Embedded Files
Little Desert and Black Ranges Swimming
Little Desert and Black Ranges Swimming
On 25th and 26th February, Primary and Secondary students travelled to Horsham to compete at the Little Dessert and Black Ranges Swimming Carnivals. The students did an amazing job representing Kaniva College, both in the pool and out of it. We are so very proud of their efforts. For full results, see the newsletter published on 27th February 2026.
We have a number of students going on to compete at the Greater Western Region Swimming Carnival in March. We wish them all the very best of luck.
Spectacular Swimming Sports
Spectacular Swimming Sports
On Friday, 13th February we held the Prep to Year 12 Swimming Sports Day at the Kaniva Memorial Swimming Pool. It was amazing to have so many parents/carers, grandparents and community members there to cheer along the students. Congratulations to all of the competitors on your enthusiastic participation on the day and your equally impressive cheering. A special congratulations to the winning house, Meruko and our Age Group Champions.
Little Desert Swimming Qualifiers
Little Desert Swimming Qualifiers
We were so impressed with the spectacular swimming efforts of our students on Swimming Sports Day. We would like to congratulate the following students, who have qualified to compete at the Little Desert Swimming (Primary) carnival, to be held on Wednesday, 25th February, and Little Desert (Senior) Carnival, to be held on Thursday, 26th February, in Horsham. We wish them all the very best of luck!
Country Education Partnership
2026 Youth Ambassador
Country Education Partnership
2026 Youth Ambassador
This week, Year 11 student, Holly Tink, was successful in gaining a position as a CEP Rural Youth Ambassador. Holly will travel to Melbourne each term to take part in three-day student forums, where she will meet with rural students from across Victoria. The Ambassadors participate in forums and speaking with politicians and various groups involved in education. It is a wonderful opportunity for Holly to share her experiences of education in a rural setting. A big thank you to Maurice Billi from CEP, who travelled to Kaniva to meet with Holly and took the opportunity to catch up with some of our past Ambassadors.
Leadership School - Term 4, 2026
Leadership School - Term 4, 2026
We are so excited to announce that Caitlin Hendy and Mikayla Hall have been selected to attend the Gnurad-Gundidj campus in Term 4, this year. This is an amazing experience, and we hope that they make the most of every minute.
Gnurad-Gundidj Campus of the School for Student Leadership is a residential program for Year 9 students that places them in a nine-week, immersive living-and-learning environment in Glenormiston South, Victoria. It’s built around experiential education, where students learn through real experiences; combining outdoor expeditions, teamwork, community engagement projects, and reflective classes designed to strengthen self-belief, relationships and connectedness rather than traditional classroom lessons. Students live together 24/7, take part in environmental challenges and community service, and plan and implement projects they can take back to their home schools. The experience enables students to build greater confidence and resilience, improved leadership and communication skills, stronger teamwork abilities, deeper environmental and cultural awareness, and enhanced community engagement; all geared toward helping them become more capable, reflective and socially responsible young leaders.
National Apprenticeship Week
National Apprenticeship Week
National Apprenticeship Week Australia (NAWA) is a nationwide celebration of apprenticeships and traineeships. It recognises the essential role they play in developing workforce skills, growing businesses, and building a strong Australian economy. NAWA brings together employers, apprentices, schools, training providers, industry associations, and government to:
Recognise the contribution of apprentices and trainees;
Highlight the importance of apprenticeships as a respected and rewarding career pathway; and
Inspire young people and career-changers to see apprenticeships as a future worth pursuing.
At Kaniva College, in 2026 we have three students undertaking School-Based Apprenticeships. Jett Rabone and Lachlan Coad are both undertaking a Certificate III in Agricutural Mechanical Technology at Wise Farm Equipment in Bordertown, while Ajay Bradburn is undertaking a Certificate in Painting and Decorating with the West Wimmera Health Service, across their local sites. This is an exciting opportunity for the boys to develop their workplace skills and make a headstart towards their future career pathways while still completing their VCE Vocational Major.
2026 House Captains
2026 House Captains
Our Houses have voted to select their 2026 House Captains. Congratulations to the following students, who will represent their House in 2026.
They've been doing an amazing job so far, getting their Houses ready to cheer their team mates on at the upcoming Swimming Sports Day, to be held on Friday, 13th February!
Prep Class 2026
Prep Class 2026
We are so excited to welcome our Prep students to the Kaniva College community.
Congratulations
Congratulations
Congratulations to Year 11 student Evie Hendy on being awarded the Kwong Lee Dow Scholarship.
NAPLAN 2026 Information for Parents and Carers
NAPLAN 2026 Information for Parents and Carers
Why do students do NAPLAN?
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. It is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake. As students progress through their school years, it is important to check how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and numeracy. NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum, and allows parents and carers to see how their child is progressing against national proficiency standards. NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process. It does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance, but it can provide teachers with more information about students’ educational progress. NAPLAN also provides schools, education authorities and governments with information about how education programs are working, and whether young Australians are achieving important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy.
For more information on NAPLAN, please read 'NAPLAN 2026 Information for Parents and Carers'.
Year 5 to 12 Presentation Evening
Year 5 to 12 Presentation Evening
On Tuesday, 16th December, we held our annual Presentation Evening, for students in Years 5 to 12, at the Kaniva Shire Hall. It was a wonderful opportunity to pause and celebrate the achievements of our students. Every award presented reflected effort, persistence and a commitment to doing one’s best.
See our Newsletter for all of our amazing award recipients.
PrintACar Finals
PrintACar Finals
On Thursday, 27th November, Mr Staehr and Leonie traveled to Melbourne with students from Years 5 and 6 for the PrintACar Finals. Kaniva College had two teams in the Finals, the Hotshots, made up of Abby Hawker, Mitchell Hendy, Zoe Staehr and Christian Charalambous; and the Zoomys, made up of Emily Dodson, Liam Hawker, Otto Maddern and Jackson Staehr.
The Hotshots won an award for the Best Poster and the Zoomys won an award for the Best Portfolio, which was amazing for both teams. A huge congratulations to the Zoomys who came first overall for the Primary Division.
Lions International Peace Poster Competition
Lions International Peace Poster Competition
Our Year 6 students created posters to enter into the Lions International Peace Poster
Competition. The competition provides a creative way for students to express their visions of peace. One grand prize winner and 23 merit winners are chosen each year.
Congratulations to Amity Foster, who was awarded 1st prize for the Kaniva district, and also to Emily Dodson who came 2nd and Matilda Maddern who came 3rd.
Thank you to Libby Witmitz for providing this opportunity to our students and for announcing and awarding our winners. A special thanks to Mr V for making this project available during Art class time.
Year 12 Valedictory
Year 12 Valedictory
On Friday, 21st November, Kaniva College held our Valedictory Dinner at the Kaniva Community Hub, to celebrate the educational journeys of our Year 12 students,
Laila Ansell and Ella Wallis. It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on Laila and Ella’s
experiences during their 13 years at Kaniva College, with both students sharing some
insightful and amusing reflections.
Congratulations to Laila and Ella!
Prep Excursion - Halls Gap
Prep Excursion - Halls Gap
Our Prep class had an action-packed excursion to Halls Gap on Tuesday, filled with
moments the students won’t soon forget. Excitement began early with a stop at Dadswells Bridge to see the enormous koala, followed by the unforgettable experience of feeding meerkats and otters with alive and wriggling mealworms. There was even a moment of surprise when a very eager deer managed to slip through the gate! The students loved hand-feeding pellets to the baby emus, deer, and wallabies, and they were fascinated watching the keeper feed the impressive macaw birds. A highlight for many was seeing Mrs Staehr bravely hand-feed the ostrich, who nearly made off with her little finger!
The fun continued as the giraffe curiously watched the children eat their recess, adding plenty of giggles to the day. After exploring the large Halls Gap playground and enjoying delicious ice creams along the boardwalk, the excitement carried on with a refreshing swim at the Horsham pool. The trip wrapped up with joyful singing in the van, bringing
everyone together after a day full of adventure and discovery.
We extend a heartfelt thank you to Mrs Staehr and Carolyn for leading the students on such a wonderful excursion. Their care, enthusiasm, and willingness to dive into every
experience made the day safe, memorable, and incredibly fun for all involved.
Year 1 Excursion - Tailem Town
Year 1 Excursion - Tailem Town
Last Friday, the Year 1s enjoyed a wonderful excursion to Old Tailem Town as part of their Humanities unit on learning about the past. One of the highlights was spending time in the old school building, where the school ma’am, Miss Zrim, taught the students what school was like many years ago. The children even had the chance to practise old-style cursive writing with ink pens. Miss Zrim later shared, “I had the pleasure of being the School Ma’am at Old Tailem Town today when a delightful group of Year 1 students from Kaniva visited. Such a lovely group.”
The students also loved wandering through the historic town, exploring old shops, homes, and artefacts. They were especially excited to discover that some buildings and items had come from familiar places, such as Lillimur, Wolseley, Bordertown and Serviceton. Seeing real objects from the past helped bring their learning to life in a meaningful and memorable way.
To finish off the day, the Year 1s enjoyed a soft-serve ice cream on the drive home, a
simple treat that ended up being one of the favourite moments of the whole excursion! The day was full of excitement, learning and fun, giving the students a wonderful glimpse into what life was like long ago.
A special thank you to Miss Gorry, Mrs Kuchel and Fiona for making the day such a
wonderful mix of fun, excitement and hands on learning for our enthusiastic students.
Celebrating High Attendance
Celebrating High Attendance
On Tuesday, 20 students from the Senior School were invited to a special morning tea in recognition of their outstanding attendance. Each of these students achieved an average of 90% or above for the year, which shows a fantastic commitment to their learning. A special congratulations goes to Ollie Dowler, who achieved the highest attendance rate across the entire school. What an impressive effort!
Book Fair Colouring Competition
Book Fair Colouring Competition
This week Mrs Dodson and her helpers have been running a Book Fair in the MP Room and have also organised a colouring competition. All of the entries were of a very high
standard. A winner from each year level was selected by a teacher vote! Each entrant was rewarded with a Golden Ticket for their efforts and the following students have been awarded a $10 Book Fair Voucher. Congratulations to the following students:
Prep - Lottie Carter, Year 1 - Henry Hendy, Year 2 - Annabelle Wallis,
Year 3 - Stella Charalambous, Year 4 - Vezy Drage, Year 5 - Lucy Harris and
Year 6 - Amity Foster.
SRC in 2026
SRC in 2026
We are pleased to announce the new and returning members for 2026:
Ellie Symington
Christian Charalambous
Stella Charalambous
Billy Salt
Jackson Staehr
Lucy Harris
Zoe Staehr
Keira Jewell
Holly Tink
Emily Dodson
Matilda Tink
We would also like to extend a big thank you to our members finishing up at the end of this year. Your contribution to our school as SRC members has been outstanding.
Ella Wallis
Willis Stimson
Rebecca Hobbs
Pippa Vivan
Mitchell Hendy
Jumper Phase Out
Jumper Phase Out
HDFNL Donation
HDFNL Donation
Each year, the Horsham District Football Netball League (HDFNL) selects two schools to
receive the footballs and netballs used during the finals series. This year, Kaniva College is the lucky recipient!
On Thursday, Chloe from the HDFNL visited Kaniva College to personally deliver the
generous donation to our Junior School Captains and SRC Members. They were amazed that all of the balls are practically brand new!
A heartfelt thank you to the HDFNL for this wonderful contribution. Students across both the junior and senior sites will make great use of this equipment.
Teddy Bears' Picnic
Teddy Bears' Picnic
On Thursday, 30th October our Prep and Year 6 Buddies class got together for a Teddy Bears' Picnic. All of the children brought in their most loved teddy bear / cuddly toy and introduced them to the group; telling everyone why they were special. There were some lovely stories! Then they shared some delicious treats and had some time on the playground together.
Rural Youth Ambassadors Graduation
Rural Youth Ambassadors Graduation
Year 11 students Keira Jewell and Willis Stimson have taken part in the Country Education Partnership's Rural Youth Ambassador Program.
Country Education Partnership (CEP) developed the Rural Youth Ambassadord Program to provide young people within rural communities the opportunity to develop their ambassadorial amplitude, while strengthening their leadership skills and capacity. By partnering with education sectors, rural communities and governments the program aims to enhance and improve the lives, learning opportunities and educational outcomes of rural young people.
Forum 4 has been an incredible experience, filled with unforgettable moments, like rock climbing and meaningful connections. With the support of the Department of Education and the friendships we've built, completing graduation was a proud milestone. We look forward to seeing our fellow Rural Youth Ambassadors in the future as we end our time at CEP. We are forever grateful for this experience and would highly recommend it to other students.
Keira Jewell and Willis Stimson
Premier's Reading Challenge
Premier's Reading Challenge
Last Term, our Prep to Year 6 students were given the opportunity to participate in the Premier's Reading Challenge. The Challenge encourages children to read a set number of books over the year and record their efforts online. The children who meet the Premier's Challenge are awarded with a certificate and badge.
This year was particularly special for our students, as it was the Challenge's 20th birthday. Across our state, more than 76,237 children completed the Challenge, and together, 3,092,257 books were read.
Congratulations to everyone who took part and a special congratulations to those who met the challenge.
Greater Western Region Track and Field Championships
Greater Western Region Track and Field Championships
On Thursday, 9th October, our qualifying senior students attended the Greater Western Region Secondary Track and Field Final (Regionals). The competition was fierce, but our students performed admirably, with some achieving personal bests.
Thank you to the parents for transporting students, Mr Feduniw for his coordination efforts prior to the event and Mr Staehr and Mr Jokantas for all of their hard work on the day.
Results
12-13 Years Boys
800m Run: 6th Colby Champness
1500m Run: 8th Colby Champness (achieved Personal Best time)
12-13 Years Girls
Javelin Throw: 7th Matilda Tink
14 Years Girls
Long Jump: 6th Aurora Merrett
14 Years Boys
High Jump: 7th Nicholas Verrall
16 Years Girls
Discus Throw: 2nd Ruby Gordon
Shot Put: 6th Ruby Gordon
100m Dash: 8th Ruby Gordon
On Friday, 10th October, Isla Lannin, Zoe Staehr, Harry Lannin,
Jackson Staehr and Emily Dodson travelled to
Ballarat to compete in the Greater Western Region Primary Track and Field Final (Regionals). Competition at this level is very strong, with many
competitors attending with their event-specific coaches! Our students did an amazing job!
Thank you to the parents for transporting students, Mr Feduniw for his coordination efforts prior to the event; and Mr Staehr and Mrs Staehr for all of their hard work on the day.
Results
9-10 Years Girls
Triple Jump: 9th Isla Lannin
1500m Run: 6th Zoe Staehr
12-13 Years Girls
1500m Run: 15th Emily Dodson
12-13 Years Boys
800m Run: 10th Jackson Staehr
Discus Throw: 4th Harry Lannin
Sports Colours Day
Sports Colours Day
To celebrate the last day of Term 3, the SRC organised a Sports Colours Day with donations going towards Fight MND. Thank you to the school community for getting behind this initiative so enthusiastically!
Little Desert Athletics - Stawell
Little Desert Athletics - Stawell
On Wednesday, 10th September, Isla Lannin, Zoe Staehr, Emily Dodson, Stella Charalambous, Abby Hawker, Annabel Carter, Harry Lannin, Billy Salt, Jackson Staehr, Liam Hawker, and Archie Dunstall travelled to Stawell to compete in the Little Desert Primary Track and Field Finals. They competed in 19 events across the day, with each one being well supported and cheered on by their team mates, family members and teachers.
Thank you to the parents for transporting students, Mrs Dodson for her coordination in the lead up to the event; and Mr Staehr and Mrs Staehr for all of their hard work in the lead up and on the day.
Results
9-10 Years Girls
800m Run: 3rd Zoe Staehr; 1500m Run: 2nd Zoe Staehr; Triple Jump: 2nd Isla Lannin, 5th Stella Charalambous; Shot Put: 3rd Abby Hawker; Discus Throw: 4th Annabel Carter; 4 x 100m Relay: 2nd Kaniva (Zoe Staehr, Isla Lannin, Annabel Carter, Abby Hawker)
9-10 Years Boys
Long Jump: 4th Billy Salt;
11 Years Boys
Shot Put: 5th Archie Dunstall; Discus Throw: 5th Archie Dunstall
12-13 Years Girls
1500m Run: 2nd Emily Dodson;
12-13 Years Boys
800m Run: 2nd Jackson Staehr; 1500m Run: 3rd Jackson Staehr; Discus Throw: 2nd Harry Lannin
Regionals Qualifiers
Congratulations to the following students who have qualified to compete at the Greater Western Primary Track and Field Region Championships (Regionals) in Ballarat on Friday, 10th October. We wish them all the very best of luck!
Isla Lannin: 9-10 Years Girls Triple Jump; Zoe Staehr: 9-10 Years Girls 1500m Run;
Emily Dodson: 12-13 Years Girls 1500m Run; Jackson Staehr: 12-13 Years Boys 800m Run;
and Harry Lannin: 12-13 Years Boys Discus Throw
Country Education Partnership Rural Youth Ambassadors
Country Education Partnership Rural Youth Ambassadors
This year, being part of the Country Education Partnership has given us the chance to travel to Melbourne, meet government leaders, and present on important issues facing rural schools. Through the forums, we built strong friendships, collaborated with students from other schools, and proposed solutions to improve education in rural communities. Overall, CEP has been an incredibly rewarding experience, both socially and educationally, and one we would highly recommend to others. By Keira Jewell and Willis Stimson Keira and Willis will be attending the Graduation Forum and Dinner from 15th to 17th October in Melbourne
Kaniva College Senior Students Have Success at the Clay Target State School Students Championships
Kaniva College Senior Students Have Success at the Clay Target State School Students Championships
On Monday, 1st September ten of our senior students travelled to Echuca to compete in the Clay Target State School Students Championships. Evie Hendy, Byron Merrett, Xavier Stimson, Willis Stimson, Keira Jewell, Flynn Dodson, Caitlin Hendy, Brooke Crouch and Ruby Doyle did their best against some very talented competitors, with them all achieving excellent scores. Congratulations to Flynn Dodson who came 3rd in the Junior Boys division and to Keira Jewell who came 3rd in the Senior Girls division. We are so proud of all of our students’ success this competition season. Reaching the state level is a huge achievement. A special thank you to parents for taking the students to the competition and to Lisa Hawker and the Kaniva Gun Club.
Kaniva College Junior Students Achieve at WWSSA
Kaniva College Junior Students Achieve at WWSSA
On Wednesday, 20th August 37 junior students, who qualified at the Kaniva College Athletics Sports day in March, travelled to Warracknabeal for the WWSSA Junior Athletics Carnival. Our
students put in an amazing effort and achieved great results.
Congratulations to everyone for their enthusiastic participation. Our students and their families showed incredible school spirit displayed. Kaniva College competitors were well supported and cheered on at every event they participated in. Thank you to the families who transported
students and cheered everyone on and to Mr Staehr, Mrs Staehr, Mrs Salt, and Mr V for all of their hard work on the day to make the event such a success. Thank you also to Mrs Dodson for all of her organisational work in the background and to Miss Gorry and Mrs Dodson for holding down the fort back at school!
RESULTS
Girls 7 Years:
75m Heat 1: 1st Elise Hawker; 75m Heat 2: 3rd Tahlia Walker Hanks; 75m Heat 3: 1st Alyssa Thomas; 75m Heat 4: 1st Zara Fisher; 4x75m Shuttle Relay: 1st Kaniva College (Elise Hawker,
Tahlia Walker-Hanks, Alyssa Thomas, Zara Fischer)
Boys 7 Years:
75m Heat 1: 2nd Jobe Lannin; 75m Heat 2: 1st Darcy Harris; 75m Heat 3: 3rd Henry Hendy; 75m Heat 4: 1st William Dodson; 4 x 75m Shuttle Relay: 3rd Kaniva College (Jobe Lannin, Darcy Harris, Henry Hendy, William Dodson)
Girls 8 Years:
75m Heat 1: 2nd Sophie Staehr; 75m Heat 2: 1st Indiana Leffler; 75m Heat 3: 1st Lexi Salt;
200m 1st Sophie Staehr; 4x75m Shuttle Relay: 1st Kaniva College (Sophie Staehr, Indiana Leffler, Lexi Salt)
Boys 8 Years:
75m Heat 1: 2nd Kade Merrett; 75m Heat 2: 3rd Max Carter; 75m Heat 3: 3rd Darcy Tink; 200m: 1st Kade Merrett; 4x75m Shuttle Relay: 1st Kaniva (Kade Merrett, Max Carter, Darcy Tink,
Jobe Lannin)
Girls 9 Years:
Discus: 4th Marlie Dunstall; High Jump: 2nd Stella Charalambous; Long Jump: 2nd Marlie Dunstall; Shot Put: 2nd Stella Charalambous; Triple Jump: 1st Stella Charalambous;
100m: 2nd Marlie Dunstall; 200m: 2nd Marlie Dunstall
Girls 10 Years:
Discus: 1st Annabel Carter; High Jump: 2nd Isla Lannin; Long Jump: 1st Zoe Staehr; Shot Put: 1st Abby Hawker; Triple Jump: 1st Isla Lannin; 100m: 2nd Zoe Staehr; 1500m: 2nd Zoe Staehr; 4x100m Relay: 1st Kaniva College (Annabel Carter, Abby Hawker, Isla Lannin, Zoe Staehr)
Boys 10 Years:
Discus: 6th Jake Coad; High Jump: 2nd Jake Coad; Long Jump: 1st Billy Salt; Shot Put: 4th Casey Hawker; Triple Jump: 2nd Billy Salt; 100m: 4th Jake Coad; 200m: 1st Billy Salt; 1500m: 4th Billy Salt; 4x100m Relay: 4th Kaniva (Jake Coad, Casey Hawker, Billy Salt, Max Carter)
Girls 11 Years:
Discus: 5th Lucy Harris: High Jump: 3rd Taylor Crouch; Long Jump: 6th Taylor Crouch;
Shot Put: 5th Lucy Harris; Triple Jump: 5th Lola Doyle; 800m: 4th Lola Doyle; 1500m: 3rd Lola Doyle
Boys 11 Years:
Discus: 2nd Archie Dunstall; High Jump: 3rd Christian Charalambous; Shot Put: 3rd Archie Dunstall; Triple Jump: 4th Archie Dunstall; 800m: 4th Otto Maddern; 1500m: 4th Otto Maddern;
4x100m Relay: 4th Kaniva (Archie Dunstall, Otto Maddern, Christian Charalambous).
Girls 12 Years and Over:
Discus: 3rd Amity Foster; High Jump: 2nd Emily Dodson; Long Jump: 3rd Emily Dodson;
Shot Put: 4th Amity Foster; 800m: 3rd Emily Dodson; 1500m: 1st Emily Dodson;
4x100m Relay: 3rd Kaniva (Amity Foster, Emily Dodson, Lucy Harris, Lola Doyle)
Boys 12 Years and Over
Discus: 1st Harry Lannin; High Jump: 1st Liam Hawker; Long Jump: 3rd Harry Lannin;
Shot Put; 5th Tyson Harry; Triple Jump: 2nd Harry Lannin; 100m: 2nd Harry Lannin;
200m: 2nd Liam Hawker; 800m: 1st Liam Hawker, 2nd Jackson Staehr; 1500m: 1st Liam Hawker,
2nd Jackson Staehr; 4x100m Relay: 2nd Kaniva (Harry Lannin, Tyson Harry, Liam Hawker,
Jackson Staehr)
Congratulations to the following students have qualified for Little Desert Athletics in Stawell on Wednesday, 10th September:
Girls 9 & 10 Years
Annabel Carter: Discus; Isla Lannin: Triple Jump, 200m; Zoe Staehr: 800m, 1500m;
Abby Hawker: Shot Put, Stella Charalambous: Triple Jump; Team: 4x100m Relay
Boys 9 & 10 Years
Jake Coad: High Jump; Billy Salt: Long Jump, 200m
Boys 11 Years
Archie Dunstall: Discus, Shot Put
Girls 12 Years & Over:
Emily Dodson: High Jump, 1500m
Boys 12 Years & Over
Harry Lannin: Discus, 100m; Liam Hawker: High Jump, 1500m;
Jackson Staehr: 800m, 1500m
Book Week Celebrations
Book Week Celebrations
Book Week is a special time each year when schools across Australia come together to celebrate the joy of reading and the magic of stories. It’s all about inspiring students to
develop a love for books and to explore the amazing worlds that reading can open up.
This year, our Book Week celebration was a huge success ,thanks to the incredible efforts of our entire school community. Parents went above and beyond to help with costumes and support activities, staff worked tirelessly to organise engaging events and bring stories to life, and our students amazed us with their creativity, enthusiasm, and love of reading.
A big thank you to everyone involved for making Book Week such a memorable and
inspiring celebration!
Kaniva College Students Have Success at the North West Zone School Students Clay Target Championships
Kaniva College Students Have Success at the North West Zone School Students Clay Target Championships
On Thursday, 14th August, 14 Kaniva College students travelled to Horsham to compete in the North West Zone School Students Clay Target Championships. The event was
20 targets Down the Line, shot in two visits, 10 targets per visit. All targets were
shot from 15m.
All of our students put in their best efforts and displayed our school values wonderfully throughout the competition. Here are their results:
Overall School Team: 1st Kaniva College (Byron Merrett, Zander Hawker, Xavier Stimson, Willis Stimson and Evie Hendy)
Senior Boys 15 and Over: 3rd Zander Hawker
Senior Girls 15 and Over: 1st Evie Hendy, 3rd Keira Jewell
Junior Boys Under 15: 2nd Flynn Dodson
Junior Girls Under 15: 1st Caitlin Hendy, 2nd Brooke Crouch, 3rd Ruby Doyle
Congratulations to Evie, Byron, Zander, Xavier, Willis, Keira, Flynn, Caitlin, Brooke and Ruby, who all qualified to compete at the State School Students
Championship in Echuca on 1st September.
100 Days of Prep
100 Days of Prep
On Friday, 8th August, our Prep class celebrated 100 Days of School, dressing up as 100 year olds and engaging in a range of educational activities with the number 100 as the theme. They had the absolute best day! Well done to Mrs Staehr and Carolyn for making learning such a magical journey for our Prep class.
Student Achievement
Student Achievement
Congratulations to Year 9 student Aurora Merrett, who has been awarded a NAPLAN Certificate of Achievement for achieving an ‘Exceeding’ standard in Reading; and for achieving ‘High Growth’ and an ‘Increase in Proficiency Level’ in Numeracy. This is an amazing achievement.
State Cross Country
State Cross Country
State Cross Country Championships were held on Thursday, 24th July at the Yarra Valley Racing Club. Kaniva College was represented by Year 5 student, Zoe Staehr, in the 9-10 Years Girls (2km) and Year 12 student, Laila Ansell, in the 17-20 Years Girls (3km). Zoe raced in the morning in a field of 97 competitors. She had trouble getting out at the start, as they were near the back and frustratingly had to jog on the spot before they could get moving. She found a great rhythm once she got going and ran really well. She came 62nd and had lots of fun! Laila raced in the afternoon and was very happy with the weather and track conditions, but found the hills quite windy. She ran an excellent time of 14.47 minutes, which placed her 53rd out of 70 runners. We are so proud of both Zoe and Laila on their amazing efforts. It is an immense effort to earn a place at the State level. Congratulations on your outstanding results.
Dress Up As A Teacher Day
Dress Up As A Teacher Day
On Friday, 4th July our SRC held 'Dress Up As A Teacher Day' to celebrate the end of the school term and to raise money for the Smith Family. The students enthusiastically took part in this special day, as did many of our staff members, dressing up as other teachers and students!
Thank you to everyone for going to such an effort to make this day a hit and for your very kind donations to such a worthy cause.
(see our Mrs Staehrs, Miss Gorrys and Mrs Bones below and check out the newsletter for more photos.)
Bonnie Gordon Wins Top Honours at the
Premier's VCE Awards
Bonnie Gordon Wins Top Honours at the
Premier's VCE Awards
Congratulations to Bonnie Gordon, who has received top honours with a Premier’s VCE Award for her outstanding VCE results in 2024.
Bonnie, who was the Kaniva College 2024 Year 12 VCE VM Dux, was recognised as an Outstanding VCE Vocational Major Student. This places her among seven top-achieving VM students among Victoria.
315 of Victoria’s top performing students were recognised at this year’s Premier’s VCE Awards, including three international students, seven students who completed the VCE Vocational Major program with distinction, and 23 Top All-Round VCE High Achievers who achieved study scores of 46 or higher out of 50 in at least five VCE subjects.
The entire Kaniva College community is proud of Bonnie and would like to congratulate her on being the recipient of such a prestigious award.
To view the full Honour Roll and to read more about the Premier’s VCE Awards, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-vce-awards
Jump Rope For Heart
Jump Rope For Heart
This term Kaniva College has been taking part in Jump Rope for Heart, being organised by the Unit 3 Personal Development Studies (PDS) class. On Monday we held our ‘Jump Off’ event, with students from Prep to Year 6 taking part. After the Jump Off we
celebrated with a delicious BBQ lunch cooked by the PDS students.
At the start of the program we set a goal for our students to log 40 hours of skipping throughout the program, and this was achieved by most of our participants. It was
amazing to see so many students taking part in the program with such dedication and
enthusiasm.
Our students have done an amazing part on the fundraising aspect of the program,
exceeding the original school goal of $500 and then exceeding our revised goal of $1000.
Thanks to the generosity of donations we have raised $1147.75 for the Heart Foundation, plus additional funds from the BBQ sales.
Congratulations to our leading Fundraising Super Heroes and thanks again
for your support!
Little Desert Athletics - Stawell
Little Desert Athletics - Stawell
On Wednesday, 10th September, Isla Lannin, Zoe Staehr, Emily Dodson, Stella Charalambous, Abby Hawker, Annabel Carter, Harry Lannin, Billy Salt, Jackson Staehr, Liam Hawker, and Archie Dunstall travelled to Stawell to compete in the Little Desert Primary Track and Field Finals. They competed in 19 events across the day, with each one being well supported and cheered on by their team mates, family members and teachers.
Thank you to the parents for transporting students, Mrs Dodson for her coordination in the lead up to the event; and Mr Staehr and Mrs Staehr for all of their hard work in the lead up and on the day.
Results
9-10 Years Girls
800m Run: 3rd Zoe Staehr; 1500m Run: 2nd Zoe Staehr; Triple Jump: 2nd Isla Lannin, 5th Stella Charalambous; Shot Put: 3rd Abby Hawker; Discus Throw: 4th Annabel Carter; 4 x 100m Relay: 2nd Kaniva (Zoe Staehr, Isla Lannin, Annabel Carter, Abby Hawker)
9-10 Years Boys
Long Jump: 4th Billy Salt;
11 Years Boys
Shot Put: 5th Archie Dunstall; Discus Throw: 5th Archie Dunstall
12-13 Years Girls
1500m Run: 2nd Emily Dodson;
12-13 Years Boys
800m Run: 2nd Jackson Staehr; 1500m Run: 3rd Jackson Staehr; Discus Throw: 2nd Harry Lannin
Regionals Qualifiers
Congratulations to the following students who have qualified to compete at the Greater Western Primary Track and Field Region Championships (Regionals) in Ballarat on Friday, 10th October. We wish them all the very best of luck!
Isla Lannin: 9-10 Years Girls Triple Jump; Zoe Staehr: 9-10 Years Girls 1500m Run;
Emily Dodson: 12-13 Years Girls 1500m Run; Jackson Staehr: 12-13 Years Boys 800m Run;
and Harry Lannin: 12-13 Years Boys Discus Throw
Country Education Partnership Rural Youth Ambassadors
Country Education Partnership Rural Youth Ambassadors
This year, being part of the Country Education Partnership has given us the chance to travel to Melbourne, meet government leaders, and present on important issues facing rural schools. Through the forums, we built strong friendships, collaborated with students from other schools, and proposed solutions to improve education in rural communities. Overall, CEP has been an incredibly rewarding experience, both socially and educationally, and one we would highly recommend to others. By Keira Jewell and Willis Stimson Keira and Willis will be attending the Graduation Forum and Dinner from 15th to 17th October in Melbourne
Kaniva College Senior Students Have Success at the Clay Target State School Students Championships
Kaniva College Senior Students Have Success at the Clay Target State School Students Championships
On Monday, 1st September ten of our senior students travelled to Echuca to compete in the Clay Target State School Students Championships. Evie Hendy, Byron Merrett, Xavier Stimson, Willis Stimson, Keira Jewell, Flynn Dodson, Caitlin Hendy, Brooke Crouch and Ruby Doyle did their best against some very talented competitors, with them all achieving excellent scores. Congratulations to Flynn Dodson who came 3rd in the Junior Boys division and to Keira Jewell who came 3rd in the Senior Girls division. We are so proud of all of our students’ success this competition season. Reaching the state level is a huge achievement. A special thank you to parents for taking the students to the competition and to Lisa Hawker and the Kaniva Gun Club.
Kaniva College Junior Students Achieve at WWSSA
Kaniva College Junior Students Achieve at WWSSA
On Wednesday, 20th August 37 junior students, who qualified at the Kaniva College Athletics Sports day in March, travelled to Warracknabeal for the WWSSA Junior Athletics Carnival. Our
students put in an amazing effort and achieved great results.
Congratulations to everyone for their enthusiastic participation. Our students and their families showed incredible school spirit displayed. Kaniva College competitors were well supported and cheered on at every event they participated in. Thank you to the families who transported
students and cheered everyone on and to Mr Staehr, Mrs Staehr, Mrs Salt, and Mr V for all of their hard work on the day to make the event such a success. Thank you also to Mrs Dodson for all of her organisational work in the background and to Miss Gorry and Mrs Dodson for holding down the fort back at school!
RESULTS
Girls 7 Years:
75m Heat 1: 1st Elise Hawker; 75m Heat 2: 3rd Tahlia Walker Hanks; 75m Heat 3: 1st Alyssa Thomas; 75m Heat 4: 1st Zara Fisher; 4x75m Shuttle Relay: 1st Kaniva College (Elise Hawker,
Tahlia Walker-Hanks, Alyssa Thomas, Zara Fischer)
Boys 7 Years:
75m Heat 1: 2nd Jobe Lannin; 75m Heat 2: 1st Darcy Harris; 75m Heat 3: 3rd Henry Hendy; 75m Heat 4: 1st William Dodson; 4 x 75m Shuttle Relay: 3rd Kaniva College (Jobe Lannin, Darcy Harris, Henry Hendy, William Dodson)
Girls 8 Years:
75m Heat 1: 2nd Sophie Staehr; 75m Heat 2: 1st Indiana Leffler; 75m Heat 3: 1st Lexi Salt;
200m 1st Sophie Staehr; 4x75m Shuttle Relay: 1st Kaniva College (Sophie Staehr, Indiana Leffler, Lexi Salt)
Boys 8 Years:
75m Heat 1: 2nd Kade Merrett; 75m Heat 2: 3rd Max Carter; 75m Heat 3: 3rd Darcy Tink; 200m: 1st Kade Merrett; 4x75m Shuttle Relay: 1st Kaniva (Kade Merrett, Max Carter, Darcy Tink,
Jobe Lannin)
Girls 9 Years:
Discus: 4th Marlie Dunstall; High Jump: 2nd Stella Charalambous; Long Jump: 2nd Marlie Dunstall; Shot Put: 2nd Stella Charalambous; Triple Jump: 1st Stella Charalambous;
100m: 2nd Marlie Dunstall; 200m: 2nd Marlie Dunstall
Girls 10 Years:
Discus: 1st Annabel Carter; High Jump: 2nd Isla Lannin; Long Jump: 1st Zoe Staehr; Shot Put: 1st Abby Hawker; Triple Jump: 1st Isla Lannin; 100m: 2nd Zoe Staehr; 1500m: 2nd Zoe Staehr; 4x100m Relay: 1st Kaniva College (Annabel Carter, Abby Hawker, Isla Lannin, Zoe Staehr)
Boys 10 Years:
Discus: 6th Jake Coad; High Jump: 2nd Jake Coad; Long Jump: 1st Billy Salt; Shot Put: 4th Casey Hawker; Triple Jump: 2nd Billy Salt; 100m: 4th Jake Coad; 200m: 1st Billy Salt; 1500m: 4th Billy Salt; 4x100m Relay: 4th Kaniva (Jake Coad, Casey Hawker, Billy Salt, Max Carter)
Girls 11 Years:
Discus: 5th Lucy Harris: High Jump: 3rd Taylor Crouch; Long Jump: 6th Taylor Crouch;
Shot Put: 5th Lucy Harris; Triple Jump: 5th Lola Doyle; 800m: 4th Lola Doyle; 1500m: 3rd Lola Doyle
Boys 11 Years:
Discus: 2nd Archie Dunstall; High Jump: 3rd Christian Charalambous; Shot Put: 3rd Archie Dunstall; Triple Jump: 4th Archie Dunstall; 800m: 4th Otto Maddern; 1500m: 4th Otto Maddern;
4x100m Relay: 4th Kaniva (Archie Dunstall, Otto Maddern, Christian Charalambous).
Girls 12 Years and Over:
Discus: 3rd Amity Foster; High Jump: 2nd Emily Dodson; Long Jump: 3rd Emily Dodson;
Shot Put: 4th Amity Foster; 800m: 3rd Emily Dodson; 1500m: 1st Emily Dodson;
4x100m Relay: 3rd Kaniva (Amity Foster, Emily Dodson, Lucy Harris, Lola Doyle)
Boys 12 Years and Over
Discus: 1st Harry Lannin; High Jump: 1st Liam Hawker; Long Jump: 3rd Harry Lannin;
Shot Put; 5th Tyson Harry; Triple Jump: 2nd Harry Lannin; 100m: 2nd Harry Lannin;
200m: 2nd Liam Hawker; 800m: 1st Liam Hawker, 2nd Jackson Staehr; 1500m: 1st Liam Hawker,
2nd Jackson Staehr; 4x100m Relay: 2nd Kaniva (Harry Lannin, Tyson Harry, Liam Hawker,
Jackson Staehr)
Congratulations to the following students have qualified for Little Desert Athletics in Stawell on Wednesday, 10th September:
Girls 9 & 10 Years
Annabel Carter: Discus; Isla Lannin: Triple Jump, 200m; Zoe Staehr: 800m, 1500m;
Abby Hawker: Shot Put, Stella Charalambous: Triple Jump; Team: 4x100m Relay
Boys 9 & 10 Years
Jake Coad: High Jump; Billy Salt: Long Jump, 200m
Boys 11 Years
Archie Dunstall: Discus, Shot Put
Girls 12 Years & Over:
Emily Dodson: High Jump, 1500m
Boys 12 Years & Over
Harry Lannin: Discus, 100m; Liam Hawker: High Jump, 1500m;
Jackson Staehr: 800m, 1500m
Book Week Celebrations
Book Week Celebrations
Book Week is a special time each year when schools across Australia come together to celebrate the joy of reading and the magic of stories. It’s all about inspiring students to
develop a love for books and to explore the amazing worlds that reading can open up.
This year, our Book Week celebration was a huge success ,thanks to the incredible efforts of our entire school community. Parents went above and beyond to help with costumes and support activities, staff worked tirelessly to organise engaging events and bring stories to life, and our students amazed us with their creativity, enthusiasm, and love of reading.
A big thank you to everyone involved for making Book Week such a memorable and
inspiring celebration!
Kaniva College Students Have Success at the North West Zone School Students Clay Target Championships
Kaniva College Students Have Success at the North West Zone School Students Clay Target Championships
On Thursday, 14th August, 14 Kaniva College students travelled to Horsham to compete in the North West Zone School Students Clay Target Championships. The event was
20 targets Down the Line, shot in two visits, 10 targets per visit. All targets were
shot from 15m.
All of our students put in their best efforts and displayed our school values wonderfully throughout the competition. Here are their results:
Overall School Team: 1st Kaniva College (Byron Merrett, Zander Hawker, Xavier Stimson, Willis Stimson and Evie Hendy)
Senior Boys 15 and Over: 3rd Zander Hawker
Senior Girls 15 and Over: 1st Evie Hendy, 3rd Keira Jewell
Junior Boys Under 15: 2nd Flynn Dodson
Junior Girls Under 15: 1st Caitlin Hendy, 2nd Brooke Crouch, 3rd Ruby Doyle
Congratulations to Evie, Byron, Zander, Xavier, Willis, Keira, Flynn, Caitlin, Brooke and Ruby, who all qualified to compete at the State School Students
Championship in Echuca on 1st September.
100 Days of Prep
100 Days of Prep
On Friday, 8th August, our Prep class celebrated 100 Days of School, dressing up as 100 year olds and engaging in a range of educational activities with the number 100 as the theme. They had the absolute best day! Well done to Mrs Staehr and Carolyn for making learning such a magical journey for our Prep class.
Student Achievement
Student Achievement
Congratulations to Year 9 student Aurora Merrett, who has been awarded a NAPLAN Certificate of Achievement for achieving an ‘Exceeding’ standard in Reading; and for achieving ‘High Growth’ and an ‘Increase in Proficiency Level’ in Numeracy. This is an amazing achievement.
State Cross Country
State Cross Country
State Cross Country Championships were held on Thursday, 24th July at the Yarra Valley Racing Club. Kaniva College was represented by Year 5 student, Zoe Staehr, in the 9-10 Years Girls (2km) and Year 12 student, Laila Ansell, in the 17-20 Years Girls (3km). Zoe raced in the morning in a field of 97 competitors. She had trouble getting out at the start, as they were near the back and frustratingly had to jog on the spot before they could get moving. She found a great rhythm once she got going and ran really well. She came 62nd and had lots of fun! Laila raced in the afternoon and was very happy with the weather and track conditions, but found the hills quite windy. She ran an excellent time of 14.47 minutes, which placed her 53rd out of 70 runners. We are so proud of both Zoe and Laila on their amazing efforts. It is an immense effort to earn a place at the State level. Congratulations on your outstanding results.
Dress Up As A Teacher Day
Dress Up As A Teacher Day
On Friday, 4th July our SRC held 'Dress Up As A Teacher Day' to celebrate the end of the school term and to raise money for the Smith Family. The students enthusiastically took part in this special day, as did many of our staff members, dressing up as other teachers and students!
Thank you to everyone for going to such an effort to make this day a hit and for your very kind donations to such a worthy cause.
(see our Mrs Staehrs, Miss Gorrys and Mrs Bones below and check out the newsletter for more photos.)
Bonnie Gordon Wins Top Honours at the
Premier's VCE Awards
Bonnie Gordon Wins Top Honours at the
Premier's VCE Awards
Congratulations to Bonnie Gordon, who has received top honours with a Premier’s VCE Award for her outstanding VCE results in 2024.
Bonnie, who was the Kaniva College 2024 Year 12 VCE VM Dux, was recognised as an Outstanding VCE Vocational Major Student. This places her among seven top-achieving VM students among Victoria.
315 of Victoria’s top performing students were recognised at this year’s Premier’s VCE Awards, including three international students, seven students who completed the VCE Vocational Major program with distinction, and 23 Top All-Round VCE High Achievers who achieved study scores of 46 or higher out of 50 in at least five VCE subjects.
The entire Kaniva College community is proud of Bonnie and would like to congratulate her on being the recipient of such a prestigious award.
To view the full Honour Roll and to read more about the Premier’s VCE Awards, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-vce-awards
Jump Rope For Heart
Jump Rope For Heart
This term Kaniva College has been taking part in Jump Rope for Heart, being organised by the Unit 3 Personal Development Studies (PDS) class. On Monday we held our ‘Jump Off’ event, with students from Prep to Year 6 taking part. After the Jump Off we
celebrated with a delicious BBQ lunch cooked by the PDS students.
At the start of the program we set a goal for our students to log 40 hours of skipping throughout the program, and this was achieved by most of our participants. It was
amazing to see so many students taking part in the program with such dedication and
enthusiasm.
Our students have done an amazing part on the fundraising aspect of the program,
exceeding the original school goal of $500 and then exceeding our revised goal of $1000.
Thanks to the generosity of donations we have raised $1147.75 for the Heart Foundation, plus additional funds from the BBQ sales.
Congratulations to our leading Fundraising Super Heroes and thanks again
for your support!
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