Alba Newsletter – July 2022

Dear Parents and Families

Welcome back to Term 3.  It certainly feels like we’ve  hit the ground running with year level assemblies, a Curriculum Day, the 100 Days of Success celebration for the Year 11 students,  the Year 10 Information Night, 3 camps and Course Selection days already under our belts …….. and it’s only week 3.

Term 3 is an opportunity for students to reflect on their achievements across Semester 1, and to consolidate and build on their successes.  It is also the term where our focus shifts to include  planning for 2023.  Course selection, and all the work by the Careers/Pathways Team to support students in the lead up to this, is the first major step in this process for our Middle and Senior School students.  We are confident of the excellent advice they have, including from their families, and wish them well with their decisions.

This term is also the final full term of secondary education for our Year 12’s; not without mixed emotions, as well as a sense of pressure for those approaching final exams.  We really encourage them to  enjoy this time together, and to give all they can to their studies.  They have a wonderful network of support and expertise to draw on in their Coordinators, the Wellbeing Team, their teachers and staff, families, and, of course, each other.

 

A Warm Welcome……

Several new members of staff have commenced with us this term.  Nicole Haddad joins the English Learning Area. Jacob Marinelli joins the Health/PE team, taking over Brendan McFarland’s classes; Myers Nguyen will be teaching Science and Literate Practices whilst Gloria Vlasonjic is on leave this term; and Krizza Salugsugan joins the Wellbeing team as a Wellbeing Officer.  We wish Nicole, Myers, Krizza and Jacob all the very best for their time at St Albans Secondary College.

 

Farewell……

Jeka Kukulj announced her intention to retire this term after 17 years as a Library Technician here at St Albans.  Over that time, Jeka has seen and been a part of so many changes in the ways that libraries are structured, the services that they provide, and how they interface with their users; and she adapted and contributed to the opportunities these changes presented. 

What has been a constant, though, is Jeka’s love of reading and learning, her desire to develop this in others, and her calm reassuring manner with students and staff.  Libraries are central cultural, learning and social places in schools, and Jeka has been a valued part of this aspect of the life of our school.

Jeka is looking forward to the next chapter of her life, and on behalf of the School Council, staff and many students with whom she has worked and interacted, we wish her every happiness in retirement.  We also gratefully acknowledge her dedication and  contribution to St Albans Secondary College.

Van Rudd, our Maintenance Officer, for the last year has taken up a position at Springside West Primary School.

Our thanks to Van for his diligence in keeping the school ship shape for all of us to enjoy.  He made a difference every day.  We wish Van well in his new role, and for his ongoing work as a children’s author.

 

Curriculum Day

The recent Curriculum Day saw staff spend time developing their skills in planning for student collaboration. Research shows that when students collaborate they learn better, and have greater voice in the classroom. Staff were exposed to some new learning, and listened to the students’ perspective, courtesy of members of the Student Learning Action Team.

Using the GROW coaching model, teaching staff then set a goal they will work on for Term 3. Thanks to the members of the Teaching and Learning Team for their work in developing and delivering this excellent professional learning day.

 

Progress Reports

Year 12 Progress Reports are available this week on Compass. Year 11 Progress Reports will be published on August 12, and Year 7 to 10 on the August 19.  As these reports become available, please take the time to read through them and have a discussion with your child. Coordinators will make contact with parents/guardians where these are issues. As always, please contact your child’s Year Level Coordinator if you have any questions.

 

NAPLAN

Preliminary NAPLAN results were released to schools this week.  We are currently analysing these and further details will be communicated in the coming weeks.

Individual student results will be available for parents and students towards the end of August.

 

Course Counselling and Subject Selection

We recently ran the course selection days for Year 11 moving into Year 12 and Year 10 moving into Year 11 for 2023. These are an important part of our calendar of events as they allow every student to receive individual attention regarding their pathway options and assist them in finalising decisions.  The Careers/Pathways Team with the support of the Year 10 teaching staff conducted the Year 10 pre course selection information sessions during week two this term. During these sessions and their individual interviews, students received information to assist them make decisions about subjects they should study aligned with their interests, course and career aspirations.

 

Year 10 Parent Information Session

The Year 10 Parent Information session for Year 11 2023 was  held on Tuesday 19 July.   As VCAL has now merged with the VCE,  this was run as a combined session to cover both the VCE and VCE Vocational Major pathways. The session provided an overview of the subject selection process and changes as VCAL transitions to the VCE Vocational Major.  There was opportunity for parents and students to ask questions on the night.  A frequently asked questions document was circulated after the event and this will be added to as more questions come in. This document provides a great reference as part of the comprehensive package provided for students and parents as they work through the process.

We were pleased to have such a large turnout for this event with the majority of students and parents in attendance. The information from this session, including the PowerPoint presentation is available on Compass to all Year 10 students and parents.  Year level Handbooks were also sent out and are available on the school website.

At this stage, we have successfully completed the Year 10 and 11 course selection interviews with individual students.  Any student who was unable to attend their interview can reschedule by contacting the Careers Office or speaking with their Year Level Coordinator.

Year 9 Course Counselling

The Course Counselling interview sessions for Year 9 moving into Year 10 will be held on Tuesday 2 August.  Year 9 students are only required to attend school for their interview time.  There are no scheduled Year 9 classes on this day.  Students will be provided with the time of their interviews, and parents are welcome to attend the interview with their child.

Year 8 Parent Information Session

There will be an online session for students in Year 8 and their parents to work through the process of selecting electives as students progress into Year 9.  This will run on Tuesday 9 August from 6.00pm – 7.00pm via WebEx. Details have been sent to parents and students by the Junior Sub School. For further information please contact your child’s Year Level Coordinator.

The care and thorough approach given to this process is a credit to the Careers/Pathways and Sub School Teams.  The intensive work this involves is done with passion and integrity by all staff who support and assist students to make these decisions, in the knowledge they will have the support of all those at the school to achieve success.

We wish all our students well with selecting their courses, and thank all the staff and parents involved for their support in this process.

 

NAIDOC Week

During the winter school holidays Australia celebrated NAIDOC week. The College, in recognition of this important week, celebrated during week 1 of Term 3. NAIDOC week is a time to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. It is an important time in our College calendar.  

The Theme of this year’s NAIDOC Week was: Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! This theme calls for us all to continue to Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! for systemic change and keep rallying around our mob, our Elders and our communities.

At the College, we held a range of activities for NAIDOC week with wide spread student involvement. We also led sessions in classrooms and invited all students to think about the true history of Australia – a history which dates back thousands of generations and to consider the wonderful accomplishments of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to this great country Australia.  

CPR Theme – Problem Solving

Our Connect, Protect and Respect (CPR) theme for Term 3 is problem solving.

Helping students to solve problems effectively is a skill that needs to be taught.  Especially in relation to conflict. A phrase we frequently share with students it to use your head and your heart. Helping students with strategies to use their head and their heart is something we can all do through our interactions with you people.

Using your head means

• Assessing the size of a problem and reflecting on whether our reactions are proportionate.
• Getting help from a trusted adult/person before our problem gets too big.
• Talking it out and committing to using decision making and conflict resolution skills like negotiation and compromise.
• Using a problem solving model like POOCH from Headspace or the Reachout Model.

Using your heart means:

• Responding with empathy and trying to walk in the other person’s shoes– Brene Brown’s video on this is a great intro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw.
• Actively listening.
• Responding with compassion and a spirit of generosity.
• Using a growth mindset (consider seeing problems as opportunities).

In the classroom, we strive to further help students by creating an inclusive, safe and engaging learning environment and explicitly modelling and teaching these strategies.  We encourage all members of our school community to use and model effective problem solving to support all people to feel connected, protected and respected.

 

And finally……

Covid Safety Measures

The Department of Education has recently stated that all students over the age of 8 and all staff are expected to wear masks whilst at school.  This is not a mandate, but it is a covid safe measure that we strongly endorse. 

Together with the vaccination and ventilation, masks are an essential element of a covid safe environment.  Please support us to keep your child healthy.

Punctuality

Thank you to parents for your support in getting your children to school on time each day.

We have had a focus in improving punctuality, and have been contacting parents where lateness is an ongoing issue.

Regular attendance of over 90% and being on time are essential life skills, and ones that we continue to promote and foster.

 

 

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.

 

Thursday, 28 July 2022

08:45AM – 03:10PM Year 7K Strathbogie Camp

09:00AM – 03:10PM Year 10 into Year 11 Course Selection Day

09:30AM – 10:30AM The Long Walk

11:00AM – 12:40PM Year 8 Anti Bullying Program (The Hurting Game)

01:30PM – 03:10PM Year 8 Anti Bullying Program (The Hurting Game)

03:20PM – 04:15PM Homework Club (Library)

Friday, 29 July 2022

08:45AM – 03:10PM Year 7K Strathbogie Camp

08:20AM – 08:45AM LEGO Mornings

11:00AM – 12:40PM Periods, Pain & Endometriosis Workshop

01:00PM – 03:00PM Science Olympiad (Yrs 7 to 10)

Saturday, 30 July 2022

10:30AM – 04:30PM MAC Rehearsals

Monday, 1 August 2022

08:55AM – 03:30PM Year 7 & 8 Girls Volleyball

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

03:30PM – 04:30PM iTrack Program

Tuesday, 2 August 2022

08:55AM – 03:10PM Year 7 & 8 Boys Volleyball

09:00AM – 03:10PM Year 9 into Year 10 Course Selection Day

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

12:40PM – 01:20PM Homework Club (Library)

02:20PM – 03:10PM Drum Beat

03:30PM 05:00PM MAC Rehearsals

Wednesday, 3 August 2022

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

11:00AM – 11:50AM Chill Skills

01:30PM – 02:20PM Tertiary Information Session (Yr12 VCAL)

01:30PM – 02:30PM Year 9 Hurting Game

03:30PM – 05:00PM MAC Rehearsals

Thursday, 4 August 2022

08:55AM – 09:45AM Le Mana Program

08:55AM – 03:10PM Vic Challenge and Enrichment Program – Analyzing DNA Barcodes

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

11:00AM – 12:40PM Australian Maths Competition

03:20PM – 04:15PM Homework Club (Library)

Friday, 5 August 2022

08:55AM – 03:10PM  Athletics Carnival Years 7 – 10 

08:55AM – 03:10PM Vic Challenge and Enrichment Program – Analyzing DNA Barcodes

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

03:30PM – 05:00PM MAC Rehearsals

Saturday, 6 August 2022

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

Sunday, 7 August 2022

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

Monday, 8 August 2022

08:15AM – 04:00PM Year 9 Maths Games Day

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

03:30PM – 04:30PM iTrack Program

Tuesday, 9 August 2022

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

09:45AM – 10:35AM Drum Beat

12:40PM – 01:20PM Homework Club (Library)

03:30PM – 05:00PM MAC Rehearsals

06:00PM – 07:00PM Year 8 – 9 Parent Information Night (Via Webex)

Wednesday, 10 August 2022

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

11:50AM – 01:30PM Year 12 VCE/VCAL Motivational Lunch

01:30PM – 02:20PM Chill Skills

03:30PM – 05:00PM MAC Rehearsals

Thursday, 11 August 2022

08:55AM – 10:35AM Brimbank Library Excursion

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

11:50AM – 12:40PM Le Mana Program

03:20PM – 04:15PM Homework Club (Library)

Friday, 12 August 2022

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

08:00AM – 08:45AM LEGO Mornings

03:30PM – 04:30PM MAC Rehearsals

Saturday, 13 August 2022

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

Sunday, 14 August

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

Monday, 15 August 2022

08:55AM – 03:10PM Teaching Staff Professional Practice Day ( Student Free Day)

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

11:00AM – 04:00PM MAC Rehearsals

03:30PM – 04:30PM iTrack Program

Tuesday, 16 August 2022

08:50AM – 12:40PM Speed Careering

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

11:50AM – 12:40PM Drum Beat

12:40PM – 01:20PM Homework Club (Library)

03:15PM – 04:30PM GAT Information Session (12A, 12B & 12C)

03:30PM – 05:00PM MAC Rehearsals

Wednesday, 17 August 2022

08:55AM – 03:10PM Inter Boys Basketball

08:55AM – 03:10PM Indigenous STEM Program (8C & 8F)

08:55AM – 03:10PM Year 8H Strathbogie Camp

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

03:15PM – 04:30PM GAT Information Session (12D, 12E & 12F)

03:30PM – 05:00PM MAC Rehearsals

Thursday, 18 August 2022

08:55AM – 03:10PM Year 8H Strathbogie Camp

08:55AM – 03:10PM Indigenous STEM Program (8K & 8I)

09:15AM – 03:30PM VTAC Open for Year 12 Tertiary Application Appointments

01:30PM – 02:20PM Le Mana Program

03:20PM – 04:15PM Homework Club (Library)

Welcome back to Term 3 from the Junior Sub School. 

The term began with an incursion from Brainstorm Productions, called “The Hurting Game”.  This two person stage play tackled issues such as acceptance amongst peers, body image, cyber bullying and risk taking.  The play followed two young people from when they started at school in Prep, through to a difficult drama assessment that they were rehearsing for in Year 11.  Along the way they faced many issues that our own students would be likely to experience.  The characters made a number of poor choices, which tended to aggravate their already bad situations.  Ultimately they were able to rely on each other as good friends and whilst the outcome was a bit uncertain, it appeared as though they were going to successfully complete secondary school. 

The issues raised in The Hurting Game are not unlike issues faced by our own students.  Before and after the performance it was made clear that students are able to speak to teachers, coordinators and the Wellbeing team should they have any particular concerns.

This term the students will be engaging in a number of activities regarding Conflict Resolution, as part of the broader Connect, Protect and Respect program.  This was introduced to students at the assemblies in Week 2.  Initially the focus has been on recognising anger, in the form of a hypothetical ‘red beast’.  Recognising when the red beast has appeared is key to developing strategies to controlling anger and managing conflict. 

 

 

Craig Moore – Junior Sub School Leader

 

Welcome back to Term 3. This term will be a busy one for students in both Year 9 and Year 10 with a focus on careers and pathways for 2023. 

Year 10 students continue their work on their course counselling assignments and are preparing for the course counselling day in Week 3. The VCE information evening was well attended, and we thank you all for coming and asking questions about the changes to the VCE program from 2023.

Year 9s also completed their pre-course counselling assignment at the start of the term 2, and Year Level Coordinators will spend time with their classes to explain the process of course selection.

 

Upcoming Events

Course Counselling

Thursday 28 July – Year 10 into 11 Course Counselling

Friday 2 August – Year 9 into 10 Course Counselling

Students will receive an appointment time when they will meet with either their Year Level Coordinator or a member of the careers team.  During this time, students will discuss their subject choices for 2023.  There are no timetabled classes on these days, and students are only required to attend their scheduled appointment.  Appointment times will be also be posted on Compass and shared with students by their Year Level Coordinator.

 

Speed Careering

Tuesday 16 August – Year 10 Speed Careering

This is an opportunity for Year 10 students to meet with members of the school’s business and community network as well as volunteers from a variety of job fields. Guests will meet with small groups of students to outline the requirements of their jobs, how they entered the field and provide advice to students on key employability skills.

 

Becky Annetts – Middle Sub School Leader

 

It has already been a very busy Term 3 for our Senior Sub School students, with classes picking up right where they left off prior to the holidays. The start of a new term is also the perfect time for our students to reflect on their achievements and challenges, and set new personal and learning goals for a successful Term 3. We encourage students to speak to their Year Level Coordinator if they would like support with goal setting. 

June Practice Exams

The Year 12 VCE students were hard at work during the June school holidays, as they attended their practice exams. The practice exams are an important opportunity for students to test their understanding of subject-specific content and apply their knowledge and skills in timed exam conditions. Practice exam results are on the ‘End of Unit 3 Reports’, which are available on Compass. The next round of Year 12 practice exams will be held in the September holidays.

These exams are in preparation for the end-of-year VCAA exams which will be held from Wednesday 26^th of October 2022 to Wednesday 16^th of November 2022.

Year 12 Assembly

The Year 12 students had their assembly on Monday 18^th of July 2022. The focus of the assembly was to review effective work and study habits. Michelle Lam and Linh Nguyen did a fantastic job in sharing practical study strategies and exam preparation advice with their peers. They presented their own personal approach to study and learning, and provided some useful tips and examples on how to consolidate and apply new information. They spoke about note-making, connecting key ideas, utilising visual organisers and preparing a study timetable. Charlize Luong-Le and Natalie Tran were equally engaging with their presentation on how to prepare an organised, complete and well-polished VCAL Portfolio. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the students who presented, and for speaking so well at the assembly.

Tertiary Information Sessions (TIS)

Year 12 students attended their after-school Tertiary Information Session (TIS) on Monday 25^th of July or Wednesday 27^th of July 2022. Students received information on how to apply for tertiary courses through VTAC and the Special Entry Access Scheme (SEAS). VCAL students will have their TIS session on Wednesday 3^rd of August 2022.

Year 11 100 Days of Success

The Year 11 students enjoyed the 100 Days of Success celebration organised by the Senior Sub School, as recognition of the effort, resilience, care and enthusiasm shown in their first 100 days of their VCE and VCAL studies. The students were treated to a light afternoon tea, while they enjoyed Year 11 musical performances and a mesmerising magical act from world-renowned master illusionist, Duck Cameron.

Careers Counselling

As part of the College’s commitment to supporting students with making informed pathways choices, the Careers Team in conjunction with the Senior Sub School ran one-to-one course counselling sessions for Year 11 students on Tuesday 26^th of July 2022, to select their 2023 subjects. Students were referred to the school’s Promotion Policy, and made selections based on their school reports, tertiary pre-requisites and teacher recommendations.

The College’s Promotion Policy is available for viewing on Compass. Year Level Coordinators will be contacting families if their child is at risk of not meeting the Promotion Policy.

Year 11 VCAL Showcase

Year 11 VCAL students have completed their first complex project, which they presented as a showcase to the Year 12 VCAL students in Nindethana on Monday 25^th of July 2022. The Year 12 VCAL students completed a rubric and provided feedback to the Year 11 VCAL students on their project content, organisation, teamwork and leadership. The Year 11 VCAL students appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with their experienced peers and to discuss ways to improve and build on their transferrable skills. 

 

General Achievement Test (GAT) & GAT Information Session

The GAT will be held on Wednesday 7th of September 2022. All students enrolled in one or more VCE or scored VCE VET Unit 3 –4 sequence will be required to sit Sections A and B. Senior VCAL students will sit Section A only.

The GAT will be split into two sections:

• Section A will assess literacy and numeracy skills
• Section B will assess skills in mathematics, science, technology, the arts and humanities, with an increased focus on critical and creative thinking skills.

The GAT information sessions will be held on:

• Tuesday 16^th of August, 3:15pm – 4:30pm for 12A, 12B & 12C
• Thursday 17^th of August, 3:15pm – 4:30pm for 12D, 12E & 12F

VCAL information session to be held during class time – date to be confirmed

For more information, please see VCAA GAT Information Sheet for Parents by clicking on the link below:

https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/GAT/VCAAGATParentInformationSheet.pdf

Uniform

A timely reminder that school uniform jackets and school scarves ONLY are to be worn to, from and at school. Students are not to enter school grounds out of uniform, except in exceptional circumstances and with a note from a parent/guardian.

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones are to be kept switched-off and in lockers during the school day. Regular checks will be conducted and mobile phones will be confiscated if they are not kept in lockers.

Finally, we would like to thank parents who contact us when their child is absent for any reason. This is of great assistance to the Year Level Coordinators, as we call home regularly if there are any unexplained absences. The Case Management process continues to monitor closely the attendance, achievement and individual needs of all our students.

Please contact us on 9366 2555 if you have any queries or concerns about your child. 

 

 

Marlene Cassar – Senior Sub School Leader

                                                           

 Nicole Haddad

 

Hey there, St Albans Secondary – staff, students and parents! 

My name is Nicole and I am absolutely enthralled to join the English teaching team at SASC! I have been teaching for 3 years, and I teach, research and present ideas about English, Literature, and the Arts.

Outside of teaching, I am an artist and a writer. In terms of Art, you’ll usually find me sketching or painting. Within writing, I am working on a few fiction pieces that I hope to publish, and whenever I find myself feeling a lot I express myself with poetry.

I am a huge lover of nature, and you’ll probably see me reading a lot – I’m currently reading 24 books at the same time. Feel free to have a chat with me about anything from philosophical ideas to hommus – life is but a frolicking within engaging conversations.

 

 

 

Krizza Salugsugan

Hello, I am Krizza, and I am beyond honored to be a part of the St. Albans Secondary College Wellbeing Team. I am an international student intending to finish my Master of Social Work degree this August, and I have done my placement here at SASC the previous term.

In my home country, I was a practicing Psychology professional who handled psychological assessments and counseling. I am looking forward to taking up to a new challenge as an emerging social worker.

I enjoy reading books and cooking meals for my loved ones. I love going to libraries and having some quiet time as well.

I am extremely excited to be working with you all as an official member of SASC.

 

 

 

The Lion King Jr

We are making great progress with this year’s production of The Lion King Junior. Cast members are working hard to learn songs, choreography and of course, their lines. It is great to see so many younger students participating and we are very pleased with the strong level of commitment and reliability with this year’s cast- many of them participating in their very first production.

Backstage are busy creating elaborate puppets and we look forward to seeing these animals come to life in the next few weeks. The band is also working hard to learn their various parts and to be ready for when we bring the cast and band together in the coming weeks.

Coming Up:

• Saturday 30^th July Costume fitting from 10.45am & full day rehearsal
• Monday 15^th August 11-4pm Rehearsal Cast, Band & Backstage

A full rehearsal schedule can be found on google classroom.

Tickets information has been posted on COMPASS and bookings are now available through trybooking.

Janet McKenzie (Director), Nick D’Aglas (Artistic Director), James Orchard (Musical Director), Melrose Tran (Assistant Musical Director)

The NYSF is short for the National Youth Science Forum and is a not-for-profit organisation. They run a program every year, called the NYSF Year 12 Program (NYSFY12P), which takes in year 11 students going into year 12 who have an interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) as not just a subject in school, but as a career as well. I believe that this program will benefit you if you’re open-minded about learning various things in STEM fields and you are not entirely sure what you want to do in the future (even though I personally knew what I wanted, this program was a good learning opportunity in general).

The first part of the program included a bunch of online events (some of which involved you getting hands on) that occurred over the summer break and you’d join in on them via Zoom. Depending on the events you choose to attend, you could learn about different things.

Some of the events I tuned into included a tour of the Large Hadron Collider (a device that accelerates two particles to near the speed of light and causes them to collide), an activity revolving around cryptography (the technology that keeps your phone locked and private information private) and a presentation about my thinking (which admittedly might sound boring but trust me, this really boggled my mind in the best way possible). I found these events extremely interesting, but they might not be your cup of tea so you just have to choose the right events. Even then, I would encourage you to go to as many events as possible because, who knows, you might find something that hadn’t struck you as interesting before!

You were also assigned a “Constellation” group consisting of a lot of other NYSFY12P students from across Australia and every so often after the various presentations, you would meet up with your group virtually and partake in various activities with guidance from “staffies” (who are only one to three years older than you are!) The staffies presented us with a couple of riddles that confused many of us, but alas, there were a few who were able to work them out. They had also lined up other various activities to complete as a group and I personally found it really enjoyable to work and play with them after a long day of online events.

The second part of this program involved going to places around Melbourne. This would normally happen during the summer break but due to COVID restrictions, we could only attend during the second week of the term 2 holidays. Personally, the places I went to was Lockheed Martin Australia’s STELarLab and the Defence Science Technology Group (DSTG). While both places often collaborated with Australia’s security in their interests, I found that the former was closer to a “start-up” office that was mostly focused on analysis of scenarios, while the latter involved research and development of materials with plenty of complex machinery to not only produce said materials but to test them as well. The DSTG was a pretty high-security government facility that required us to have an ID and there were sections which we could not enter with any electronic devices on us, while the STELarLab was far more lax in their security policies and didn’t even require us to have an ID. I found all of it fascinating and I wish I could have done more tours, but unfortunately due to mid-year exams and other events I had planned out for the holidays, I could not go to all the ones I wanted to.

Overall, I had a blast attending the program. I met a lot of good, ambitious and interesting people that also had interests outside of STEM-related things and I even discovered how diverse the applications of my interests are. It was an eye-opening experience for sure and I implore that you go if you have any interest in STEM. 

Are you in Year 11 and interested in attending in 2023? Find out more details here: https://www.nysf.edu.au/programs/year-12-program/ or speak with Ms Hanley.

Applications close August 14, 2022.

 

 

 

 

 

Lance Lui Lam –  Student of 12C

As part of their unit on ‘Food in Italy’, Year 8 & 9 Italian students from, Ms Morrison and Ms Biondi’s classes had the opportunity this term to learn how to make authentic pasta dough at home and learn about the 350 different shapes of pasta and their accompanying sauces.

Congratulations to all the class winners, who also received consolation class prizes for their individual pasta shape creations.  Congratulations also to all the other consolation winners from year 9.

 

Ms Piera Biondi – Italian Teacher                      

Year 8 Boys – Western Zone Metropolitan Badminton Finals

On Wednesday 22 June, Year 8 boys Lachlan Tran, Aaish Raza, Huy Vo, Mohammed Hassan & Richard To made their way to Truganina badminton centre for the Western Zone finals.

They were in Pool A, and suffered early losses to Braybrook and Alamanda College. They rounded the day off with a solid win over Essendon Keilor College.

The closely contested final was between Maribrynong College Sports Academy and Alamanda. Maribrynong won through to the state finals.

They learnt a lot about their game, played with great sportsmanship and socialised with students from other schools.

They assure me they will be back to compete and work on their game next year.

 

 

Simon Lynch – Yr 8 Badminton Coach

 

SASC Friends Group

On the 22^nd of July, students from the SASC Friends Group went on a trip to the city, what a fun day they had! Seven JSS students attended the excursion and worked collaboratively in navigating their way into the city by train and exploring Federation Square.

Students visited the National Gallery of Victoria to discover how portraits can portray an image showing many different forms of personal identity. The installation Mass was quite a talking point as we looked at art from different perspectives.

The highlight of the trip was a visit to ACMI (Australian Centre of Moving Images), with hands on learning about computer graphics, cinematography and the history of moving images. We experienced retro gaming from the arcade heyday of the early 1980’s, with some intense competition over Pac-Man and Atari’s Basketball.

 

Individual Needs Team

Riddells Creek Camp 2022 – Dukes Award Practice Journey

The Year 9 Advance class completed their Dukes Award Practice Journey by hiking for 10 kilometers around Mount Charlie in Riddells Creek, in preparation for their qualifying journey at the end of the year.

Students played against teachers in a basketball game and the class visited Mount Macedon on the way home and admired the beautiful views.

 

Student Camp Reflections Kayla, Sarah, Thu & Phi

The camp we had was only two days but it was an eventful camp and definitely an amazing experience. We did many things including a 10km (4 hour hike), cooking on a trangia for dinner, playing and roaming around the campsite and going to Mt Macedon! Our hike was a long and tiring one especially with our backpacks but the satisfaction of completing it was worth the journey. After that we got some time to cool down, play in the basketball/recreation room or playground and spend some time making memories before starting our cooking. We all made some delicious food including hot chocolate! The following day, we went to Mt Macedon to admire the scenery and we took a class photo to remember our camp experience.

Thank you to Ms Papagianopoulos for hosting the camp and to Mr Owen McIntyre and Ms Marion Mortimer for attending the camp. 

At the Riddells Creek Camp, we settled into our cabins and ate lunch. There were lots of activities to do. On the first day we did a 4 hour hike, which was 10 km. It was very tiring as we had to carry our heavy hiking backpacks on the journey. Although the hike was very difficult, as a class we encouraged each other and pushed through the long hike. When the hike was completed, we had free time and could rest for a while. When it became dark, we all went out to hang at the campfire to make dinner using our packed foods and trangias. It was a fun and new experience where we got to cook our own food. After dinner, we cleaned up and got ready for bed.

 

Jennifer Papagianopoulos – Advance Program Coordinator

Yippee! Thursday 21 July, the Yr 11s finally got to go to The Shrine on an excursion. It was a beautiful day and we had lunch in the Botanic gardens, where Mrs Pannu met a friendly Wattle Bird who nearly landed on her, and then sat by her side. Daniel got to wear some of the military attire and Kevin said the ode in front of the memorial for Vietnam Veterans. Bella spoke very well when thanking our tour guides Bill and Ralph for making us feel welcome. We can’t wait to do it again.

Jill Donaldson – Humanities and English Teacher

On the last day of term 2, the house team ran a students vs staff netball game. We had a great turn out to watch the game in the gym and the atmosphere was incredible. It was great to see a huge crowd come out to cheer for students, and hopefully some teachers. Students had a strong start, but were unfortunately no match for the strength and agility of the staff. The final score was 9-5 to the teachers.

A special thank you to Ms. Annetts for umpiring and to Mr. Lynch for setting up the netball courts in the gym.

The house team will be running more student vs staff games in the future. If students would like to participate, they must sign up before the game. Keep an eye out for notices on the compass newsfeed.

 

 

Emi Narasaki – House Leader

 

 

 

Nadia Diaco – Health Education Nurse

Year 11 Biology students attended the Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC) early in term 3. They worked with science mentors to analyse the DNA of individuals to determine whether they had specific genetic abnormalities. They used a range of techniques, including modelling, fluorescence microscopy, PCR and gel electrophoresis to complete an in-depth genetic analysis. Students then explored different ethical perspectives related to the results. The day finished off with students speaking with their mentors, who are all PhD students researching immunology, about what it is like to do research in science.

 

 

 

Angela Hanley – Science Coordinator

An unprecedented amount of students weren’t able to attend work placements this year, so we needed to accommodate them on-site with a focus on work place readiness.

Thankfully we have just the community to help out with such a task; Janaki Kharel ’18, Hao Truong ’17, Kat Cicarevic ’20, Devangana Sharma ’17, Rachel Pinto ’18, Zoe Pavlides ’20 and Soraya Nusevic ’17 spoke to these Year 10 students about their career pathways, work place expectations and the skills and attributes required to do their job.  This was a massive day of Q&As across 6 periods and required a LOT of patience and good humour from the alumni.  

 

 

Julie Tran ’03 returned in Term 2 to speak to our Y11 Psychology classes about her pathway into psychology and the realities of university and study.  

Jennifer Whitfield ’21 also returned to campus for the second time this year to chat with our French students about their studies and university life. 

Laura Van Kuelen ’18 came in to speak with students as part of the school’s education week activities; to reminisce about her time at SASC and to share her experiences as a student at the school. Of course, it always turns to university life with students so keen to know what the future holds, and Laura did an incredible job fielding their questions.

A huge THANK YOU goes out to all these wonderful humans who have all volunteered their time and shared their personal experiences of life after school.  Their enthusiasm for the alumni program and their involvement in these sessions mean more to our students and school community than they’ll ever know.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Footscray Lacrosse Club – Recruiting

 

 

 

 

St Albans Football Club – Recruiting

 

The St Albans Football Club is a proud community football club located in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne and based at Errington Reserve St Albans and Kings Park Reserve, Gillespie Road St Albans. 

In addition to its core football roots, St Albans Football Club presents an open accessible face, welcoming members and guests into its sporting and social programs from the broad spectrum of cultures within its melting pot suburb.

Our “Vision” is to be the sporting club of choice for our community, encouraging all to participate with no barriers to entry and success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Albion Football Club – Recruiting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swimland Swim Club