Week 2 has been a wonderful celebration of our students’ achievements in 2025. I have been very pleased to participate in the music departments celebration and Listen to the Music Concert, our Agricultural Show Teams end-of-year celebrations, the Debating and Public Speaking Awards ceremony and the WestMAC Dance Concert.

Over the September school break our students were very busy and enjoyed much success.

On the Year 12 New Zealand Ski tour, our students were frequently commended for their exemplary conduct and were outstanding ambassadors for our College.

21 students and three staff participated in the 2025 Japanese Language and Culture Tour. Students from Years 10-12 participating in a 14-day immersive language program in Osaka, Japan, where students lodged with Japanese families and attended Japanese school lessons at our sister school Shijonawate Gakuen. All students participated in all aspects of the tour program with enthusiasm with a focus on strengthening linguistic skills.

In the first week of the holidays eight students and two staff participated in the Australian Independent Debating and Public Speaking Championships at Moreton Bay Boys College. It is not an easy competition and is quite different in both the type and level of debate and public speaking. Engaging in high-level competition, challenge and the opportunity grow skills and confidence are reason the College continues to participate in AIDPSC.

The National Interschool Equestrian Championships were held in Sydney over the holidays from 25 – 28 September and Kayla Moore (Secondary Combined Training 80cm and Senior Preliminary Dressage), Willa Boersma (Secondary CT95 and Intermediate 1m Show Jumping), and Karina Reeve-Johnson (80cm Eventing and the Intermediate 95cm Eventing) were members of the Queensland team.

We congratulate Willa Boersma who is a national champion following win in the 100cm Intermediate Jumping on Sunset Safari.

At the Athletics Queensland – All Schools Athletics Championships the College Team of 11 athletes placed 15^th overall, an outstanding achievement in this competition!

We congratulate our athletes who have qualified for nationals Ruby Bohen (who set a new record in Javelin), Hayley Windolf, Tiana Parsons and Abbey Crocker.

On the last weekend of the holidays 11 of our musicians were selected to perform in the  Queensland and Australian Honours Ensemble Programs at the Queensland Conservatorium – Griffith University.

On the first day of Term 4, we received the results from the EKKA Student Made cheese competition. WestMAC was awarded as 2025 Student Made Cheese Champions! With the ‘Best Cheese of School’ award for the 2025 RNA. As part of their curriculum studies about Fermentation in Agriculture, the Year 10 Agricultural Science students (Aria, Ava, Deana-Rose and Charlotte) made Camembert cheese and entered the cheese for judging by 9 international cheese judges.

This week, our students continue to shine in a range of activities.

At the Emerging Schools Rugby 7s Competition, our U18 Boys and U14 Girls we named as tournament champions, and our U16 and U14 Boys teams were runners up.   

We congratulate all athletes selected to represent Met West at the Queensland School Sport – Athletics State Championships in Townsville.

We also wish our Opti-MINDS teams well for their presentations at the Opti-MINDS State Finals at the University of Queensland this weekend.

Congratulations to our students, supporters and staff on this wonderful set of achievements.

Heath Del Favero

Director of student Experiences