College News – 6 June 2025

On Wednesday we welcomed 30 boys considering joining Rostrevor in Year 7 to our College for an opportunity to experience secondary schooling in the Rostrevor environment. They started the day with some get-to-know-you activities before participating in Science, Agriculture, Technology, Music and Manchester City Football School classes. 

The Year 10 Outdoor Education class braved sub-zero temperatures this week, camping north of Renmark for a two-night canoe camp. We experienced glassy conditions and stayed mostly dry. The boys were well prepared, well fed, exercised fantastic teamwork and a were a pleasure to guide along the waterways.  

The boarders vs day students cricket match at the Internment Camp has become a Rostrevor tradition and was a true highlight of the trip. Despite being a rewarding experience, the group is looking forward to some basic amenities, access to WiFi and a well-earned long weekend when they return this afternoon. 

David Walker 

Middle and Senior Years students participated in the annual friendly MABO Day Football match and BBQ on Monday this week. A fun way to finish off National Reconciliation Week, the event brough students together with the aim of strengthening relationships and honouring Australia’s past while paving the way for a brighter future for all. 

On Tuesday this week, a group of Year 12 Rostrevor students participated in the Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) Student Leadership Program held at the Adelaide Pavilion alongside peers from other Catholic schools around the state, including Mary Mackillop College, St Ignatius College and Tenison Woods College from Mount Gambier. The day was focused on the development of leadership skills, knowledge and understanding, fostering a strong sense of community and connection among schools. We collaborated with other schools to explore methods of enhancing our leadership qualities in school and the wider community. It was an empowering experience, equipping us with the confidence and knowledge to take on our leadership roles. 

Josh Holt (Year 12) 

Last week the Year 6 student leaders attended an Edmund Rice Education Australia Leadership Day at Christian Brothers College (CBC), alongside students from St Paul’s College. The day focused on exploring what it truly means to be a leader — not just in title, but through action, compassion and service to others. 

Throughout the day, they participated in a range of workshops and team-building activities designed to build confidence, encourage collaboration and deepen their understanding of leadership qualities such as empathy, integrity and resilience. One of the highlights of the day was supporting Fred’s Van by making sandwiches for people in need. This hands-on experience helped our students recognise the power of small acts of kindness and the importance of giving back to the community. 

Recently, Rostrevor’s Year 12 First Nations students were invited to attend a consultation and planning session with local Artist, David Booth, to support the development of the annual CESA Year 12 Aboriginal student Completion of Studies artwork which will be presented to each student at an event in October this year. 

Students engaged with David on the use of symbols to help tell a story before planning the background and detail of the artwork. The picture represents the first part of the students’ journeys and will be completed over the coming months by David Booth. 

Rostrevor is participating in the Shadow Judging program for the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA), and on Monday we welcomed Kathryn Beilby, CBCA Judge, to our College. Kathryn discussed the judging criteria and requirements of critical analysis with participating students. This year, a group of Year 8 students will judge the Eve Pownell Information Book category, and a group of Year 5s will be judging the Picture Book category. 

We were thrilled to be invited to participate in CBCA SA Shadow Judging Program. This pilot is designed for a select group of South Australian secondary schools and aims to trial strategies that use the student-led, discussion-based format of Shadow Judging to promote engagement with quality literature. In particular, the program will focus on encouraging participation from all readers and deepening student comprehension through creative and critical response tasks. 

Parents and caregivers of students with food allergies have a new way of ordering food from the Rostrevor Café to mitigate the risk of allergen cross-contamination. Starting immediately, a separate online ordering option will be available for students with allergies on the Flexischools app.  

If your child has a food allergy, please use only the designated Allergy Service options when placing orders. This option allows you to clearly communicate your child’s allergy which will be printed on yellow labels to help staff easily identify and manage allergy-specific meals with extra care. Parents of children without allergies should continue to use the standard ordering options. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us keep all students safe. 

Rostrevor's First V Basketball team played an excellent defensive game against Basketball powerhouse Trinity College on the weekend, taking out a nail-biting 59-56 win. Their exceptional perimeter shooting, disciplined clock management and great offensive reads gave them the edge needed to secure the hard-fought win. Breaking the drought of losses to a strong and formidable Trinity basketball program, the First V has started the 2025 season with five wins from five games! 

Rostrevor’s First XVIII travelled to Prince Alfred College for a significant Reconciliation Round fixture—an important and symbolic event on the football calendar. PAC came out strong, booting four of the first five goals, but Rostrevor responded well to narrow the margin to just two goals by quarter time. Despite generating plenty of chances in the second term, missed opportunities proved costly, with PAC making the most of their chances to extend their lead. Rostrevor’s First XVIII showed great resilience and fought hard until the final siren, ending the match with 11.10 (76) to PAC’s 19.15 (129).  

Following a meaningful Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony to mark Reconciliation Round, the Second XVIII team put in a determined effort against PAC. Although they made a slow start, Rostrevor steadily closed the gap at each break, remaining within striking distance throughout. Despite their persistence, time ran out before they could claim the lead in the final quarter. A highlight of the match was Tyler Caufield’s impressive return, making a strong debut after a long-term injury layoff. Rostrevor’s Second XVIII finished with 6.6 (42) to PAC’s 7.11 (53).