Alba Newsletter – December 2022

 

Dear Parents and Families

On behalf of the School Council and staff, we would like to thank you for the support you have given us this year.  It has been an unexpectedly challenging year, most particularly in terms of responding to and managing instances of dysregulated behaviour, and in supporting student wellbeing.  Whilst we know that this has been an experience shared across many schools, nationally and internationally, it has required a consistent and unrelenting focus on responsive, as well as proactive, actions.

Our guiding principle of “high expectations, high support” has ensured that we have individually and collectively kept our eye on maintaining ambitious goals for all students in terms of their social, emotional and academic growth; and at the same time, being committed to providing the support that our students and families need to manage the impacts of the last two years on learning and wellbeing and to emerge strongly from this.

It is important to acknowledge the tireless work of our Sub School teams in this regard, and of our Wellbeing and Individual Needs teams.

We also thank and congratulate our teaching and education support staff for their expertise and the commitment they bring to their students each day and for the difference they have made this year to the lives of all the young people with whom we work.

Farewells……….

Several staff will be leaving St Albans Secondary College this year.  Jenny Tarr, Ian Crocker and Jessica Jones have been tutors in our Tutoring Learning Initiative program since it began two years ago.  Whilst the Tutor program will continue next year, Jenny and Ian will commence their postponed retirements in earnest and Jess is looking forward to a sea change.

Jacquie Hunter will take up a role as a Careers Practitioner at Elevation Secondary College, and Lesley Walker, one of our literacy teachers will return to her position at Western English Language School.  Stella Dang is moving to Berwick Secondary College as a Visual Communications and Art teacher.

On behalf of their colleagues, the students, and the school community, our thanks to each of them for their dedication and for all they have contributed to St Albans Secondary College.  We wish them well.

Our best wishes, too, to Linda Soulieman and Ashley O’Dowd who will be on family leave during 2023; and to Patrick Bruce, Stewart Fraser and Andrea Holliday who are taking leave for 2023. 

Finally, a huge thank you to our wonderful team of Casual Replacement and short term contract staff who have supported us through some extremely challenging times with staffing: Patrick Agius; Andrew Buttigieg; Fiona Byrne; Tim Guarde; Jeffrey Ji; Ranjili Mudaliar; Krizza Salugsugan; Loue Triainou; Peter Sinclair and Liston Williams.  We have been so fortunate to have such expertise to draw on.

Our Supporters……….

There are so many individuals and organisations who generously and expertly support our work in education.  Without them, we would be less able to meet the diverse and often complex needs of students and families, to offer rich experiences beyond the classroom, to provide life-changing scholarships, and to meet our guarantee that our students will leave St Albans Secondary College with a high-quality pathway ahead of them.

To all our business and community partners, our Alumni and university partners, we extend our deep gratitude for the work you do with us and the difference you make.

VCE Results 2022

Congratulations to the students who received their VCE results this week. The results were very pleasing, with many students achieving results above what they expected.

This year 20 students, or 15.5% of students, achieved an ATAR over 90; and 49 students, or 38%, achieved an ATAR result over 80.

Congratulations to our Dux, Anthony Tran, who achieved an ATAR of 99.85. He also received 3 perfect study scores of 50, in Further Maths, Specialist Maths and Chemistry.  He has also been awarded a Hansen Scholarship, providing free accommodation at Little Hall, University of Melbourne.

Our Median Study Score was 31, which is the highest for the College ever.  8.8% of study scores were above 40, and there were 3 study scores of 50.

As always, success for each individual student can mean many different things, and we congratulate all those students who have overcome adversity, such as COVIDlockdowns and remote learning, to achieve the best they can.

Congratulations to all the parents, families and staff who have supported the Class of 2022 throughout their schooling.

We encourage all Year 12 students to utilise the support offered through the Careers Team to work through the change of preference process to help ensure the most appropriate pathway for 2023.

Scholarship

Congratulations also to Phu Nguyen who was successful in receiving a residential scholarship to Trinity College (University of Melbourne). This scholarship is worth $36,855 for 2023. Thanks to those staff who supported Phu through Western Chances, Peta Burgess and Linda Souleiman, as well as Sophie Williams and Matt Olthof for supporting this particular application.

 

Reports

Semester 2 reports for Years 7 to 10 are available on Compass. Please discuss these reports with your children, and as always, if you have any questions please contact the relevant Year Level Coordinator.

School Staff Survey & Parent Opinion Survey

We recently received the results of the School Staff Survey, which included areas such as school climate, instructional leadership, school staff safety and wellbeing, and teaching and learning. We are pleased to report that we achieved results well above network and similar schools in the teaching and learning modules of practice improvement, planning, implementation, and evaluation.  We have put many processes and strategies in place that have contributed to this improvement and it is a testament of the hard work of all the leaders and teachers in the college over an extended period of time.  We will continue to further refine what we do to continue to improve.

We are currently analysing the results in the area of school staff safety and wellbeing, which encompasses professional and psychological safety. Staff will be exploring areas for focus or further investigation, and the leadership team has begun the process of reflecting on the data and exploring its implications for individuals and teams of staff.

We are still awaiting the results of the parent survey, but we would like to thank all parents who took the time to complete it. We will publish the results in a future newsletter once they become available. We encourage all parents to take part in the 2023 Parents/Carers/Guardians Survey when invitations are sent out.

We are currently analysing the results in the area of School Staff Safety and Wellbeing which encompasses the areas of Professional and Psychological safety.  Staff will be exploring areas for focus or further investigation. The Leadership Team has already begun the process of reflecting on the data and exploring it in terms of what it means for individuals and teams of staff and how we might go about celebrating our successes and improving in targeted areas.

We are still awaiting the release of results for the Parent Opinion Survey but would like to take this opportunity to thank those parents who took the time to complete our 2022 survey.  We will publish the results in a later newsletter, once they become available.  We encourage all parents to take part in 2023 when we send out the invitations for parents to participate in the Parents/Carers/Guardians Survey as your feedback.

Year 7 and 8 Activities week – A celebratory end to 2022

We have again run an activities week program during this last week of term and there was a wonderful sense of fun and celebration. Students in Years 7 and 8 took part in a range of activities including careers planning, trivia competitions, games, research, and year level awards ceremonies.  Well done to all our Year 7 and 8 students who so enthusiastically took part in the activities, and congratulations to the staff for the creative program they prepared and ran.  Special thanks goes to the Junior Sub School for their efforts throughout this action packed week for all our Year 7 and 8 students.

Year 10 Formal

To mark the end of the school year for Year 10, approximately 180 students took part in the Year 10 Formal at Ultima reception centre on Friday 2 December. The night was a fantastic way to celebrate the end of the year and to connect with one another in a setting outside of school.

There was a great deal of dancing, awards were presented and a treasure hunt took place throughout the evening.  Everyone who was in attendance had a great time. Thank you to all the students who came along and made this such a joyful occasion. We would like to acknowledge the work of the Middle Sub School team of Becky Annetts, Emily Dickinson, Ashwini Mana Mohan, Sean Ryan, Dane Stammers, Ana Miskovic, Ashley O’Dowd and Lynda Vo for their organisation of the evening, judging the awards and treasure hunt, and ensuring everyone had a great time and got home safely. We also thank the Year 10 students who assisted to organise the event; Long Nguyen, Sally Li, Kelly Lam & Matt Mangali.  Well done to all involved.

Interact Club

Congratulations to the Interact Club for a very successful year in 2022. We completed both our local and International Projects (see the August Alba for details). With the assistance of the local Rotary Club of East Keilor, we raised in excess of the $5000 target for Project W, raising funds to provide clean drinking water and sanitation in disadvantaged schools in Cambodia.

We had an official event for the changeover of the office bearers on Wednesday 16 November where we thanked the outgoing executive team of:

• President – Isra Siddique Y11
• Vice President – Tracey Nguyen Y11
• Secretary – Kathleen Phan Y11
• Project manager – Deedee Colussi Y12
• Public Relations – Vianna Tran Y11
• Treasurer – Salli Li Year 10

…and welcomed our new executive team going in to 2023 of:

• President – Salli Li Year 10
• Vice president – Rahima Muradi Year 9
• Secretary – Jennifer Le Year 10
• Treasurer – Aiden Duong Le Year 9
• Public relations – Kelly Lam Year 10
• Project coordinator – Minhthu Huynh Year 9

Here is a link to the newsletter that show the event:  Keilor East Rotary – Newsletter November 2022

 

Both Rahima and Aiden attended the Interact District Assembly Day at Camberwell Grammar on 5 December and found it very informative. Thanks to Jennifer Tarr for taking the students across for this valuable experience.

Arrangements for the start of the 2023 School Year

Students will commence school next year on the following dates:

• Monday 30 January – Year 7, Year 10 and all Years 11 and 12
• Tuesday 31 January – Year 8 and Year 9

Please see the Compass post for further details about where students should go at the start of their first day.

Prepared for learning in 2023

Each term, our school works with students to build their wellbeing around a common “Connect, Protect and Respect” (CPR) theme. Our CPR theme for Term 1 2023, will be “prepared for learning.” Research shows that students are more likely to flourish and experience success when they have a calm and supportive environment, a resilient mindset, and all the materials and equipment they need for learning.

Through our work with students on this theme, we aim to explicitly teach them what it means to be ready for learning and what they need to do each and every day to maximise their chances of learning success. This will also involve a renewed focus on what is required to ensure an effective learning environment that is calm, predicable and consistent for all students.

Families play a vital role in supporting students’ school readiness. You can help by supporting your child each day to be school ready by making sure they have the materials they need, discussing school with them and helping them to complete any tasks due ahead of time. It is also critical to work with your child to develop a healthy study, sleep and exercise routine. By being positive and enthusiastic about school your child is more likely to look forward to going to school.  Over the holidays, check uniforms and shoes so they are ready to go for the first day and get books and stationery ready. Booklists are available on our website.

We are always here if you need some additional support, so reach out to our child’s Coordinator if you have any questions or concerns. We are looking forward to a fantastic 2023 in partnership with our students and their families.

And finally……….

We hope all members of the school community have an enjoyable and relaxing break over the holidays; and offer our very best wishes for the future to students and families who are leaving St Albans Secondary College this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

General Office Hours 

8:15am to 4:15pm   

Compass Communication

Any important information will be sent to parents and families via the Compass News Feed.  Parents are asked to ensure that they have access to Compass.

 

 

 

 

General Office Payments

Preferred method of payment for School Events and Curriculum Contributions is via the Compass school management system.  Parents will log in to this system using their allocated unique User ID and a temporary password.  Payments can be made through the Action Centre from the home screen.  Please contact the General Office on 9366 2555 should you need further information. 

 

 

 

    

ID Cards

Students are reminded that they require their ID cards with them when they present to the front office.

Student Lunches at the General Office

Families are advised that the General Office is unable to accept lunches for student collection.  Please discuss and prepare for a different course of action with your child, should they forget to bring their lunch to school.

College Expectations 

Attendance, Uniform, Punctuality  

We greatly appreciate the support we receive from parents to make sure that your child attends school regularly and punctually, is in full uniform, and is well prepared for all classes with books and equipment.

 Attendance  

Students must have a minimum of 90% attendance in all classes at each year level.

Uniform  

Full uniform must be worn to and from school, at school and on all school excursions, including interschool sports.

Punctuality  

Students are expected to be punctual at the start of each day and for all classes. Any student who is late more than 4 times will have a Friday detention from 3:20pm to 5:20pm. 

Sustainable School Shop

The Sustainable School Shop website is available to purchase and/or sell second-hand uniforms and used textbooks.

 Parents can log in or register at any time at  www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au

When selling items, click the Sell Uniforms button and follow the prompts. Assistance is given to construct your “For Sale” ads including a pricing guide.

To see the ads for items currently on sale or to obtain the seller details, you will need to log-in to the Sustainable School Shop website, click the blue Stocktake button and then click the item you need. Buyers contact the seller directly.

 Sellers are asked to delist For Sale Ads as items sell.

Student Absence 

Parents and guardians are now able to leave student absence messages directly with the relevant Sub School.

Follow the telephone prompts to be connected to the Sub School needed.

• Wait for the beep before leaving a message
• State who you are, eg:  I am the parent of ……..  and clearly state your child’s name and home group
• Clearly state the reason for your child’s absence and how long they will be absent for

Please ensure that your message is audible (not on speaker phone) and there is no background noise.  

Camps, Sports, Events Fund (CSEF)

Parents with a valid Health Care Card may be eligible to apply for the CSEF.  The CSEF is a yearly payment for each child in the family attending our College.  This payment is to assist with the cost of Camps, Sports and Excursions for your child to attend.  Applications for CSEF close on 22 June, 2022 and forms can be downloaded from our College website or obtained from reception.

State School Relief (SSR)

Should you have a valid Health Care Card and require assistance to purchase school uniform and/or school shoes; you may be eligible for SSR. Health Care Card holders with students enrolled in the VCAL program may also be eligible for assistance with the purchase of personal protective gear. Please enquire at the General Office.

 

 

Friday, 16 November 2022

All Day Year 7 & 8 (Last Day)

All Day Year 7 Assembly

All Day Year 8 Assembly

Monday, 19 December 2022 

Term 4 – End of Term

All Day Curriculum Day (Student Free)

Monday, 30 January 2023

Return to School Yr 7, Yr 10, Yr 11 & Yr 12

Tuesday, 31 January 2023

Return to School Yr 8 & Yr 9

Wednesday, 1 February 2023

09:00AM – 10:30AM Yr 7 VHAP Maths

09:45AM – 10:30AM Yr 7 VHAP English

Yr 12 VCE/VCE VM Parent Information Night (Time TBC)

Thursday, 9 February 2023

All Day Yr 12 VCE/VM Study Camp

Friday, 10 February 2023

All Day Yr 12 VCE/VM Study Camp

Monday, 13 February 2023

School Photo Day

12:40PM – 01:30PM Valentines Day – VCE VM Lunchtime Activities

Tuesday, 14 February 2023

08:55AM – 03:10PM Yr 9 Morrisby Stage 1

Wednesday, 15 February 2023

All Day – Resilient Youth Survey (All students will complete one session across these three days)

Thursday, 16 February 2023

All Day – Resilient Youth Survey (All students will complete one session across these three days)

Friday, 17 February 2023

All Day – Resilient Youth Survey (All students will complete one session across these three days)

 

 

Junior Sub-School has closed out the year with a flurry of activity.  Whilst the weather has generally not been kind to us, students have shown resilience and persistence to achieve their academic and well being goals.

Students across years 7 and 8 recently competed in a downball competition.  This great game is played in school yards all around the world, but sadly might not receive the recognition it deserves.  We ran a round robin format which pitted student against student and then students against teachers.  After some intense competition and the emergence of the now famous ‘fireball’, the winners were Steven and Hassan in 7E and Cassandra and Hawa in 7H.  Special mention should also be made of Mr Brown, Mr Beagley, Ms Decker and Mr Buddhadasa who wiped the floor with the students to become undefeated champions.  Here at Junior Sub-School we are considering making an application to the IOC to get downball admitted as an Olympic sport in 2024! 

During Term 4, JSS were focussing on reducing the number of late attendance for class.  Every week the number of late notices were tallied and the results were posted outside the JSS office.  It was great to see students gathered at the results sheet to check on how their class was performing.  Subtle and maybe not so subtle pressure was being applied to class mates, to ensure that they made it to every class on time.  Mid-term, an intermediate prize of a Zooper Dooper were given to the members of the classes with the least number of lates.  Then at week 10 the winners were announced, with 7B and 8I able to enjoy a delicious pizza lunch.  Whilst the competition and the pizza lunch was a bit of fun, the real message is that attending every class on time is critical to achieving the best academic outcomes.

Junior Sub-school is bidding farewell to Mr Winduss and Mr Lac at the end of the year.  Both Mr Winduss and Mr Lac have worked hard in Junior Sub-school over many years and are now moving into new roles at St Albans.  We thank them for their help and wish them the best with their new roles.

Finally congratulations to all our students.  The first year back from COVID has thrown up some challenges, but we have witnessed outstanding academic achievements and huge amounts of personal growth.  It has been a pleasure to work with the Junior School students.

 

Mr Craig Moore – Junior Sub School Leader

 

As the school year draws to an end, students in Year 10 and accelerated Year 9 students have been involved in VCE orientation programs to prepare them for their studies next year, and Year 9 students have started their ‘step up’ classes in preparation for their Year 10 studies next year.  In the final assemblies of the year, students’ achievements and successes were recognised and celebrated, and there were a number of exceptional music performances too. 

 

Year 9 Events

The final Year 9 assembly of the year also took place on Wednesday 7 December.  It was great to see so many students recognised for their positive contributions to the school, their academic achievements and efforts, and their attendance and punctuality.  At lunch time there was a BBQ for the students to celebrate the end of the year.

In the afternoon, the annual Dance Celebration took place. It was great to see so many students showcasing their talents in a number of different dance styles and genres, as well as engaging in games and competitions. A huge thank you to Ms Tania Segura for her work in leading the organisation of the afternoon including arranging for visiting choreographers to work with students.

Congratulations to Nhi (Stella) Nguyen who was awarded the ‘Student of the Year’ award having achieved 11 A+ grades and 5 A grades in her subjects over the course of the year, and achievement awards in three of her subjects.  A fantastic accomplishment, and very well deserved.

 

Year 10 Events

Year 10 students have also been very busy over the last few weeks, with the orientation to VCE and VCE VM and courses taking place following the end of semester exams.

The VCE VM orientation program ran in school from Thursday 24 to Friday 25 November with students being introduced to the Literacy, Numeracy, Personal Development and Work Related Learning subject areas. The classes were very well attended and students were enthusiastic and engaged throughout. Any students that have not yet registered their USI number for their VET course in 2023, must do this as soon as possible.

From Thursday 24 November, Year 10 students who will study VCE in 2023 took part in a week’s worth of VCE orientation classes. Students were provided with an outline of the curriculum and VCAA assessments as well as introductory learning activities and tasks for independent study over the summer holidays.  

The final day for Year 10 students was filled with celebrations and excitement.  Music performances, speeches and a high number of awards were the focus of the final assembly, and a BBQ lunch was provided afterwards.  Students received awards for their academic achievements and efforts, as well as for their leadership roles, attendance and punctuality.

Congratulations to Wilfrid Oo who was awarded a Kwong Le Dow scholarship from Melbourne University.  This scholarship will support him to continue his studies at Melbourne University when he completes Year 12.  Maybel Verma received the Long Tan Award for Leadership in recognition of her contribution to the school community as a Peer Mentor, member of SRC, House Leader and a number of leadership roles in the broader community. Her leadership and dedication to working with the Middle Sub School team over the last two years was outstanding and we thank her for her compassion and support of her peers.

Kelly Lam received the ADF Young Innovators Award in recognition of her excellence in the STEM subjects. Anhthu Nguyen was awarded the Roger Martin Science Award in recognition of her achievements in both her Year 10 and accelerated VCE Science subjects. Congratulations to them both.

 

To the Year 10 students of 2022, we wish you all the best for Year 11 next year. We will miss working with you all and thank you for two wonderful years working with you in the Middle Sub School. 

On behalf of the Middle School team: Ms Emily Dickinson, Ms Ashwini Mana Mohan, Ms Ashley O’Dowd, Mr Sean Ryan, Mr Dane Stammers and Ms Lynda Vo, I would like to wish all students and their families a happy, safe and relaxing summer holiday.  For those students leaving St Albans Secondary College at the end of the year, we wish you all the very best for the future.

Merry Christmas!

 

Becky Annetts – Middle Sub School Leader

 

The Year 12 VCE results were released to students on Monday 12 December, and this year we are celebrating our best ever results!

The Senior Sub School and College community could not be more proud of all our students and the efforts they have put into their studies, not only this year, but across the two year VCE / VCAL program. Their exceptional results are a testament to their dedication, hard work and persistence. Congratulations!

 

We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Year 12 teaching team for their expertise, commitment and support of the Year 12 students in preparing for their end of year exams.  See the Principal’s Report on page one for highlights of our 2022 VCE results.  

The careers team are continuing to work with the Year 12 students and providing them with individual support for the next stage of their tertiary, apprenticeship and work pathways.

The Senior Sub School are holding transition interviews for students moving from the Middle Sub School to the Senior Sub School.  All students in Year 11, 2023 will attend the interviews this week. The purpose of the meetings is to provide students with an opportunity to meet their Year Level Coordinator, receive important information and dates, and have an opportunity to ask any questions about their VCE/ VCE VM program.  All Year 10 students have been given their appointment times. The timetable is also available on Compass. We ask students to arrive at least 10 minutes prior to their appointment time for the smooth running of the interviews.

The Year 12, 2023 Parent Information evening is on Wednesday, 1 February starting at 6.30pm. Information about the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) requirements will be provided at this important evening. Permission forms for lunch passes will also be distributed at the event. 

The compulsory study camp at University College for Year 12 VCE and VCE VM, 2023 students is on Thursday 9 February and Friday 10 February. All students were given information during the Orientation program. Payments can be made on Compass during the holidays. If you hold a health care card, please check with the front office before the end of the term to see if your child has any funds in their school account, prior to making online payment.

The Year 11, 2023 Parent Information evening is on Wednesday, 22 February starting at 6.30pm. All families will be supplied with the Senior School handbook.

For a positive start to the 2023 year, we would like to remind our Year 11 and Year 12 students to complete their holiday homework which they would have received during the Orientation Program.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank parents for their continued support of the Senior Sub School, and working in partnership with us to ensure your child feels connected and supported every day to achieve their best. 

We wish all our students and their families a safe, joyous and restful holidays. We look forward to seeing you in the new year. 

 

Ms Marlene Cassar – Senior Sub School Leader

 

Yr 10 Food for Thought Student Design Brief – Cakes Display

The Food Studies team are very proud of the work the Year 10 Food for Thought students completed as part of their major assessment task. The finished products were displayed at lunchtime with a great turnout from the school community.

 Students were asked to comment on their experience:

• It was really hard but in the end I was pretty proud of my cake, it was nice to see that hard work paid off. My friends liked it and everyone’s cakes were awesome.
• I enjoyed the challenge of getting the fondant the way I wanted for my design,
• I felt excited seeing it come together
• It was a fun, enjoyable experience decorating the cake
• I found it calming, relaxing and exciting, I had fun
• It was a challenge which I really enjoyed, very happy with my final design
• I really enjoyed decorating the cake. I learnt a lot about design and colour

 

 

Ms Andrea Coleridge – Food Studies Teacher & Design Technology LAC

 

 

8A–Mock Bill-Passing-Legislation (House of Representatives)

 

8A Integrated Studies conducted mock bill-passing legislation in Week 9. Everyone in the class was highly participated and engaged. Students were separated into three groups: Government, Opposition and Minor Parties. Different roles were elected by them in their groups as well. In the government, we had a Prime Minister, Minster of Education and a Team Manager. In the opposition group, we had a Leader of Opposition, Shadow Minister and Team Manager. The government sectors brought up 3 bills. These three bills covered different topics such as school uniforms, social media and road-building in the rainforest. Then, different stakeholders conducted the debate. They used their ideas and arguments to persuade other people to agree with them. After that, students were required to vote if they want their bill to pass. In the end, the government collected the votes and announced that two bills got passed. Then we did a whole class reflection on this activity to give students opportunities to talk about their feelings, questions and what they can do better.

During these learning experiences, students got the chance to experience the law-making and bill-passing process as Australian citizens. These authentic learning experiences can bring students some skills such as critical thinking, team-working and public speaking. Students participated really well in this activity. All of them showed their respect, profession, and debate manners during the mock legislation. Now, students have some knowledge of how the government makes laws and how they pass bills which is a pretty important topic in Civic and Citizenship.

 

Thanks for everyone’s hard work, I hope you guys enjoyed that!

 

Mr Jeffrey Ji – Integrated Studies Teacher

On Saturday 26 November from 10.30am to 2.30pm at the Melbourne Showgrounds, three of our MAC students supported the Special Needs Children’s Christmas Party. Mia Edwards 9K, Ashlee Surace 8E & Shakira Anyang 8E all dressed as elves to escort a reindeer around the event. Elves were vitally important as their responsibility was to escort reindeers (mascots) and interact with children on behalf of the reindeers. The lineup of acts on the day included The National Boys Choir and three members of The Voice. From all accounts, our students looked fabulous and found it to be a worthwhile experience. We thank them for their contribution.

 

Janet McKenzie (Director)

8D set off on their 3 day adventure with their IS teacher, Mr Micallef, Ms Brytcz and Ms Stanislaw on a bright Tuesday morning. The plan was to do some sightseeing that afternoon, where the change of pace and setting would allow the bunch to walk, talk and enjoy the rural setting. After our BBQ dinner, Mr Micallef managed to get a lovely campfire going, and we enjoyed roasting marshmallows and telling stories by the fire. Wednesday was the big day, with an early start and a trip to Shepparton, to take in the local sights and get in a few games of Tenpin Bowling, given that the weather was not really conducive for any type of swimming! After our bowling, we headed off to Benalla to our friends, the North-Eastern Archery Club, to practise our skills with the bow and arrow. Everyone enjoyed the challenge, and had a great afternoon. After a lovely dinner, off we went to climb Mt Wombat; a short but steep climb that got our heart-rates up! The stunning views were worth it though. It was a very relaxed, and enjoyable camp, allowing us to return feeling energized for the last part of Term 4.

 

 

Mr Mark Micallef – Integrated Studies Teacher

Summer Holiday Programs

SUMMER SCHOOLS
The following are examples of exciting programs being offered in January.  
 
Filmmaking Summer School
This intensive summer school is taught by Australia’s leading film industry professionals and is suited to people from all ages and backgrounds.
 
When: 14 – 15 January 2023.
Where: Dancehouse, Carlton North, Vic.
www.summerfilmschool.com/
 
Santos Science Experience
This is a fun 3 days of science activities for Year 9 and 10 students (2023). Participants perform experiments in the laboratories, meet and hear senior lecturers in the lecture theatres, and attend site visits. The program is running at the following two institutes in January 2023:
 
17: Marine & Freshwater Discovery Centre
January 18 – 20: RMIT University
 
Information: www.scienceexperience.com.au
 
Qantum Computing Summer School Camp
The Sydney Qantum Academy is running a summer school for Year 9 – 12 students who would like to learn about the fascinating world of quantum physics. You will explore quantum phenomena like superposition and entanglement and no prior experience is necessary. Full scholarships are available.
 
When: 16 – 20 January 2023.
Where: virtual plus a bonus on-site day
https://sydneyquantum.org/programs

VCE Summer School
The University of Melbourne Student Union is running their annual VCE Summer School for Year 12 students (2023) between 9 – 20 January 2023. The 2-week program will be run mainly on-campus. Students will be able to get a head start on their studies, develop study skills, and receive tutoring for their Unit 3-4 subjects. Registrations close 22 November. Regional students can apply to live on campus during the program for a fee, https://umsu.unimelb.edu.au/things-to-do/
 
Western Civilisation Program Summer School
This academic retreat is for students who will be in Year 11 or 12 in 2023 and will run between 18 – 20 January 2023 at the North Sydney campus. Students will engage in critical discussions about great books of the western tradition, gaining invaluable critical thinking, communication, and reading skills – all while having fun and meeting like-minded students. Applications close 1 December 2022 and travel bursaries are available, http://bit.ly/3THDquX
 
The National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA)
NIDA is running several acting and musical theatre short courses for students at the Melbourne campus during January. To explore the program options and reserve your place, visit www.open.nida.edu.au
 
Monash University, MYSci
MYSci is an exciting three-day science program specifically designed for students who will be in Year 11 and 12 in 2023. Cost is $110 per student
 
When: 11 – 13 January 2023.
Where: Monash University, Clayton campus
https://shop.monash.edu/mysci-2023.html

2023 National Youth Science Forum
This is a two-week on-site and digital program where Year 12 students (2023) are immersed in hands-on science activities, lab experiments, field trips and meet researchers who are leaders in their field. The cost is $1950. Students are encouraged to contact their local Rotary Club to seek financial assistance and scholarships may be available.
 
When: 10 – 24 January 2023.
www.nysf.edu.au

Monash University
 
Engage Engineer: this program is for students in Years 9 & 10 in 2023 and will run on 16 & 17 January 2023.
 
Engineering Skills Day: this program is for female students in Years 10 – 12 in 2023 and will run on 19 January 2023.
 
Steam City: this program is for female students and will run on 19 January 2023. The day will be focussed on engineering.
 
For information on the above programs and to register your place, visit
www.monash.edu/engineering/meg/activities

 

 

Cathy Armstrong – Careers Program Coordinator

 

 

 

As impressive as the program’s statistics are for 2022 (see last newsletter), there is more to the alumni program story than just numbers.

The story the stats don’t tell is one about relationships.  Over the past three years as Coordinator of this program I have met and connected with hundreds of alumni; of course, not all are able to commit to sessions, but there are many who are eager to share their stories and reconnect with the school community and their old teachers. 

It is always such a delight for me to witness the return to adolescence and the waves of nostalgia that overcome our alumni.  One moment they are guests returning to talk to a classroom of students, and the next they are transported back to being a student themselves. There are a lot of emotions going on when alumni come back, but the sense of pride that overcomes the teachers, well, it is simply written all over their faces. So before signing off for the year, I’d like to share with you the other side of the numbers – the people.

For a semester wrap-up of the program, view our summer review here.

I hope you all have a restful, fun and safe summer break.  See you back in this space in 2023!

 

Ms Nicole Gurd – Alumni Coordinator

 

 

 

Brimbank Youth – School Holiday Program

 

 

Victorian School of Languages

Click here for the VSL Brochure.

 

 

 

Anglicare – Foster Care Information Session

 

Public Speaking and Drama Program

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swimland Swim Club