Newsletter Term 2 Weeks 2 & 3

Executive Report

Busy and Proud Weeks at RBSC 

It’s been a busy and rewarding time at Rose Bay Secondary College, with students actively engaged in learning, leadership, and co-curricular opportunities that reflect our school values of Opportunity, Community and Achievement. 

Year 7 Parent-Teacher Evening 
Thank you to everyone involved in Wednesday night’s Year 7 Parent-Teacher Evening. It was a genuinely positive and productive event, and we’ve received excellent feedback from many of you. Parents commented on how prepared and supportive our teachers were, and how happy their children are to be part of the RBSC community. 

Eastside Debating Success 
In the final round of the Eastside Debating Competition, RBSC teams achieved an outstanding result — winning 5 out of 6 debates against SCEGGS. Congratulations to the Year 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12 teams and their coaches, including our dedicated debating coordinator. Hosting these Friday night events takes significant effort, and we’re very proud of how our school represented itself.  Congratulations to Years 7, 9, 10 and 11 who have been successful in reaching the semi-finals. We wish them the best of luck this Friday!

Bill Turner Football Victory 
Our Under 15s football team had a commanding 5–0 win over Emmanuel College in the Bill Turner Cup. A great display of teamwork and sportsmanship from our players — congratulations to all involved. 

Olympic Inspiration for Year 9 
Our Year 9 students heard from 2020 Olympian Emma Jeffcoat as part of the Olympic Unleashed program. This was a fantastic opportunity for students to hear directly from an elite athlete about resilience, focus and goal-setting. 

Thank you for your continued support. It’s a pleasure to see so many students thriving and making the most of every opportunity at RBSC. 

RBSC Socials

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IEF News

Week 2: Our IEF students had the opportunity to access the mainstream kitchens and bake a batch of traditional ANZAC biscuits. This hands-on activity followed classroom discussions about the significance of ANZAC Day and the importance of remembering the courage, sacrifice, and mateship shown by Australian and New Zealand soldiers. Students also attended the school’s ANZAC Day assembly in the gym, where they listened respectfully and reflected on the meaning behind the ceremony.

The biscuit-making session was not only a fun cooking experience but also a meaningful extension of their learning. A fun historical fact students enjoyed was that the original ANZAC biscuits were made without eggs or dairy, so they wouldn’t spoil during the long journey overseas to soldiers during wartime. The activity offered a thoughtful way to engage with Australian history through food and tradition.

Week 3: It’s been another exciting and engaging week for the IEF faculty!Students from IEF3 returned to Waverley Library, where they had the opportunity to design their own library bags and badges. The activity sparked a lot of creativity, with students producing colourful and imaginative designs. They were also curious about the process and asked insightful questions about how badges are made and designed, showing a keen interest in the craft. As always, their respectful behaviour throughout the visit made us proud.

A true highlight of the week was meeting Olympic triathlete Emma Jeffcoat. Students were captivated by her story, asking thoughtful questions about her training, challenges, and achievements. Emma’s visit was not only inspiring but also empowering, encouraging our students to dream big and work hard. They were especially thrilled to receive her autograph — a moment they’re sure to remember for a long time!

Olympic Unleashed

This morning Year 9 heard from Olympian Emma Jeffcoat as part of the Olympic Unleashed campaign. Starting surf life saving in Year 9, her transition to triathlon was the start of Emma’s sporting career. Now an accredited nurse and full time Olympic athlete, Emma spoke about the importance of discipline, self belief and taking responsibility for one’s choices. 
Some of Emma’s tips for success:

1. Set goals & believe in yourself - Emma’s personal motto is “dare to dream” 
2. Stay in balance & keep the fun - physical, emotional and social health are all important.
3. Develop discipline - nothing worth having comes easy 
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help - lean on your village and the people in your corner 

VET Entertainment

This past Tuesday, students from the VET Entertainment class at Rose Bay attended Liberty Hall at The Entertainment Quarter for technical training in Sound Mixing and Live Lighting. Students had the opportunity to mix and create a light show on some of the highest quality equipment available, in a professional venue which has hosted some of Sydney's best acts and many international touring artists. In professional blacks students were hosted by the most excellent Earworm Productions for the Australian Music Technical Training day. 

Work Placement NRL HQ

Year 11 students Reuben Welander and Freddie Gray spent last week at NRL HQ in Moore Park working behind the scenes in the editing, filming and post production of NRL footage. Think Big Hits, match highlights and NRL game day promo - Freddie and Reuben enjoyed seeing how the process behind what we see on our screens, come to life. 
Freddie and Reuben completed this work placement program as part of their Stage 6 VET Entertainment course. 

Sports News

The Boys Bill Turner team played against Emmanuel College on a wet morning in Waverley.
The boys have developed great team chemistry and showed their early dominance by scoring four goals before halftime. These goals were scored by the ever-reliable Patrick and Billie.

Rose Bay started the second half strongly once again, highlighted by a fantastic goal from Nic. The goal—possibly worthy of a FIFA Goal of the Year nomination—saw Nic chip one defender, round another, and smash the ball into the top corner.

A special shout-out to Patrick in Year 10, who has been selected for the NSW State Soccer Team — an incredible achievement! The entire RBSC community is proud of your hard work and dedication. Well done, Patrick!

Year 10 Industrial Technology Timber

Some Year 10 students who have completed their bread box projects, each using unique designs created with the laser cutter and featuring tambour doors.

V-Fest is coming!

Kids Giving Back

We celebrate two Year 7 students, Rose and Marius,  for generously volunteering their time with Kids Giving Back.

Together with over 500 young changemakers across Sydney, they helped prepare and deliver nearly 5,000 meals, snack packs, and care kits to vulnerable individuals. Their kindness rippled through 15 partner charities and, just as importantly, through our team and the community they supported.

P&C Social Events

Careers News

* Please find the School Leavers Handbook here

* Please click  here  for the latest Careers Bulletin

* Find information on University Open Days here

* Year 10 subject selection guide 

Careers - Support for Parents

• Support Indicator Quiz - is your child thinking of pursuing an apprenticeship or traineeship and want to test your literacy and numeracy skills? Ask them to complete practice literary and numeracy tests here to find their strengths and areas for improvement
• Open Days 2025 - find all information about tertiary open days for 2025 here
• Work Experience Toolkit - download the electronic toolkit to read more about work experience and to support your child to find a host employer
• My Future - Parent Portal - access parent friendly career resources, including Career Bullseyes and creating a Career profile, to support career conversations around the home.

Career Expo 2025

Library News

Lamont Books

We have recently signed up to a subscription with Lamont Books. They’re based in Melbourne and will be supplying our library with a regular delivery of young adult fiction books mainly suitable for Years 7 – 10. This will ensure that our fiction collection is continually refreshed.

The list of shortlisted books for the Children’s Book Council of Australia will be ordered from a small local bookshop and will be put on display as a focus for Book Week 2025 activities later in August. More on that as we get closer to the date.

Year 7 Reading Program

In Term 2 this program will be continued with the reading lessons in the library aligned to texts in the Year 7 English program. Currently, some classes are studying The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera (a professor of English at the University of Aukland) and other classes are studying Trash by Andy Mulligan (a writer who taught English in Manila and witnessed “children who will crawl through trash forever”). Both texts deal with conflict and adversity whereby the main character experiences enormous challenges but through courage and kindness manage to come to terms with their situations and create a brighter future. Both texts are engrossing, exciting and finely written.

In class we have explored the type of language devices used by these skilled writers and discussed the elements used by the graphic artists who created the book covers. This

should lead as a brief introduction to a more detailed unit of visual literacy in Year 8 . Further resources on The Whale Rider and Trash can be found in the Year 7 English LearnPath guides in “My School Library” on the Student Portal page. This can be accessed at school or at home. Please contact us at the Library Reception Desk if you’d like more information.

The Silent Book Club

This is held every Monday in Break 1in the Library Seminar Room. Students bring something to eat and drink and a favourite book. They read silently together, often with a teacher. A comment this morning was along the lines of appreciating the time to lose yourself in a book. It’s a very calming activity. There is still some space in the group for next Monday’s club meeting.

Fast Track

Homework Centre

The Homework Centre runs every Monday and Wednesday in the library from 3:00pm to 4:40 PM. This is a great opportunity for students to receive extra support with homework and assessments, with tutors available to provide guidance across various subjects.

We encourage all students to take advantage of this valuable resource to stay on top of their studies in a supportive environment.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Foster Carers needed

WAVERLEY PARK BIKE DAY

Why Choose Public Education?

For 175 years, NSW public schools have been at the heart of education, preparing today’s children to succeed and build better communities for tomorrow

NSW public schools offer high-quality, well-rounded education that provides a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success.

So for the best education money can't buy, choose Rose Bay Secondary College.