Successful Early Commencement Programme!

Year 8 – 12 2024 students have successfully completed two weeks of their 2024 subjects. Students participated by engaging in activities in their subjects during this time. They were able to meet their new teachers, to familiarise themselves with their timetable, find rooms and fill their lockers,

Students can now have a well-earned break over the holidays.

It is not expected that Year 8 – 10 students will complete holiday homework. However, if a student is enrolled in a Unit 1 – 4 VCE subject they will have some home study to complete. It is expected that all home study that is set will be completed prior to returning in 2024.

We thank parents for their support of the programme and look forward to seeing your child next year.

Emmaus Year 9 Pick up and Drop Off information

Dear Parents / Guardians,

We are excited to welcome you and your child to the Emmaus Campus for Year 9. To ensure a safe, smooth and enjoyable transition for all, please see below essential information regarding school drop-off and pick-up procedures.

School Drop-Off (AM) and Pick-Up (PM)

Access to the drop-off and pick-up zone is via entry to St. Luke’s Primary School. To ensure the safety of our students, St Luke’s students, parents and staff, please adhere to the designated drop-off and pick-up zone for Year 9 students as indicated in the map above:

• Blue Zone – Parking, drop-off and pick-up for Year 9 students permitted in blue zone only.
• Red Zones – DO NOT ENTER. These zones are strictly for St. Luke’s parents and buses only.

Parents/guardians are at no time permitted to stop in the roundabout, even when the traffic is stopped, to drop-off or pick up their child.

When dropping your child off or collecting them, students must use the footpath, indicated in yellow to access Emmaus or your vehicle. Students are not permitted to walk through the car park or the bus zone.

Parents/guardians are not to enter the staff carpark via Grace Road to drop off their child in the morning or collect them at the end of the day. The entry into Emmaus and the staff car park is to remain clear at all times for staff and delivery vehicles coming in and out of the campus. There are exceptions to this, such as a student on crutches or your child is late to school, and you are dropping them off.

If you are called to Emmaus to collect your child from Sick Bay or if they have a Leave Pass, you must come into Student Reception to collect your child. We cannot allow them to walk to the St. Luke’s Bus Stop or wait in the staff car park for you to collect them. This information was provided to all students last week and will be reiterated to all Year 9 students at a year level assembly on 10 February, 2024.

Kind regards,

DAVID CUZENS
Director
Year 9 Programme
Notre Dame College
EMMAUS CAMPUS

Nativity Christmas Display in the Library

Emmi, one of our library technicians, does an amazing job presenting our library displays. The Nativity scene looks absolutely fantastic!

Andrea Hayes and Di Bassani from our Catholic Identity Team also took the time to search through NDC's archive storage container and revive the Nativity set.

It is believed that it is the original set that Sacred Heart or St Coleman’s would have used many decades ago. Maree Geisler also arranged the restoration of some of the figures.

Thank you to everyone involved. Enjoy the Christmas Spirit around the College!

Daborra 2024

Monday 4 December 2023

Dear Parent/Guardian

There has been much conversation around the continuation of our camp for our Year 9 students known as Daborra.

Earlier this year, a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement was implemented which prompted the College to undertake an extensive review of all College activities including Camps and Excursions.

This review process will extend into 2024, however I can confirm that Daborra will continue in 2024 for our Year 9 Students over 3 nights and 4 days, from Monday 18 March to Thursday 21 March 2024. Friday 22 March will be a pupil free day for Year 9 students.

The locations of the camp will be announced shortly, and students will have an opportunity to select the location they wish to attend. While all attempts to fulfill these requests will be made, no guarantees can be made.

The camp has many benefits, however its main objectives revolve around these 8 learned skills:

1. Leadership
2. Teamwork
3. Problem Solving
4. Building Social Skills
5. Perseverance
6. Resilience
7. Building relationships
8. Respect and responsibility for self and others

Over the years we have seen with Outward Bound, and now with Daborra, some students who may be feeling nervous or a little apprehensive prior to attending camp, for various reasons. However, by pushing and challenging them we see their perception of what they can achieve change, which not only benefits that student, but also brings excitement for their peers and staff working alongside them which is a rewarding experience for everyone involved.

Year 9 is an exciting time for the students, with a new campus to adjust to and Daborra. The bonding, learnings, and maturity gained from these experiences is so important to your son or daughter’s educational journey.

The teaching and support staff as well as our camp operators, Adventure Plus are very much looking forward to Daborra and from recent discussions with the students, it is certainly a highlight they are very enthusiastic about for 2024.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding Daborra, please contact Susan Sulejman at the College on 58228400 or susan.sulejman@notredame.vic.edu.au

We would like to offer my best wishes for a safe, enjoyable and healthy festive season to all the members of the Notre Dame College community and look forward to seeing everyone back in 2024, ready to face the challenges the new year brings.

David Cuzens
Director Year 9 Programme Emmaus Campus Notre Dame College

John Cortese
Principal

Year 12 Graduation House Photos

Following on from the red carpet interviews at Graduation, Notre Dame College proudly presents the following house graduate photos from the evening.

2024 Sports Academy Programme

We recently held a welcome night for students and families involved in the 2024 Sports Academy programme.

Next year we are excited to welcome close to 100 students into the Sports Academy across years 8,9 and 10 as we look to provide further opportunities for our students at Notre Dame College.

In 2024 we are able to offer specialised skills sessions facilitated by highly credible coaches from our local community across AFL/AFLW, Netball, Basketball, Cricket and Soccer.

To further strengthen our programme we have formed partnerships with highly regarded organisations : the Murray Bushrangers, Goulburn Valley Suns and Century Cricket Group (formerly the Australian Cricket Institute).

We look forward to supporting and guiding the students involved in the Sports Academy both academically and athletically in 2024, and beyond, as they strive to become better students and athletes.

Sandhurst Languages Film Festival Competition

Miss Ito's Year 10 Japanese students won the 1st prize at the Sandhurst Languages Film Festival Competition 2023.

Miss Ito decided to surprise her students, announcing to them they had won with Mr Cortese present to hand over the award.

The theme of the competition was ‘Connect to the Language’. Notre Dame's entry was a story about a girl who came to Japan from Australia to reconnect with her loving Japanese dad who passed away.

Through making friends, experiencing Japanese school and the Japanese summer festival, the girl found love.

All planning, creating of the story, making of the script, filming and editing was done by the students. How amazing! Congratulations to everyone involved.

Seeds of Justice - Mercy Cup

In Term 3, the Year 9 Notre Dame College Leaders went to a Seeds of Justice leadership Camp, where they were able to hear an asylum seeker story of an Afghan refugee named Abdul. He told them about the hardships that he, and the rest of the Afghan community faced whilst seeking a better life in Australia.

After listening to his story and consulting with teachers and leaders at Emmaus, they commenced a competition called the Mercy Cup to give back to the community. In the competition, each of the 6 Houses played short 25-minute soccer matches, held during Friday lunchtimes throughout term 4. The matches are refereed by teachers and training staff.

While the matches were running, the Student Leadership Team worked with teachers and held organised barbecues, selling sausages in bread, as well as lollipops, chocolates and zooper doopers. Students also set up a guess-the-number-of-lollies-in-the-jar competition, where contestants paid for a turn at guessing the number of lollies in the jar.

On the day of the Grand Final, they had an extended lunchtime, and a full-length match on the oval. They decided that Foodshare Shepparton was where their funds would do a great deal with people who needs food and support, especially after the devasting floods of 2022. The students invited Rev. Jeremy Rensford, Chair of Foodshare Shepparton to the College on Grand Final Day where he spoke at length with the students about what it will mean to be able to use that money towards those in need, as well as the principles of giving and donating.

Incredibly the students raised a mighty $1,241.30 for Foodshare. Jeremy equated that for $1000 donated they could stretch that amount into 3000 meals locally. MacKillop House took the trophy in the inaugural Mercy Cup, congratulations! What an amazing effort, we’ll done Student Leaders and all students at Emmaus!

40 Year Anniversary - Maree Geisler

Friday marked 40 years since Maree Geisler (nee Curtis) started at NDC (actually St. Colman's College) in 1983.

As part of the celebrations in recognising her amazing contribution to our College Bella Woods (College Co-Captain 2024) and Erica Shaw (College Co-Vice Captain 2024) interviewed Maree about her fabulous career.

Enjoy and thank you Maree.

Our NDC Art students have had a few accomplishments recently! Unit 3/4 students Gabriella Vittorio and Maria Abblitt have had their artworks shortlisted for the Top Arts Exhibition in Melbourne. Top Arts showcases extraordinary works of art and folios that achieved outstanding results in VCE Art Creative Practice or VCE Art Making and Exhibiting 2023.

Maria and Gabriella now take their artwork and Folios to Melbourne for another round of adjudication. If successful, their artworks will go on display at the Ian Potter Centre at Federation Square, from March to July 2024. Maria also recently won the Peoples choice award, Senior Secondary, for her drawing 'False Impression' at the Mackillop Art Exhibition in Bendigo. The People’s Choice award gives the public the opportunity to vote for their favourite artwork. The prize is a voucher for art supplies. Congratulations to Gabriella and Maria.

If you would like a more in depth look at their artworks, you can do so by following the below links:

Maria

Gabriella