st andrews Christian college

wantirna south, melbourne

'Follow the Star' Christmas event - 29 November 2024 – Tickets on sale now!

BOOK NOW!

As we approach the halfway mark of the school year, I am constantly reminded of several things; how quickly the year goes, how blessed we are with a wonderful community but most importantly how evident it is that God’s presence dwells within our College.

One of our priorities that forms our 2024-2027 strategic plan is Building Christian Community, and many of our day-to-day activities as a school point toward us being a community centred on God.

The camps that have taken place throughout the year help to create space and opportunity out of the classroom context to foster and build a greater sense of community within the broader school community.

Faith formation and discipleship is something that is at the heart of who we are as a College, and it was encouraging to see a group of our parents this year participate in our Christianity Explained course in order to learn more about Jesus and the Christian faith.

Thanks to the engagement and support of our students and parents, our mission service learning program has been able to support Barnabas Aid by collecting non-perishable food that will be sent to Christian communities who are being persecuted in other countries. I am reminded of the power of faith in action when we focus on building our community as Christians.

Our new administration, science and technology wing has been an enormous asset and blessing to the operations of the College and learning for students. The facility opened at the commencement of the year and we were recently able to celebrate the official opening of this new part of our build. Thanks goes to the many people involved in developing this project and bringing it to fruition, and it now enables us to further support student learning, particularly in the areas of STEM, Robotics and Media/IT.

I pray for a safe and restful break as we conclude the term. We also uphold our staff and Year 9 students as they embark on their journey to and through Central Australia as a part of the Year 9 camp experience and enjoy the beauty, magnificence and wonder of God’s creation.

Yours faithfully,

Nick Haines
College Principal

Community News

College Community News

Term 2 at St Andrews has been buzzing with many co-curricular and community activities. It has been wonderful to see our students thrive in this environment and we were thrilled to be able to offer so many co-curricular opportunities throughout this term. 

Thank you to many of you who have attended these events demonstrating your support for our students. These activities continue to help celebrate our excellence in learning and teaching as well as help to further build upon and foster Christian community. 

Congratulations to all the students who represented the Christian distinction of our College at Open Day, to those who participated in CSEN sporting activities and Rally days as well as the CSEN Cultural Days, and it was great to most recently see so many students participate in the House Cross Country.

SSACC hub App

The Performing Arts team has continued to shine with their efforts in Generations in Jazz Festival this term where they took over sent 7 ensembles to the competition. This was the largest number of students that have been sent before and indicates the growth of the Performing Arts Department and the desire for students to be involved in co-curricular music. The College Production of ‘The Drowsy Chaperone' is progressing very well with rehearsals continuing each Tuesday afternoon. Save the date now for the performances – Friday 16th & Saturday 17th August (Matinee and evening)! More details to come on the hub news feed in Term 3 about ticket purchases.

Please continue to watch the communication notifications via the College hub app, which can be downloaded onto your mobile phone. These notifications are the key way to keep up to date with the comings and goings of students and events across the College. If you are unsure of how to download and use this app, follow the instructions shown here and check out our hub user guide here for more information.

I wish everyone a restful break and thank you for your continued support of our College operations, in particular the Rembrandts loop traffic flow system. I look forward to seeing all students wearing correct Winter uniform in Term 3 commencing back on Thursday 18th July.

Thank you for your continued support.

Lisa Wilks-Beasy
Deputy Principal – Operations

St Andrews' ASD Parent Support Group

The next ASD Parent Support Group meeting will be Wednesday 4th September from 9:15am. College Principal, Mr Haines will come along and meet with parents this week. 

Meet at Taste 'n See College Cafe

Our primary aim is to provide an opportunity for parents to connect with other parents who are faced with the challenges of a child who has autism. This is a wonderful time for parents and staff to build community and a shared understanding. Everyone is welcome to attend. 

Please check in at the College Reception, then go to the Taste 'n See Café. This is where the group will meet before moving to the board room. 

If you can please let us know if you are able to attend, this would be helpful for catering purposes (rbawden@standrews.vic.edu.au). We look forward to seeing you.

If you'd like further information please contact Shirley Gillie – Head of Learning Support on sgillie@standrews.vic.edu.au

Shirley Gillie
Head of Learning Support

Exciting News - Our Student Team is Headed to Cambodia!

2025 Cambodia Mission Trip

It was with great excitement that we get to announce our student team going to Cambodia next year!

Our enthusiastic team consists of three staff members – Mr. Farmer, Mrs. Sires, and Mr. Finger – and nine students from Years 10 and 11: Jayden, Azriel, Ruby, Stephanie, Livinia, Agnes, Zoe, Leah, and Summer Joy.

We are deeply grateful for the unwavering support and encouragement we have received from our school community. Your contributions have been invaluable in preparing our missionaries for this adventure. As they gear up for this journey, we ask for your continued prayers and support to help them prepare well for what promises to be a transformative experience.

Stay tuned for more updates as our team prepares for their mission to Cambodia. Let's cheer them on as they embark on this exciting and impactful journey!

Natalie Nheu
Mission Service Learning Coordinator

Cultural Day  

Thank you, St Andrews Community, for supporting our first Cultural Day! 

It was a huge success with many students coming in specific cultural dress to celebrate the wonderfully unique and beautiful nations represented at our College. Well done to our Wellbeing Captain Elisia and her amazing Student Wellbeing Team. They coordinated a range of fun activities for all students to engage with at lunchtime. Guess the cuisine, match the Bluey episode, rank the AFL teams, guess the flavour and more! 

It was lovely to see Primary and Secondary students talking together about their family traditions and what makes them love their cultural identity. Many impromptu conversations during the day were centred on culture - celebrating, discussing, describing and praising God - for culture!

Over $400 dollars was raised for the Cambodia Mission Trip - again, thank you!

God Bless,

Marina Heading
Head of Wellbeing

Chaplain's Message

From the Chaplain

It has been a very eventful Term 2 for me as College Chaplain. The College marked Anzac Day with a special assembly to give thanks for those who died protecting us from the enemy in wars past. We also took the opportunity to also thank God for his Son, the Lord Jesus – who died to save us from our ultimate enemy – Satan, sin and death.

In the same week, our Registrar Suzy Song and I began conducting our first Christianity Explained course for interested parents over four weeks. A small number of parents attended and appreciated the opportunity to find out more about the Gospel of Jesus and to ask questions.

A major highlight this term was having Rev. Ashley Saunders from Barnabas Aid speak at both our Primary and Secondary Chapel services. Rev. Saunders explained to the students about the food.gives program being run by Barnabas Aid and invited the students to contribute. The response from the College community was immense and 50 boxes of non-perishable food was collected for distribution to persecuted Christian communities overseas. My thanks to Year 1 Teacher Miss Natalie Nheu for arranging much of this.

Secondary Teacher and Head of Biblical Studies, Miss Mardi Easton spoke at our Pentecost Assembly about the Holy Spirit and his role in the life of a Christian.

Our VCE lunchtime group continues to meet each Friday where we discuss various topics and conclude by praying together. In addition I am assisting with the Primary Friendship group each week.

I do enjoy visiting classes to present devotions in their homerooms. Lately I have visited every Year Prep to 3 class with my friend Monty Mouse to learn from the Bible with the students!

I trust that all College families have a holiday that is refreshing in every way. We look forward to continuing to partner with College parents as we teach the students entrusted to us about God, Jesus and the world.

Rev. Warwick Grant
College Chaplain
Rev. Warwick Grant
College Chaplain

Learning & Teaching News

CSEN Masterminds Competition

Congratulations to the Secondary School “Masterminds Team” who won First Place in the recent CSEN Masterminds competition.

The competition involves students answering questions in an area of specialty selected from: English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Sciences. They also combine for a General Knowledge quiz.

After a slow start, the team found their rhythm and by lunchtime had caught up to the other teams and scores were fairly even. The afternoon session, culminating in an all-in (teachers included) general knowledge session brought our team home by 3 points!

Congratulations to the team: Angela, Deanna, Eden, Zara, Mark, Chris, Jamie and Caitlyn. Special mention to the student voted MVP: Jamie - due to his amazing spread of knowledge and rapid recall of facts.

Special thanks to Mrs Terrington and Mrs Valentine who supported the team on the day.

Girls in STEM Invitational Day

Congratulations to Bellissa, Deanna, Amber and Hannah who have been selected to represent St Andrews Christian College at the Strathcona STEM for Girls Invitational Day during the upcoming school holidays.

This activity, supported by Texas Instruments is a wonderful opportunity for our students to meet with students from other Colleges and participate in a range of hands-on challenges using tools such as: Python as a coding language with TI Rover, Innovator Hub, Microbits, Drones and Turtle.

Special thanks to Mrs Wilks-Beasy who will be accompanying the team on the day.

3D Printers

We are pleased to be able to report that the 3D Print Room in the new building has been equipped with 5 new 3D printers. 

Secondary School students undertaking the Year 8 STEM: Product Design and 3D Printing and Year 9 STEM: Electronics and 3D Printing electives have been excited to learn more about the possibilities and applications of this technology and the capacity of the new printers as they complete their projects.

Michael Swanborough
Deputy Principal – Learning and Teaching

Sustainability Leaders' Update

Earlier this term, the Sustainability team promoted the Container Deposit Scheme by creating a collection bin for the school. The money raised will go to the Knox Environmental Society.

Maria Wheelton & The Sustainability Team
Sustainability Coordinator
Michael Swanborough
Deputy Principal – Learning and Teaching

Primary School

Head of Primary - Term 2 Reflection

Term 2 has been long, and action packed! Our most recent Music Festival was a beautiful celebration of music in all its forms. From programming music tracks with various sounds to music art, playing xylophones, singing songs and dancing our hearts out -we all had the time of our life and were reminded that “to sing a joyful noise unto the Lord” (Psalm 98:4) is what we are designed to do, and it pleases Him when we worship!

It is with thankfulness that we can look to all that has been accomplished this term. Students and teachers should be very proud of their efforts.

Our Primary Swimming Program at Aquanation ran smoothly with great participation and skill development. We were proud of our students who received glowing reports from the pool staff about their engagement and behaviour. Our parent support with the younger students was a blessing and ensured the program ran smoothly.

Year 5 Camp

The Year 5 students enjoyed their camp to Phillip Island at the CYC Adventure Resort. Staff were impressed with the personal challenges that were faced. For some it was climbing the ladder to get to the flying fox or attempting the giant swing and going really high. For others it was getting out of their comfort zone to perform at the Entertainment Evening. The high energy and support of staff to ensure each student achieved success is testament to the great Primary Team at St Andrews.

Primary staff have been busy preparing Semester 1 reports, and these were emailed home on the last day of term. These reports provide families with feedback against achievement standards set in the Australian Curriculum and results from assessment tasks. We hope you have also enjoyed the feedback pieces throughout this semester which gave insight into your child’s progress. In the coming week we will be sending out a survey for you to provide feedback on this new initiative. We would love to hear from you.

As we conclude Term 2, may I take this opportunity to wish you and your families a restful midterm break filled with refreshment and time spent with family.

Many blessings,

Janita Bratton
Head of Primary School

Prep Reflections

Well done to our Preps who have finished Term 2! Lots of first times and new experiences to be had. We have come so far and have had many highlights to celebrate and look back on..

Celebrations

Preps were very excited to celebrate and make things for our Mothers including making cards, crafts and gingerbread mums for the Mothers Day morning Tea. We learnt all about remembering ANZAC day and stories such as Simpsons donkey and the significance of the poppy, making a poppy wreath. When Sorry Day came around, we discussed why we say sorry and when we say sorry.

Literacy

We celebrated learning all our single phonograms and are learning the 2nd sounds (or long sounds) of the phonograms. We are enjoying our take-home readers and are making marvellous progress, while remembering each of us learn at different paces. We have also been introduced to PM readers and have loved the challenges of logging in with a password and exploring online books!

Mathematics

We have learnt our numbers 1-20 and many amazing mathematical concepts such as long and short, heavy and light, positional language and many more!

Swimming

Lots of life skills learnt in this time, not just swimming! We boarded the bus, put seatbelts on, walked to the Swimming Centre and learnt to organise our bags and get changed. Thanks to our wonderful parent helpers who assisted us and helped us be independent by the end of the Swimming Program.

Above all, we have been learning lots of bible stories, song and verses, which teach us about God and his amazing love for us.

We pray for restful and relaxing holidays. Bring on Term 3!

From the Prep Team

Sonia Sires & Natalie Low
Prep Teachers

Year 1 Reflections

This term was packed with lots of learning and lots of fun! We explored lots of wonderful habitats, had swimming lessons, went to the Melbourne Zoo for an excursion and even learnt to memorise the whole of Psalm 23!

We praise God for such a fun-filled term in Year 1. Check out a few of our highlights below!

Natalie Nheu & Judy Hendricks
Year 1 Teachers

Year 2 Reflections

This term our highlights included our swimming program, learning about sound in science and celebrating our mums on Mother’s Day.

At the start of the term, we loved celebrating our mums, by creating hand-decorated cookies.

During swimming, we developed our swimming skills, learnt about water safety and enjoyed a fun day going down the slide and running through the inflatable.

In science, we have explored how sound is made through vibrations. The highlight was planning, developing and sharing about our homemade instrument. We even played them all together in our 2P band.

Shellene Pillifeant
Prep-Year 2 Coordinator, Primary School Teacher

Year 3 Geodes

Students discovered how God's creation can sometimes look boring on the outside and then totally surprise us when we look at the beauty that lies inside. 

This is especially the case with rocks known as geodes. These ordinary-on-the-outside rocks are hollow and lined on the inside with stunning crystals. Everyone then got to make their own geode. We are definitely made like our Creator, because we love creating too!

We are in awe of God’s beautiful creation.

Melanie Lepileo and Anthea Albertus
Year 3 Teachers

Year 4 Reflections

Reflecting on the splendid term we’ve had in Year 4, it’s been a journey filled with many enriching experiences. We kicked off the term with the engaging History Box Incursion, took pride in hosting the Year 4 assembly, improved our swimming skills through participating in the swimming sessions, and wrapped up with playing the fantastic homemade First Fleet Boardgames with one another, a testament to the creativity of our students. Truly, it’s been a term to remember

Paige Cheung
Year 3/4 Coordinator, Primary School Teacher

Year 5 Reflections

It's been a busy term filled with lots of exciting happenings in Year 5: Author Mark Wilson visit, Winter Sport, Swimming Program, Camp, Primary Music Festival, Cultural Day and Cross Country! Most importantly we've had loads of amazing classroom learning. 

Students worked on and applied writing feedback, maths topics for a trip around Australia, and investigated the behaviour of light when it's refracted. As we wrapped up Term 2 we all enjoyed visiting the Year 6 Market Day, completed a 'Race around Australia' project involving flights and total travel time, explored Fact Families and Mathdoku in Maths, set new Reading and Writing SMART goals for next term, and students created questions about Light for a class Kahoot, which we then played.

Camp was a major highlight of Term 2 for all students who enjoyed participating in a range of activities including the big swing, low ropes, nature spotto, flying fox and raft building.

Well done to our wonderful children who have excelled in every aspect of learning - and more this term. 

Ben Sheahan & Donna Gardiner
Year 5 Teachers

Year 5 Camp!

Year 6 Reflections

This term has been packed with exciting and enriching activities for our Year 6 students. Highlights include:
  • Brett Ryan Sessions: Entertaining and educational, these sessions were a valuable addition to our Health curriculum.
  • Science Taster Session: The Year 6’s loved their first experience in the Secondary science labs.
  • Swimming Program: Students enjoyed plenty of fun in the water and learned valuable water safety lessons.
  • Primary Music Festival: A joyful celebration of all things musical.
  • SSV Sports Competition Days: Our students displayed wonderful sportsmanship throughout the events. We look forward to seeing how our boys T-ball and mixed Netball teams fare in the next round of competition.
  • Cross Country: There was spirited cheering for house members, showcasing great team spirit. Congratulations to Barton House for winning this year!
  • Cultural Day: Students brightened up the day with colourful dress-ups, celebrating diverse cultures.

The term culminated in the highly anticipated Year 6 Market Day held on Tuesday, 25th June. This event was a key part of their Year 6 Business subject, which covered important concepts such as profit and loss, production lines, ethical choices, and consumer needs and wants. 

Market Day was a resounding success! Our amazing Year 6 students worked diligently in their groups to create and sell homemade treats and handmade crafts to fellow students and teachers. They should be congratulated on raising over $3500 for the St Andrews Cambodian Mission Trip.

The most successful group in terms of profit was Gabriel, Jordan, Ansh, and Alex. They sold fairy floss, popcorn and soft drinks, spending $70 and making a profit of $665, achieving an impressive record-breaking profit of 956%!

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Year 6 parents for all your support and help this term and look forward to another semester with your wonderful children

Emily Gan, Emily Law and Josh Cram
Year 6 Teachers

Secondary School

Secondary School Wellbeing

Year 8 & 10 students have recently completed the teen Mental Health First Aid program. Students were taught the teen Mental Health First Aid Action Plan and supported to identify symptoms of an emerging mental health problem or crisis in a friend - and to seek support from a trusted adult. 

Each session was full of rich discussion and opportunities for students to work together on scenarios where they could role play how to help each a friend in need. Student engagement with the content was impressive. Our students are becoming more literate in good mental health and how to get help when needed.

Please continue to talk with your child about the content of the course. Be curious! They have learned that talking with their parents is one of the best ways to be supported and find help.

If you or someone else in your family are interested in attending our Blended Youth Mental Health First Aid program on Saturday 10th August this year, please contact Mrs Michelle Stancliffe, our Student Counsellor by email mstancliffe@standrews.vic.edu.au or use the QR code provided. Refer to the Hub News item here.

Thank you for your support,

Marina Heading
Head of Wellbeing

CSEN Secondary Masterminds Competition

Our dedicated Masterminds Team gave up their non-school day to attend the CSEN Masterminds competition. After a rocky start the team caught up, and by lunchtime scores were pretty even. The afternoon session, culminating in an all-in (teachers included) general knowledge section, brought our team home by 3 points!

Congratulations to the team: Angela, Deanna, Eden, Zara, Mark, Chris, Jamie and Caitlyn. Student voted MVP: Jamie - due to his amazing spread of knowledge and rapid recall of facts!

Student highlights: What part did you like the best?

  • Getting the answers right! 
  • Winning
  • Answering "Oak trees" to the question "What animal spreads oak trees more than any other animal?"
Kerryn Terrington
Secondary School Learning Support Teacher

Student Leadership Retreats

During Semester 1 the Secondary captains were involved in two wonderful leadership retreats hosted here at the College. At the beginning of the year students were given the book “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” by John Mark Comer, which has formed the foundation for our student leadership retreats this Semester.

The days were a mix of practical sessions, activities and small group discussions. Students heard from Principal Mr Nick, College Counsellor Mrs Michelle Stancliffe and Secondary Student Leadership Coordinator Mr Mike Finger regarding leadership and personal formation. Some of the key focus areas across the two sessions were ‘Silence and Solitude’, ‘Simplicity’ and ‘Slowing’ all of which were fundamental practices of Jesus. Ultimately, these sessions argued that effective leadership starts by “un-hurrying” our lives.

“As leaders we often focus our attention on doing, on the activity of leadership. That is, how we present ourselves in public, how we build and lead teams, how we make decisions, and how we enact change. However, the leaders who last are those who not only attend to their leadership skills, but deeply invest in their own formation.” - Mark Ryan CSA
The reality is, most of us are just too busy to live an emotionally healthy and spirituality vibrant life. Hurry is incompatible with the way of Jesus. The love, joy, and peace that form the nucleus of Jesus’ kingdom are all impossible in a life of speed.” - John Mark Comer
We must, as Dallas Willard said, (which inspired the title of the book) “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry.”

This leadership retreat time is designed to challenge and equip our College leaders to be effective, sustainable and servant hearted leaders here at St Andrews and beyond school. It has been a pleasure journeying with them thus far and we are looking forward to Semester 2.

Blessings,

Mike Finger
Student Leadership Coordinator - Secondary, Youth Worker

Meet our newest Baristas

St Andrews' Baristas are ready to serve! 

Year 11 & 12 student café volunteers took the opportunity to learn new coffee making skills, undertaking a Barista training course. Our volunteers enjoyed learning to make coffees guided by Charlotte who taught all there is to know about brewing the perfect cup and now have the ability to make quality coffees for those who visit the café. 

This qualification will not only help them in the short term but has also equipped them with a skill they can highlight on their curriculum vitae which assists in applying for jobs within the hospitality sector when they leave school. As usual, our students were excellent learners, and enjoyed the chance to taste-test their coffee creations. 

Many thanks to our Café coordinator, Sharon, for her work in organising this opportunity for our students. If you are on campus please come down to the Taste 'n See College Café and have a cup of coffee brewed by our new student baristas!


John Presant
Head of Secondary School

VCE Media Students ACMI Excursion

On Tuesday April 30, the VCE Unit 1 Media class squeezed our way past the masses entering St Andrews Christian College for Open Day and escaped to the city for some adventures. Rev. Grant kindly chauffeured us, and we were fortunate to have Ms Chun keep us company for the day.

This excursion links directly with everything the Media class has been studying this year, as they have been analysing media representations, trying their hand at a range of media productions, and more recently looking at Australian media.

We started at ACMI where the old-school video games took us down memory lane, and we marvelled at the intricacies of the early media technologies. Students had the freedom to explore the many interactive displays that document the story of the moving image.

Inspired and ready for some sunshine, we took to the streets of Melbourne to try our hand at street photography. It was great to have the freedom to wander past the Arts Centre, down Southbank, through Degraves street, and around to the famous graffiti walls. A casual lunch out for some sustenance gave us a chance to reflect on our beautiful city.

There were moments of creativity, moments of learning, but the image that stuck with me most was when a homeless man wandered past us. He was heavily laden with plastic bags and other belongings. The sun had just come out and a rather dull scene came to life, contrasting beautiful greenery with glowing skyscrapers. Into this setting the homeless man strolled down to a patch of grass to have a sleep.

Each of us in this city has a story. For many people, their story is one of hardship and survival. As God’s children, our story is one of belonging and acceptance when we turn to him in repentance. I hope our story also involves looking around us with compassion and kindness, in this wonderful city we call home.

Rachel Bird
Secondary School Teacher
Rachel Bird
Secondary School Teacher

Sports News

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

COLOSSIANS 3:23

Primary School Sports Report

Swimming Program Success 

Primary School students recently completed a two-week intensive swim program, catering to 370 students from Prep to Year 6. The program aimed not only to enhance swimming skills but also to promote water safety and confidence among our students.

SSV Wantirna District Sports 

The College has been actively participating in various sports at the SSV Wantirna District level. We proudly entered teams in Soccer, Netball, Volleystars, and Tee ball. Notably, our Tee ball boys’ and girls’ teams have advanced to the Knox Division level. Additionally, one of our mixed netball teams has qualified for the Knox Division level competition next term, showcasing their exceptional talent and teamwork.

Sporting Schools Clubs 

Every Thursday from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm, our school hosts Sporting Schools clubs where students engage in Soccer, Cricket, AFL, and Basketball. This term, 72 enthusiastic students participated, with an impressive 65 students attending all six sessions. These clubs not only foster sportsmanship but also provide opportunities for skill development and physical activity outside of regular school hours.

House Cross Country

Andrew Farmer
Primary School Sports Coordinator

Secondary School Sports Report

CSEN Basketball Championships

The St Andrews Senior Boys Basketball team competed in the Victorian Christian Schools Basketball Championships at MSAC with 11 other Christian schools. It was an awesome day of competition – filled with big wins and some tight losses finishing 5th overall. The boys did an amazing job representing St Andrews with a unwavering competitive spirt! Well done! 


Term 2 CSEN Senior Rally Day Success

The St Andrews Senior AFL 9’s, Volleyball and Tennis teams all competed in the Term 2 CSEN Rally Day. These Rally Days are an awesome opportunity for students to build upon the community within our cohorts, but also to build friendships and rapport with those from other Christian schools – all while developing further in our sporting abilities and skills!

Our Volleyball and Tennis teams were challenged by the strong competition on the day and enjoyed some wins, but despite some losses too they remained fierce in their competitiveness and excelled in their sportsmanship all day long. 

Our AFL 9’s teams dominated all day – the Senior Girls team securing the Championship flag and the Senior Boys finishing as runners up in a close Grand Final! All competing students should be proud of their efforts and attitudes on the day - well done!

AFL 9s Senior Girls Champions

CSEN Semester Sport 

The Junior Girls Basketball team put forth a solid effort during a hard fought Grand Final - finishing Division 1 runners up. Well done girls!

Our Junior Girls Soccer team have shown steady improvement game after game with some outstanding wins throughout Term 2 - overall finishing 5th place.  

House Cross Country

Cailyn Holland
Secondary School Sport Coordinator

House Cross Country

The College's House Cross Country Carnival was a phenomenal day blessed with perfectly clear sunny skies and community spirit at the beautiful lakeside setting! Students from Years 3 to 12 showcased their athletic abilities and enthusiasm, embracing the spirit of friendly competition.

The event was a resounding success, marked by vibrant energy, colourful attire, and, most importantly, a display of outstanding sportsmanship and effort from all participants. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who contributed to making this day memorable, from our dedicated House Captains who cheered tirelessly to the numerous parent volunteers whose support made the event run smoothly.

Amidst cheers and encouragement, our students sprinted, jogged, and ran their hearts out, competing to earn points for their respective houses. After a series of exciting races, House Barton emerged as the overall victors of the day. Congratulations to all members of Barton House for their exceptional performance and teamwork!

This event was not just about athletic endeavours but also about building upon our Christian community spirit and fostering a sense of belonging among our students. It was heartening to witness the unity and joy shared by all participants, regardless of the house they represented. Together, we celebrated an incredible day filled with fun, healthy competition, and cherished memories.

We are immensely grateful to our staff whose dedication and hard work behind the scenes ensured a smoothly organised event. Your commitment to our students’ well-being and enjoyment did not go unnoticed.

Once again, a big congratulations to all participants for their determination and sportsmanship!

Performing Arts News

Generations in Jazz 2024: A Musical Triumph

With much excitement, 59 music students and six staff members travelled to Mount Gambier in South Australia for the 35th annual Generations in Jazz festival on the 3rd of May. 

Generations in Jazz is an incredible weekend-long music festival that includes competitive adjudicated performances, concerts featuring international and national jazz and contemporary artists, workshops with these artists, and an amazing opportunity for students from schools around Australia to come together to play music and be inspired.

This year, St Andrews had our largest ever participation with seven ensembles entered into the competition. The ensembles and their divisions were:

  • Jazz Combo (Jazz Combo 1)
  • Junior Jazz Band (Division 5)
  • Jazz Band (Division 3)
  • Harmonium (Division 3 Vocals - Large)
  • Perfect 5th (Division 3 Vocals - Small)
  • Euphonix (Division 2 Vocals - Large)
  • Voxology (Division 2 Vocals - Small)

Results from the competition were very encouraging, with our Jazz Combo taking out 2nd place in a very competitive division and our vocal ensemble, Perfect 5th, coming third in their small vocal division!

In addition to these amazing results for our ensembles, we also had two of our students, Caleb (piano) and Ruby (trombone), selected to be part of the Superband in their division.

Other memorable moments from the tour included the Friday night concert featuring the Sydney-based “Hot Potato Band” and the Saturday concert featuring Budjerah, Kate Ceberano, and the Generations in Jazz Big Band.

Thank you to the music staff who guided these students through many rehearsals and all the festival preparation: Miss Georgia Venema, Mrs Karen Elbourne, Miss Stephanie Greenwood, and Mr Jayden Battey. Thank you also to Mrs Esther Loke, Ms Mardi Easton, and Mr Mike Finger for helping out with their supervision of the camp. A special thanks to Michelle Perera for all of her administrative and organisational help in the lead-up to Generations in Jazz.

Luke Batty
Head of Performing Arts, Director of Music

Wicked the Musical - Theatre Excursion

What an amazing and crazy experience going to the theatre is! Watching the stage production of Wicked really was an incredible inspiration moment for us all. 

Seeing professional actors own the stage and transport their audience into a whole new world really is an eye opener to the endless possibilities the theatre provides. From talking animals to witches being lifted 3 meters in the air, we saw it all in person. This was my first time going to the theatre and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time - I cannot wait till I get to witness another. I hope this inspires those of us in theatre to use our imagination to open a new world to the audience especially in our upcoming production “The Drowsy Chaperone”.

Joel J
Student

Junior & Intermediate Ensembles Concert Delights

Our Junior & Intermediate Ensembles performed a selection of pieces that they have been working on so far this year, and it was wonderful to see musical growth and dedication of these students.

Congratulations to Junior Percussion, Mini Vox, Pizzicato Strings, Maxi Vox, Percussion Ensemble, Primary Worship Band, Training Band and Intermediate Band, on your wonderful performance!

Many thanks to those that came along to support these students. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the parents, teachers, and staff who have nurtured and encouraged our young musicians throughout their musical journey.

Congratulations to St Andrews Piano Students!

We are delighted to have had such a wonderful turn-out for the first of this year’s Instrumental Music Concerts.

Hosted by our music tutor, Ms Rebekah Ho and Mrs Jenny Mackinnon-Love this concert featured performances from students of all ages and levels of ability that are currently learning to play piano at St Andrews.

We are so proud of the hard work and dedication that these students have put into their music tuition, and this was a wonderful opportunity for them to shine.

There will be many more Instrumental Music Concerts running throughout next term. We look forward to seeing you there!

Michelle Perera
Performing Arts Administrator

2024 College Production of “The Drowsy Chaperone”

The Performing Arts Department are thrilled to be embarking on another Secondary School Musical production this year! Our College Production of “The Drowsy Chaperone” will be performed in August, at Burrinja theatre in Upwey.

Our cast of lead actors, featured singers and dancers and ensemble members, and have been putting their all into rehearsals. Each rehearsal includes learning some singing, some dancing and some acting, as we work to tell the story together through different areas of the performing arts. These school holidays begin with an intensive rehearsal camp for students.

Involvement in a full scale production is a great way to build community, and we aim to work together to encourage each other, build friendships and craft an environment that brings joy to all participants, and Glory to God.

Save the date now for the performances – Friday 16th & Saturday 17th August (Matinee and evening)!

We look forward to bringing the St Andrews Community further updates as we keep working towards this exciting event in the life of our school! Stay tuned for ticket details soon. 

Karen Elbourne
Drama & Theatre Studies Teacher

Snow White Performance Delights!

ABOUT THE SHOW
Snow White, by Marjorie Sokoloff: “The Witch was the fairest one of all first, and she will not be silenced any longer! This updated version of the classic story unveils the villain's perspective, from her tragic childhood to her quest for revenge. So how did the story really go? Join all seven quirky dwarves, a tongue-tied prince, a sassy mirror, a dancing chicken, and of course Snow White, in a tale about beauty, friendship, and happily-ever-afters with a twist.”
At the beginning of Term 2 our VCE Theatre Studies class presented their magnificent production of “Snow White” - a great show for all ages.

St Andrews Year 2, 3, 4 and 5 students were delighted and enthralled as they attended performances through out the day & were introduced to the joy of seeing live theatre! This VCE Theatre Studies class showcased their talents as they performed to a sold out audience of parents, friends and alumni. We are immensely proud of the VCE students’ achievements in acting and theatrical design, and of the Year 10 Theatre elective students, for their work behind the scenes as the crew. 

Congratulations to all students and staff involved!

Karen Elbourne
Drama & Theatre Studies Teacher
Karen Elbourne
Drama & Theatre Studies Teacher

Visual Arts

Visual Arts Term 2 Reflection

This term, students have focussed on the process of making art, exploring a range of materials and techniques. We have made great use of the clay wheel, kiln, and various materials in Art this term. Students have reflected on who they are, the school theme; Running the Race and learnt about many artists.

Maria Wheelton
Head of Visual Arts