Welcome back everyone and a very warm welcome to our Year 7 families. We also welcome some new Year 8 families to our community. We hope that the transition for all has been a smooth one.

We also welcome Mr Nisbet, Mr Agg, Ms Benedict, Ms Brown, Ms Congiusta, Mrs Dauguet, Mr Johnstone, Mrs Kenyon, Ms King, Ms Scheen and Mrs Veugelers to the Tyabb Campus.

Celebrating 125 years of Providing Catholic Education

We will be celebrating a major milestone birthday this year, and that is Padua College’s 125^th birthday. Our College theme for the year is our College motto ‘Perseverance Conquers All’. It is such a special time for all within the College community with many different events being planned. We look forward to sharing further information in the coming editions of the Paduan.

Year 7 Camps

Preparations are well and truly underway for the upcoming Year 7 camps commencing on Monday 27 February. Our next edition of the Paduan will feature some photos and stories from this experience.

Opening College Mass

On 16 February we had our annual Opening College Mass to welcome all new staff, students and Year 7s. The mass started at about 6:30pm, everyone arrived at the Mornington Campus hall and took their seats with the Year 7s sitting in their Houses. All three junior campuses attended, Mornington, Rosebud and Tyabb. The mass began and we welcomed our three priests, Father Geoff, Father Shymon and Father Jude. Throughout the mass the Music and Spirit class sang all the hymns and prayers led by Mrs Jodie Williams. Many people spoke including people from the advisory committee, staff and students. All the staff, new and old, took a pledge and so did the student leaders for 2023. We received communion and those who didn't got a blessing. It was a very successful night with a student from each campus accepting a College symbol from the School Captains and Vice Captains which has been a tradition for many years.

By Aurora Bampton, Year 9 Geoghegan

Aspire9 Launch

On 15 February all the Year 9s from all campuses went on their first day of Aspire9. We all walked up Arthurs Seat through a very bushy walking track to Seawinds gardens where all the other campuses met. When we got there we had something to eat and relaxed from our very big walk but in the end it was really fun.

The next thing was getting into our House groups, then we had a liturgy and split into our colour groups. There were 25 tiny little groups overall. In those groups we had to meet people from the other campuses and new staff that were running the groups. They were randomly chosen and selected in every House colour.

We played little games to get to know each other. When that was done we all had lunch and walked around Seawinds gardens and met different people in different Houses.

We all walked around until it was time to get back on the bus and say goodbye to our new friends. Everyone had a very fun day and put in a lot of effort. Well done to all the Year 9s who participated in our first Aspire9 day out.

By Saskia Jennings, Year 9 Geoghegan

SIS Cricket Report

With a fresh new year and fresh new team, the SIS sports competitions got underway this term with the girls doing volleyball and the boys doing indoor cricket.

It’s always a fun experience learning new abilities and SIS indoor cricket is a great way to do so. SIS indoor cricket takes place every Friday where all eight of us get together and head off to Mornington Indoor Cricket Center where we can play a range of teams from St Peter's Cranbourne to the other Padua Campus teams.

Our indoor cricket team is always the best of fun. Even though we don’t win every week, we still have a blast with our coach Mr Gingell and members Brett Wells, Matheus Pinzan, Flynn Smallacombe, Adam Karnatz, Will Doughton Riley Kent, Alex Scott and Chase Coelli. We will continue to try our hardest every Friday afternoon to hopefully win that SIS flag!

By Matheus Pinzan

The Start of the School Year

The start of the school year has been fantastic. It has been so much easier compared to starting Year 7. The work is slightly more challenging, but the teachers are always willing to help. As fun as the summer holidays were, I really missed seeing my friends every day. My friends make school a lot more fun, I don’t know what I’d do without them. Watching the new Year 7s trying to get around campus is quite funny, and it's fun to reminisce on the start of my own Year 7 journey, back when I was also clueless and scared of what was to come. Now, as a Year 8, I’m excited to start my 2023 school year.

By Chelsea Taylor, Year 8 Cardijn

Congratulations

Congratulations to Ryda Zerha, Year 8 Doyle, who recently represented Victoria in basketball in the Country U15 Boys competition playing in the SCC (Basketball Victoria Southern Cross Challenge). Ryda and his team, the Bushrangers, placed third winning bronze.

Ryda had an amazing experience, learning from elite coaches, and developing his skills, and he also made new friendships along the way.

Some Friendly Reminders

Uniform

We would greatly appreciate your support in making sure that your child arrives at school not only with the correct equipment for the day but also in the correct uniform. The following list is located in your child’s diary.

Activewear
The College has a sports uniform that includes navy shorts. Students should not be wearing black lycra style active wear for sport or with other items of the sport uniform.

Blazer
Must be worn to and from school through the year (If cold/wet the Padua softshell waterproof jacket is permitted to be worn over the blazer).

Hair
Hair is to be clean and tidy; tied back off the collar. Hair ribbons must be in Padua College or House colours. Extremes in hair cut or styles are not permitted. Number 2 haircut is the minimum. Hair may be dyed in one natural hair shade. All students must be clean shaven (hair is to be clean and tidy; tied back off the collar and all students must be clean shaven).

School shoes
Black leather lace-up or T-bar school shoes. No soft or suede or boots. Skate shoes are not permitted.

Summer dress:
Length of the summer dress is to the knees.

Jewellery & Make-up
One earring per ear in the ear lobe (small stud or sleeper). No other jewellery is permitted and clear plastic studs and band-aids to cover piercings are not permitted. Excess jewellery will be confiscated. Make-up is to be kept to a minimum and must be natural looking. Clear nail polish is permitted.