Step Inside FCJ College: Competition & Compassion

Every fortnight, we take a moment to reflect on the spirit, achievements and learning experiences that our students continue to embrace both within the classroom and beyond.

Our students have enjoyed another lively and energetic Round Robin outing, demonstrating outstanding school spirit, teamwork and determination across AFL, netball, basketball, soccer and badminton competitions held throughout the region. Across every venue, students supported one another and competed with enthusiasm and resilience.

With so many students putting their hand up to represent the College, participation was strong across all sports, and success followed. Well done to our winning teams: AFL (Year 7, Intermediate and Senior Boys), Basketball (Senior Girls), Netball (Year 7, Year 8, Intermediate and Senior Girls), and Soccer (Intermediate Boys).

Year 10 Journalism student Lachie Doyle penned a wonderful article, capturing the excitement and spirit of the Term 1 competitions. His work can be read here: Round Robin Comes Round Again.

Our annual Cross Country event was also a great success, with perfect weather and Lake Benalla providing a stunning backdrop. It was fantastic to see so many students challenging themselves, supporting one another and, most importantly, having a go. A team of 87 students will now travel to Yea on Friday 29 May for the Southern Ranges Cross Country.

Excitement is building as preparations continue for our 2026 school production of The Addams Family, with students taking part in their first full-day rehearsal. It is already shaping up to be an amazing show.

Behind the scenes, production work is well underway. Miss Rees has launched a lunchtime Sewing Group, with students learning sewing basics before they progress into costume creation workshops. Miss Rees is passionate about the use of recycled and repurposed materials, adding an important focus on environmental sustainability and creative reuse within the group. Mr Lawrence has also begun set construction, making excellent use of the woodwork facilities while students were attending Round Robin events. A huge thank you to everyone already lending a hand — as the saying goes, many hands make light work.

Five of our Year 10 students recently attended the Justice Matters Camp, joining students from across the Sandhurst Diocese to explore themes of justice, leadership and social action.

Katelyn and Lucinda reflected on the powerful story shared by Moe Turaga, a survivor of modern slavery and human trafficking in rural Victoria. His courage and advocacy for anti-slavery awareness left a lasting impression and encouraged students to think deeply about justice in today’s world.

Further information about Moe Turaga’s story can be found here: ABC News article.

At the conclusion of the camp, Lola accepted a symbolic pot planted with “seeds of justice” on behalf of FCJ College, representing the compassion and commitment shown by the students who attended.

Finally, as part of FCJ College’s ongoing support for communities impacted by the recent Longwood fires, volunteering opportunities with BlazeAid have now been opened to Year 10 and 11 students. Led by our Year 12 Vocational Major Personal Development students and guided by Ms Brooks, the initiative continues to showcase the goodwill, teamwork and strong work ethic of our students.

Participating students will assist communities across Longwood, Ruffy and Euroa with recovery efforts, while Year 12 students continue to mentor and guide the volunteer groups. We are incredibly proud to see our students giving back and making a meaningful difference through service and support.

Through both competition and compassion, our students continue to represent and support others with pride. Their willingness to extend care beyond our own community through initiatives such as BlazeAid reflects the strong sense of compassion and gentleness that continues to shape FCJ College.

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