Step Inside FCJ College: Exploring, Challenging & Celebrating!

What a term it has been!

We kicked off the final weeks of term with an outstanding result at the 2026 Southern Ranges Athletics Carnival. Eighty-six students travelled to Shepparton and, despite cold temperatures, strong winds and rain, our athletes delivered an exceptional performance, achieving 26 first-place finishes and 27 second-place finishes, with seven relay teams also qualifying for the next stage.

These results saw FCJ College crowned overall Southern Ranges Athletics Carnival champions for the second consecutive year. We are now looking forward to supporting the 42 students who qualified to compete at the Hume Region competition in Albury next month. We wish them all the very best!

Our Year 10 students visited the Melbourne Holocaust Museum for an important day of learning, hearing from Holocaust survivor Peter Gasper, who shared his experiences of hiding from the Nazis and spoke about the courage of the everyday people he described as upstanders. Students then visited Melbourne Museum, providing an opportunity to explore, discover and extend their learning.

For our Year 9 students, three days at Valley Homestead brought challenge, adventure, teamwork and plenty of laughter. Students took on a range of activities designed to test their courage, confidence and ability to work together. The Lateral Thinking challenges got teams problem-solving from the outset, while the Vertical Challenge saw students tackle four 12.5-metre climbs, encouraging plenty of determination and peer support. The Dual Flying Fox, Free-Fall Slide and Power Pole provided plenty of adrenaline, with students pushing themselves well beyond their comfort zones.

There was plenty of fun on the ground too, with Bush Skills, where students learnt how to safely build fires and cook damper and nachos, as well as Archery. Evenings brought their own highlights, with marshmallows and Milo around the campfire one night, followed by music, singalongs and a rock quiz showdown on another. Most importantly, students embraced new experiences, supported one another and built confidence, resilience and connection throughout the camp. Everyone had a ball!

Back at school, our Term 3 Whole School Assembly provided an opportunity to celebrate student achievements and recognise our Students of the Term.

Congratulations to:

• Year 7 – Jackson Quarrell
• Year 8 – Ryder Borg
• Year 9 – Brianna Maher
• Year 10 – SreyNeang Prum
• Year 11 – Henry Flynn
• Year 12 – Maya Embling

We also welcomed a representative from BlazeAid, who recognised the incredible contribution of our eight dedicated student volunteers, who have given their time every single week to support BlazeAid’s work. Their outstanding commitment and willingness to help others is something to be incredibly proud of. Jazmin Booker, Connor Breheny, Danni Kearney, Xavier Kerr, Archie Lewis, Jesse Liddington and Owen Tilton were presented with a BlazeAid pin and certificate in recognition of their contribution throughout the year.

There was plenty of celebrating beyond the classroom too, with our Year 11 Formal providing an opportunity for students to dress up, enjoy each other's company and celebrate this important stage of their senior years. The dance lessons certainly paid off, but the highlight of the evening was the Special Person Dance, creating a lovely moment for students to share the occasion with someone special.

Career exploration has been a major focus, with our Year 10 students spending a week immersed in Work Experience, stepping into workplaces across a diverse range of industries, from local primary schools and kindergartens to interior design, Victoria Police and local businesses.

At the same time, our Year 9 students took part in the FCJ College Careers Forum, hearing directly from local business owners, tradespeople, farmers, health professionals, real estate agents and community care representatives. Students gained an insight into different career pathways, training requirements and the skills and interests that can lead to future opportunities. Thank you to all the professionals who took time out of their day to share their experiences with our Year 9 students.

Term 3 has been a busy one! Now it’s time for our students to enjoy a well-earned break, recharge and spend some time doing the things they enjoy before strapping in for Term 4.

There’s still plenty to come in 2026, including VCE exams, end-of-year celebrations and important milestones.

We are also preparing for our final fundraising event of the year, with our Philippines Immersion students hosting a Trivia Night as we make a final push to reach our $10,000 target to help fund the construction of homes for families in Malbago Village in the Philippines. We would really appreciate the support of our FCJ College community as we work towards reaching this important goal. Keep your eyes peeled for more details!

Step Inside FCJ College as we continue to give our students opportunities to try something new,challenge themselves and discover where their experiences might lead.

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