College News – 30 January 2026

As we come to the end of the first week of the new school year I to extend a warm welcome to families, staff, friends of Rostrevor College, and, most importantly, students. I wish to especially recognise all those new to our community; students, staff, families and those who partner with us and support us – I warmly welcome you to the Rostrevor family. I also formally welcome our new Deputy Principal, Mr Cameron Alexander. While not a totally new face to Rostrevor, we welcome Cameron back in a new and substantive capacity.   

As we gathered as a whole College community on Wednesday morning, I reflected on those who have come before us, those who also stood in the Valley; the Christian Brothers, the students, the staff and families. It is their legacy that we will honour in our work this year. We remain loyal in our commitment to the red and black – colours that fill us with pride. 

As the new academic year begins, we look ahead to new challenges and fresh opportunities for us all to grow and develop. And as we face the ups and downs that the year will no doubt bring, let's appreciate the moments that bring us together, the small acts of service and kindness that make this place more than just a school, but a community. I look forward to sharing in these moments with you, the Rostrevor community, in our College’s 103rd year.  

Shana Bennett 

Rostrevor’s annual tradition of the Opening Ceremony is always a beautiful way for the College community to commence the school year. An emotive event, it began with the bagpiper leading new students through a guard of honour and around the Valley as families, returning students and staff watched on. A favourite tradition of the event for many is the moment Year 12 and Reception students wave to each other from opposite ends of the Valley. The wave unites Rostrevor’s oldest and youngest students and serves as a reminder of how connected each and every student is to each other across all year levels, united by the Rostrevor education, universal camaraderie and red & black spirit they share. 

The Prefects’ Investiture this morning was a chance for us to acknowledge and celebrate the leadership journeys the 2026 Prefects are embarking upon this year. This morning, the incoming Prefect group participated in an intimate Chapel service for alongside their families where they were officially sworn into their roles before enjoying a morning tea.  

Rostrevor’s thirteen Prefects and their Deputies play a significant role in setting the tone for the student body. They accept the responsibility of being examples of how Rostrevor students are to conduct themselves in all aspects of their daily lives, upholding what it means to be a Rostrevor man in today's world. 

This year we welcome a number of new staff to our College community. Please join us in welcoming the following people to Rostrevor:   

• Ryan Clarke | Academic Staff – Senior School 
• Charlie Collins | ESO – Junior School Classroom Support
• Mikki Dimas | Academic Staff – Junior School
• Jessica Hogan | Academic Staff – Junior School
• Galia Kay | Academic Staff – Junior School
• Magnus Krause | Academic Staff – Senior School 
• Delaney Loftus | Academic Staff – Senior School
• Kelly Mercer | Academic Staff – Senior School
• Michael Monda | Academic Staff – Senior School
• Emma Palumbo | Academic Staff – Senior School
• Samuel Thorpe | Academic Staff – Senior School
• Alexander Trzcinski | Academic Staff – Senior School
• Amelia Verlato | Acting Head of Faculty – Arts 

Rostrevor’s youngest learners experienced their first official day of school on Wednesday, sharing in the excitement and anticipation of the day with their new classmates. Although, this is not the first time they have spent with each other in their classroom – the Little Rossi Learners sessions in Term 4 of last year served as an opportunity for them to become familiar with the faces and spaces of their new school so they were prepared to launch into their learning this week.  

The 2025 Rostrevor College Foundation Annual General Meeting will be held at 6.00pm on Monday 16 February 2026 at Rostrevor College. Should you wish to attend, please contact Damien Pipicella at dpipicella@rostrevor.sa.edu.au by 5pm on Monday 9 February. 

In early December last year, Rostrevor’s Open A and Middle A Basketball teams flew to the Gold Coast to compete in the 2025 Footlocker Australian School Championships. The boys enjoyed all Gold Coast had to offer and became a tight knit group throughout the trip.   

The competition was extremely tough, and both teams played high level basketball, improving as the tournament progressed and displaying true Rostrevor spirit. The Middle A team competed in the U15 Division 3 competition, where they finished undefeated as division champions! The Open As progressed to the quarter finals in the U20 Division 1 competition, being knocked out in a close game to a very tough opponent. Thank you to all the coaches and staff members who made this amazing experience possible. 

Following the end of Term 4 last year, some of Rostrevor’s Senior School Cricket teams came back to the College to host fellow EREA schools from Queensland for their annual South Australian Cricket tours. These friendly games help to maintain the strong bonds that our College enjoys with St Josephs Nudgee College and St Joseph’s College Gregory Terrace.  

Our Middle First XI and Middle Second XI won both matches against Gregory Terrace, with Tyler Hitch making 69* and Sidney McDonald taking two wickets in the Middle First XI match. The senior First XI and Second XI sides were both bested by strong Nudgee College teams, with standout players being Daniel Boulden who bowled 5/40 for the First XI, and Daksh Batan who scored a half-century for the Second XI. 

Rostrevor’s Middle Cricket team hosted their counterparts from Toowoomba Grammar School over the holidays for a friendly match against the touring Queensland team. Lucas Maschotta, Caleb Lamshed and Christiaan Van Staden all took two wickets each, and Zac Smith was the highest run-scorer with 30 runs. The final score was Rostrevor 10/117 to Toowoomba 10/131.