ERC Newsletter - Week 1 Term 3 2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

History was made on Monday morning with the opening of the new Centenary Innovation Centre (CIC). As the very first class of students happily lined up as the inaugural period one class this milestone event marked a significant addition to the ERC learning community and what will no doubt contribute to further enhancing our learning culture more broadly. The CIC provides our students with contemporary state-of-the-art learning facilities for each of the technology and vocational education and training courses of study that we offer at the College; some of which include Industrial Technology, Engineering, Graphics, Construction, and Robotics.

This major milestone was made possible by the incredible hard work of Trinity Fitout and Construction alongside our project partners, QOH Architects. The College extends an enormous and very special thank you to Mr. Andrew Edmondson and the TAS and VET teams for their outstanding leadership, design input, and generosity of spirit. Thank you also to Mr. Frank Sirianni and the College IT team for establishing seamless network connectivity, and Mr. Darren Jeffery for his excellent overall management of the project.

With Stage 1 wrapped up, work on Stage 2 is already underway, and the site was fully secured for the safe return of our students. This next phase involves repurposing B Block into a covered outdoor learning area (COLA) and multipurpose spaces, while C Block will gain a lift, expanded Hospitality facilities, and a junior Food Technology kitchen.

While Stage 2 will bring some added disruptions, student safety remains our highest priority. Although playground areas for Years 7 and 8 have been slightly adjusted during this next stage of construction, the reopening of McCabe Oval has significantly eased the impact. Thank you to our entire school community for your patience and ongoing support as we continue to further upgrade our outstanding College campus. I have been highly impressed with the manner in which both of our staff and students have adapted to the changes, and the strong sense of gratitude expressed by the boys.

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The beginning of a new semester also provides a valuable opportunity for all students to build on their developing skills, reflect on the feedback provided through the Semester One reports and parent-teacher interviews, and review their learning goals for further growth. While Year 11 students are now entering their final term of the Preliminary HSC course and Year 12 students are preparing for their upcoming Trial HSC examinations in week 3, we will also take time next week to recognise the achievements of students in Years 7–10 through our Semester One Awards. In celebrating these accomplishments, I also thank the parents and carers who will be able to join us for this occasion and support our focus on learning and growth.

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We also look forward to next Tuesday’s NAIDOC College Assembly when our College will reflect on this important event by focusing on the 2026 NAIDOC theme, “50 Years of Deadly” which celebrates the strength and leadership of our First Nations people. This will also be a fitting opportunity to say farewell and to thank Mrs Melanie Jennison, our First Nations Education Officer, as she begins to transition to her new employment opportunity.

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The 2025 Annual Report to the School Community has now been published on our College website. This report is a Commonwealth requirement and includes key messages from school leadership, highlighting our progress and achievements over the past year. You can access the report via the following link: 2025 Annual Report to the School Community.

Best wishes to everyone for a successful and rewarding term ahead.

Dr Stephen Gough

Welcome to Term 3,

A very exciting Term for us as a community as we move into the new building and commence Stage 2 of our Building project. I would like to congratulate the boys for the way in which they have adapted with gratitude and without fuss to change.

As we begin the term I wanted to remind all families of some key events on the College Calendar in the coming fortnight.

Tuesday July 28 – NAIDOC Assembly – an invitation to attend and join us for morning tea is warmly extended to all First Nations Family.
Thursday July 30 – Semester 1 Awards Assembly for Stage 4 (Yr 7 & 8) commencing at 8.15am
Thursday July 30 – Semester 1 Awards Assembly for Stage 5 (Yr 9 & 10) commencing at 9.15am
Monday August 3 – Staff Spirituality Day – Pupil free day for Students in Years 7-11
Monday August 3 – First Day of the HSC Trial Exams – All Year 12 Students should attend school in readiness for the exam by 7.45am
Wednesday August 5 – Year 11, 2027 (Year 10, 2026) subject selection evening commencing at 3pm

‘More Supporting Families: Working together in a modern world’

Tickets are now on sale for the Sydney conference!

Join CCSP for their 2026 conference for all NSW parents and carers with children in Catholic schools – just $30 per ticket!

Supported proudly by Sydney Catholic Schools, the CCSP parent conference is a chance for people to gather, eat, learn and connect. CCSP has invited keynote speakers and presenters to talk to parents and carers about the top topics that families face today, as well as stallholders with resources and information to share that will help you and your family.

Enjoy the chance to up your parenting skills, knowing you’re not alone when it comes to parenting challenges, and step into a supported space to bravely parent your child or young person.

Listen to expert parenting presenters talk about consent and respectful relationships, AI and cybersafety, building your child’s resilience, managing anxiety, setting boundaries, and supporting your child’s learning at home and at school: Daniel Principe, Gen Muir, Andy Mullins and more!

THIS CONFERENCE WILL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO PARENT IN THIS COMPLEX AGE OF TECHNOLOGY.
It’s a value-packed day of connection and collaboration where expert presenters will support you to parent bravely in a modern world. Grab some friends and make a day of it. Book now with Eventbrite:

Mrs Hughes
Deputy Principal

Student Learning

Pastoral Care

Welcome back to Term 3. At Edmund Rice College, we designate Term 3 as our official Wellbeing Term. Last term, our pastoral focus centred on building strong Atomic Habits and systems. This term, we are taking the next natural step in our positive psychology framework by focusing on Strengths-Based Success. As you would know the College partners with the “My Strengths” organisation to deliver a strengths based pastoral program.

Rather than focusing solely on fixing weaknesses, strengths-based development focuses on identifying, understanding, and leveraging the innate top strengths of our young men. When a student understands his unique strengths, he shifts from “trying to fit in” to authentically flourishing in his academic, social, and co-curricular life.

Semester 1 Reports: A Strengths-Based Lens

Following the release of our Semester 1 Academic Reports, our students across all year levels are participating in reflection and review sessions during Pastoral Care lessons that will drive goal setting in coming weeks. We encourage parents to join us in framing these report conversations around strengths. Instead of immediately jumping to a lower grade, start by asking:

“Which of your core strengths (e.g., curiosity, persistence, leadership, or teamwork) helped you achieve your best results this semester?”
“How can we use those exact same strengths to tackle the subjects where you struggled?”

By using academic reports as a feedback loop for growth rather than a final judgment, we empower our boys to set meaningful, strength-driven goals for the rest of the year.

Pastoral Spotlight: Building Identity and Purpose

Our pastoral schedule this week reflected this focus on self-awareness and positive choices across all stages:

Stage 4 (Years 7 & 8): Engaging in cohort meetings, peer activities, and team house challenges designed to help them discover how their personal strengths contribute to the collective brotherhood.
Stage 5 (Years 9 & 10): Year 9 students are engaging in crucial sessions around anti-violence and vaping awareness, while Year 10 completes their Semester 1 academic review to prepare for senior pathways.
Stage 6 (Years 11 & 12): Year 11 students are reflecting on leadership in the Chapel as they prepare for senior leadership roles, while Year 12 works to lock in their final preparation systems for their upcoming Trial Exams.

When we anchor a boy’s habits to his personal strengths, excellence ceases to be a chore—it becomes an expression of who he is.

We look forward to a vibrant Term 3 of growth, connection, and flourishing.

💡 Strength of the Fortnight: “Spotting the Strength”

The Challenge: Over the next two weeks, try “Strength Spotting” at home. When you see your son demonstrate a positive character trait—such as resilience during homework, kindness to a sibling, or responsibility in his morning routine—name the specific strength out loud.
The Why: In positive psychology, calling out a person’s implicit strengths makes them explicit. It builds self-efficacy and encourages the student to consciously repeat that positive behaviour.

Mr Ferguson
Director of Pastoral Care & Wellbeing

Sport

After dominant victories by 18:0, 19:0 and 4:0 in the first 3 rounds we progressed to the regional final (round 4) against ISH.

Coach, Mr Crapis, after delivering his usual dressing shed address to the team, revealed the following team sheet: Jonty Musker-Ivaneza, Aiden Cruickshank, Hunter Johnston, Orlando Beer, Rocco Scaglia, Ethan Dzeparoski, Max Smith, Travis Potter, Callum Cajar, Levi Kinnas & Ethan Mathie. Reserves: Archer Vian, Johnny Antoniou

An early win could have been an omen when captain Rocco stepped up and called the toss correctly. We were then treated to two evenly matched teams slogging it out through end-to-end action.

The first half started well. Early chances to ERC when Callum found Max who tiptoed his way into the box only to see his shot shave the post. No goals, and during the first serious ISH incursion into our half, tragedy struck. A clumsy challenge resulted in ISH being awarded a penalty. Jonty has not conceded a goal yet, and judging by his great penalty save in the state cup, did they really think they could score? Score they did not and this was surely a wakeup call.

Then it was Ethan M’s turn to hit the post. We were awarded a corner and Ethan D swung in a well hit corner finding Levi whose first time shot rattled the back of the net. 1:0, and more was to come when Ethan M beat 2 found Callum lurking in the box and with great composure, he made it 2:0, providing breathing space before half time.

After the early scare every ISH attack was dealt with by our solid back 4. Our middle 3 were starting to combine well creating chances.

At half time, Coach Crapis described the performance as a 5 out of 10 and outlined several areas where he demanded improvement.

Archer and Johnny came on, and the second half started well. Coach Crapis’ instructions were adhered to and the game flowed better. Some great crosses by Archer and corners by Callum somehow were not converted. Johnny then skimmed the crossbar with a shot. Then a weak clearance found Max just outside the box and his first time banger ended up in the net. 3:0!

Near the end, man of the match Orlando, won a challenge in his own half then went on a searching run beating 6 players, propped then beat them again, and unleashed a thunderous strike on goal swishing the top corner of the net where only spiders live.

The 4:0 score line now moves us into the next round against the all-conquering St Dominic’s of Penrith. A massive EREA battle of the giants!

(Coach Crapis ended up pretty happy with an improved full time summation of 7/10)

Mr Cajar

Community Announcements

PROCEDURES FOR PARENTS / CARERS

Student Absences

Whilst the preferred method of communication regarding absences is via the TASS Parent Portal we understand that sometimes access to the portal can be limited. We therefore ask parents/carers to provide daily absence information (Whole day absences/late arrivals/early departure/absence notes etc.) via the following email address: absences@erc.nsw.edu.au

Reminders:

Leave required for 4-9 days needs to be requested by emailing the College: office@erc.nsw.edu.au
Leave requests for 10 or more days requires completing an Application for Extended Leave Form (which can be found on the College website under Quicklinks).

Collecting your son from school

A reminder to all families that should a circumstance arise where you need to collect your son from school before the end of the school day we require you to come to the College Office. Students will not be permitted to walk to the carpark or the street to be collected. If they leave to attend a pre-arranged appointment we request that this is communicated to the College Office in writing via note or email. If you wish to have someone collect your son that is not currently listed on TASS then you will be required to communicate this clearly in writing, you will also receive a call to verify that you did in fact authorise this arrangement. All students arriving late or departing early are required to sign in and out through the Student Office.

Parent Appointments

As a College we respectfully request that any parent wishing to discuss a matter of concern with a member of staff contacts the relevant staff member via email or via telephone through the College Office and requests an appointment. Staff members will get back to you at their earliest convenience. Parents presenting at the College Office may be asked to make an appointment and return at a mutually convenient time. For specific information about who to contact please refer to your son’s diary on pages 6, 7, 28 and 29.

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Change in Student/Family Circumstances/Contact Information/Medical Conditions

If any change has occurred/occurs in your family – separation, divorce, serious illness, the College should be notified as soon as possible. The College seeks to be supportive of families in such circumstances and such events always have a bearing on a child’s education. Likewise, a change of address, email or phone number (work, home or mobile) or emergency contact should be advised immediately.

If your son suffers from a medical condition it is vital that you inform the office of his condition and what treatment is required in an emergency. An emergency management plan must be developed for any students with serious conditions.

Please verify all information via the TASS Parent Lounge.

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2026 TERM DATES

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2026 Calendar of Events

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CANTEEN MENU

Contents

Downloads

Principal's Message

Deputy Principal's Message

Student Learning

Term 3 - Learning & Teaching Update

ArtExpress

Drum Lessons @ ERC

Pastoral Care

Unlocking Potential Through Our Strengths

Sport

NSWCCC Cross Country Championships: Outstanding Results for ERC Athletes

NSW All Schools Cross Country

Bill Turner Cup – Round 4 Versus Illawarra Sports High School (ISH)

Community Announcements

Careers Newsletter

Notices

Uniform Shop

Community Messages

Alumni Old Boys 1966-71 Reunion