Next Week @ TC
22/05/2026
Reminders:
Principal's message
Celebrating This Week
I have had many highlights this week ranging from attending the Athletics and Indigenous Games Day, The Victorian Global Learning Awards, Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea and the Grad Formal.
Despite the weather students participated with energy and good spirits at the Athletics and Indigenous Games Day. The highlight of the day was when we saw students supporting each other to participate in the day. Adding to the inclusivity highlights there were also some outstanding performances from our athletes.
Yui Sawada, from our international student program, has been nominated for an award in Student Leadership. Yui has been shortlisted as a finalist for this very prestigious award. Our International Student Coordinator, Belle Austriaco, will accompany me to the finals award lunch. We are hopeful that Yui’s extraordinary leadership will be recognised by the internation student division of the department of education.
I am looking forward to tonight’s Grad Formal. In anticipation of the event being as well run as in the past, and based on the excitement of the Grads, I am sure this will be a wonderful night for the Grads. A huge thank you to the team who have organised the event led by Kyle Claringbold and Duncan Sadler.
No Bells – No uniform – no worries
I am just restating that some rumours about changes at TC are not true. I want to state clearly the following
- The animals program is not being closed down and we are not selling the animals
- There is not going to be a school uniform or school bell
- The permaculture garden is not being closed.
- The Basketball program is continuing
In terms of information, I encourage all community members to rely on the official school communication channels for correct information. If you are ever unsure, please contact the school.
Curriculum Design – Community consultation
I am disappointed to have to tell you that you community consultation on the curriculum must be postponed.
The work the staff are doing in this area has slowed a little as we make sure the core elements of our school culture are maintained in our curriculum. We are trying to make sure TC still feels like TC for every student every day. This is taking longer than we thought and we want to get it right.
In the meantime please don’t believe any misinformation that is being discussed. We have started the consultation with student leaders, and will come back soon for a community consultation.
I would like to again thank the 25 teachers who are giving their time and expertise to this process at this early stage.
Coffee with the Principal
The Coffee with the Principal sessions continue to run this term. ☕️
The face to face sessions are now full, there are a couple of places left in the last session online for those that would still like the opportunity.
Please make sure that you book a place if interested using the relevant link below:
sTUDENT LUNCHES WITH THE PRINCIPAL
Similar to the Coffee with the Principal sessions, I will be offering students the opportunity to share lunchtime with me (BYO lunch) and I look forward to meeting more of the students in this way.
Bookings need to be made to book your place via this link, as numbers are limited per sessions.
Have a great weekend.
Daryl Bennett
Principal
Building Works Continue Next Week
Building Works Continue Around School
🚧📣
Building Works Continue Around School 🚧📣
🚧🚧As part of our ongoing accessibility works, building works will continue around the school next week.🚧🚧
➡️ Access to some areas will be restricted.
📍 Signage will be in place to help direct students, families and visitors. Thank you for your patience and understanding while these changes are in place💙
Semester 2 Subject Review and Confirmation
Semester 2 Elective Review and Confirmation will open on Monday for the next TWO WEEKS (closing on Friday 5th June).
Students will be given time during connect next week to complete this process. Families will be notified of any changes made to selections via email.
All students that take semester length electives are required to log into the ILP platform to check they are happy with electives chosen (and their back-ups) for next semester (to start in Term 3).
All students will be removed from semester length electives at the end of Semester 1. Students must re-enter their preferences again if they wish to stay in the same electives for Semester 2.
For FLE1 and above students, selections will be imported from when they completed this process at the end of 2025.
For new students and ENTRY students, selections will NOT be prefilled and they will need to select new semester length electives for Semester 2.
These selections are really important to get right. Please carefully consider their elective preferences and back-ups as there will not be an opportunity to request changes after this process.
A list of all Semester 2 subjects can be found here:
*Please note that Animal Industry Skills is a new subject for Semester 2 this year and the blocking will be finalised once selections are completed.
If students are not sure what subjects are semester long or yearlong you can check on the subject handbook website (TC Subject Selection Handbook) or talk to their connect mentor.
Please READ all the information on the ILP platform to help select electives.
https://services.tc.vic.edu.au/ILP/subjectselection
SUBJECT REVIEW AND CONFIRMATION CLOSE FRIDAY 5th of JUNE.
2026 Student Attitudes to School Survey - 27 May
On Wednesday 27 May we will be conducting the 2026 Student Attitudes to School Survey during Connect. Information regarding this has been emailed out to families and caregivers via Compass.
AWAY - VCE Theatre Studies Performance – 27 May
VCE Theatre Studies Performance, Wednesday 27 May at 6.00pm
Lights, Sound, Action!!
Please join us down in the PAC next week to see what our VCE Theatre Studies students’ production of Away by Michael Gow for their Unit 3 assessment.
Tickets available at the door.
Sunshine Squad
This week, Sunshine Squad had their very first pop up stall at the TC Athletics Day! We wanted to show more students what the club is all about and give them an opportunity to participate in our mission - To radiate positivity and to celebrate everyone’s lap around the sun. Sunshine Squad is a club dedicated to spreading positivity and one of the biggest ways we do that is by making birthday cards for students who are at school on their birthday 🥳🎈. The club meets Mondays during lunchtime in S02. During the session, students learn about a wellbeing topic (this term it’s gratitude) and then students have time to create birthday cards. As students have birthdays throughout the week, Stevie delivers the birthday cards to them in their class🥳🎈. Sunshine Squad offers a simple and fun way to spread some positivity around school. At our Athletics Day booth students learned about what our club does and they had the opportunity to make their own birthday cards. Students were creative and thoughtful with their card making, it was truly a fantastic day. If you’d like to get involved, you can send SKNO a message on Teams or just come and join us on Monday!💛🫶
Stevie Knodel
Refugee Week Activities - 15 to 20 June
Tukka Tukka Kothu Roti Man Curry Lunch - Monday 15 June
For the 5th year in a row, we have Niro from Tukka Tukka Kothu Roti Man coming to TC for a special Refugee Week lunch.
Pre-purchase your vegetarian curry and rice lunch for Monday 15 June.
Lunch and/or dinner option
Curry Lunch - $15.00, Curry plate (2 curries with rice and papadum) in a 'take away' container or BYO plate/container. Collect from PAC Kitchen window during lunch.
Curry Dinner - $25.00, 2 full containers of curry and 1 full container of rice. Collect from the school canteen at 3.30pm or during lunch.
These vegetarian curries are gluten free and nut free and mild (no chilli).
Pre-orders only via Trybooking: https://www.trybooking.com/DMMKC
Seeking donations for Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
💙🙌 In support of Refugee Week we will be collecting donations of non-perishable food and toiletries for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. There will be a tub for collections near the front office throughout June. 🥫🪥
Grad Movie Night - 18 June
TC Grads, save the date!
Grad Movie Night - Thursday 18 June.
To celebrate the end of VCE Unit 3 and The Gat we have our annual TC Grad Movie night planned 📽️.
The votes have been counted, and this year’s movie is a 70’s classic…. Grease.
Doors open to the PAC at 4.30pm 🍦🍿🍫
Movie starts at 5.00pm and will finish at 7.00pm.
Payment and consent is required via Compass. $5.00 fee cover cost of movie snacks. 🍦🍿🍫
TC Bush Dance Ticketing Link- 25 June
The Permaculture Bush Dance has become a regular fixture on the TC calendar. A team of students and staff from the Environmental Action Group and Permaculture classes work together throughout Term Two to plan and run the event.
Bush music band, Bushwahzee, will perform and lead the audience through a series of old-time dances and patrons can enjoy a TC-cooked loaded jacket potato 🥔, sausage sizzle 🌭, Bee Club chai 🐝and cakes 🍰, as well as browse items for sale made by the school's technology classes.
TC Music 🎶students will also perform before and in the tea break and there will be games and a raffle.
Funds raised will go towards projects in the TC Farm and Garden, with a focus this year on a new pump for the duck pond. 🌻 🌳 💐 🦆
*Please pre-order your baked potato with your ticket purchase.
Desserts and hot and cold non-alcoholic drinks available for purchase on the night
📅 Date: Thursday 25 June 2026 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
📍Location: S-Wing, Templestowe College
7 Cypress Ave, Templestowe Lower
🎟️Ticketing via Trybooking: TC Bush Dance 2026 Tickets
Almost Archies Portrait Event - 25 and 26 May
Almost Archies Portrait Event in Arts Hub Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th May @ Lunchtime.
The Almost Archies is a brand new community event happening at lunchtime on Monday and Tuesday of Week 6!
Inspired by the famous Archibald Prize 🏆, this art event is all about getting to know TC staff through portrait drawing. We’d love to see students capture not just what a staff member looks like, but their personality too — through colour, symbols, style and creative imagery 🎭🌈
👀 Show up, get involved, earn points for your community and connect with TC staff in a creative way!
📝 If you’d like to participate, please complete the expression of interest form:
Almost Archies – Student Expression of Interest
VCE Drama Performances - 28 May
Please join us down in the PAC next week to see what our VCE Drama students have been working on for their Unit 1 assessment. 🎭 👺 🧝
📅 When: 28 May
🕠 Time: 6.00pm (Doors to the PAC open at 5.30pm)
🧭 Where: PAC - TC’s Performing Arts Centre
🎟️ Ticketing is now open for all events via Trybooking:
Animals Trivia - Save the date and reserve a table
Our annual Animals Trivia Night is happening on Friday 24 July — and we’d love to see you there!
🎟️ Tickets: $25 each - bookings will open after table reservations.
This year, we’re simplifying the booking process to make it easier for friends and families to sit together.
Want to reserve a table?
Tables comfortably seat 10 people
If you think you can fill a table, we can reserve one in your name
Your friends can then book directly onto your named table through TryBooking
📧 To reserve a table, please email Duncan: dsa@tc.vic.edu.au
Won't have a big group?
No problem! Once the Trybooking link is released, you’ll still be able to book tickets and join a “small groups” table on the night.
Once table reservations are finalised, we’ll release the booking link to the TC community.
We hope you can join us for a fun night supporting our exciting and innovative Animals Program.
Duncan Sadler
Reconciliation Week 2026 All In
Did you know that the Sports Centre Mural "Yan Kondee Yirramboi - Walking to Tomorrow" has a story attached to it?
Read all about TC's Reconciliation journey here and click through to read Wurundjeri artist Simone Thomson's artist statement to learn more about our school's connection to Wurundjeri Country.
https://tc.vic.edu.au/reconciliation-action-plan
A reminder to all our TC Creatives to get their entries in for the Reconciliation Week Creative Comp to go in the running for a $200 1st prize, $50 2nd prize, and $30 3rd prize vouchers. Send entries that respond to the theme "All In" to RGR@tc.vic.edu.au by June 5.
https://www.reconciliation.org.au/our-work/national-reconciliation-week/
A sample of other Reconciliation-related learning activities happening this term:
One River, Many Streams collaboration with Ganga Giri
Sister Heart by Sally Morgan text in Essential English
Red Earth Central Australia Indigenous Immersion camp - June 9-15
Indigenous Ways of Knowing in VCE Psychology 3/4
Wanyara Indigenous games at our annual Athletics and Indigenous games day
Acknowledgment of Country spoken in Woiwurrung language by School Captain Delenah Schelbach at our Athletics and Indigenous games day
Plus lots more...
To learn more about the history and significance of our local area, please read the work of the late local historian Jim Poulter. His work in partnership with Traditional Owners is a rich legacy for us all to learn from: https://www.recman.org.au/
Want to contribute to Reconciliation at TC? Please send an email to RGR@tc.vic.edu.au to find out more about our Reconciliation Action Plan working group.
Ngoon godjin (thank you in Woiwurrung)
TC News
Reconcilation Week
I’d like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of this land on which I and many others live upon. I acknowledge the care, and connection Traditional Owners have for Country and that all who live on this land have a responsibility to do the same. I acknowledge the importance of Reconciliation and the efforts of many who strive to achieve it in all spaces across Australia. And I continue to pay my respects to Elders past and present. Australia was, is and will continue to be the Traditional Land of First Nation Peoples.
“Templestowe College stands on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people close to Birrarung (Yarra River), Bolin Bolin Billabong, Yingabeal scar tree, and Pound Bend Reserve. The surrounding area abounds in natural and cultural heritage including stringybark and manna gum forests, rich wildlife, traditional aquaculture and land management, scar trees, and rich cultural traditions that are maintained to this day.”-Templestowe College Reconciliation Action Plan
From 27 May to 3 June National Reconciliation Week runs annually. But what is Reconciliation?
Reconciliation Australia shares that “At its heart, reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, for the benefit of all Australians.”
Reconciliation Week is an opportunity for all to learn more about the history of First Nations peoples, it’s also a chance to reflect on how you can support and get involved in Reconciliation. As Reconciliation is not a one-time achievement, it is an ongoing process.
A way schools promote Reconciliation is through a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). A RAP is a foundation that supplies institutions with an organised approach to accelerate Reconciliation. Check out Templestowe College’s RAP: TC’s Reconciliation Action Plan
Dara Cucos
TC Journalist