The Grapevine Newsletter Friday 29th August 2025
COLLEGE COUNCIL PARENT REPERSENTIVE
The College Council is calling for a Parent Representative to join the council.
The council meets once a month, and this is a wonderful opportunity to be actively involved in the running of the school and to contribute to decisions that shape our College community.
If you are interested in nominating yourself, please contact the College office for further details.
FATHER’S/SPECIAL PERSONS BREAKFAST/RAFFLE.
Wednesday 3rd September. Along with the Breakfast on Fathers/Special Person Day, A Father's/Special Persons Day raffle will be held.
A 100-year signed Hawthorn Jumper will be raffled.
All proceeds made to go to the Robinvale Ambulance Auxiliary Committee.
$1 per ticket.
Tickets to be sold by students (10 per Family), Top End Café and on the day of the breakfast. Drawn Wednesday 3rd September. After breakfast
MARY GAIDES AWARD
The Mary Gaides Award is given to a Year 6 student following the Athletics Carnival each year. The award is not intended for the student with the most ribbons, but rather the student who tries their best on the day and has a go at all events. The 2025 recipient is Austin Smith. The award was proudly presented to him by Taneh Romeo, the granddaughter of Mary Gaides. Congratulations, Austin!
VALE JOHN COUSINS
John Cousins served as Principal of the College, then known as the Robinvale Secondary School, from 1995 to 2004. During his time, he was not only a dedicated leader in education but also an active member of the wider community.
After retiring from his role as Principal, John and his wife, Margaret made their home here in Robinvale before later moving to Queensland.
The College staff and students extend their deepest condolences to John’s family at this time.
ROBINVALE GOLF CLUB TERTIARY STUDIES SCHOLARSHIP
Each year, the Robinvale Golf Club proudly awards a scholarship to a graduating Year 12 student who is embarking on the exciting journey of higher education. This scholarship recognises hard work, dedication and passion, supporting studies in areas such as:
Horticulture
Agricultural Science
Hospitality
Culinary Arts
Commercial Cookery
Business Management
Administration
Hotel Management
If no student is undertaking these courses, the award is then granted to a student pursuing another higher-level Certificate, Diploma, or Bachelor program.
Each year, this scholarship provides funding to support one of our graduating Year 12 students as they take their next exciting step into further education. To ensure they are ready to begin their journey, recipients must be enrolled in their chosen course of study in the following year. This scholarship is a celebration of our students’ achievements and a proud investment in their future success.
This year, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Lucy Alderson,2024 VCE Student at Robinvale College, who has been selected as the scholarship recipient! her commitment to learning and future ambitions truly embody the values of our College community.
We wish her every success as she take this next step in her academic and professional journey.
BOOK WEEK PARADE
Our F–6 Book Week Parade was a wonderful celebration of reading and imagination! This year, The Robinvale Preschool students joined in the fun, making the event even more special. The Gym was filled with excitement and colour as students proudly showcased their amazing costumes, bringing their favourite book characters to life.
It was fantastic to see so many parents and carers in the audience, cheering on the parade and sharing in the joy of the morning. Thank you to everyone who helped make the day such a memorable celebration of books, stories, and community spirit!
VELVETEEN RABBIT EXCURSION
Our F–2 students recently enjoyed a wonderful excursion to the Mildura Arts Centre to attend the performance Velveteen Rabbit – Born in a Taxi.
This classic tale, which explores themes of love and loss, was brought to life in a playful and imaginative way. With dynamic audience participation, music, live stream video, and creative projections, the performance gave students the magical perspective of a child while telling the story of how a toy rabbit becomes real.
After the show, students enjoyed lunch together at the Park for Play playground before returning to school. It was a fun-filled day of creativity, storytelling, and shared experiences that our students will remember fondly.
THE BEAT – SUNRAYSIA STATE SCHOOL SHOWCASE
The Beat celebrates the enormous talent of local Victorian Government school students. Our brass band proudly attended the annual event at the Mildura Arts Centre, joining 14 Sunraysia primary and secondary schools in showcasing the very best of musical, dance, and drama performances.
This year’s theme was Great Southern Land. Our band performed a piece and the energetic piece Roc the Croc, delighting the audience.
The event was proudly supported by Mildura Rural City Council’s FReeZA Program, part of the Victorian State Government’s FReeZA initiative, which provides young people with opportunities to lead the planning and staging of live music and cultural events in their community.
OFI FARM AND FACTORY VISIT
August was the perfect month with the Almond Trees in full bloom for the Year 9 /10 students to visit OFI Annuello Farm and Carwarp Processing Factory. 23 students headed off to their first stop at the OFI Annuello Orchard where they learnt about
- Data-driven irrigation management and its impact on tree health
- Bee-friendly farming practices and their role in Australia's food security
Then it was on to the Carwarp processing factory to see the full process of almond manufacturing, also learning about the
- Sustainable practices: Converting manufacturing waste to biochar for soil improvement and carbon removal through pyrolysis technology
A great day was had by all and a lot of interesting information was learnt by the group. A big thank you to all the staff from OFI taking time out of their busy days to show us around.
SCIENCE WEEK 2025
Students, accompanied by their teachers, attended the scheduled sessions in the Science buildings, where they enthusiastically engaged in a series of hands-on laboratory activities. The excitement continued as they explored the impressive Science Fair displays, which highlighted the creativity, innovation, and scientific curiosity of our students. Everyone had the opportunity to cast a vote for their favourite Science Fair board and project using the ballot box provided. The votes will play an important role in recognising and celebrating the outstanding efforts and achievements of our students.
R U OK? DAY
Thursday 11th September 2025
R U OK? is a national suicide prevention charity and registered public health promotion that encourages people to stay connected and have conversations that can help others through difficult times.
R U OK? contributes to suicide prevention efforts by encouraging people to invest more time in their personal relationships and building the capacity of informal support networks.
Students can come dressed in yellow for the day.
At lunch time, SRC students will provide a large cardboard poster board outside for students to write encouraging words or words of support on stick it notes and stick on the board. Encouraging our other students to THINK about and REFLECT on R U OK?
