Our SMCO community came together to celebrate Father’s Day with a wonderful morning tea. It was a special opportunity to recognise and appreciate the fathers, grandfathers and  in our community and the important role they play in the lives of our children.

The morning was filled with delicious treats, warm conversations and plenty of smiles as we celebrated the wonderful fathers and father who support, guide and inspire our students each day.

We thank everyone who joined us and helped make our Father’s Day morning tea such a joyful and memorable celebration!

Our Year 3 students enjoyed an exciting excursion to CERES Community Environment Park, where they participated in a variety of hands-on activities and explored the importance of sustainability. Surrounded by CERES’s vibrant natural environment, students had the opportunity to connect their classroom learning with practical, real-world experiences.

The excursion encouraged students to think carefully about their responsibility as environmental stewards. Through engaging activities and discussions, they explored ways to live more sustainably and considered simple actions they can take at school and at home to help protect the environment.

It was a memorable day filled with discovery, cooperation and practical learning. We thank the staff at CERES for providing such an engaging educational experience, as well as our teachers and parent volunteers for supporting the students throughout the excursion. We are proud of our Year 3 students for representing the school with respect, responsibility and enthusiasm.

Year 3 Team

On Thursday 3 September, SMCO hosted the Year 8 Woodlands Division Table Tennis competition in the gymnasium. Students competed in round-robin fixtures against schools including Roxburgh Park, Gladstone Park, Sirius College and Hume Central, demonstrating excellent skill, focus and sportsmanship.

The Year 8 Boys team—David G, Brondel T, Kerolos H and Mark S—produced an outstanding undefeated performance, winning every match and set. Their final match against Sirius College was a close contest, with SMCO securing overall victory by just one set. This result marks the first SMCO boys team to progress to the Regional Finals since interschool sport recommenced four years ago.

The Girls team—Adriana M, Adona T, Marella, Ellarose and Mariamawit—also dominated, winning all matches and sets convincingly. Through competition, students developed coordination, concentration, decision-making, resilience and teamwork. Both teams will compete at Diamond Valley Sports Centre on 26 October. We wish them all the best on their next challenge. Go SMCO!

Paul Di Lizia,
PE Teacher

Our Primary and Secondary Choirs recently participated in the Victorian School Music Festival (VSMF), proudly representing St Mary’s Coptic Orthodox College. Both choirs presented a prepared repertoire of songs and were awarded Silver Awards, a wonderful achievement that reflects the dedication, commitment and hard work of our students.

Our performances were adjudicated by highly regarded music educators Dr Robert Stewart, Doctor of Musical Arts and Ms Sally Gawley, Head of Education at the Australian School of Performing Arts. Use this link for more info about the adjudicators  https://www.vsmf.com.au/adjudicators

The choirs received very positive feedback across a range of musical areas, including tone, interpretation, dynamics, presentation and vocal blend, with particularly excellent marks for rhythmic and melodic accuracy and balance of voices. The overall scores achieved by both choirs resulted in a Silver Award for their performances.

Following the performances, the adjudicators congratulated our students and conducted 15-minute interactive sessions with them. The students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and had great fun learning directly from such experienced music educators.

Participating in VSMF provides our students with an invaluable opportunity to perform, receive professional feedback and continue developing their musical skills. Each year, SMCO students and teachers learn new vocal techniques from experienced adjudicators and educators, and we are incredibly proud of the commitment, enthusiasm and musicianship demonstrated by our students.

Sandra Mlikota
Head of Music

Our SMCO Year 5 students recently enjoyed an exciting camp at Sovereign Hill, where they stepped back in time to experience life during Victoria’s gold rush. The camp provided a wonderful opportunity for students to extend their classroom learning through engaging, hands-on activities in a unique historical setting.

Throughout the camp, students explored Sovereign Hill’s streets, buildings and exhibits while learning about the experiences of miners, families and local communities during the 1850s. They discovered how people lived and worked, the challenges they faced and the important role the gold rush played in shaping Australia’s history.

One of the highlights was the opportunity to try gold panning and experience the excitement of searching for gold. Students also enjoyed watching traditional demonstrations, visiting historical shops and learning about the different trades and skills that were essential to life on the goldfields.

The Year 5 students represented SMCO with enthusiasm, respect and exemplary behaviour. Their curiosity and willingness to participate made the camp both educational and memorable.

Alicia Braakhuis,
Year 5 Teacher