A new year brings new opportunities and new responsibilities. Whilst Year 12 leadership portfolios were decided last year, further leadership responsibilities were offered and snapped up by Senior students this week. With the onset of the summer sport season, seven SEISA Summer Sports Captains were announced (see College News section of this newsletter for more on this).
In addition to these roles, in order to take responsibility for the conduct of Newhaven College students on the buses, the following Bus Captains have also been named:
Cape Paterson-Wonthaggi – Savannah O’Keeffe
Cape Woolamai - Rhyll – Oscar List
Corinella-Bass – Jasira Derham
Cowes Central – Chloe Hosking
Cowes-Ventnor – Blake Murphy
Inverloch-Pound Creek – Jimmy O’Neill
Leongatha-Kongwak – Holly Martelli
Korumburra-Lang Lang – Leilani Lightowler
San Remo – Jeremy Kelly
Tarwin-Kilcunda – Froley Anderson
Tooradin-Grantville – Payton McGregor
It is the responsibility of each of the Bus Captains to support the bus driver and ensure all of our students are conducting themselves in an appropriate manner on our bus routes. These students are required to report to me if students are falling short of expectations whilst travelling on our bus routes and to communicate any bus issues through to me so that I may liaise with the bus company to rectify such issues. I would like to thank each of these students for taking on this responsibility throughout 2026.
On the theme of leadership, our Year 12 leadership group ran their first fundraising activity last week – a bake sale run in the Junior and Middle Schools. What a fantastic first event! The leadership group had the entire Year 12 cohort baking up a storm (I am told that Kadek Humphris’ carrot cakes were quite a treat!) and raised over $1300 for the school charity. This is a fantastic first-up effort from a wonderful group of young people, and I look forward to seeing how this group goes with their next couple of events – a ‘Dress Like a Teacher’ day on the final day of Term 1 and the annual Easter Raffle over the next four weeks. They, as a team, are hopeful that the entire school will get on board and indulge in a fun final day of term and a chocolate-laden final few weeks of Term One. Read the College's Captains' report in the College News section of this newsletter for more information.
Brett Torstonson
Head of Senior School
Start of Year 9 2026
Year 9 has made an outstanding start to 2026 with our first Xplore excursions exploring local biomes across the Bass Coast. These field experiences have provided students with valuable opportunities to apply key Environmental Science and Geography skills in authentic settings, observing ecosystems, investigating environmental processes, and developing practical fieldwork techniques.
A key part of this learning has also been deepening students’ understanding of First Nations Australians’ connection to Country, recognising the cultural, spiritual and environmental responsibility embedded in caring for the land.
While it seemed that each time we planned to head out, the rain followed closely behind, our students showed impressive resilience and adaptability. Rather than being deterred, they embraced the challenge and made the most of every opportunity, a credit to their positive mindset and willingness to engage.
We have been extremely impressed with the energy and enthusiasm this cohort has brought to the start of the year. Anticipation is already building for major programmes such as City Cite and Community Games.
A special congratulations to Clarke, who secured the first Community Games points for 2026, a strong and spirited start to what promises to be a fantastic year ahead. In the coming weeks, students will be getting stuck into some of the community service programmes on offer at Opal Care Communities and also tutoring in our Junior School.
Sam Foura
Head of Year 9
Duke of Ed Gold Final Adventurous Journey
Students who completed the Gold Adventurous Journey as part of The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award should be very proud of their efforts. The expedition demanded genuine self-sufficiency, careful planning and consistent teamwork, and they rose to that challenge.
A key focus of the journey was the environmental investigation. Across several sites, they compared habitats by examining vegetation structure, species diversity, and signs of human impact. Using quadrats and transect lines, they gathered first-hand data on biodiversity and considered what it revealed about the ecosystem health. They also tested water quality, measuring factors such as pH, turbidity, and temperature, and followed clear field procedures to ensure the results were reliable and valid.
Beyond the data collected, this experience strengthened their independence, resilience and ability to work effectively as a team. I hope this journey continues to shape their confidence and encourages them to keep growing, contributing and leading in whatever challenges come next.
Ann-Marie McLean
Program Co-ordinator
Surf Safety
Our Surf Safety and Recreation students are well into their Surf Life Saving Bronze Medallion training. Their latest challenge has been mastering the art of the tube rescue. Students experienced a sample of the search and rescue techniques included in some of the higher Surf Life Saving awards during this session as they attempted their tube rescues of the local jetty.
Ben Clark
Head of Surfing
Careers
Please be sure to check out this month's Career Newsletter.
There are many opportunities for higher education information sessions and upcoming Open Day information.
Anthea Bennett
Head of Careers