange and blue theme designated to the new building. The space we were provided with was divided by a foldable door, forming two rooms, which my group later decided to use to our advantage to create separate study and collaboration rooms. We included desks in the outer corners of each room, on both sides of the full length windows, that were connected by small sliding windows, and had chargers embedded in them for wireless laptop charging. We designed the study room to be the blue room with long tables and chargers along the middle of the desks, while the collaborative room was orange with connected desks and a more stimulating environment. We incorporated all of the electrical equipment required as well, including projectors, air conditioners, and heaters, and in order to bring the classroom to life, we added small posters, pot plants, shelves, and books as our finishing touches.

Overall, in this unit, I learnt a lot about collaboration and working in a team even if you may not be familiar with the people you’re working with. Despite the initial barrier of not knowing each other well, my group and I worked very well together, developing the ability to combine all of our creative ideas into one, super detailed, and innovative final product. Being able to strengthen my teamwork skills was a great opportunity to learn about what we’ll most likely have to do in our future workplaces, which is deliver the best possible work we can while working with people we may have opposing views with or have never met before. 

Finally, I’d like to give a big thank you to Ms Boicos and Ms D’Astoli for all the hard work they have put into making this entire PBL unit an unforgettable experience and a huge success as it wouldn’t be possible without them!

St Columba’s was a participating school in the 2025 Trees for Schools program led by Greater Western Water whereby the College was given 50 native shrubs to plant. Students, parents and staff helped with the plantings along the Leslie Road fenceline and in the garden beds outside the MPC. The shrubs are a mix of natives from Billi Nursery (Westgate Park) including Kangaroo Wattle, Sweet Bursaria, Tree Violet, Hop Bush, Acacia Lightwood, Acacia Blackwood, Australian Indigo, Silver Banksia, Grey Everlasting, Black Paperbark, Drooping Sheoak and Gold Dust Wattle which will help to enhance our biodiversity on campus. The plantings are also in celebration of National Trees for Schools Day on July 25 and the National Tree Day celebrations across Australia that raise awareness around the importance of caring for our environment, our common home.

More about Trees for Schools HERE.

Dear Parents/Carers of Year 8 Students,

In 2026, St Columba’s College will once again be offering current Year 8 students the opportunity to be a part of the Mathematics Accelerated Pathway (MAPs) Program.

This program has been remodelled into a two-year course designed for students who are seeking a greater challenge in Mathematics and are interested in studying Maths Methods and Specialist Maths in Years 11 and 12. 

Through this enhanced curriculum, our most talented mathematicians will work on more complex tasks and learn topics to a greater depth and breadth to best prepare them for the challenge of VCE mathematics.

To qualify for this course, students must demonstrate outstanding knowledge in Mathematics through their assessment results in Year 8 and will be required to sit an entrance test upon application to the program. The application for the entrance test will be sent on the 1st of August via DM. This application (via Google form) must be completed before the 15th of August to secure a spot in the entrance test.

Please see the flowchart below for the possible Mathematics pathways for Year 9 students in 2026 onwards:

As our students grow up in a digital world, staying safe online has become just as important as staying safe offline. Whether they’re gaming, streaming, chatting, or scrolling, young people can encounter risks. As a parent, you can take simple and effective steps to help guide your child’s digital habits and ensure their online experiences are safe, age-appropriate, and healthy. Here are some valuable tools and resources to help you navigate online safety:

Set Up Parental Controls

Parental controls are your first line of defence. They help manage screen time, restrict access to inappropriate content, and monitor app usage.

The eSafety Commissioner provides an excellent guide to parental controls, covering home Wi-Fi, devices, apps, and gaming platforms: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/parental-controls
Google Family Link allows you to manage your child’s device remotely, this is great to assist with managing Google Chrome usage and Gmail: https://safety.google/intl/en_au/families/parental-supervision/ 

• Apple Devices have their own parental controls, which are connected via Family accounts. These are particularly helpful, for ensuring what young people see is appropriate, limit who they can communicate with during which hours, app limits, along with driving focus so young learner drivers are not distracted, sharing locations. 
• https://www.apple.com/au/families/ 
• https://support.apple.com/en-au/105121 

Choosing Safe Devices for Kids

Not all devices are created equal when it comes to safety features. Learn how iOS vs Android compare in terms of parental settings, app restrictions and monitoring in this device safety guide: https://www.safewise.com/blog/ios-vs-android-kids-safety/ (NOTE: Apple has made some significant improvements since January). Mixed device families will need look at individual device settings, along with various apps that can help.

• Samsung parental controls https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10003399/ 

Understand Age Restrictions on Social Media

Currently, many popular platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat require users to be at least 13 years old, from December this year this will increase to 16 years old. The eSafety Commissioner outlines social media age restrictions to help you make informed decisions about your child’s online presence, along with how to support conversations when talking about these changes: https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions 

Stay on Top of Gaming Safety

Gaming platforms like Roblox are incredibly popular but can expose children to strangers and inappropriate content without proper settings. Risks to children playing Roblox ‘deeply disturbing’, say Researchers.

• Roblox provides a Parental Controls Overview to help you manage chat settings, spending limits and account activity: https://en.help.roblox.com/hc/en-us/articles/30428310121620-Parental-Controls-Overview 

Parent-Tested Device Hacks

If you’re looking for tried-and-tested tips from real parents, this helpful Mamamia article shares simple hacks like screen timers, app limits, and even setting up “kid zones” on your devices: https://www.mamamia.com.au/kid-safe-devices-hacks/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwLmUwBleH 

Start the Conversation

No tool is more powerful than an open, ongoing conversation. Talk with your child regularly about what they do online, who they talk to, and what to do if they see something that makes them feel uncomfortable. Show curiosity, not judgment—it builds trust.

Need more support?

Visit the eSafety Parents Portal for videos, conversation starters, and more tools to help you support your child’s digital wellbeing:
https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents 

Let’s work together to keep our young people safe, supported, and smart online. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦💻✨

Friday 1 August – 2026 Subject Selections Open (Year 8-12)

Saturday 2 August – College Musical Closing Night

Monday 4 August – Year 7 2026 Parent Information Evening

Tuesday 5 August – Year 10 Reflection Day

Friday 15 August – Feast of Assumption Mass