From the Head of Student Development Secondary

Growing Together: Student Development and Success

This year, our focus on student development is helping build a positive culture where students are encouraged to lead, contribute, and achieve their best. Our Student Leadership Team has embraced opportunities to run assemblies, lead student voice sessions, and champion positive change across our school. Through these experiences, our students are developing confidence and resilience.

Across Emmanuel, Chaplain Woods plays an important role in supporting students to understand themselves and develop greater emotional intelligence (EQ). Together we are building strong, trusted relationships between students, families, and staff. Healthy relationships ultimately help support each child to develop the skills needed to navigate challenges positively in a hope-filled manner. Already the cultural shifts seen are being reflected in improved attendances and academic achievement.

We are proud of our students’ progress and the positive culture they are helping create, and look forward to continuing to strengthen student leadership, and learning across our school.

John Aldridge – Head of Student Development Secondary

August

24 - 28 | Book Week
24 | Book Week Parade, 9.30am - 10.00am
25 | Little Learners, 9.00am - 11.00am
25 | Year 9/10 Outdoor Ed Excursion, 10.30am - 1.30pm
25 | Banjo’s Lunches cut off 12.00pm
25 - 26 | Scholastic Book Fair | 2.00pm - 4.00pm
26 | Banjo’s Lunches!
26 | Year 9/10 Sport and Rec Excursion, 9.00am - 10.30am
26 | TSO Performance, 1.30pm - 2.30pm
27 | Secondary Excursion, 9.30am - 1.00pm
28 | Year 10 Geography Secondary Excursion
28 | LOTE Primary Excursion, 11.30am - 2.30pm
28 | LOTE Secondary Excursion, 11.30am - 2.30pm
31 | Fire Safety Week

September

1 - 4 | Fire Safety Week
1 | Little Learners, 9.00am - 11.00am
1 | Banjo’s Lunches cut off 12.00pm
1 | Student Leader Excursion, 9.15am - 2.30pm
1 | Year 1 Excursion, 10.00am - 1.00pm
1 | Year 9/10 Outdoor Ed Excursion, 10.30am - 1.30pm
2 | Banjo’s Lunches!
2 | Year 9/10 Sport and Rec Excursion, 9.00am - 10.30am
2 | Father’s Day Stall, 9.30am - 1.30pm
2 | Hi Vis Army School Visit, 10.45am - 12.50pm
3 | Hi Vis Army School Visit, 10.45am - 12.50pm
4 | Fathers Day BBQ Breakfast, 8.00am - 9.00am

All details of re-scheduled events will appear on the Emmanuel Calendar.

Secondary Update – Food Technologies

Big things happening in the Food Tech kitchen this term!

Our Year 9 and 10 students are gearing up for ECON’26, cooking their way around the world as they research and prepare dishes from Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Taiwan. It has been a fantastic opportunity for students to explore food, culture, and stories from beyond our own kitchen, and to be reminded of just how big and beautifully diverse God's world really is.

Meanwhile, our Year 7 students are stepping into the kitchen for the very first time, learning the basics of planning, preparing, and cooking safely as they build confidence with every dish.

We also had a special visit in Week 3 from our CEO, David Gillman, who joined us while students were busy making twice baked jacket potatoes. David said grace for us before we all got to enjoy the fruits of our labour, this was a lovely moment to pause and give thanks together. Great to have David in the kitchen chatting with the kids and seeing our program in action.

Lots more cooking to come as we count down to ECON’26!

Ian Miller – Food Technologies Teacher

Primary Update – Prep

Celebrating Science in Prep

‘I wonder what would happen if we mixed lemon juice with this mixture?’, ‘Why did the balloon inflate?’, ‘Why did the candle go out?’, ‘How did the colours move along the paper?’, ‘Why can't I mix in the oil?’ - These are just some of the many questions that were asked in Prep this week.

As part of National Science Week, our students wondered and hypothesised, tested ideas and watched changes, and together discussed possible conclusions based on the experiments carried out. A highlight experiment was the Red Cabbage Acidity Investigation, where water from boiled red cabbage leaves was used to show the varying ph levels of a range of household substances.

There were many collective 'wow' moments as we watched vinegar and lemon juice change the purple water to a vibrant pink, and bi-carb soda change the water to a stunning turquoise green. 

Science is such a wonderful and fascinating area for children to study, and fuels their natural curiosity about God's amazing world. 

Anne Knibbe – Prep Teacher

Employment Opportunities

WEEKLY FOCUS

To be grateful for our strong family connections and to use these partnerships to enhance our students' learning experiences. 

PRAYER POINTS

We pray for our new students starting their journey at Emmanuel, that they transition well and feel a sense of belonging. 
We pray for consistent communication between parent and teachers.