Recognition of Service
Congratulations to the following staff who have been recognised for their service to State Education, and to the St Albans Secondary College community.
| Department of Education 10 Years |
St Albans Secondary College 10 Years |
Department of Education & SASC 10 Years |
| Ben Beagley | Leonard Gatt | Vicki Bunce |
| Amila Kalco | Emi Narasaki | |
| Hanh Nguyen | Billy Rowland | |
| Craig Moore | ||
| Department of Education 15 Years |
St Albans Secondary College 15 Years |
Department of Education & SASC 15 Years |
| Chiemi Shepherd | Di Phyland | Alessandrina Dorigo |
| Ashwini Mana Mohan | ||
| Brett Pollard | ||
| Department of Education 20 Years |
St Albans Secondary College 20 Years |
Department of Education & SASC 20 Years |
| Jeanette Coloca | Stella Hunter | Simon Garaj |
| Meaghan Hocking | ||
| Thach Ly | ||
| Department of Education 25 Years |
Department of Education & SASC 30 Years |
Department of Education & SASC 35 Years |
| Di Phyland | Janet McKenzie | Efstathia Goulas |
| Department of Education & SASC 40 Years |
Department of Edication 40 Years |
|
| Joseph De Gabriele | Craig Jennings | |
| Michael Bowden |
Celebrating 40 Years service in Education
This term, during Education Week, we proudly acknowledge members of our staff, Mr Michael Bowden, and Mr Joseph DeGabrielle, as well as our Principal Mr Craig Jennings, who have been formally recognised by the Department of Education at special ceremony in the City for 40 years of dedicated service. This milestone reflects an extraordinary commitment to public education, to generations of students, and to the values that shape our school community. We congratulate them on this achievement and thank them for their leadership, professionalism, and contribution to our school.
Be Bold Be Heard (BBBH) Program
A number of our Year 10 Student Representative Council leaders recently took part in the Be Bold Be Heard (BBBH) program, an initiative, run at Copperfield College designed to empower young people through leadership, voice, and collaboration. The event organiser commended the St Albans Secondary College students for their active participation, strong engagement, and for embodying the BBBH core values of Empowerment, Connection, and Equity throughout the day.
Students contributed enthusiastically to the development phase of their project, drawing on insights from school data, and threw themselves into the interactive activities, with the Dance‑off and Human Bingo emerging as clear favourites.
We are incredibly proud of our SRC leaders for representing the school with maturity, confidence, and a genuine commitment to student voice. We wish them all the very best as they continue into the next stages of the BBBH program and look forward to seeing their leadership grow even further.
Year 7 Maths Night
It was wonderful to see our Year 7 students and families attend the Maths Night. Organised and run by Ms Maxine Nguyen and Mr Joseph Vincent, the evening provided an opportunity for students and parents to work together on a range of engaging problem-solving activities, while also giving families valuable insight into the mathematics program and learning experiences offered at the College.
SEAL Information and Showcase Evening
Our Select Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) Information and Showcase Evening was a fantastic celebration of student achievement and opportunity. Mr Thach Ly, our SEAL coordinator, along with Mr Tuan Le and Melrose Tran to support the musical performances, hosted the event. Families enjoyed student music performances, displays of outstanding student work, and a delicious selection of food prepared and served by our Year 12 VET Cooking students under the supervision of our VET Cookery teacher Ms Daniela Karner.
Semester Reports
Teachers have now completed the writing of Semester Reports, which are currently being proofread by the relevant Year Level Coordinators. Reports will be available to families via Compass on the final day of term and provide an important snapshot of student learning, progress and achievement throughout the semester. More information regarding these will be available on Compass closer to the release date.
Year 9 Advance Podcast Project
The Year 9 Advance class with teacher Mr David Dang recently welcomed Live FM to the College to support students in developing their interviewing and communication skills. Students worked alongside industry professionals to record podcast interviews with college leaders, staff members and former students, gaining valuable experience in media production and storytelling.
On behalf of the college, we would like to extend our thanks to the relevant staff and students for their hard work in the organisation of these events.
IDAHOBIT Day
The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) was held on Sunday 17 May. The School celebrated on Monday May 18. The 2026 theme is “At the heart of democracy,” highlighting the need for equity and justice in society.
As a school community, IDAHOBIT Day aligns well with our school values and our theme this year of ‘Unity in Diversity’.
During lunchtime we ran activities and staff and students signed a pledge board to show their support. This is a very important part of our CPR school calendar as it is a time where we stop and celebrate diversity and call out discrimination towards members of the LGBTQIA + community. IDAHOBIT Day is also a time where we publicly stand beside our LGBTQIA+ colleagues, friends and students with a clear message… “We stand with you!”
National Reconciliation Week and Sorry Day
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) was held from Wednesday, 27 May to Wednesday, 3 June. The week is an annual event for all Australians to learn about shared histories, cultures, and achievements.
The dates commemorate two major milestones in the reconciliation journey: the 1967 referendum and the High Court Mabo decision. This year’s theme is ‘All in’, a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day.
National Sorry Day 26 May is the National Day of Remembrance and healing that acknowledges the strength of the Stolen Generations survivors and commemorates the tabling of the landmark Bringing Them Home report in 1997. This day honours the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly separated from their families and communities under past government assimilation policies. The school held a flag raising ceremony, at the front of the school to say sorry to the powerless and to pledge our commitment to moving forward towards a path of reconciliation. We had an address from Ms Dotti Schillinger, a first nations’ staff member, with students raising the flags, and all present asked to take a minute’s silence to reflect on the journey and healing that this day represents. As a school we acknowledge the hope we have for the future and our shared commitment to the work that still needs to be done.
We will celebrate NAIDOC week in the first week of Term 3, which we will commence with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony on Monday 13 July during lunch time. NAIDOC week is officially held 5-12 July which is during the upcoming School break.
World Refugee Day
At St Albans Secondary College, we are proud to welcome and celebrate students, staff and families from refugee backgrounds who are part of our diverse school community. Their stories, cultures, and experiences enrich our school, and we remain committed to fostering a community where every student and family feels connected, protected and respected.
As a school community, we recognise and celebrate World Refugee Day on Saturday, 20 June, and acknowledge Refugee Week this week (14–20 June). This year marks a significant milestone, with Australia welcoming one million refugees since the end of World War II. The official Refugee Week theme, “A Million Stories”, reminds us that every refugee brings unique experiences, strengths, and contributions that enrich our communities.
The global World Refugee Day theme, “Courage”, honours the remarkable resilience and strength of people who have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, or violence. It encourages us to reflect on the challenges many refugee families have faced and the courage they demonstrate in rebuilding their lives.
Please see a personal account of lived refugee experience from one of our staff members that appears later in this newsletter. It is an inspiring and uplifting story of courage and hope, and we thank Mr Tuan Le for sharing it with us.
Safe Holidays
With the end of term fast approaching we would like to wish everyone a safe holiday. We hope you get to recharge and are fresh and ready for Term 3!
