The Grapevine Newsletter Monday 18th August 2025

FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK

Term 3 at Robinvale continues to move ahead for staff and students.

We welcome Chanlee and Rebecca this past week and Sharise will also be working at the college 2 day of the week.

What a wonderful day it was for the Athletic sports day the atmosphere was on a high with the crowd joining in on the cheering and the teacher student race was definitely a highlight of the day. Congratulation to the age champions and to Binyara on their win

The college will celebrate Book week this Thursday, students from Foundation to year 12 are encouraged to dress up in their favourite book character. the F-6 will have a parade at 9:00am on Thursday and parents/guardians are welcome to attend.

We are also conducting the annual Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey this term. The survey is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation. The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey will be open online from Monday 18 August to Friday 19 September 2025 via the  compass app. If you need support in accessing the survey our friendly office staff or the Our Place team are only too happy to help.

We will be celebrating Father’s/ special person day in week 7 with breakfast on the Wednesday 3rd September, dads and special persons can enjoy breakfast and a handball competition on the morning.

Friday 29^th August will be a pupil free day. Student will not be required at school on this day. Though VET student that attend TAFE on Friday will be required to attend their classes in Mildura.

100 DAYS OF SCHOOL FOR FOUNDATION

Our Foundation students reached an exciting milestone – 100 days of school – and celebrated with a day packed full of fun, learning, and activities all centred around the number 100.

The day began with a special assembly, where parents were invited to join the celebrations. They then moved into the classroom for a party filled with delicious treats, music, singing, and dancing.

After the party, students enjoyed a variety of themed activities, including:

• 📸 Photo Booth fun

• 🎨 When I Grow Up art and craft

• ➗ 100 Treasure Hunt & maths challenges

• ✏️ Writing – What I Want to Be When I Grow Up

• 🎭 Face painting

• 🧪 100 Days STEM Challenge

Adding to the excitement, students received a special visit from Alex and Victor from Robinvale Police and Antonio from Euston Fire Station. Their talks and demonstrations inspired many of our future police officers and future firefighters.

A big thank you to our guests, parents, and teachers for helping make this milestone so memorable. Here’s to the next 100 days of learning and fun!

STARS FOUNDATION LAUNCHING AT ROBINVALE COLLEGE TO EMPOWER INDIGENOUS GIRLS

Through the Stars Foundation, Robinvale College will provide targeted support to boost school attendance, improve Year 12 completion rates, and equip students with essential life skills. The program offers intensive support, cultural activities, and safe spaces to build confidence, keep students engaged at school, and strengthen their connection to culture and community.

We can’t wait to see the positive difference this program will make for our Indigenous Girls and our community.

Stars Foundation programs are built around four key pillars:

✅ Education – Supporting attendance, engagement, and achievement through tutoring and personalised learning.

✅ Wellbeing – Fostering mental, emotional, and physical health in a culturally safe environment.

✅ Healthy Lifestyles – Encouraging positive choices in nutrition, exercise, and overall health.

✅ Community, Culture & Leadership – Strengthening cultural identity, pride, and leadership skills so girls can give back to their families and communities.

The program at Robinvale College will be led by Program Coordinator Stacey Ingram, a proud local Aboriginal woman of Muthi Muthi, and Waradjuri heritage. Stacey is deeply connected to her community and culture and brings experience working with local Indigenous youth. She will be joined by a mentor, Candice Bowden to deliver the holistic support that Stars is known for across Australia.

“As a proud local Aboriginal woman, I know how life-changing it is for our girls to see strong Indigenous role models and to feel a deep pride in who they are, where they come from, and the rich cultures they inherit,” Stacey said. “I want to inspire our Indigenous girls to dream without limits, build unshakeable confidence, and walk boldly in their cultural identity. My hope is that they will stand firm in our traditions and values, follow in our ancestors’ footsteps with their heads held high, and carry the unbreakable strength, wisdom, and resilience of those who came before them. When our girls stand proud in their culture, they become the powerful leaders, fierce protectors, and proud voices our community and Country need to thrive for generations to come.”

Families interested in learning more about the Stars Foundation program at Robinvale College are encouraged to contact the school for further details or head to the STARS website.

https://starsfoundation.org.au/

NEW COLLEGE HOUSE COLOUR MARQUEES

The College has purchased three new marquees in the house colours, each featuring the College logo and house team names. These marquees will be used for sporting events as well as a variety of other school activities.

The purchase was made possible through funds raised from the College Debutante Balls. Since taking over the running of the Debutante Balls from St Peter’s Church Robinvale in 2015, the Deb Ball Committee has worked to raise money for equipment that benefits the whole College.

In addition to the marquees, this year the Committee has also funded the purchase of a new BBQ for the school.

BRINGING COMMUNITY SPIRIT TO SCHOOL COURTS

Introducing a brand new program - SEPEP - which stands for Sport Education in Physical Education Programs. In SEPEP students don’t just play – they umpire, score and even take on coaching roles, turning school sport into a full community-style league where every student has a part to play. Students across years 7-10 compete for house points in a transformative and dynamic experience that prepares students both on and off the court. Results will be communicated weekly post games so keep an eye on this space!

ATHLETIC SPORTS

Even though the weather was quite wet on the Tuesday. The sun was out on the Wednesday for the sports and   what a great day it was for the  Athletic Sports. Thank you to Travis, Jo-San and the organising team – great job! Congratulations to our age champions: and  to our winning House Binyara  with Kinkunya  in second position and  in third position Wodalla. and to  Austin Smith, congratulation as he was the Mary Gaides' Award recipient 

CAREER PATHWAY EXCURSION

Last Friday Year 7/8 students took a tour through La Trobe University and Sunitafe in Mildura.  This excursion is to show students the possibility of completing a University degree right here in Sunraysia and also a look at further education at Sunitafe.   The students explored the campus and then played  Graduate Games, which involved looking at different courses in the course guide whilst having fun with team building activities.  We then went over to Sunitafe and had a look at students taking part in VET Courses,  the VET students spoke to our Year 7 and 8s about their individual pathways and why they got involved in a VET Course.  Some of the areas we looked at were the Trades, Health and Hospitality.  The Robinvale College students were so respectful on this visit that now plans are underway for an Industry tour in Term 4, areas of interest voted by the students.  

FATHER'S DAY STALL

Foundation to Year 6 Student will be able to purchase a gift for their dads, Grandfathers, Uncles or someone special from the stall price ranges from $2 -$10 
for the students

DENTAL VAN VISIT

On Monday 9th and Tuesday 10th September ( Week 8 ) the Victorian Mobile Dental Health Van will be at Robinvale College. If you would like your child to have a free check-up and treatment, please complete the forms that have been sent home. You can also go online to complete them by visiting - https://victorianmobiledentalhealth.com.au/consent-eform .Forms must be completed and returned by Thursday 28th August.

ENTER THE 2025 COUNTRY TO CANBERRA LEADERSHIP COMPETITION

Are you a young person from regional Australia who is passionate about advocating for your community? Country to Canberra wants to hear from you!
Country to Canberra’s national Leadership Competition is open for 2025 - empowering young women and non-binary people aged 15 to18 years from regional Australia to reach their leadership potential.
Winners will receive an all expenses paid trip to Canberra, where they will mingle with CEOs and politicians, receive career coaching, public speaking training, and networking opportunities to accelerate their leadership journey.
Previous winners have had private meetings with the Prime Minister and other politicians, been trained by TEDx speakers, and completed media training to appear on TV!
Is this you or someone you know? Head to https://countrytocanberra.com.au/leadership-competition-2025/ to find out more!