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From the Principal Class Team

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Dear Parents and Families

It is a pleasure to welcome you back to Term 4 – at the same time, of course, that we have started the process of farewells that, in part, defines the final term.

To acknowledge and celebrate the contributions and achievements of our Year 12 students, we held our 2022 Awards Evening last week, followed by the whole school assembly earlier this week.  Both occasions were lovely tributes to the Year 12’s, and you can read more about each event below.  We wish each of our graduating students all the very best for their futures, and for the exams for those who have them coming up.

Congratulations…

To Mr Michael Bowden who this year has been appointed Chief Examiner for Victoria in Studio Arts.  This is a wonderful recognition of Michael’s knowledge and skills as a teacher, leader and VCE assessor in this field; and also of the esteem in which he is held by his colleagues across the state.

We are very fortunate to benefit from Michael’s expertise , and wish him well in this role.

Year 12 Graduation

This year were able to return to Moonee Valley Racecourse to celebrate the Graduation of the Class of 2022. It was a wonderful evening, full of music, joy and speeches. Our guest speaker, SASC alumna,  Christina Yakovlev, spoke about her time at SASC, and her journey to where she is now.

A special congratulations to the major award winners.

These were:

Year 12 Long Tan Award – Charlize Luang – Le

Y12 ADF STEM Innovators Award – Anthony Tran

Ampol All Rounder – Elizabeth Catania

VCAL Excellence Award – Vishal Gill

VCE Excellence Award (Dux) – Anthony Tran

 

The full list of subject awards can be found later in this newsletter.

We would like to congratulate all of the VCAL and VCE students of the Class of 2022, and wish them well in their future endeavours.

Congratulations to the Senior Sub School team for their organisation of the event, and to all those staff who volunteered their time to support the students.

VCE Exams

The external VCE written exams commence next Wednesday, starting with English. We would like to wish all of the students sitting the exams the very best for the next few weeks. We know that all of the hard work you have put into your studies this year will set you up to do the best that you can.

Whole School Assembly

Our whole of School Assemblies are an important part of our school calendar, and it was wonderful to be able to celebrate our Year 12 cohort and wish them well as a whole school community on their last day on Monday 17 October. This assembly provided a valuable opportunity to farewell the Year 12s as they make their way onto the next part of their journey.  It was also an opportunity to showcase our school values of Respect, Integrity, Leadership and Excellence. The assembly included rituals such as the passing on of the time capsules and the handing over to the next group of  school leaders. Both outgoing and incoming School Captains addressed the school community and it was clear that both sets of leaders felt a sense of pride in their school.

Jackie Chen and Olivia Nguyen from Year 7 responded to the leaders and thanked the Year 12 cohort on behalf of Year 7, whom those same leaders welcomed into the school during our whole school assembly at the start of this year.

During the award presentations, we heard from two alumni from the class of ’84.  Dr Jozica Kutin presented the $250 Psychology Award she inaugurated for a student who has shown commitment, potential, and is continuing their studies in Psychology into Year 12.  This award went to Lily Huang of 11B . Ms Helen Papadimitriou presented the $250 English Award she donated for a Year 10 student who shows outstanding growth and achievement in English.  This was awarded to Jessica Luong of 10E.

Also presented was the Roger Martin Science Award which is $120 donated by the Martin family in honour of their father who was a previous Science teacher and Vice Principal of the school. This is awarded to a student who shows outstanding achievement in Science and is continuing their Science studies into VCE. This year, the award went to Anh Thu Nguyen of 10C.

A new award will be presented for the next 5 years.  The Joseph and Clare Sheen Award for Community Service has been donated by Mr Greg Sheen, a recently retired teacher of the school,  who wanted to acknowledge those students who contribute to improving their community. This award is to be awarded to one or two students for voluntary and active tasks benefitting the community.  This year there were two recipients who will each receive $425.  The two students who received this award were Meera Mansukhani of 11C and My Hang Lam of 10F.

 

The Student Recognition Prizes are awarded at the end of each year to a student from each Sub School who exemplifies the school values of Respect, Integrity, Leadership and Excellence.  This includes having over 90% attendance, always behaving respectfully to other students and staff and in accordance with expectations including always being punctual.  The students who were drawn from the pool of those eligible for each Sub School are:

Junior Sub School – Alia El-Alo of 8B,

Middle Sub school – Anh Luong of 10E, and

Senior Sub School – Sophia Vo of 12F

 

There was a parade of the fashion items created by our Senior Fashion classes assisted by Mr Michael Bowden and Mr Nick D’Aglas; and the Crocker House Cup was awarded, by Mr Ian Crocker, to the winning House which, for 2022, was Buttrose.  Final House points for the year were:

Buttrose:               6499

Irwin:                     6265                      

Rosewall:              5983

Freeman:              5777

Well done to Buttrose House and all the students who received awards.  All were thoroughly deserved. We also thank and congratulate our Facilities and Music Teams who worked behind the scenes to ensure the effective set up and presentation of the event.  Well done to all involved. Thank you also to our special guests and all the student speakers and musicians.

Congratulations to our class of 2022.  We wish you all the best for your upcoming exams and placements and look forward to hearing about your accomplishments beyond school.  Each of you will forever be part of the St Albans Secondary College community and we hope to see many of you return as part of our Alumni Program.

Student Attitudes to School Survey

Every year all students complete the Student Attitude to School Survey. This year the College is pleased to announce that we have made significant growth across the College, in contrast to a downward trend across the state of Victoria. Our school was higher than the state average for all measures and in the top quartile (25%) of the state for 19 out of 22 measures. For 8 domains, we achieved our highest results to date.

Some of our strongest achievements were:

  1. Attitudes to attendance: The extent of students’ attitude towards absenteeism – 93.2 percentile
  2. Emotional awareness and regulation: The extent to which students can manage their emotions and maintain positive relationships – 85.6 percentile.
  3. Respect for Diversity: Respect for diversity: The extent to which students perceive that people are treated fairly and diversity is respected – 83.6 percentile
  4. Perseverance: The extent of students’ level of perseverance, their capacity to manage, recover and move on from challenging events – 82.6 percentile
  5. Effective Classroom behaviour: The extent to which teachers manage behaviour effectively in the classroom – 81.6 percentile

This is a wonderful achievement and reinforces that hard work our students and staff have been doing to develop resilient mindsets and ensure everyone at our school feels Connected Protected and Respected. Well done, St Albans!

 

 

From the General Office

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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.

 

Important Dates & Calendar

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Monday, 24 October

08:45AM – 03:10PM Grade 6 Big Day In

09:15AM – 10:10AM VHAP Maths Calathea

03:30PM – 04:30PM iTrack Program

Tuesday, 25 October

02:00PM – 02:55PM VHAP English Teal

Wednesday, 26 October

Year 12 VCAA Exams Start

08:55AM – 10:35AM SCOPE Year 9 Advance Incursion

08:55AM – 03:10PM Year 7 Girls WMR Table Tennis

Thursday, 27 October

11:50AM – 12:40PM Art Therapy

Friday, 28 October

Year 11 Last Day of Classes

11:35AM – 12:30PM VHAP Maths Chrysantheum

02:20PM – 03:10PM Year 11 Awards Assembly

Monday, 31 October

Year 11 Exams Begin

11:35AM – 112:30PM VHAP Maths Calathea

03:30PM – 04:30PM iTrack Program

03:30PM – 05:15PM Junior Debating Workshops and Competition

Tuesday, 1 November

Public Holiday – Melbourne Cup Day

Wednesday, 2 November

08:00AM – 09:00AM Year 11 VCAL Structured Workshop Learning (SWL)

08:35AM – 03:10PM Year 8C Strathbogie Camp

11:50AM – 01:05PM STOMP – Chill Skills Replacement Program

Thursday, 3 November

08:00AM – 09:00AM Year 11 VCAL Structured Workshop Learning (SWL)

08:35AM – 03:10PM Year 8C Strathbogie Camp

08:00AM – 03:10PM Year 7 Boys WMR Baseball

11:50AM – 12:40PM Art Therapy

Friday, 4 November

08:00AM – 09:00AM Year11 VCAL Structured Workplace Learning (SWL)

08:35AM – 03:10PM Year 8C Strathbogie Camp

08:55AM – 03:10PM Year 8 Boys WMR Baseball

08:55AM – 03:10PM Year 8 Girls Softball

09:15AM – 10:10AM VHAP Maths Chrysantheum

Monday, 7 November

08:00AM – 09:00AM Year 11 VCAL Structured Workplace Learning (SWL)

09:15AM – 10:10AM VHAP Maths Calathea

03:30PM – 04:30PM iTrack Program

Tuesday, 8 November

08:00AM – 09:00AM Year 11 VCAL Structured Workplace Learning (SWL)

02:00PM – 02:55PM VHAP English Teal

Wednesday, 9 November

Year 11 Last Day of Exams

08:00AM – 09:00AM Year 11 VCAL Structured Workplace Learning (SWL)

08:35AM – 03:10PM Year 8L Strathbogie Camp

02:20PM – 03:10PM STOPM – Chill Skills Replacement Program

Thursday, 10 November

Year 12 Orientation Program Begins

08:00AM – 09:00AM Year 11 VCAL Structured Workplace Learning (SWL)

08:35AM – 03:10PM Year 8L Strathbogie Camp

08:55AM – 09:45AM Art Therapy

Friday, 11 November

08:00AM – 09:00AM Year 11 VCAL Structured Workplace Learning (SWL)

08:35AM – 03:10PM Year 8L Strathbogie Camp

11:35AM – 12:30PM VHAP Maths Chrysantheum

Monday, 14 November

Year 12 VCAL Orientation Begins

11:35AM – 12:30PM VHAP Maths Calathea

03:30PM – 04:30PM iTrack Program

03:30PM – 05:15PM Junior Debating Workshops and Competition

Tuesday, 15 November

Year 10 Last Day of Classes

10:25AM – 11:20AM VHAP English Teal

Wednesday, 16 November

Year 10 Exams Begin

Year 12 Last Day of Exams

09:45AM – 10:35AM Art Therapy

11:50AM – 12:40PM STOMP – Chill Skills Replacement Program

Thursday, 17 November

06:00PM – 11:00PM Year 12 Formal

Friday, 18 November

09:15AM – 10:10AM VHAP Maths Chrysantheum

New Staff at St Albans Secondary College

New Staff at St Albans Secondary College
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 Alisha D’Souza

Hi! My name is Alisha and I am a first year graduate teacher. I thoroughly enjoyed my teaching placement at St Albans Secondary College in 2021, so I am very excited to be joining the school community as a Mathematics teacher. Prior to teaching, I worked as a chemical engineer on offshore oil and gas platforms – but after five years decided fossil fuels are not for me (or the planet!). My husband and I are accredited foster carers – through which we have looked after many lovely young people. At home, I have a three-year-old daughter who keeps me very busy with her curiosity and energy. 

 

 

 

Fiona Byrne

 

My name is Fiona – or as the kids know me, “Miss”. You might have seen me picking up rubbish in the yard or trying my best to play handball. I’m lucky to be here at this wonderful school fulfilling the role of an EAL and French teacher this semester. I’m very new to the role of classroom teacher, having spent the majority of my career working as a relief teacher while I travelled the world, built a house and spent some time teaching English in remote communities. If variety is the spice of life, then I like my life very spicy. I’m currently studying a Masters in Project Management and Property Development. In my free time I like to sleep or do something fun. I am particularly passionate about student wellbeing and helping students discover their learning styles and love for learning, and most importantly their love for themselves. Thanks for welcoming me and helping me grow! 

 

 

 

 

SophiePearce

Dear St. Albans Secondary College community,

My name is Sophie.
I am excited and grateful to be entering the education system at St. Albans Secondary College as your Junior Sub School Assistant while Zoe is on maternity leave. I have administration and customer service experience from my previous role.

I am very much looking forward to a new challenge.
In my spare time I listen to podcasts on various topics, spend quality time with my family and friends, and visit the movie cinema frequently.

Thank you for having me, I look forward to meeting and working with every one of you.

 

 

Tara Fuhrmeister

Hi everyone!

For those who don’t know me, I’m Tara.

I have just returned from maternity leave after having my beautiful daughter Evie.

Coming back and seeing everyone’s smiling faces and hearing ‘Hi Miss’ from the students as I walk into the office in the morning has been so welcoming.

Term four is such an exciting time to be around the school and in the general office supporting the team with all the events, assemblies, and new year 7’s getting ready to start their first year in secondary college.

I’m looking forward to seeing more familiar smiling faces around the school as I slowly make my way around. 

 

Junior School Report

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It was great to welcome our Junior School students back to school for what promises to be an engaging final term for 2022.  We commenced the term with year level assemblies.  Our recent assemblies have featured an increased level of student voice, including Zoe Edwards and Wilhem Tomoana Araniva stepping in as Masters of Ceremony at Year 7.  They spoke with confidence and appeared very assured, standing in front of 300 of their peers.  Our assemblies often feature musical performances.  This term Josephine Mai, Chantelle Duong and Api Nicol entertained us with their musical skills.  In addition Thien Doan provided a stand-up comedy routine, which was a first for our school and will surely live long in the memory. 

Over the last few weeks, Junior School students have been attending the new Melbourne Science Gallery in Parkville.  This centre explores the collision of art and science and aims to play a role in shifting our understanding of science, art and innovation.  Students took part in a workshop to explore indigenous perspectives on land management and worked collaboratively to solve an environmental problem using indigenous knowledge. 

The Junior School office has been resplendent with students submitting dioramas reflecting a scene from Ancient Egypt.  Students have worked diligently to explain the historical significance of the scene depicted.  Highlights have included depictions of daily life on the Nile River, recreations of Tutankhamun’s tomb and the inside of one of the Great Pyramids of Giza.  Our Integrated Studies team have been extremely impressed with the work that has been submitted. 

 

Mr Craig Moore – Junior Sub School Leader

Middle School Report

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Welcome back to Term 4. This term will be busy with all students in Years 9 and 10 preparing to sit semester tests and exams, celebrate their achievements over the course of the year, and begin looking to 2023 in their step up and Year 11 VCE classes. In the assemblies held in Week 1, students were reminded of the importance of using the next few weeks to prepare their revision notes and schedules by revisiting their learning over the course of the year and identifying areas for targeted improvement.

The Year 10 formal committee are currently working to organise a number of activities to raise money for prizes, gifts and potentially a photo booth at the Yr 10 formal on their last day of term. A guess the number of lollies in the jar game was launched in Week 2, with several students coming in to try their luck at guessing the correct number. The committee will continue to meet and plan for the celebrations at the end of the year.

Year 9 students are also busy preparing for their end of year Dance Extravaganza celebrations. Students in the Semester 2 Dance class are working with Ms Segura to choreograph a variety of dances, visiting dance teachers will also begin working with students who wish to showcase their dancing prowess, and Year 9 Peer Mentors will be working with the sub school team to plan the event.

Year 9 Important Dates
  • Semester Two Tests – Monday 14 November to Wednesday 16 November (core classes and LOTE)
  • Year 9 Dance Extravaganza – Wednesday 7 December
  •  Year 9 to 10 Step Up Program – Thursday 8 to Monday 12 December
  •  Last Day for Year 9 – Friday 12 December
 Year 10

Term 4 will pass very quickly for the Year 10 students and their time as students in the Middle Sub School will come to an end.  Teachers are preparing students for their end of semester exams, Year Level Coordinators are ensuring that all students have selected VCE subjects or VET courses for next year, and discussions about how best to safely celebrate the end of the year are underway.

Year 10 Important Dates
  • Semester Two Exams – Wednesday 16 November to Wednesday 23 November
  •  VET Orientation – Tuesday 22 November
  •  VCE Orientation – Thursday 24 November to Thursday 1 December
  •  VCE VM Orientation – Thursday 24 and Friday 25 November
  •  Last Day for Year 10 and Year 10 Formal – Friday 2 December

  

On behalf of the Middle Sub School team, I’d like to wish all students the best of luck as they prepare for their exams and tests.

 

Becky Annetts – Middle Sub School Leader

Senior School Report

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It has been a week full of celebrations for our Year 12 students, as their time as students at St Albans Secondary College draws to a close.

Year 12 VCAL Portfolio Interviews

On Monday 10 October and Wednesday 12 October, the Year 12 VCAL students had their interviews where they showcased their portfolios, which included work completed in the VCAL program, work placement and VET. They discussed with the panel members the skills, knowledge and experience they gained through the program and what they plan to do in 2023. The interviews were also a celebration of their outstanding contribution to the community.

Last Day of Year 12 Classes

Year 12 classes finished on Friday 14 October at 12:40pm. Students were dismissed at lunchtime to prepare for their Year 12 Awards Evening, which was held in the Celebration Room, at Moonee Valley Race Course.

Year 12 Awards Evening

Our 2022 Awards Evening proved to be a joyous occasion, with a full house of students, their families, friends and their teachers, coming together in a celebration of the College culture of success and life-long learning. Our Guest Speaker was Christina Yakovlev, a former student of St Albans Secondary College. Christina graduated from St Albans Secondary College in 2017. She has recently reconnected with the school community via the alumni program when she was a panellist at an alumni event talking about her tertiary studies and pathway into her career.  She is keen to engage with and inspire the school community; to provide leadership and guidance to students and to show them that they can succeed regardless of their path of life. She delivered a motivation speech with the key theme of perseverance, which resinated not only with the students, but with staff and guests that were present. It was an honour to have her address our school community.

The school captains Tina Duong and Sarah Liu shared memorable moments of their secondary school journey, and hopes and aspirations for the class of 2022. They prepared a presentation that was shared with the audience.

One of our international students, Vy Ngo, spoke eloquently about her struggles with coming to Australia as an international student and strength, kinship and sense of belonging she found through the St Albans Secondary College community.

Many students were recognised for their academic achievements, and/or contribution to the school and wider community.

The major Award recipients were:

  • ADF Future Innovators Award – Anthony Tran
  • Long Tan Youth Leadership and Teamwork Award – Charlize Luang-Le
  • Ampol All Rounder – Elizabeth Catania
  • VCAL Excellence Award – Vishal Gill
  • VCE Excellence Award (Dux) – Anthony Tran

The following students received subject awards: 

STUDENT NAME SUBJECT AWARD 1 SUBJECT AWARD 2 SUBJECT AWARD 3 SUBJECT AWARD 4 SUBJECT AWARD 5
Trieu Phan Accounting        
Ha Pham Biology        
Tai Fan (Martin) Chan Business Management        
Amy Voong Certificate III in Applied Fashion Design and Technology        
Joshua Kwok Certificate III in Information Technology        
Kevin Pinto Certificate III in Music        
Lilian Ha Chemistry        
Michelle Lam Chemistry        
Winney Tran English        
Zainab Muradi English as an Additional Language        
Alison (Eden) Anderson Further Mathematics        
Ha Thanh (Aleysena) Do Further Mathematics        
Maaira Sohail Further Mathematics        
Faiza Abdiraham Health and Human Development        
Sophia Llandelar Health and Human Development        
Kha Nam (Nam) Tran History (Revolutions)        
Deidre (Deedee) Chloe Italian        
Helen Chen Legal Studies        
Eric Vo Mathematical Methods        
Kenny Le Numeracy        
Vishal Gil Personal Development        
Shawanah Sciberras Personal Development        
Andy Nguyen Physical Education        
Minhtam Huynh Psychology        
Trung Nguyen Psychology        
Vy Ngo Vietnamese (1st Language)        
Monique Hua Business Mathematics Food Studies      
Shangrou (Sarah) Liu Biology English as an Additional Language      
Khang Chi Nguyen English Mathematical Methods      
Tina Phan Economics Further Mathematics      
Tri Nguyen Further Mathematics Physics      
Huong-Thu Luong Legal Studies English      
Natalie Tran Work Related Skills Literacy      
Charmaine Acuram English French Visual Communication Design    
Hachi Dinh English Further Mathematics Studio Arts    
Charlize Luang-Le Literacy Numeracy Work Related Skills    
Sarah Vo Biology English Japanese    
Angel Tumusa Personal Development Literacy Numeracy Work Related Skills  
Anthony Tran Chemistry English Mathematical Methods Specialist Maths Physics
 
Year 12 Celebration Day

The morning started with a whole school assembly, where students paraded their costumes. The Year 11 SRC and Year 7 representatives wished them all the best during the assembly.  After the assembly the students continued their celebrations in the gymnasium and took photos in the photo booth. Finally, they read their “Year 7 First Day of Secondary School” reflection, while enjoying pizza with their friends on the grassed area in between Nindethana and the Gymnasium.

The Senior Sub School would like to thank the Year 12 students for their excellent behaviour during the celebrations, and wishes the class of 2022 all the best with their upcoming exams and all their future endeavours. 

Last Day of Year 11 classes & Exams

Last day of classes for Year 11 students is Friday 28 of October. The Year 11 students will have their final assembly period 6. Year 11 exams will commence on 31 October and conclude on 9 November 2022. We wish the Year 11 students all the best with their exams.

Year 11 CHASE Program & VCAL Work Placement

Year 11 VCAL students presented their projects for ‘CHASE’ to junior classes this week, and will continue next week. Year 11 VCAL work placement starts Wednesday 2 November to 11 November 2022, where students will have a taste of their future industry.

 

Ms Marlene Cassar – Senior Sub School Leader

Humanities Faculty

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On Tuesday 4 October, Yr 10 History students visited the Jewish Holocaust Centre in Elsternwick. The excursion supported students’ study of the Holocaust which occurred during the 1930s and 1940s. We were extremely lucky, as our school was the first to experience the Centre’s education program in their new building, and staff were excited about our visit, reminding students that we were ‘making history’. Students had the opportunity to speak to 98-year-old survivor Abram Goldberg who was a member of the resistance in the Lodz Ghetto in Poland. 

The excursion was informative and a fabulous opportunity to ask questions directly from someone who survived the conditions. Students also participated in an activity using artefacts from the museum. This can be seen in the photographs below. Thank you to teachers and staff who supported the event.

 

Jill Donaldson – Humanities and English Teacher

Year 9 Advance Program

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As part of the Advance program, we spent term 3 working on a project known as Kids Teaching Kids. The Kids Teaching Kids program helps students, empowering them to become advocates for their surrounding environment and become ambassadors for their community.

We worked on this project for quite some time and the class decided on a theme for a workshop, which was reusing and recycling.  The aim of our workshop was to teach children about environmental issues, and educate them on the importance of recycling, and the detrimental environmental impacts of not recycling. The class split into groups and we planned different parts of the workshop according to what group we were in. Half of the class created a paper making workshop called picture perfect paper, using scrap paper to teach kids how to reuse paper in a fun craft project. The other half of the class created a play where they portrayed the importance of putting items into the correct bins. The play included someone falling because of a banana peel which was thrown on the ground, due to someone’s carelessness. The aim of this workshop was to teach students about how to use the correct bins, where they had to work together to place various items into the correct rubbish, recycling or green waste bin. 

On September 9, we went to University Park Primary School and worked as a team to present our workshop to educate young environmental leaders as well as the class captains at the school. The Mayor of Brimbank, Jasmine Nguyen also attended the workshop and it was amazing to have her join us to see what we have been working on during the term. We had a really great time working together as a team to teach the University Park Primary School students about reusing and recycling.

We would like to thank University Park Primary School for allowing us to run our workshop with the students and to the young environmental leaders and house captain for attending. We would like to thank the Mayor of Brimbank City Council Jasmine Nguyen for coming to support us on the day and encouraging us while we were running the workshops. We are very grateful that she attended the program. We would also like to thank Ms Mortimor and her Year 7 class for allowing us to run the workshop with them and also for Ms Mortimor attending on the day. 

We hope that these students have developed their knowledge on recycling, and they can take the lessons they have learnt and continue to recycle years down the line, making a difference for our world, step by step. 

Article written by: Kevin To, Kevin Zhang – 9A, Taranjeet Singh – 9A

 

Jennifer Papagianopoulos – Advance Program Coordinator

Science Faculty

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On the last week of term 3, the three of us had the privilege to participate in GTAC’s Science Immersion Research Experience program. We participated in two research projects in collaboration with PhD students/scientist mentors from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Maria and Andrea.

Our research done in SIRE aimed to enhance our understanding of vascular biology and angiogenesis (the development of new blood and lymph vessels) to open up new approaches for the drug treatment of cancer and tumours for people around the world.

Andrea’s experiment involved using CRISPR-affected zebrafish in order to edit their genetic makeup to see if the absence of a specific gene impacted the proteins involved in angiogenesis.

Maria’s experiment was testing zebrafish with various drugs to discover the effects of the drugs on the vasculature (blood and lymph vessels) development.

Throughout the week, we had the opportunity to work hands-on in a lab environment and utilise equipment and technology that we would not have been able to access otherwise at school, such as a gel electrophoresis machine, centrifuge, PCR machine, fluorescent microscope etc.

 

This was an extremely valuable, rewarding, educating, and most of all fun experience. We are grateful to have been a part of cancer research that could end up saving lives. GTAC’s SIRE program is definitely worth applying for, especially for those considering STEM as a potential career path or even if you just have a general interest in science!

So, for year 9s this year, it would be great to consider doing your work experience at GTAC next year! For more information, head to this website: https://gtac.edu.au/sire/

 

Article Written by:  Sally Li (10C), Vanessa Pham (10F) and Kelly Lam (10C)

 

Ms Angela Hanley – Science LAC

Junior Italian Poetry Competition

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It is with great pleasure that we announce that St Albans students have once again participated and been place winners in the CIS (Centre of Italian Studies) Poetry Competition.

On the 13 September, and after weeks of practice, 30 Year 7 and 8 Italian students competed in the CIS (Centre of Italian Studies) Italian Poetry competition. Students were judged in the following categories:

  • Knowledge of Poem
  • Appropriate Expression
  • Pronunciation
  • Intonation
  • Gesture and Eye Contact

Prizes were awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place at Year 7 and 8 for the state of Victoria. Congratulations to Delphi-Zeng Lagas of 7F and Grace Cowling of 8A who both finished second in the state!

Certificate of Distinction were received by the following students:

Year 7 Year 8
Ishmeet Hehar (Highly Commended) Mikayla Huynh
Jessica Le (Highly Commended) Dema Ihsan
Layla Le Josephine Mai
Farishtay Naqvi Hope Vili
Alice Tran  
Andy Truong  
Sally Wang  
Thien Dan  
Amy Shi  

 

Certificate of Merit were received by the following students:

Year 7 Year 8
Dante Donal Randy Lim Ka Lan
Avileen Kaur Maan Henry Phan
James River Melany Romera Duran
Lian Sa Thing Amirah Shone
Kevin Tran Andy Tran
  Thuan Tran
  Syeda Mariam Batool
  Sharlene Nguyen

 

Certificate of Participation were received by the following students:

Year 8
Darren Lai
Minh Tan Le

 

 

Piera Biondi – LOTE LAC

House Students Vs Staff Volleyball Game

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On the last day of term 3, the house team organised a students vs staff volleyball game. The students came out strong and strategized to “smash the ball”. Staff were worried at the start but unfortunately, once again, it was not enough for the students and the staff team won again. The final score was 31-28 to the teachers.

Thank you to all the participants and to everyone who came to cheer us on. A special thank you to Mr. Marinelli for refereeing and to Mr. Lynch for setting up the volleyball 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

 

Wellbeing Team

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Nadia Diaco – Health Education Nurse

Alumni

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It was a running start to term for the Alumni Program, with the special guest speaker at the Year 12 graduation ceremony being an alum, as well as two special guests at our whole school assembly handing out their awards, also alumni!

At the Year 12 graduation ceremony last Friday, 2017 graduate, Christina Yakovlev, gave a reflective speech about her time as a student of St Albans SC, the pathway she embarked on after finishing school, and some of the challenges she has faced, and continues to face, since then.  Her messaging was clear; never give up!   Christina gave practical tips for preparing for the last sprint, and a reminder that perseverance is key to achieving your goals in the face of disappointment and prejudice.

Dr Jozica Kutin and Helen Papadimitriou attended our whole school assembly on Monday to hand out their respective awards for Psychology and English. Dr Joz (as she is affectionately known) gave a moving speech about the pride she feels for the school, and about the life-long friendship she and Helen built in their time as students at the school in the 80s. Congratulations to Lily Huang 11B and Jessica Luong 10E for their commitment, dedication and passion for Psychology and English, respectively.

 

Ms Nicole Gurd – Alumni Coordinator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community News

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Aussie Bird Count

The ‘Aussie Bird Count’ is on again, from 17 to 23 October.  This citizen science event run by Birdlife Australia aims to get people interested in their local environment by counting and recording birds.  As well as fostering knowledge of our avian friends, this event also provides vital information for scientists as they seek to understand and protect local fauna.  Our local Brimbank Park is an excellent place to observe a wide variety of birds, such as the abundant Rainbow Lorikeet to the unusual Tawny Frogmouth and the beautiful Flame Robin.  The bird counts can be submitted through www.aussiebirdcount.org.au

 

 
Public Speaking and Drama Program

 

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