International Student Program:

BON VOYAGE TO OUR TEMPORARY / SHORT STAY INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:

The time for our Temporary / Short Stay International Student has sadly come to an end and they have returned back to China, it has been an absolute pleasure welcoming them all to our College community. On a more positive note, all of the International Students experienced the most amazing time, learning about our Australian Curriculum and making long lasting friendships with our NGSC students.

Some beautiful reflections from two of the International Students just shows the importance of our College values as this does reflect of their overall experiences and submersing themselves into their learning is a positive way.

Zehan (Elena) Wang

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. I saw adorable kangaroos, purring emus, crystal-clear waterfalls, refreshing forests, and a chocolate factory with delicious chocolate and ice cream. Overall, it was a wonderful experience! It also helped me better understand Australia's emphasis on "diverse learning." I'm also grateful to Teacher Tonia and tutor Lisa for their care and support, which made my trip to Australia even more enjoyable.

这次的出游我很喜欢，看到了非常可爱的袋鼠，会打呼噜的鸸鹋，清澈的瀑布，有清新空气的森林，有美味巧克力和冰淇淋的巧克力工厂等等，总体给我带来的体验非常的好！也让我更了解了澳大利亚对“多元化学习”的重视，同时也感谢Tonia老师和Lisa导师的关照，让我这次的澳洲旅行多了一份快乐。

Yiran (Josh) Tang

Yesterday my teachers, classmates and I embarked on a journey. I think it was incredibly beautiful and natural because when we went to the waterfall, fed wildlife, and played on the beach, we fell in love with nature and truly felt its essence. This journey was also meaningful because it taught us that nature and humanity are always closely connected.

昨天，我和老师同学们踏上了一段旅程。我认为这是非常美丽自然的，因为当我们去到瀑布、喂野生动物并在海滩玩耍时，我们爱上了自然并感受自然。这段旅程也是有意义的，因为他教会了我们自然与人类总是联系紧密。

MIRIM MEISTER HIGH SCHOOL VISIT, KOREA

Recently, our College was approached by Mirim Mesiter High School in Korea to form a partnership with our International Student Program. This will also add to the growth of the Program and allow more International Students to fulfill their dreams of education within Australia and complete this at our College.

The visitors to our College were, the Principal, Dr Kim, the Head of the Global Education Department at Mirim Mesiter High School, Mr Seho Lee and Mr Jihoon Kim, English Teacher / Global Education Program Coordinator - Mirim Meister High School, Seoul, Korea.

This entailed the Korean students to come to Australia and interact with our College students, showing their amazing presentations which were absolutely mind blowing with the expertise and ideas that were introduced. The presentations were part of their overall assessment and our NGSC students were certainly intrigued and impressed by these presentations. This interaction was warmly welcomed, and everyone involved had an extremely informative session which allowed our students in particular to “think outside the box” in a positive and constructive way.

The highlight was also the College Tour, all of the Mirim Mesiter High School students and their leaders were highly impressed with the interaction in the classrooms alongside the facilities. What was surprising was that Korean Schools are still using chalk and blackboards, so our Smart Boards were impressive to say the least!

A brief email from the Mirim Mesiter High School Leader on behalf of their school which is as follows;

I would like to sincerely thank you for your thoughtful support and coordination throughout our exchange program. Your guidance helped make the experience smooth, meaningful, and memorable for our students.

I would also like to extend my gratitude to Vice Principal Ryan Miller for his warm welcome and insightful campus tour, as well as to Principal Paul Dawson for his kind encouragement. Their support added great value to the exchange and left a strong impression on all of us.

Thank you once again, and I hope we can stay in close touch.

Warm regards,
Jihoon Kim

Primary School Visits

During the last few weeks our College was privileged to have some wonderful Primary Schools in the local area, visit. This visit entailed various activities including: Food Tech, Science, Art, Music and VR Goggles.

The visits enable the Primary School students to get a first-hand “taste” of what Secondary School is like, amongst having fun with the organised activities at the same time. There were so many smiles, bright eyes and wonderful comments during these activities, which was both pleasing to hear and see. The students were so proud and enthusiastic of their pieces made which contained a lot of creativity, inspiration and above all fun J

Our College still has a couple more Primary Schools visiting over the coming weeks but to date the following Primary Schools enjoyed their mornings or afternoons with the NGSC students that attended their school last year. Our students were excited too, not only see their teachers again but their friends which made the day even more special.

Thank you to: Bell Park North Primary School, Holy Family Primary School, Rollins Primary School, Herne Hill Primary School, Ashby Primary School, Manifold Heights Primary School and St Thomas Aquinas Primary School.

In the coming weeks, Newtown Primary School and Anakie Primary School will have just as much enjoyment and fun. NGSC look forward to seeing the students and teachers from these two Primary School shortly so they too can experience the amazing facilities and enjoyment that the previous Primary Schools had.

Multicultural Committee News

We hope you have all had a wonderful start to Term one! The weeks are flying by, and we are already well over halfway through the first term.

Our first Multicultural Committee meeting was held on Monday, 16 February. It was an informative session featuring our guest speaker, Lisa Kennedy (Multicultural Officer) from Centrelink, with many fruitful discussions. Our School Captain, Louis, chaired the meeting and warmly welcomed both new and returning members of the NGSC community.

Discussions included school updates and upcoming events, with a focus on selecting this year’s Multicultural Festival theme. The festival will be held on Friday, 23 October 2026.

At our next meeting, we will work towards selecting a festival theme that aligns with NGSC’s 60th anniversary celebrations. The Multicultural Committee warmly welcomes parents, friends, service providers, and all members of the school community to join us.

Next Meeting: Monday, 23 March
Time: 12:45 PM – 1:30 PM
Location: Conference Room
Refreshments provided

Stay informed about upcoming events, get involved, and watch this space!

Vera Dudas
Multicultural Community Liaison Officer

First Nations Club: Celebrating Culture and Connection!

This week, our First Nations Club kicked off an amazing session full of energy, creativity, and cultural learning. Students from all year levels joined in Room A01 during lunchtime to take part in fun activities celebrating First Nations culture.

The session was a huge success, with students eagerly engaging in games, storytelling, and creative projects that helped them connect with First Nations traditions and history. Their enthusiasm and curiosity were inspiring to see!

We can’t wait to continue these lunchtime sessions every Monday and Tuesday, providing a welcoming space for students to explore, learn, and celebrate culture together.

Photo Caption: Students enjoying today’s First Nations Club activities, exploring culture, and connecting with each other.

LOTE Corner 

Hinamatsuri is a seasonal festival celebrated on March 3^rd every year in Japan.

It is a festival to pray for the growth and happiness of Japanese girls. It is also known as the ‘Peach-Blossom Festival’ or the ‘Dolls Festival’ as it occurs according to the lunar calendar when peach trees are in full bloom in Japan, and the festival is celebrated through decorating the house with a display of ‘hina’ dolls. Though the displays vary by family and locality, there is usually doll couple displayed together representing the emperor and empress. There are simple ‘just the couple’ displays through to very elaborate many tiered displays including members of the ancient imperial court and their accoutrements, set on red fabric covered ‘stairs’.

Auspicious ornaments and foods are also incorporated into the day.

This year, Geelong West is holding an even on the 21^st and 22^nd of March connecting the ancient to the contemporary and reimagining Hinamatsuri today and in Australia’s multicultural context.

Events in Geelong: Hinamatsuri reimagined

We're reimagining Hinamatsuri (Japanese Girls’ Festival) with a modern, multicultural and all-gender lens.

Let’s celebrate girls’ happiness, health, and growth through traditional festive activities…while exploring the question

"What does happiness mean for girls and women in Australia today?"

While the theme is Japanese Girls, we’ll be offering a range of multicultural activities and mini workshops led by practitioners from diverse backgrounds.

We’d love to see men, all-genders, all ages, and people from all backgrounds to come participate in our Reimagined Hinamatsuri, with a focus on cultural shift, inclusivity and equality!

When

Daily from 21 March 2026 to 22 March 2026

Upcoming dates

21 March 2026, 03:00 PM - 06:00 PM

22 March 2026, 10:00 AM - 02:00 PM

Where

Geelong West Neighbourhood House

Wadawurrung Country, 89 Autumn St, Geelong West

Cost

· This is a free event

https://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/events/calendar/item/8de69c0a2ce7969.aspx

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