西瓜视频

Honouring sacrifice.

On Tuesday this week we held a service at the College to commemorate ANZAC Day, and yesterday I was privileged to accompany our College Captains to the dawn service at the Ringwood Memorial Clock. The proximity of Easter to ANZAC Day leads to an almost natural link in their themes of sacrifice for others: Jesus鈥� sacrifice for all of us; the diggers for their mates, nation & allies. This link is reinforced by the words inscribed in the marble floor at the centre of the Shrine of Remembrance - 鈥淕reater love hath no man鈥� - an extract from an older translation of John 15:13

鈥淣o one has greater love than this, to lay down one鈥檚 life for one鈥檚 friends"

We鈥檝e been blessed with almost 80 years since the last world war threatened Australia and over 50 years since military conscription ended. For current generations, the ANZAC sacrifice may seem like a concept from the distant past. Perhaps a more contemporary example of the spirit of sacrifice was provided in the tragic events at Bondi a fortnight ago. Much like the horrors of war, this horrific experience also highlighted some of our nation鈥檚 best traits through those willing to 鈥榣ay down their lives鈥� not only for friends but also for strangers. We keep the victims and families of those lost in this tragedy in our prayers.

Master Planning - Parent consultation
The Leadership Team is pleased to announce that have been appointed to complete the College鈥檚 new Master Plan. The selection panel were very impressed with their understanding of education and the various features and needs for our site, as well as the extensive number of Master Plans and building projects they have completed across Victorian schools. A key strength of theirs was the consultation plan, which will involve all staff, all students and families. A consultation forum will be held from 5.30-6.30pm on Tuesday 30 April: parents & guardians who are able to attend . Those unable to attend will be able to contribute via a survey that will be emailed to families next week.

Perseverance - EISM success
Congratulations to our Senior students who contributed to EISM tennis, basketball, softball and cricket teams across Term 1. Many impressive team achievements are detailed below in the Sports report.

I encourage all students to broaden their participation in the full life of the College while improving their fitness and mental health by participating in the Term 2 offerings of AFL, soccer, volleyball netball, tackle tennis, ultimate frisbee and hockey.

西瓜视频 students on the International stage
Last week, a team let by 西瓜视频 teacher Andrew Russell (Technology Learning Area Leader) and including 西瓜视频 students Pip Wilhelmsen, Brayden Waddell, Robbie Pilato, Sophie Fegan, Zach Osborne, Cameron O'Keefe competed at the Robotics World Championships in Houston, Texas in the USA. We congratulate them on the momentous achievement of making it through to the finals and look forward to reading more about their trip in our next Lighthouse.

David Broadbent

Principal

As a way of first introduction, my name is Chris Leahy, I am the Chairperson of the School Advisory Council (SAC). One of the primary goals for the SAC in 2024 is to increase our visibility within the College community, providing confidence in the governance process, ultimately developing the SAC and College partnership profile.

The SAC is advisory in nature and forms an important expression of the educational partnership between parents, the school, parishes and the wider community to support all students. The SAC provides a forum for discussion and discernment, where parent voice and community perspective are available to influence and support the decisions made by the Principal where students鈥� wellbeing and outcomes are paramount. It's important to note, the SAC operates across the systems that provide a framework for the Leadership team to manage the College, with delineation to the day to day and educational aspects of the school.

SAC Representatives include industry leaders from within our Parish, Primary Principal鈥檚, Financial sector, Staff, Student and Parent groups, in addition to our Canonical Administrator, who all meet with College Principal; David Broadbent twice per term, with a more significant project orientated Seminar in the middle of the school year. In preparation for each meeting, the SAC is provided with reports from the Principal, Finance Department, Capital Projects, Wellbeing and Child Safety, Student Leadership and the P&F. The focus points from more recent meetings include:

• Child Safety - maintaining a standing agenda item to discuss child welfare, highlighting its importance from a leadership perspective
• Enterprise Risk - clearer understanding of the risks and potential impacts on the College with the view to leveraging the SAC member experience, providing support in minimising the potential for the risk occurring or its consequence
• Master Plan - consultation with key stakeholders, commencing at the conceptualisation phase through to project delivery
• Parents and Friends - maintaining their integral contribution across key initiatives including; capital fundraising, sponsored learning initiatives and student events
• Tennis Court Re-Development - SAC representation on the Project Control Group

It is the intention of the SAC to provide updates of meetings during the School year, highlighting areas of involvement and support for the College.

Regards

Chris Leahy
School Advisory Council - Chairperson

Screentime, trauma, and the irresponsible control of what our kids are exposed to online

I hope that this edition of the lighthouse finds you in good health and that your recent Parent, Teacher and student conferences have been positive and rewarding. In recent weeks, our greater Australian community has been rocked by events of violence in Melbourne, Sydney and Regional Victoria. The incidents have led to death and trauma for many victims, and footage of the poor actions undertaken have been aired through a number of different outlets. Protecting young people from distressing content online and on Television is crucial for their emotional wellbeing and development. Research Scientist and founder of the Wellness for Youth Centre in San Francisco, USA, Dr Nadine Burke Harris provides an extensive body of research exploring the impact of (ACEs) on the development of young people. Her stance is that childhood trauma isn鈥檛 something you just get over as you grow up.

Dr Burke Harris explains that the repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on the development of the brain. This unfolds across a lifetime, to the point where those who鈥檝e experienced high levels of trauma are at triple the risk for heart disease and lung cancer.

A video explaining this concept is found . Although the likelihood that news segments and mainstream social media will create traumatic experiences for your child are remote, there is something that has taken place over the last 10 years which is highly relevant to some young people in our care. During this time, young people have mostly been exposed to acts by others that are considered 鈥渘ormal鈥�, which may place them at risk. The normalisation of actions which may be antisocial or criminal is of great concern. In the last 15 years, I have been involved in working with the e-Safety Commissioner on the reporting of social media platforms that promote hate, violence and crime as normal measures to live by. Just a month ago, I reported on an instagram platform named 鈥淔ights of the East鈥�, which provided the viewing for young people of clips of fights between teenagers in areas such as shopping centres, train stations and parks. The normalisation of such acts expose our young people to behaviours that are dangerous and which could lead to ACEs.

Risk taking behaviours are prevalent amongst some young people, however, the normalisation of criminal activity, the use and abuse of substances and the horrors of violence on TV should never be accepted as norms for the people who will lead our communities in the future. Eastland was recently named as the second worst shopping centre in Melbourne with respect to youth crime and violence. The only other shopping centre with more reported cases of criminal activity was Northland Shopping Centre in Preston.

Here are some strategies and measures that you can take when supporting your child navigate within the complex nature of social media and the internet:

• Use parental control settings on devices and streaming services to filter out inappropriate content based on age ratings or specific content categories. Many platforms offer customisable settings to block or restrict access to certain websites, apps, or shows.
• Monitor your child's online and TV activities, especially when they are younger. Sit with them while they watch TV or use the internet and discuss what they are seeing. Encourage open communication so they feel comfortable talking to you about anything that makes them feel uncomfortable, daring or upset.
• Set guidelines for screen time and content consumption. Discuss what types of content are appropriate and what should be avoided. Teach your child about responsible internet and TV usage, including how to recognise and avoid harmful content.
• Teach children about the importance of privacy, not sharing personal information online, and how to recognise and report inappropriate or disturbing content. Help them understand that not everything they see online or on TV is real or suitable for them. The offers great resources for parents.
• Choose age-appropriate websites, apps, and TV programs that are specifically designed for children. Look for educational content that is engaging and promotes positive values.
• Teach children critical thinking skills to analyse and evaluate media messages. Help them understand how media can influence thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, and encourage them to question and think critically about what they see.
• Foster a supportive and nurturing home environment where children feel comfortable expressing their feelings and concerns. Encourage them to come to you if they encounter anything distressing online or on TV.
• Be mindful of your own media consumption habits and the content you expose yourself to in front of your children. Set a positive example by modelling healthy screen time behaviours and consuming age-appropriate content.
• Have clear expectations of where your child is allowed to go and what activities they should engage in. Any harassment, bullying and risk taking behaviours should not be undertaken, considering that as Christians, our students have the responsibility to demonstrate Gospel Values in all their actions.
  
  
  The active implementation of these strategies and supervising of your child's media consumption can help protect them from distressing content online and on TV, while promoting a healthy and balanced relationship with media. Not everything on the internet is harmful, nor are media outlets intending to shock young people. However, it is the responsibility of parents to ensure that their children are safe from the impact that such content can have. Adverse Childhood Experiences do not need to be drastic. Anything that impacts a person negatively can lead to trauma and the negative consequences it brings to the individual.
  
  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child鈥檚 pastoral leaders.
  
  These two resources are available on our website through SchoolTV.
  
  
  
  

Nap Rodezno
Deputy Principal

Senior Years Report

Commencing term two with parent-teacher interviews has provided a powerful direction for students and their learning at the beginning of the term. Thank you to many families for making the time to meet and discuss your child's progress, strengths and areas for improvement with your child with their teachers.

Your conversations with your child's teacher would have had similar elements, including what your child is doing well and their strengths, highlighting progress, and feedback on areas of improvement. As a school, we aim for each student's continual growth so that they don't just meet expectations but exceed them.

Following the conversations and feedback, most students come away with good intentions, firm agreements and clear goals to improve their learning outcomes. How do students turn the promises they have made into practice?

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, explores tiny changes in thinking and behaviours which assist in breaking old habits and building new ones. Clear advises that the basis for reaching your goals is through focusing on systems or processes you have in place. He argues that goals alone are not enough, as these focus on what you get, compared to the methods you have in place, which focus on how you act. Based on the fact that you can not completely control an outcome, whereas you do have control of your actions.

Goals after parent-teachers are often: I am going to鈥︹�︹��

• complete and submit all my cycle plan work
• not be distracted in class
• get xyz% on my next assessment
• attend all classes
• complete revision on top of my homework

These are worthy goals; however, how do we make them happen? What are the tiny steps that improve the chances of the desired outcome? Improving outcomes requires a significant effort by the student with the support of families and teachers. Parents only want the best for their children but can be uncertain about what is suitable for their child's learning needs. An excellent way to begin understanding what your child requires is to start a conversation with them.

Conversations to bring to the surface: which of their current study habits are successful, which are less beneficial, and are there any new actions that need to be included? Some people find making a shortlist and agreeing on these a tangible way of beginning. Articulating what they need can be challenging. Helpful questions may be: "What do you need to do to make XYZ happen?" "When I see you in your room working, what will this look like?" "What do you need from me to support you with鈥︹��( your homework / attendance / achievement" etc). Support could be time, resources, or particular words and reminders. And finally, "What does your teacher need to know to help you?" "How will you communicate with your teacher?"

How do I know what my child needs when I don't know how to help them? Different age levels will require different levels of assistance. Students have many resources around them already. Subject teachers put a lot of time into cycle plans for students. Cycle plans are documents with two weeks of work that students must break down into regular, repeated study times. Information on the cycle plans is well organised and provided in different formats, such as written information or videos, to assist students in understanding their homework. Reading cycle plans and actioning the instructions is a starting point. Successful students are habitual in following through on every one of their cycle plans. Further to cycle plans, Year 11 and 12 students can access various study skills through their year-level website. Students supported by Educational Support Services have access to supported study sessions.

As Clear explains, one's belief has the greatest impact on developing our habits. An example of solid learning belief would be: I can learn as much (or even more) from what I get wrong as they can from what I can from getting things right. Or I believe I am the type of person who does all my homework. A student was overheard in class this week demonstrating a belief in lifelong learning. Student 1 sighs, "When am I ever going to use this in my life?" to which student 2 answers, "You know, not every question we do will apply to every single person in this class'. 'We're not just learning for our own career, sometimes we are actually learning how to learn"?

As a final note - it is important to remember that minor one-percent changes only show results after reaching a critical threshold, and expecting improvement after a single or short-term attempt will lead to disappointment. Patience and persistence are vital ingredients. As parents and teachers, we nurture these qualities by acknowledging each child's effort and rewarding them when their efforts are seen.

Rachel Crawley 

Head Senior Years

Middle Years Report

This week we were grateful to have Toolbox Education come and work with our Year 7 and 8 students (they also work with our Year 9s but not this week.)

Our Year 7s focus was on regulating their emotions. Situations where a minor disagreement can lead to an outburst or a meltdown - or complete withdrawal. They aimed to give them the appropriate tools to release emotions healthily. Their workshop taught students how to identify the build-up of emotions inside of them, what their triggers are, and how to get restoration.

The Year 8 workshop was called 鈥楳ental Movies.鈥� Where every interaction brings with it a compelling story that our mind creates - whether it鈥檚 missing out on something with friends, blaming someone for what went wrong or comparing ourselves to others. When students ruminate on situations in the past or future, this can lead to worry and anxiety. Their workshop helped students how to identify a mental movie at the moment and return to the present moment before it can take hold.

Our Year 7 and 8 students were very much immersed in the sessions this week. Here are a few of their thoughts on the Toolbox Workshops.

鈥淭he Toolbox session was an absolute blast and it had a lot of good messages and tips on how to not 鈥榚xplode the bottle鈥� and try your best to stay calm when dealing with a tough situation that could frustrate you. Overall our class learnt a lot of tips on how to control our emotions and it was also a really fun time as well.鈥�

鈥淚 really enjoyed how engaging the speaker was and loved how involved the audience was. The session felt like a safe place and included relatable topics that made it an overall great experience.鈥�

鈥淚 found it very interesting and engaging, I took a lot from the session and how I can focus on my thoughts and problems. Also how I can get around my problems, leave them in the past, and focus on the future of my life.鈥�

鈥淭he toolbox session was a helpful thing while being fun and interactive, I believe many people may benefit from these things in the future. I think as a school we could act upon some things we have learned and help enforce the safe area and tools in our classrooms.鈥�

鈥淚 enjoyed the opportunity and learned more about myself that I might not have considered previously. I committed myself to take away one message from today and try to incorporate it into my daily routine.鈥�

鈥淚 loved how engaging it was and that we were a part of it and not just getting talked to and I loved learning new strategies about how to deal with difficult social situations.鈥�

鈥淚 thought some of the different ways to get yourself out of a Mental Movie was interesting. My favourite way was to check in with yourself and bring yourself back to reality.鈥�

鈥淚 liked the Toolbox session and they had some interesting and some unique ideas on how to manage your mental health with these 鈥渕ovies鈥�. It was quite fun and look forward to doing it again.鈥�

For both year levels, there is a follow-up parent online workshop that we would love you to attend.

The Year 7 workshop is this Tuesday night, April 30 at 7:30 pm and all families have been emailed the link.

The Year 8 workshop is the night of Tuesday, May 7 and we will send this link in due course.

Phil Box
Head Middle Years

Environment & Sustainability News

The environmental and sustainability student group met this week and recorded our battery recycling for term 1 at 西瓜视频. Just over 3kg of batteries are off to recycling. A great start for 2024.
The vegetable garden has lots of new growth with students from 8 Gold planting a winter crop of cabbage, kale, silverbeet, lettuce and onions.

Our feathered school community members received their school photos this week. The ladies were well behaved, and the results speak for themselves. (AKA - Cluck Norris, Janet, Popcorn and Nugget!)

Environment & Sustainability Coordinator 

Karyn Myers

Welcome back to a new term! We hope everyone is well rested and prepared for the long term ahead.

Yesterday at the Ringwood Clock Tower, several members from the 西瓜视频 College community gathered with a large group of people from the area for an ANZAC Day Dawn Service. It was a beautiful commemoration, with heartfelt stories, poems and prayers, and we were able to lay a wreath along with many others at the foot of the tower. The service was a strong reminder that we should not take our opportunities in Australia for granted, as in the past many soldiers fought, and many have died, for our liberty today.

Now looking back a couple of weeks, Easter celebrations came and went. But just as we don鈥檛 have to restrict reflection on the ANZACs to one day a year, neither do we need to limit reflection on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to one weekend a year. While there is sadness around the circumstance and reason for Jesus鈥� death, there is ultimately celebration because of his resurrection and the freedom from sin that Christ offers to all people who believe, regardless of nationality.

As we dive deeper into the year, with more assessments, semester exams, and Winter just around the corner, Term 2 is often challenging. But there is still always something to be grateful for, as we reflect on the way various people have supported us in our lives. Take a moment to thank someone for the sacrifices they have made for your benefit - a parent, a teacher, a sibling or a friend, because at the end of the day these people are the ones who are guiding you towards success.

Isobel Mugamu and Connor Haughie

College Captains

On Monday this week, the 西瓜视频 Athletics team competed in the annual EISM Division 1 carnival at Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park. Many of the students had been training regularly since the 西瓜视频 Athletics carnival in preparation for the carnival, often 3 times a week.

The team was eager to win again as we did last year. Throughout the day, the top 4 schools were very close and the lead changed regularly.
In the end, the girls finished 2nd in their division and the boys finished 3rd but overall we finished 4th (100 points behind). Congratulations to Donvale Christian College on winning the Division 1 carnival for the first time.

Our U13 Boys and Senior Girls won their section with lots of top 3 finishes throughout the day

Students who finished first in their events were

U13   

• Ben Tornatora - 100m A, 200m A, 400m & Relay,
• James Hohmann - 100m B , 200m B & Relay
• Bailey Waddell & Dom Nedza - Relay

U14

•  Lenny Clarke - Hurdles
•  Grace Cameron, Isabel Eslick, Octavia McKrell-Bonacci, Willow Alison - Relay

U15  

•  Charlotte Jones - High Jump
•  Gabby Hooper - Hurdles
•  Archie Pinney - High Jump

U16

• Aleisha Harmer - 800m
• Tom King- Hurdles
• Alana Mallia - 100m C
• Chase Stone - Shot Put

Open 

• Eden Smith   Shot Put &  Discus
• Kiah Singh - High Jump
• Maddy Payne - 100m C & Relay
• Gabby Linton, Charlotte Hayes, Emma Fabre - Relay

As we had a number of students who did not attend on the day as originally planned, a huge thank you to the students who competed in older age groups. Without their support, we would not have been able to fill all events - Alana Mallia, Kiah Singh, Oliver Crawley, Stuart Simms, Fraser Bartlett, Fraser Brown, Ruby Bracegirdle, Mason Cullen.

The 西瓜视频 Athletics captains for 2024 were Sophie Lorusso and Isacc Ghosn who have been part of the 西瓜视频 athletics program for the past 6 years. They have always been happy to do whatever was needed of them throughout their time at 西瓜视频.

Well done to all the other students who attended and tried really hard in all events

U13

• Eloise McKie, Flynn Logan Mable Van Marle, Tasma Motterham, Megan Kearsley, Lachlan Torney, Chloe Quick, Alaska Bromley, Hannah Excel, Alanna Califiore, Lui Chalk, Levi Purdy, Leah Gobetti, Georgia Davis, Georgia Young, Kian Secuyna, Kirby Wayngaard, Thomas Thorvadson, Mason Juchno

• Mikayla Scott, Emily Bruton, Zac Buyck, Sienna Beck, Ben Campbell, Aiden Penhale, Toby Sanga, Grace Seadon, Lachlan Badlee

U15

• Trent Orr, Dom Tolcher, Nick Tanurahardja, Charlie Lowe, Casey Prichard, Zoe Fabre, Kingston Clarke, Beau Blackshaw, Imogen Petersen, Joe Vardy, Dulcie White, Riley Kwong, Angelo Bittner, Liana Aloi
  

U16

• Emer Heffernan, Elicia Bracher, Lachie Ghosn, Gallagher Robertson, Jordan Bruton
  

• Seb Horwood, Lachie Buyck, Maeve Wilkinson, Alovi Gomes, Judd Walhout, Tom Vardy, Georgia Scheers, Stella Smirk

Bernie Brummell
Sports Coordinator

Our Year 9 students had their first taste of their School Experience Block (SEB), also known as STRIVE Week at the end of Term 1. This unique feature of Year 9 is an opportunity for students to participate in experiences beyond the classroom, providing students with the much needed context to their learning. Each House group had their own focus, and this rotates over the remaining terms. Dominic students headed into the city for My Melbourne, exploring and observing the CBD and challenging themselves. Rice students headed off to Camp Coolamatong with a focus on perseverance. MacKillop stayed at the College and focused on learning about themselves and their impact in society with the Starts with Me Program. This involves thought provoking discussions on Respectful Relationships, driver's education and opportunities for self reflection and mindfulness.

The program seeks to provide challenges that inspire students to develop themselves, fostering self confidence and self worth within a teamwork approach.

Camp - Rice

During STRIVE week Rice were lucky enough to be the first house to go to year 9 camp! This camp was unlike the ones we had been on before. For 2 out of the 4 days, you would go to a remote island via boat, and camp out for one night, and on those 2 days, you would do the activity that you had been assigned to. There was hiking, kayaking and biking. It was an enjoyable experience, and when we got back to camp, we had a range of activities to do, featuring tubing, stand-up paddle boarding, raft building, combat archery and survivor. This was a fun and enjoyable camp, and we can all agree we certainly slept well the night after.

Written by: Charlotte Jones, Dulcie White & Zac Parker

Starts With Me - MacKillop

During STRIVE week in MacKillop, our days were filled with a diverse series of activities, but one experience that we will never forget is Driver鈥檚 Ed. All students participated in learning about road safety and even had the opportunity to drive a manual or an automatic car! Many of us enjoyed having the thrilling experience of driving a vehicle for the first time, marking it as one of the main highlights of our year 9 journey. Through this experience, we have not only learned about the responsibilities that come with operating a vehicle but also the importance of following road safety rules and regulations. The previous days of STRIVE week included the Man Cave/ Big Sister programs, Toolbox learning where students learned about how to deal with certain emotions, a study skills workshop and many other enjoyable activities.

Written by: Charlie Lowe, Deon Jito, Riley Kwong

My Melbourne - Dominic

During STRIVE week Dominic got the amazing opportunity to explore the inner city of Melbourne. By using teamwork and incorporating each other's different skills, every group navigated their way around to different locations in the city.Throughout our week we got the chance to visit some extraordinary places including the Eureka Skydeck, MCG, Magistrates Court and we were extremely lucky to have listened to a guest speaker at the Big Ideas Classroom. With the tasks we were set to do as a house we have learnt perseverance, teamwork, compassion, resilience and curiosity. During the experience it has helped us to step outside of our comfort zones and given us insight of what it is like to live/work in the city. As a collective Dominic really enjoyed getting to learn more about our city and the people that live in it.

Written by: Abbey Bruni and Pia Crozier

The Arts is always a place of bustling activity; of making and performing. To inspire this activity and enrich learning, we often have students go off campus to see real world applications - from viewing inspirational art and architecture to absorbing the energy of live performances. These excursions are a major part of seeing The Arts as a curious consumer and attentive audience - to see where The Arts fit into society and how they are part of our community.

As a learning experience, excursions support and reinforce the classroom content and complements our strong curriculum, offering a chance to see the diverse application and wide reaching impact The Arts has.

Providing opportunities for confidence building and independence, fostering curiosity and connection, visiting new and inspirational places can inspire creativity and provide students with diverse perspectives. It brings learning to life in an immersive way - seeing the Arts in action!

This year students have participated in a variety of opportunities out of the classroom which have contributed to their learning and Arts expression.

Both the year 11 and 12 Art Making and Exhibiting classes visited the NGV鈥檚 Triennial exhibition, which showcased contemporary art from around the world, offering a mix of immersive installations, sculptures, and performances. It was an opportunity to see diverse, contemporary approaches to art through a range of artforms. Linking this with their own practice, students were inspired by authentic expression and ideas. This gallery visit provides students with real world examples of curatorial visions, presentation for audience impact and relationships within a space, leading on to their own proposed exhibition as a SAC task. To see significant, challenging, exciting, confusing and awe-inspiring artworks in an exhibition space is a chance to reflect, connect and share; to consider different perspectives. Students ponder intentions and messages, and see the diversity of approaches across a range of artforms, while seeing the value of creative expression.

Throughout the year, Drama offers many wonderful opportunities to students, venturing out to performances where they can experience live plays. Being in an audience, having immersive experiences and seeing how Drama is an important, valued part of our community not only sparks passion, shows what is possible and inspires expression. The Drama/Theatre Studies students are part of this thriving, vibrant community across the city and state, and this excursion enables our students to feel that zest, energy and shared love for performance.

A special opportunity this year was to view Top Class - Drama and Theatre Studies solo and monologue performances at the Melbourne Recital Centre. This was a chance to see an excellent solo exam performance and Theatre Studies monologue exam to inform and inspire their own practice. Seeing the best of student performances across the state and having insight into the process is immeasurably valuable to our young aspiring actors. Travelling into the Arts Precinct at night empowers and connects students and has them experiencing the vim and verve of Melbourne鈥檚 Performing Arts scene.

Extending The Arts experience beyond the 西瓜视频 classroom through excursions shows our young creative people what is possible, how personal expression is valued and how it is a vital part of our society - it is real, thriving and invaluable!

Sandi van der Niet
Arts Learning Area Leader

The 西瓜视频 College Science team brings Science to life 

                        everyday for our students.

As a new staff member I have been so impressed by the well-practised way the Science team makes experiential science a high priority for our students. Equipped with eight labs and a highly experienced laboratory team this part of the school really is an exciting place to be!
The practical component of the science program at 西瓜视频 is key to fostering an authentic Science learning experience. Much thought and preparation is put into deciding which method is best for student learning and understanding. Science teaching and laboratory staff will often share experiences and 鈥榯ips鈥� about practicals that make a practical work well. Practical activity organisation also involves a rigorous risk assessment process which is overseen by our enthusiastic and very accommodating laboratory staff.
The Science learning and teaching team are supported by five laboratory staff who are critical to making this experience safe, accessible and connected to the real world.
Together, Dale Fredericks (Laboratory Manager) Karina Ellis, Sharon Marino, Liv Tomada and Noah Spadea (西瓜视频 College Gap year program) work collaboratively with staff to bring their expertise into the classroom too.
Dr.Dale Fredericks leads the team and prior to working at the college, has worked as a Research Scientist in the fields of Biochemistry and Green Chemistry and has also taught at university level. Dr. Karina Ellis has also studied and worked extensively in the field of Biochemistry before working at 西瓜视频. Liv Tomada has recently finished her double degree in Science and Music. Our gap year student, Noah Spadea rounds out the team. Noah completed Year 12 Biology and Environmental Science last year and offers a wonderful insight from the student perspective.

Crime scene set up - Yr 9 Future Science Elective

The holistic approach to science practiced at 西瓜视频 helps students to develop not only expert scientific knowledge and understanding but also enables students to develop the transferable skills so important in shaping adaptable members of society for a life beyond school.
When undertaking practical work, students must work in diverse groups to collaborate, communicate and problem solve as things don鈥檛 always go to plan. They must therefore persevere and develop skills of resilience to overcome challenges in the pursuit of valuable and valid scientific data.
Just some of the practical work and experiences that happen in Term 1 include:

Year 7:
Bubbology
Prime Slime
Secret Notes

Year 8:
Extracting copper from Copper Sulfate
Dissecting a chicken wing
Creepy Crawly and Jumping cups
Building a rollercoaster
Hot wheels down the ramp
Which Mineral is it?

Year 9:
Does antibacterial soap really work?
Glitterbug (UV Light) handwashing
Building an electric motor
Making a jelly lens for your smartphone
Mock crime scene: Blood Splatter Analysis

Year 10:
Chemistry: Titration of vinegar, Exploding tin can 

Physics: VicPhysics - Girls in Physics breakfast
Precipitation reactions - Year 10 Fundamental Chemistry

General Science: Crash Testing

Year 11:
Biology: Observation of Osmosis in Rhubarb cells, Rat Dissection,
Chemistry: Chromatography of a vegetable extract
Environmental Science: Hug a tree,
Physics: Examining the sun鈥檚 spectrum

Year 12: 

Chemistry: Hydrogen powered cars
Physics: Physics day at Luna Park, Magnetic field around a current carrying conductor, 

Biology: Building a model of CRISPR-Cas9

The best testament to the value of these experiences is by asking the students themselves:

鈥淚n my experience, practical activities within my science classes have been extremely beneficial to my learning and understanding of the topic. They provide the lesson with some fun and a real experience of working in a lab. Recently my class undertook a practical rat dissection, during which, I found that seeing a real digestive system helped me better see the shape and visualise the function of the digestive organs.鈥� - Charlie Griffiths Yr 11

鈥淓xperiments help you visualise and understand more complex concepts. They enable you to test different theories.鈥� - Molly McDougall Year 8

鈥淓xperiments help us because they give us a visual representation of the things we are learning about.They help us to remember things more easily when we see it and do it.鈥� - Lily Veysey Yr 8

鈥淚n Year 10 Fundamental Chemistry practical work allows us to gain a further understanding of what we are learning. Pracs provide us with a chance to reinforce our knowledge, giving us the opportunity to experience chemical reactions first hand. This year in chemistry we have taken part in multiple pracs one that really helped me to consolidate my learning was when we watched sugar being burnt with sulphuric acid as this chemical reaction created carbon, getting to see this reaction in real life has helped me to add context to our unit on organic Chemistry.鈥� - Lucy Postill Yr 10

鈥淒oing prac work in Biology has really helped us understand what we are learning about as well as providing experience for what it could look like if we decide to pursue a career in science in the future. We've done a variety of pracs including observing garlic root cells under the microscope to learn about mitosis, looking at rhubarb cells to observe osmosis, dissecting a rat to learn about the digestive system and much more. The wide range of experiments that we've done this year have helped us all engage with the hands-on learning approach.鈥� - Ria Jijose Yr 11

鈥淧ractical work in science is key to understanding how a process works. Experiencing chemical processes first-hand helps me grasp what is happening through observation and experimentation. Pracs can also validate theoretical concepts, leading to an improved insight into concepts.鈥� - Will Elliot Yr 10

Marisa Tsoukatos
Science Learning Leader

You will have noticed that the roof has been installed on the SAM project. It has been fascinating to watch the progress - the building taking shape day by day!