C&G Highlight: Elwood College

Local Community

The bayside areas which Chisholm & Gamon represent are quite literally spoiled for choice when it comes to quality schools. From kindergartens through to primary and high schools, some of our clients have moved to Elwood, St Kilda, Brighton, Sandringham and Black Rock simply to take advantage of the great educational institutions we have. Over the coming weeks, C&G will feature prominent local schools – interviewing their Principals who will in turn share vital information about what makes their schools great places to learn. In our first blog, we feature Elwood College in an interview with Principal Rhonda Holt.

What elements of the Elwood College community are you most proud of?

I believe the strength of our community here at Elwood College is truly unique, providing the very best setting for students to learn, explore their talents and excel. We go out of our way to ensure that students and their families feel connected here, as we know it makes a huge difference to learning outcomes.

We are a smaller school and take pride in our ‘small school approach’. Personalised learning is central to everything we do. We really know our students – their interests, talents, strengths and personal challenges. In and out of the classroom, our dedicated teachers work tremendously hard to create opportunities that help every student thrive.

Every school has particular strengths. What are Elwood College's greatest strengths in terms of academic achievement and pastoral care?

Our students consistently achieve excellent academic results, which is testament to our culture of striving for excellence and the dedication of our teachers. Whether a student needs acceleration or extra support, we are very focussed on giving every student a pathway to experience learning success – and this leads to academic achievement.

Helping our students achieve their best in the VCE is a source of pride. We measure our success not only by their ATAR scores but in seeing graduates move on to exciting futures that we have helped them plan. The vast majority of our students go on to university study, with a high rate accepted into their first choice of university course.

What can potential students and parents expect to experience at your upcoming Elwood College open days?

Our annual open day is held earlier in the year but our final college tours for 2014 are on Wednesday 17 September at 9.30am and Wednesday 15 October at 9.30am and 5pm. However, parents can call to arrange a tour at any time. Touring the school with myself or one of the college’s learning leaders is an opportunity to see our facilities and hear how we approach learning at every year level. Parents will also get a sense of the community we provide for our students and the rich co-curricular opportunities embedded into college life. Anyone wishing to tour Elwood College can contact us on (03) 9531 9566 or email [email protected].

Do you have any particular community events that you are engaged in as a school each year?

The school year is packed with events that showcase our students’ talents! The annual theatre production was held earlier in the year, with our VCE Theatre Studies students managing the production for the first time. Our school swimming, athletics and cross-country carnivals are also a wonderful opportunity to celebrate both our school spirit and our wonderfully talented students.

Some big events we have coming up are the Talent Show on 18 September and our Inaugural Student Film Festival on October 18 – both organised by our passionate students with support from key teachers and parents.

A big upcoming event for all of Elwood is the inaugural Elwood Learning Hub Art Safari on 23 October. The Elwood Learning Hub is a partnership between Elwood’s three education settings: the Poets Grove Family & Children’s Centre, Elwood Primary School and Elwood College. The Art Safari will be a ‘trek through the hub’ showcasing the artwork of students aged 0 to 18. From Poets Grove along the canal to Goldsmith Street, there will be loads of art, music, performance, food, light and laughter to enjoy. It will be a fantastic community event and everyone is invited!

Elwood College also hosts the Elwood Farmers Market on the second Saturday of every month. This is a great opportunity for anyone and everyone to enjoy the wonderful community spirit in Elwood.

Does Elwood College specialise in any particular language or co-curricular excellence programmes?

Our students learn Japanese and French and we have study tours to France and Japan in alternating years. Our Year 9 program ‘It’s Up­ 2 Me’ includes some very special initiatives to engage and motivate students at this crucial age. Students complete the Duke of Edinburgh Award, which is an excellent forum for them to build social and leadership skills. Our popular Community Projects focus on community service and Year 9 students can also apply to join the Alpine Leadership School.