We are proud to unveil the new Ellenbrook Christian College website which has been put together by the team at Helium Digital – a Christian website company that has assisted SCEA on some recent projects.

“We wanted to ensure that our ECC Executive Team had a guiding hand in this website refresh, right from the start,” said Mr Mike Pitman, “but John Igglesden and Marisa Streeton were the hands and feet of the operation when we needed to make things happen.”

John Igglesden, ECC’s Marketing Officer and resident worship guitarist completed the work in consultation with Helium Digital and is happy that the site is now considered ‘LIVE’.

“School sites have two main roles: to show off the school and to quickly provide relevant information. This site does both very well,” said John this week.

‘Navigation was a key part of this project. We wanted prospective parents to be able to flow through the site intuitively. We also wanted current parents to be able to find the information they wanted with a minimum of fuss.”

A quick scan of the new site highlights a few of ECC’s trademark qualities: a rolling video loop that demonstrates the College in action, each section of the College showcases its offering as part of a collective Christian community and a strong sense of welcoming to all parts of society. The College boasts students from more than 30 different nations and has worked hard to infuse a Christian sense of ‘loving thy neighbour’ into everything they do.

For the millennial, tech-driven youngsters amongst us, John tells us that there is a new part of website technology known as a ‘mega menu’. He assures us that it will be a hit with the ‘Boomer’ crowd – or indeed anyone who likes websites to be straightforward and easy to navigate.

These new definitions are a bit much to take in. ‘Mega’ and ‘menu’ make me think of a restaurant, not a website.

“That is indeed their real name,” says John.

Hmmm….

“It’s called ‘mega’ because it is large. It’s a ‘menu’ because you can choose where you want to go on the site,” he continues.

I love how these young minds educate us on the important things in life…..!

Despite Perth being in the midst of COVID cases and school being highly disrupted this term, Ellenbrook Christian College (ECC) paused this week to celebrate an enrolment milestone –  600 students!

College Principal Mr Mike Pitman was deferential this week, attributing the pleasing results to his hard-working enrolments team and educators:

“It’s encouraging to know that there is a level of trust in the community for what we are offering at Ellenbrook Christian College. As Christian educators, we value unity within our team and there is a high level of competence which makes our work very enjoyable,” said Mr Pitman.

Enrolments officer and Personal Assistant to the Principal, Mrs Marisa Streeton, has been present for almost every enrolment interview and tour since Mr Pitman began in late 2019. She is constantly taking calls from members of the community who have heard good things about the College.

“I feel like the phone doesn’t leave my ear some days! But I’m so glad that I can be a part of the growth of such a great school,” said Mrs Streeton.

When Mr Pitman isn’t busy welcoming new students to the campus, he is a father to his four grown-up children and grandfather to fifteen grandchildren. Prior to joining Ellenbrook Christian College, Mr Pitman spent time at Swan Christian College Junior School, Kalamunda Christian School, Southern Hills Christian College and Scots College in Sydney.

“Working with a team of enthusiastic and competent people makes all the difference. ECC has a fantastic team of people who care a great deal about what they do and they care for each other. Having that core group of people who are committed gives me a sense of purpose and optimism for the future,” said Mr Pitman.

A quick trip around Ellenbrook’s campus demonstrates the multicultural aspects of the schooling community, with more than 40 different ethnicities represented in the enrolment figures.

“There is a lot to like about what is happening in our classrooms,” said Mr Pitman, “and our teachers are cohesive and coming together really well during this period of online learning and separation due to COVID regulations.”

Well done to Mr Pitman and his team!

Can staff from across SCEA work together and achieve success?

A recent initiative involving young men from Swan Christian College and Ellenbrook Christian College may be a good demonstration of the ‘interdependence’ that SCEA schools are working towards.

Mr Lewis McKerney (Ellenbrook Christian College) and Mr Nathan Schepemaker (Swan Christian College) have taken the opportunity to present a Professional Development (PD) session which highlights the different challenges presented in each of year of secondary education for teenagers, with a single word encapsulating the learning outcomes being presented for Christian Living classes.

A example of the whiteboarding exercise provides some clarity :

Mr McKerney elaborated on why there was a need to closely define the progression needed for teachers and students in this subject:

“Christian Living can sometimes seem like a time-table filler, plugging the gaps where required. Our College Principal Mr Mike Pitman’s goal was for us to create Kindergarten to Year 12  Scope and Sequence Plan for Christian Living that seeks to match content with the stage of the student’s life. “

Mr McKerney called on his Swan buddy, Nathan Schepemaker to help out with this massive task.

Together, they carefully considered the nature of the Ellenbrook community and how this document could inform staff in teaching Christian Living in the secondary years of education. “The goal of the PD was to simply help staff share Christ with their students, regardless of the subject they are teaching. We want to encourage staff to bring Jesus into their classrooms through story.”

When Darren Peakall joined Ellenbrook in early 2015 as an ICT site representative, not many staff knew that he was a qualified pilot, a skilled aviator and had the heart of a pastor who was keen to serve.

“The role within SCEA certainly changed quickly, and I am thankful to the amazing people I have been fortunate enough to meet and spend time with over the last seven years. This has been an absolutely awesome journey and one of the highlights of my life,” said Darren this week as he put the finishing touches on his final Chaplain’s message – a video recorded down in Albany in which he speaks of the near-death experience of Steven Matthews and the parallels between Steven’s story and the Christian gospel’s saving grace.

The onset of COVID-19 in early 2020 saw many teachers, principals and chaplains across the country preparing video posts regularly, but it was Mr Peakall’s periodic messages to the community of Ellenbrook Community College (ECC) that saw him dressing up, driving around and finding remote locations to enhance his messages of hope, love and salvation to an ever-growing online audience.

“For me, the joy of being a Chaplain is that I am a part of people’s lives on a day-to-day basis. When COVID stopped that, we had to find ways to connect with students and families again. Thankfully the videos were a success in allowing us to speak into people’s lives.”

Darren took over the role of Chaplain in 2016 and proceeded to log the ‘frequent flyer’ miles in the Toyota Coaster bus, taking Year 9’s to Meekatharra on camps that can only be described as ‘character-building’.

Counselling young people at 2 am in the morning was the exhausting introduction that allowed Darren the opportunity to grow and experience teenagers at their most vulnerable, and perhaps most insufferable state.

The students, who had metamorphosized into ‘butterflies’ by the time they returned to the ECC community as a result of Darren’s patience, presented as much brighter versions of themselves and it seems certain that their parents are forever grateful for his perseverance and kind leading during these times.

“I have the fondest memories of those camps and trips. They are the times when we are stretched and grow and learn so much about ourselves.”

Darren has been stretched in his time at ECC, too.

Four funerals, numerous counselling sessions with students and continued discipleship of staff have been opportunities for Darren over the years to shine a light at times that can seem hopeless and raise questions about our existence in this world.

“How we help people is sometimes the most important part of the process. It is an absolute privilege to serve people at these times. When we are outside of our comfort zones, the most amazing things can happen.”

During his time at SCEA, one of Darren’s most memorable moments came as a cross-school success that saw God’s hand at work amid unusual circumstances. The 2018 Leavers2Leaders trip allowed Darren to partner with Greg Beacham and his group of students from Swan Christian College (SCC).

The SCC team were unable to visit their usual community due to a local conflict, and Darren’s ECC crew partnered with Greg’s team as they served in Cabacungan in a remote part of the Philippines. A Swan student was introduced to the Bible by Darren, and throughout the trip, came to a point of faith. That same student returned to Darren two years later as a 20-year-old and asked Darren if he would carry out the baptism as part of a public profession. Even today, this student and others are part of a regular discipleship program that continues the faith journey that has begun during Darren’s time in SCEA.

At the end of this month, Darren starts a new journey – as a Pastor to the Indigenous for the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Church of Australia. He will assist in Perth churches and travel the length and breadth of the state, helping pastors in their towns of Wiluna, Esperance, Derby, Port Hedland and Jigalong as part of his calling to Australia’s first peoples.

“I thank God for every day I had in SCEA. The people are amazing—true missionaries as teachers and workers in Christ. I hope to come back and meet with staff and leaders in the future as my new role permits. But I’m just so thankful for the opportunity over the last seven years.”

There are a lot of attributes that could label Ellenbrook’s Sarah Berhanu.

Ethiopian-Australian.

Former Head Girl of Mercedes College.

Qualified Biomedical scientist.

While all of these are true reflections of Sarah, she sees herself differently from these labels.

“I want my identity to be found in Christ,” says Sarah as she attends to primary school students at Ellenbrook’s Santona Boulevard campus.

“I have found that striving for anything that is not eternal is really stressful, and not where your energy should be spent.”

Sarah (pronounced SAA-RA) was born in Perth to Ethiopian parents after they gained refugee status and moved from their home country to a new life in Australia.

As one of the only Africans in her school in Perth, Sarah stood out in her school for a number of reasons. Her mother’s strict upbringing brought academic success and accolades that many of us could only dream about, and Sarah channelled this into her studies and her striving for excellence in the schooling environment.

The yearning for something long-lasting and deeper really hit home for Sarah when she gave her life to Christ in Year 9. At a critical time of life when she was seeking an identity, this saving faith enabled her to see the world around her in a different light. Now, she is seeking to provide that clarity for students in her role in Student Services. The more she opens up about her life, the more you see the servant-hearted nature of this young lady who is seeking to be a listening ear for the young people who call Ellenbrook Christian College (ECC) their home during their schooling years. 

“I know for me, during my teenage years, there was a crisis of identity. I want to make this schooling experience as smooth as possible for our students here.”

Sarah previously worked in health recruitment before a conversation with a church friend led her to the position at ECC.

“I love the face-to-face nature of this role, and I hope that in these small instances of time that I see students I can provide a positive experience for them,” says Sarah as the never-ending stream of students requiring hats and band-aids continues.

Sarah studied Biomedical Science at the University of Western Australia (UWA) and was an integral part of the Christian Union (CU) there. She attends Westminster Presbyterian Church in Bull Creek and enjoys the fellowship of working with Christians in this new environment. With 37 different nationalities at the campus, Sarah’s chances of meeting students from an international background in her role are very high. That happy smile (even behind a mask) is sure to be a welcome relief to any young person who needs a late note, a bandage or just a quick chat before the lunch bell rings.

Keep an eye out for Sarah (remember, its SAA-RA) when you’re around Ellenbrook Christian College.

Friday, September 3^rd marked a historic day for the Ellenbrook Christian College (ECC) community as they celebrated 20 years of history since their opening in 2001.

The evening commenced with a celebration event for families with hamburgers, a coffee stall run by ECC students, wonderful music and face-painting for the crowd, before the formal Thanksgiving Service started at 6.30 pm.

The service included a video from founding Principal Mr Jack Joyce who recalled the early years of ECC, before Principal Mr Mike Pitman addressed the 200-strong crowd in the gymnasium. Multiple student choirs and the Staff and Student Worship Band sang Christian songs to celebrate the momentous occasion, and ECC alum Ms Jasmine Nguyen (2015) gave the Bible reading.

Other notable tributes came from Mr Greg Wells (Principal from 2004-2013) who emphasised the community aspect of ECC, and Dr Graeme Cross (Chief Executive Officer of SCEA) who noted that ECC was the first SCEA school to be established as a true ‘open-enrolment’ Christian school; meaning all families were invited to enrol, regardless of their faith background.

‘By opening in this way, we were saying ‘you’re welcome!’ to everyone in this community,’ said Dr Cross.

The night concluded with long-time staff members Miss Sharon Hird and Mrs Leigh Harris reflecting on their time at ECC, each sharing from the Bible.

Special thanks to Ms Marisa Streeton and Mr Steven Wellbeloved for organising such an enjoyable and cheerful evening.

Ellenbrook Christian College celebrates its 20 year anniversary this year (2021) and the ‘Oliver’ production gave the Ellenbrook Christian College (ECC) community the opportunity to rally a band of staff, students, and alumni (ex-students) to celebrate with a musical production of the highest calibre.

What an experience it was!

The cast, crew, production staff and a number of community volunteers worked tirelessly to bring this story to life for the audience amidst laughter, excitement, and the pure joy of working together! Throughout this process, the amazing ensemble showed passion, resilience and a real gift for making theatre.

The success of the show was not just in the quality of the performance alone, but also in the creative process. Every person involved should be proud and excited to have been part of the production.

The Engineering Department at the College is buzzing with excitement as the laser cutters have arrived.

Year 10 engineering students, under the guidance of a very excited Engineering Teacher, Mr Ivan Lazar, have been undertaking the task of uncrating and assembling the new laser cutters in the engineering room.

‘Assembling the laser cutters is real-life engineering and a great opportunity for our youngest engineering students,’ said Mr Ivan Lazar, Engineering teacher at ECC.

Students can take Engineering as an elective subject in Years 9 and 10. In Years 11 and 12, students can opt to take Engineering as an ATAR or General subject.

The experienced Mr Ivan Lazar (B. Eng, M.Sc, GradDipEd) teaches Mechatronics at the College. Mechatronics is quickly gaining momentum as a sought-after course with graduates being offered scholarships and preferential entry to courses at local universities.

Mr Lazar has been a part of the team at Ellenbrook Christian College since 2014 and teaches Engineering, Mathematics and Physics. Before joining Ellenbrook Christian College, Ivan taught in the Singapore Education System, where he regularly ranked among the best by PISA and TIMSS. Before joining the Education system, Ivan racked up ten years of industrial experience in Singapore and the USA in final test and application in the fields of Analogue, Mixed Signal and Radio Frequency electronics.

Ivan is a passionate educator who is also a consultant to SCSA in Physics and Engineering and a sitting board member of the Engineering Studies Curriculum Advisory Committee.

If you have a child who is interested in a career in Engineering and wants a head start in their high school years, book a College tour today.