Rainbow Haven - Wear it Purple Day

We would like to thank everyone for their support of our Wear it Purple fundraiser on Tuesday 1 September. Thanks to a love of baked goods, we raised $230, as well as raising awareness and support for the LGBTQIA+ young people both at Newhaven College and in the wider community. The incredibly fabulous and stylish wristbands are still available for purchase from the Middle School office. Just a gold coin donation and this visible show of support can be yours.

The money raised by Rainbow Haven this year is going towards creating a mini library of books that are appropriate for young LGBTQIA+ readers. We are very excited to be visiting the Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda, Melbourne on Tuesday 8 September. We will tour the Centre, which was established to provide a central hub for exhibits, resources and organisations working to support the LGBTQIA+ community. We will also meet with the staff at the Hares and Hyenas bookshop, a store that specialises in LGBTQIA+ books. They will help us select the first few books for our Rainbow Haven Library.

Rainbow Haven is a place for all students to express their true selves, whether they are members of the LGBTQIA+ community or want to show their allyship. We meet every Gold Wednesday in the Middle School Wellbeing Room, and everyone is welcome.

Rainbow Haven

Father's Day Stall Success

Our annual Father's Day Stall was once again a highlight of the term, with students enjoying the opportunity to choose a special gift for their fathers, grandfathers and other important people in their lives.

To make the event even more exciting, every gift purchased came with a raffle ticket for the chance to win one of two fantastic prizes. We extend our sincere thanks to Engaging Engraving and Balance in Motion for generously donating a beautiful hamper and a $100 PT gift voucher. Congratulations to Year 1 student Alison Gupta, the lucky winner of this year's raffle. We hope her father enjoyed his extra special Father's Day surprise!

Angel Chambers

President | Parents and Friends Association

R U OK? Day

Noticed someone you know or care about isn’t quite themselves? Perhaps they seem out of sorts, more agitated or withdrawn? Trust your gut instinct and check in.

This year’s R U OK? Day theme, ‘Any Day’, is a reminder that meaningful conversations and checking in with each other shouldn’t be limited to one day a year.

Across the College, students and staff took part in activities encouraging us all to ask, ‘R U OK?’ Our Junior and Middle School students shared positive and encouraging messages on the MPA and Collect glass doors, while our Year 12 students and teachers were treated to a coffee van at Senior School as a small gesture of support during a busy and stressful time.

The coffee was certainly a hit!

Junior School Production

As Term 3 draws to a close, the Junior School is buzzing, and this year's Production has been the highlight. The whole Junior School has been alive with song and excitement thanks to the wonderful efforts of Nina and David Prideaux. We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated dynamic duo, who directed The World is Yours, wrote the script and lyrics, composed the music and choreographed every performance.

The Production gives every child the chance to shine in front of an audience, building on the performance skills our students develop naturally through school life, from assemblies and choir to the everyday public speaking woven through classroom learning. Congratulations to our Junior School students on a stellar effort. The talent on display from every class was exceptional, and the performances were thoroughly enjoyed by all. One grandparent summed it up beautifully: "It was absolutely amazing, having never seen a performance of that calibre involving so many varied aged children at once. The children were amazing, as was the rest of the cast. Huge effort involved by all, I am still buzzing."

We look forward to the final performance tonight. Break a leg!

See photos below!

Spring Concert

Last week's whole school Spring Concert was another highlight, with performances from our Year 4 Strings, Junior School Choir, taiko drums and guitar ensemble. The standard of musical talent was outstanding, a proud showcase of our music program and our students' hard work. There are lots of photos of this event in the Visual & Performing Arts section of this newsletter.

R U OK Day

To mark R U OK Day, we held a Wellbeing Recess Club where students wrote heartfelt messages of kindness, hope and gratitude on the Assembly Area windows, living out the values of The Newhaven Way. Thank you to Sarah Derham from our Wellbeing team for organising it. Go to the College News section of this newsletter for photos of this wonderful day.

Growing Together: A Third Prep Class in 2027

With Junior School enrolments nearing capacity for 2027 and a growing waitlist, we're excited to introduce a third Prep class next year. Every year level will run two classes in 2027, apart from Prep and Year 4, which will each have three, a strong reflection of the confidence families place in Newhaven College.

Home Learning Habits Awards

Monday's Home Learning Awards saw the highest number of certificates presented in my time at Newhaven College. One class grew from a handful of certificates at the start of the year to 81 per cent of students receiving one, and 100 per cent of Prep earned theirs this term. Our goal, together with our teachers, is for every Junior School student to receive one by year's end.

Junior School Values Awards

Each assembly we celebrate the class earning the most values keys for demonstrating respect, honesty, empathy, responsibility and excellence, simple words that take real, consistent effort to live out. It's been wonderful watching these behaviours become genuine habits across every class this year.

It's been a productive term full of growth and memorable moments.

Term 4's exciting lineup will be shared in the welcome back letter via SEQTA. Wishing everyone a safe and happy break, I look forward to seeing you all next term.

Cath Huther

Head of Junior School

Dads and Donuts

On the Friday before Father's Day, our Junior school provided a fun morning for students and their dads, grandads, stepfathers and father figures with donuts and games.

Students enjoyed showing their dads around the school campus and their classrooms. Many students created special gifts for the men in their lives, from drawings to decorated baseball caps. It was wonderful to host the event in our newly refurbished Assembly Area.

Preps Explore Churchill Island

Our Preps had a wonderful day of discovery and learning during their recent excursion to Churchill Island, bringing their classroom learning to life!

As part of their studies into Community and Special Places, students explored a place rich in history, culture and significance. They saw, heard and experienced aspects of the past, helping them understand what makes a place special to a community.

A highlight was visiting the blacksmith, where students watched in amazement as sparks flew and a horseshoe was transformed into a beautiful fish. They also loved watching the working farm dogs round up sheep and enjoyed a traditional whip-cracking demonstration.

Throughout the day, students learned about life on the historic farm, including the people, buildings, tools, farming practices and traditions that have shaped Churchill Island. They were also introduced to the significant role of the Bunurong people, the Traditional Custodians of the land, and the importance of respecting and caring for Country.

Most importantly, the children had a fantastic day! Their curiosity and excitement were evident as they explored, asked questions and shared their observations.

It was a wonderful reminder that some of the best learning happens when we step outside the classroom and experience the world around us!

Kylie Carlson and Kerryn Lynch

Prep Teachers

Year 1 Wildlife Incursion

Our Year 1 students were thrilled to take part in an exciting Wildlife incursion by Wildlife Xposure this term. As part of their current Biology Unit, students learned about Australian native animals, exploring their behaviour, relationships, adaptations, habitats, and classification.

The session was hands-on and engaging, as students had the opportunity to safely hold, pat, and observe a range of fascinating creatures, including a bettong (a small kangaroo species), pythons, a shingleback lizard, a goanna, a turtle, and even a 3 year old saltwater crocodile!

It was a memorable experience brough to us by Brandon who is just fabulous and brought our science learning to life. It deepened our students’ understanding of the amazing animals that share our environment. The excitement and curiosity in the room said it all and our emerging biologists absolutely loved the experience!

Sarah Pedersen and Tahlia Maher

Year 1 Teachers

Merit Awards

Congratulations to the students in the following photo who were presented with their Merit Awards and recognised at Junior School Assembly.

SEISA Theatresports

SEISA Theatresports was something that I am extremely happy to have participated in this year. We went to Beaconhills College and said goodbye to the dancers, who were off to compete in SEISA Dance.

We made our way to the building we would be in for the next few hours. The people from Improv Melbourne showed us lots of improvisation game. The most popular one was ‘slideshow’. At the end, every team played 3 games in front of the entire group. All the teams were extremely funny and great at improvisation. I highly recommend doing theatresports if you can. I promise you won’t regret it.

Mia Bowring

Year 7

Year 5 Dream City Incursion: Exploring Strengths and Future Careers

Our Year 5 students recently enjoyed an exciting incursion with Dream City, designed to spark conversations about personal strengths and future career possibilities. Through hands-on workshops, students explored real-world roles in neonatal nursing, virtual reality (VR), and robotic engineering, engaging enthusiastically with high-tech equipment and career-focused activities.

Workshop Highlights

• Neonatal Nursing: Students stepped into the role of caregivers, learning to hold, settle, and feed robotic infant simulators while measuring and recording vital data such as weight and length. Discussions highlighted key caregiver traits, caring, patience, empathy, and resilience, and the roles of medical professionals in this space.
• VR: In the VR session, students safely used headsets to explore immersive environments and discover how VR supports industries like medicine and engineering.
• Robotic Engineering: The robotics workshop saw students design circuits, program Sphero RVR robots using block and draw coding, and apply engineering principles to solve design challenges.

Students were enthusiastic participants throughout the day, demonstrating curiosity, collaboration, and a “have a go” attitude. The incursion provided valuable insights into STEAM careers while encouraging students to reflect on their interests, abilities, and potential pathways. 

Anthea Bennett

Head of Careers

Year 8 Medieval Day

On Medieval Day, we learnt about medieval dances, weaponry, armour, sword fighting and many other interesting activities. We gained a better understanding of what life was like during the medieval period and the experiences people had.

My highlight of the day was learning about medieval armour. I found it fascinating to learn how armour evolved over time and being able to wear it was a memorable experience. I would like to thank our teachers for giving us the opportunity to experience Medieval Day and create memories that we will cherish.

Sam Bowtell

Year 8

Japan Tour

Our students are enjoying a fantastic adventure in Japan, visiting our sister school, Ibaraki Christian School.

Principal Mr Tony Corr is accompanying the group, along with Ms Horiguchi and Mr Tillotson. The students have settled in quickly with their host families and were welcomed to the school with a traditional tea ceremony.

Mr Corr has joined the tour as a gesture of goodwill and to strengthen our relationship with our sister school, spending valuable time with students, teachers and the Principal of Ibaraki Christian School, Mr Randall Voss.

A Busy and Rewarding Term for Year 9

Another busy term has been ticked off by our Year 9 students. After finishing Term 2 with the Seaside program, students returned ready to begin our local food security unit.

Getting out and about across the Bass Coast in the middle of winter proved interesting at times, but our students adapted extremely well. During two intensive days of fieldwork in early August, they visited local farms and other venues to develop their understanding of food security within our region. Students also reconnected with Uncle Steve Parker to explore First Nations perspectives on food security and benefited from the expertise of local guests in community gardening, bees and pollination.

Our wellbeing sessions were also very well received. Students explored mental health, personal action plans, supporting one another and responding to bullying. They also revisited familiar study techniques and learnt some new strategies to help them prepare for the final academic stretch of the year.

STEAM Week was another highlight, producing many impressive creations. The introduction of drone building and music production proved particularly successful, with students enthusiastically embracing both challenges. As always, rocket building and launching was a great hit.

Students also competed in the House Science Challenge, with Clarke proving successful across the week winning the STEAM Week Science Challenge and taking out the bridge-building competition. Their paddle pop stick and PVA glue bridge supported more than 53 kilograms, an outstanding achievement!

NAPLAN

This term, we were also delighted to present certificates recognising student achievement in science competitions and NAPLAN. Mrs Milkens-Hendry joined us for the presentation, and we are incredibly proud of the academic growth demonstrated by so many of our students.

As Mrs Karen Milkins-Hendry reflected: “We are extremely proud of the extraordinarily high number of students who not only achieved highly but were also recognised for exceptionally high growth in either Reading, Numeracy or both over the past two years. This reflects continuous improvement in our Middle School programs and the encouragement of our dedicated Year 9 staff in supporting students to do their best when sitting NAPLAN.”

STEAM Week

During STEAM Week, I had the opportunity to step away from the Year 9 Centre and visit Carey Baptist Grammar’s Zero program in Far North Queensland. I returned with valuable insights and ideas for continuing to develop our Year 9 program, with some of these learnings also informing our Peak Pursuits program in Term 4. The visit was equally affirming, demonstrating that the experiences we provide through our Year 9 program compare very favourably with those offered by other highly regarded schools.

I sincerely thank our staff for their extraordinary efforts throughout what has been a very busy term. Schools always seem to find a way to squeeze ten or eleven weeks of activity into a shorter term, and this nine-week term has certainly been a push!

Our students have risen admirably to the challenges placed before them. This is already evident in the Horizons Projects they have begun during Explore. There are some wonderful ideas emerging, and many students are developing ambitious projects that promise to be both challenging and rewarding. Some students will need to continue working over the holidays to ensure they are ready to submit their completed projects early in Term 4.

NAIDOC Week

We conclude the term by celebrating NAIDOC Week. Uncle Steve Parker and Aunty Sonia Hunt have joined us to deliver workshops, while Uncle Steve has also worked with students to develop our new mural. This artwork continues our commitment to giving every student an opportunity to represent their Year 9 journey in a physical and lasting form. Each year, students will add to the murals at the Year 9 Centre, sharing their stories and leaving their mark for those who follow.

We also look forward to the NAIDOC Community Games on Friday 18 September. Uncle Leslie Briggs will join us to lead a range of traditional First Nations games in which our students will compete.

Information about students’ final Peak Pursuits selections will be distributed shortly as we work through the remaining group numbers. An online parent and guardian information evening will be held on Thursday 22 October, with further details to be provided in writing soon.

Thank you to all our parents and guardians for your ongoing support. It has been an exceptionally busy but rewarding term, and we look forward to finishing 2026 with a bang.

Sam Foura

Head of Year 9

Year 9/10 Medical Careers Excursion

Students with an interest in a career in medicine were invited to a special showcase with Paramedics and Nurses from Phillip Island. The aim of the session was for the students to gain insight into the working life and experiences of current medical professionals - and also to chat through study options and potential Tertiary courses. Students got to meet with Gabbi, a recent Graduate of Paramedicine, and Erin a paramedic with a 15 year career. Also in attendance was our own recent alumni Georgia Anderson, who is in her first year of studying Paramedicine. Finally, we were lucky enough to have the expertise of our very own school nurse, Casey Bartlett, who has many years of experience in nursing. She happily shared all her stories! 

The students really enjoyed dressing up in scrubs and performing practice surgery using real surgical tools - and getting into the technical equipment that is inside an ambulance. A wonderful experience for all those students who were lucky enough to attend. Big thanks to Matt Grogan of our local Ambulance Service and to Lino Drazzi of Phillip Island Fire Brigade, who hosted the event.

Simon Furniss

Year 9 Teacher

Certificate II Building and Construction - Year 2 

Our second year students participating in the Certificate II Building and Construction program are putting the final touches on their tiny house. Weather boards have been installed providing the exterior cladding and during this process the students we required to set the original heights using a laser level. Using a story rod to ensure the heights remained consistent around the building, the students cut the boards using compound mitre saws and nailed them in place using Pasloe finishing guns.

Additional skills were also called upon, such as accurate measurement, working at height (working from ladders), and keeping all of the boards lining up together and level. I’m very pleased with the outcome, and I am confident the students take away many skills which may be called upon in the future.

A week ago I attended the Bowens Building and Construction Expo at the Exhibition Building in the city. As this was my first time, I was not sure what to expect. It was a huge event with many products and equipment on display as well as seminars on various topics and new innovations. Having made contact with the Master Builders, HIA, Housing Industry Association and Dial Before You Dig, these organisations are prepared to come to the College and discuss a range of issues with the students, as well as career options and pathways into the Construction Industry. This will be sometime next year and will be available to all students, helping them with their career options.

As always, I sign off knowing that Newhaven College and the students it represents are contributing to the future trade personnel for Australia.

John Ackers

Teacher / Trainer Building and Construction, Reg Master Builder Qld 24775.

Year 9 STEAM Week

The "Flat Pack Furniture" group for STEAM Week used 3D Modelling CAD/CAM software, "Fusion 360", to design furniture that was cut out of plywood on our CNC machine and assembled at school. There were several great projects, including those shown by Ambrose de Gooyer and Kathy Tran.

Travis Thompson

Teacher

Spring Concert

Newhaven College students from Year 2 to Year 12 took centre stage last week, delivering a spectacular evening of music to a capacity audience at Wonthaggi Union Theatre as part of the College’s annual Spring Concert.

The concert showcased the breadth of Newhaven’s Music Program, with performances including Taiko drumming, choirs, strings, guitar ensembles, Big Band and Concert Bands.

The evening was hosted by 2026 Music Captains Aoife O’Connell, Holly Martelli and Michael Christofi, whose leadership and enthusiasm have been a constant throughout the year.

Highlights included the Junior School Choir’s Little Red Riding Hood-themed songs and choreography, the Senior Vocal Ensemble’s rendition of Skye Boat Song, and impressive performances from the Junior and Senior Guitar Ensembles.

The second half featured the College’s Concert Bands and Big Band, showcasing the growth of the band program from Years 5 and 6 through to the Senior Concert Band’s polished performance of Medley from Back to the Future.

The evening concluded with a spirited performance of Holy Grail by the Music Camp Choir, bringing together students and staff.

I am immensely proud of the students and staff involved, and I thank the College community, music staff and instrumental tutors for their ongoing support and dedication.

The Spring Concert celebrates not only our students’ musical achievements, but the teamwork, confidence and passion developed through rehearsals, performances, individual tuition and opportunities such as the annual Music Camp.

Thank you to all the prize contributors: A Maze'N Things, CrossFit Phillip Island,  Phillip Island RSL, Wildlife Coast Cruises, Phillip Island Tenpin Bowling & Entertainment Centre, Engaging Engraving, San Remo Hotel-Motel, Offshore Design and Bunnings. Congratulations to all the winners of these amazing prizes.

Matthew Goss

Director of Music

SEISA Dance

SEISA Dance Day was such a fun and exciting experience for everyone involved. We started the day with two amazing workshops, a lyrical workshop and a musical theatre workshop, where we learnt new choreography, tried different styles and had lots of fun dancing together!

We then got the chance to show off all our hard work with our performances. The juniors performed a contemporary piece, featuring Carla Sorensen, Grace Luff, Matilda Baillie-Cotton, Maggie Mackenzie, Molly Mackenzie, while our seniors performed both a lyrical piece and a jazz piece, featuring Abbie Wines, Amalia Di Falco, Amelia Bugeja , Evie Hollings, Jude Fisher, Millicent Winn and Phoebe Helps.

It was such a positive day filled with dancing, laughter and new experiences. We loved getting to learn from others and showcase our self-choreographed routines.

Abbie Wines

Year 10

House Art Competition

This year’s House Art competition was a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their creativity and compete across year levels. Thank you to everyone who entered - it was wonderful to see such a diverse range of creative approaches.

McHaffie had the most entries, followed by Sambell, Clarke and Bass. Every entry earned a point for their house, with additional points awarded to category winners.

Our judges, Mr Appleby, Ms Hall and Mrs Power, were impressed by the high quality of entries and reached a unanimous decision.

Best Shot - Composition, Clarity & Execution
Violet Dunham (Year 5, Sambell) - 10 points

Most Creative
Ben Winterson and Sequoia Patterson (Year 11, Clarke) - 10 points

Best Group of Images
3rd: Sage van der Walt (Year 6, Bass) - 10 points
2nd: Claire Peterson and Ruby Taylor (Year 11, Sambell) - 15 points
1st: Lucy Gojrzewski (Year 6, Sambell) - 20 points

Congratulations to all our winners!

All works are exhibited in the Performing Arts Wing, so make sure you take a look and vote for the People’s Choice Award. The winning student will earn 10 additional points for their house. Voting closes 18 September, with the winner and winning house announced early next term.

Elsa Osabutey

Visual Arts Captain

Junior and Middle School Art

In Junior School Art, our theme has been ‘My Home- my house, my place, and sense of belonging’. Year 2 students created artworks inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe, whose works in her later years were influenced by her deep sense of belonging to her home in New Mexico; they created an artwork placing a nautilus shell on a background.

We have looked at Claude Monet’s ‘Water Lilies & Japanese Bridge’ (1889). The artist created this by diverting a stream at his home in Giverny. He built and cultivated the garden himself specifically to serve as a living subject for his art. He painted scenes from this over 250 times. This led to our projects, ‘Waterlilies- Our homes and gardens are special spaces’.

Year 4 used this theme for our project, ‘My Home- my house, my place, and sense of belonging: creating my home in cardboard’. Students drew their homes and floor plans, and re-created their homes from pizza boxes that were not fit for purpose, generously donated by the Fumagalli family.

Year 5 and 6 students have been working on representing three-dimensional forms, leading to their project, ‘Oil Pastel/Watercolour Observational Drawings- Still Life Fruit Bowl ’.

Year 7 students have worked on their ‘Felt Toys’ project and moved on to studying and producing their own Colour Wheel. Some students have produced a room drawn in one-point perspective, which they will render in warm and cool colours, preparing them for the next task: a Colour Scheme painting.

Corina Suidgeest

Art Teacher

House Cross Country

On 27 August, the annual House Cross Country Event took place under sunny skies and some gusty winds. All competitors showcased remarkable spirit and determination. The event concluded with the announcement of the AGE Group Champions.

In the girls' categories, the winners were: U12 Girls - Chelsea Chambers, U13 Girls - Dae Anderson, U14 Girls - Edith Rowbottom, U15 Girls - Maggie Fisher, U16 Girls - Stellah Tilley, U17 Girls - Poppy Miles and U21 Girls - Jasira Derham.

For the boys, the winners were: U12 Boys - Noah Hollings, U13 Boys - Jett Fawaz, U14 Boys - Thomas Simon, U15 Boys - Ambrose De Gooyer, U16 Boys - Sam Osborne, U17 Boys - Levi Addison and U21 Boys - River Henderson.

1^st - Sambell House

2^nd - Bass House

3^rd - Clarke House

4^th - McHaffie House

Thank you to everyone who helped out on the day!

Noah Martin-Endress

AFL Trainee

Year 5/6 District Basketball

Newhaven College hosted the Year 5/6 District Basketball competition, with schools from across the district coming together for a fantastic day of basketball. We were well represented across both the A and B divisions.

A huge congratulations to our A Boys team, who had an outstanding tournament, finishing the day undefeated with four wins from four games. The boys defeated Cowes 20-16, St Joseph’s 28-21, Wonthaggi North/Powlett River 34-15 and Wonthaggi Primary 26-2 to finish on top of the ladder and be crowned District Champions.

Our A Girls team also competed strongly, finishing third overall with two wins from four games. After a tough opening game, the girls bounced back with wins over Wonthaggi Primary and Cowes 2 and continued to improve throughout the day.

Newhaven’s B Division teams had a terrific day as well. The B Girls won three of their four games, while both B Boys teams went through their games undefeated, showing the great depth of basketball talent we have at Newhaven.

A special thank you to our student referees, coaches and helpers who assisted throughout the day. Their willingness to take on responsibility and help the competition run smoothly was greatly appreciated.

Congratulations to all of our players for the way they represented Newhaven College. We wish our A Boys team all the best as they progress to the Division Basketball competition in Term 4.

Jaclyn Clark

PE and Sports Teacher

Year 3/4 Basketball Gala Day

Our Year 3/4 basketballers had a fantastic day representing Newhaven College at the Phillip Island Schools Basketball Gala Day on Monday 31 August. Students competed against local schools throughout the day, showing great teamwork and sportsmanship.

It was wonderful to see improvement throughout the day, with plenty of great passing, defence and shooting.

A huge thank you to our staff, student coaches and referees who helped make the day run so smoothly, and congratulations to all of our players on representing Newhaven College so well.

Jaclyn Clark

PE and Sports Teacher

South Gippsland Division Athletics Championships

Congratulations to our Newhaven College athletes who competed at the South Gippsland Division Track & Field Championships. It was a fantastic day of athletics, with our students representing the College brilliantly across a wide range of track and field events.

We had some outstanding results, with a number of students finishing in the top three and progressing through to the next level of competition.

Congratulations to our placegetters: Nathaniel Regnier – 1st 100m, 1st High Jump; Milla Kirkhope – 1st 200m; Eden Hallas – 1st Triple Jump, 3rd Long Jump; Imogen Rule – 1st Shot Put, 3rd Discus; Reeve Dennis – 2nd Shot Put; Eden Bennett – 2nd Long Jump; Harvey O’Brien Bruce – 2nd Long Jump, 3rd 200m; Logan Regnier – 3rd 200m; Billy Kimber – 3rd Shot Put; Ivee Ward – 3rd Discus; Patch van Stokrom – 3rd Discus, 3rd High Jump

Our 12/13 Years Boys 4 × 100m Relay team of Noah Hollings, Logan Regnier, Cooper Bennett and Sam Martindale finished 2nd, while our 9/10 Years Boys Relay team of Nathaniel Regnier, Harvey O’Brien Bruce, Cooper Mol and Alexander Pendlebury finished 3rd.

Good luck to our athletes progressing to Regionals!

Jaclyn Clark

PE and Sports Teacher

Newhaven MTB Academy Finishes XC Season on a High

Newhaven College MTB Academy has wrapped up another fantastic AusCycling Schools Mountain Bike Series, finishing the season with Rounds 6 and 7 at Castlemaine and Bendigo and securing three overall series podiums.

Round 6 at Castlemaine brought perfect sunshine and a big step up in technical riding, particularly for those moving from U11 to U13. Rock gardens, drops and technical trail features tested riders, while the urban sections — including several stair sets — added plenty of fun.

Austin Mitchell finished 2nd, Sophia Hardy 2nd, Grayson Huther 8th and Felix Boyce 6th, with everyone enjoying a great day of racing regardless of finishing position.

The team then headed to Bendigo for the final round, where another sunny day and a fun, fast track made for a great finish to the season. Felix finished 3rd, with Sophia and Austin both taking 2nd place.

The results capped off an excellent XC season for Newhaven College, with the riders’ hard work and consistency reflected in the overall series standings.

Austin Mitchell finished 1st overall in U13, Sophia Hardy 2nd overall in U15 and Felix Boyce 3rd overall in U9.

The season has also been an enormous commitment from Newhaven families, with parents travelling far and wide across Victoria to give their children the opportunity to race, often giving up entire weekends and clocking up plenty of kilometres along the way.

From technical trails and muddy race days to sunshine and podium finishes, it has been another memorable season for the MTB Academy.

Congratulations to all our riders and families on a fantastic 2026 XC season!

If you have any questions about the Newhaven College MTB Academy, please reach out to Steven Scott.

Newhaven MTB Academy Fires Up the BBQ!

Parents, students and volunteers from the Newhaven College MTB Academy fired up the barbecue on Sunday 13 September for our very first Bunnings Sausage Sizzle - and what a fantastic day it was!

Thanks to an incredible team effort and the support of our local community, the day was a huge success, raising an amazing $1,866.40 for the MTB Academy!

Our volunteers had a brilliant day behind the barbecue, cooking sausages, serving customers and sharing plenty of laughs along the way. A huge thank you to every parent, student and volunteer who gave up their Sunday to help make the fundraiser such a success.

We were also incredibly fortunate to receive generous support from local businesses, which helped make every dollar raised go even further.

A very big thank you to Hilltop Meats for supplying our sausages and even chopping the onions, BWS Cowes for supplying the ice, Bakers Delight for their generous bread donation, BIG W Wonthaggi for donating soft drinks and bottled water, and My Supply for providing napkins and cleaning products.

Community support like this makes such a difference to our MTB Academy and helps us continue creating opportunities and experiences for our young riders.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered, donated, supported us or simply stopped by for a sausage!

$1,866.40 raised from our very first Bunnings Sausage Sizzle - what a result!