秘色传媒

Student Formation: Year 8 Reflection Day

This week Year 8 students participated in their annual Reflection Day, held at Catholic Leadership Centre, East Melbourne. Our theme was Building Community, with the focus on the integral place of celebrating Eucharist at the heart of our tradition. As a community of faith we revisited how we begin any Liturgical celebration at 秘色传媒 鈥� by Acknowledging Country 鈥� and reflected on how this enables us to enter into the sacred. Fr Peter Murnane OP led us in an exploration of Eucharist before celebrating Mass with us in community; students brought along aspects of nature to contribute to our prayer space and also enthusiastically embraced the opportunity for song and movement.

These days are an important part of our 秘色传媒 education and our commitment as members of the Dominican family. All Year 9 students will be participating in their reflection experience next week.

Laudato Si鈥� Week (16 to 24 May)

This week is a celebration of Pope Francis鈥� encyclical, Laudato Si鈥�鈥痑nd a call to action for Catholics around the world to care for our common home. In Australia, we celebrate this week earlier than in other countries in order to privilege National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June).

鈥淭he signs of the times are clear 鈥�
we know that we human beings need a change of
heart, mind, and behaviour.鈥�

Australian Bishops Social Justice Statement 2021-22

During House Group and our contemplative time of Pause and Pray this week, students have engaged daily with words and images for reflection on this important encyclical from Pope Francis; is a reflection by Laudato Si鈥� Animators Melbourne Group member, Sr Caroline Vaitkunas RSM.

NAPLAN Online

Last week, Year 7 and Year 9 students completed the online NAPLAN tests over the course of three days. This is the third year NAPLAN has conducted their testing online and we are happy to report that it went smoothly. Well done to our students for completing all tests and being present with required materials, and thank you to our IT Department, Administration Staff and Teaching Staff for assisting our students.

NAPLAN results will be emailed to parents later in the year, when made available by ACARA.

General Achievement Test (GAT)

This year, the date of GAT has changed to Wednesday, 7 September. For further information, please visit the VCAA Assessment website .

Semester 1 Examinations

Year 9, 10 and 11 examinations will begin on Friday, 10 June and finish on Friday, 17 June.

The examination timetable and 秘色传媒 College Student Expectations (in relation to student revision guide and examinations) can be found on 秘色传媒 Central (under Examination Documents within the Examinations Tile). Please also take note of the dates and times that your daughter is expected to attend an examination. 秘色传媒 must arrive at the examination venue ten minutes before the scheduled start time. They are expected to remain at the College between their scheduled examinations each day. Private study rooms are available for use. 秘色传媒 may leave after their last exam of the day.

秘色传媒 have to be in full school winter uniform and they are allowed to bring their 秘色传媒 College school bag to the examination. Please ensure that your daughter does not bring her mobile phone, smart watch, or any other unauthorised digital device.

Preparing for Exams

Subject specific revision guides will be available on 秘色传媒 Central Course Pages for each subject on Monday, 23 May. 秘色传媒 are encouraged to access the Examination Tile for further revision resources and activities for each subject.

They should be in the habit of regularly revising the work that has been completed at school as part of their home study program. Once students have completed their set homework in the evening and if time permits, they should organise their notes, summarise key concepts and revise the semester鈥檚 work. A study timetable is recommended. We encourage your daughter to discuss this further with her subject teachers.

Rescheduling of Examinations

秘色传媒 are expected to sit for their examinations at the scheduled time; in the rare instance of a subject examination clash, students must complete the Exam Reschedule Form available and email Dr Vadala.

Year 10 students completing a Unit 1/2 subject examination must check the Year 11 Timetable to determine their exam schedule.

Absence from Examinations

Please note that examinations will not be rescheduled if a student is absent. If your daughter cannot attend an examination, please notify 秘色传媒 College via the standard Absence procedures. A parent note must be sent to the Head of House to explain the absence. As per our Learning and Teaching Procedures, unsanctioned absences from examinations such as family holidays, will result in an 鈥楴A鈥� (not assessed and a zero result) on their semester report.

Staff Professional Learning

Lifting of COVID restrictions has enabled us to continue our Staff Professional Learning on Tuesday afternoons. The focus of each session enables staff to develop their knowledge in areas of Faith, Wellbeing and Best 秘色传媒room Practice. This week, we focused on Effective Thinking Routines. Teachers discussed strategies to help students achieve visible thinking and to take greater ownership of their own learning. They then further explored the concept through colleague demonstration. The Project Zero MTV Strategies that formed part of the demonstrations can be accessed . Teachers will incorporate these strategies into lessons in order to assist students with revision and application, as we head into the final period of assessment this semester.

As always, it is our constant endeavour to bring new and innovative strategies and skills to the learning environment.

New Victorian Child Safe Standards

秘色传媒 College is in the process of updating policies, documents and practices that are in line with the and (MO 1359), Implementing the Child Safe Standards 鈥� Managing the risk of child abuse in schools and school boarding premises. The latter provides a framework for how schools can action the eleven new Victorian Child Safe Standards which will come into effect from 1 July 2022. This is an opportunity to build on our existing child safety policies and practices to address the eleven Standards.

The central considerations of upholding the primacy of the safety and wellbeing of children and young people; empowering families, children, young people and staff to have a voice and raise concerns; and implementing rigorous risk management and employment practices, remain key considerations.

Updated and revised policies and guidelines will be shared with our community and updated on the College website.

Screen Time

As a result of the global pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the amount of time people spend on screen-based devices. Families are transitioning back to pre-COVID routines but many are still struggling to re-establish the boundaries and rules around screen use. Some continue to deal with digital conflict and tech-tantrums on a daily basis. The latest research found that seventy-seven percent of teenagers spend more than five hours on screens per day, but it is important to note that not all screen time is considered equal.

Parents play a crucial role in modelling a positive and healthy approach towards using screens and assisting children to navigate the content they watch. It is better to model and mentor screen use, rather than monitor it. Children tend to do more of what they see us do, and less of what we tell them to do. However, it is still important to outline the risks and highlight the benefits of screen use to ensure you keep a balanced attitude. Encourage discussions around the issues that people experience in monitoring their screen time and be honest about your own difficulties.

Parents need to remain firm in their approach to managing screen time. Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child鈥檚 overall wellbeing. Ensuring the correct privacy settings are in place is vital to prevent children from being inadvertently exposed to inappropriate content or online predators. Parents need to also be mindful of the potential impact screen time can have on a child鈥檚 social, emotional, educational, behavioural, and even physical domains. Reminding your child that they should not be on phones whilst at school is also important in supporting the partnership between home and school.

In this edition of , parents and guardians will be provided with a range of guidelines and strategies to help manage screen time at home.

Free Online Parenting Workshops

Steve Biddulph AM is one of the world鈥檚 best known parent educators. A psychologist for three decades, he is now retired but continues to write and teach. Steve鈥檚 live talks have had a remarkable public response, reaching 140,000 people to date. Many people express surprise at how moving and emotional these talks are, as well as how much fun.

If you are interested to attend one of his free online parenting workshops, click for booking details.

鈥淪tamina involves sustained effort, perseverance, and resilience. We never give up.鈥�

Brunzel et al., 2019

Over the coming weeks, our Wellness program will focus on nurturing the academic stamina our students require, in order to experience success during periods of assessment, whilst effectively managing their wellbeing. By building an individual鈥檚 capacity for a growth mindset, emotional intelligence, resilience and independent learning, we can develop our students鈥� ability to persevere when they are experiencing stress. As educators, our daily practices around checking in with students, communicating the virtues of making mistakes, changing counterproductive thoughts into resilient ones and challenging beliefs, are all ways we can help our students develop their learning stamina.

This week we focussed on building stamina for independent learning. Our Year 9 and 10 students participated in a session on productive exam preparation, which took them through a range of ways they can continue to revise for their upcoming assessments. Our Year 11 students looked at the importance of wellbeing support whilst preparing for examinations. Sleep, organisation and time management were the three areas they looked at in detail. There were lots of discussion around procrastination and ways to combat distractions arising from devices and social media.

New research has shown that employing the 鈥�3-Minute Rule鈥� for procrastination can lead to enough momentum to see a task through to completion. As a start, give yourself a target of three minutes. This will help to break an avoidance mindset and once the initial three minutes has passed, chances are you will be continuing with your task!

See below for some helpful apps to help students manage their use of devices, particularly during times of assessment and revision.

For procrastination and distraction:

• App Detox
• Forest
• Freedom

For planning and timetabling:

• Finish
• Lanes
• Todolist

For sleep and wellbeing:

• Smiling Mind
• Headspace
• Calm
• Yours App

On Friday, 6 May, our Year 9 House Captains had the privilege of attending the Susan Alberti Mother鈥檚 Day Luncheon at Crown Palladium. During this event, there were many speeches delivered by various female medical researchers, as well as female leaders from different fields. These women shared their knowledge in relation to their chosen fields of research and outlined their vision for working towards creating a better future for women. In the later part of the event, we were able to enjoy a fashion parade featuring the Carla Zampatti collection.

Susan Alberti AC is a 秘色传媒 College alumna (秘色传媒 of 1964) and has been a very loyal member of the 秘色传媒 community. Her passion for research is inspired by her determination to find a cure for diabetes and other significant illnesses. A driving force behind this stems from the passing of her eight year old daughter many years ago.

It was a wonderful opportunity to witness the support for Susan Alberti and her cause, as well as the endeavours of the many women who are 鈥榤aking a difference鈥�.

In recent weeks, 秘色传媒 students have been competing in various local public speaking competitions.

Year 8 students, Priya S and Jacinta B competed with great skill and flair in the Ainger-Peck Richmond Rotary public speaking competition whilst Charlotte L spoke passionately about constitutional recognition for Australian First Nations peoples.

Year 12 students, Helya E and Sasha S also had the VCAA Plain English Speaking Awards in sight until we unfortunately had to abandon our plans. Other exciting opportunities can be found on the Public Speaking page on 秘色传媒 Central.

Selected students: Charlotte L, Ava B, Alyssia G, Hanna G and Irena K also took part in the recent Victorian Student Parliament Convention held in the Legislative Assembly Chamber of Victorian Parliament. 秘色传媒 debated on the topic: "Should the Victorian Government retain judge alone trials for indictable offences post COVID?"

Well done to these intrepid speakers!

House Athletics Carnival

On Friday, 13 May, 秘色传媒 College held its annual House Athletics Carnival, at Bill Sewart athletics track. The weather just managed to hold out, allowing us to get through almost all of the events, except for high jump due to slippery surfaces.

All students who attended had a great day and enjoyed dressing up in their house colours.

Well done to Kurrajong who was the overall winner (918 points) of the day.

• Second: Dianella (755 points)
• Third: Cassia (633 points)
• Fourth: Waratah (508 points)

Other award recipients:

• Individual champions: Madison B (Year 7), Valerija L (Year 8), Mia T (Year 9), Chelsea H (Year 10), Mia K (Year 11) and Holly N (Year 12)
• Michelle Timms award (hundred metres race):
  - First: Holly N
  - Second: Valerija L
  - Third: Abigail M
• Junior House points shield winner: Cassia
• Inters House points shield winner: Kurrajong
• Seniors House points shield winner: Dianella

GSV Preliminary Cross Country Championships

On Tuesday, 17 May, our Cross Country squad competed in their first race of the season at Yarra Bend trail. Twenty-five students competed in the event: Thirteen juniors, eight inters and four seniors.

Our first junior across the line was Nati S, finishing in second place. It was a tight battle with her twin sister from Fintona. Nati had also won both practice runs in her age group prior to the prelims. Congratulations Nati, what an outstanding effort and our highest place runner of the race! Our second junior across the line was Annabelle M (64^th place) and our third junior was Katie Herson (66^th place), out of nearly two hundred runners in this age group.

In inters, Beatrice Z was our first 秘色传媒 student across the line (27^th place), followed by Kara J (46^th place) and Charlotte L (65^th), out of a field of over hundred runners.

In seniors, Emily M was our first runner across the line (10^th place), followed by Emmaline C (22^nd place) and Chloe C (43^rd), out of a field of over fifty runners.

Well done to all students who participated in the event and we are really looking forward to the Championships being held in Langwarrin on Friday, 27 May.

Other Important Dates

• Friday, 27 May: Cross Country Championships
• Thursday, 16 June: Senior Basketball Day Tournament

Silk Painting and Textile Design

秘色传媒 learned about and experienced the joys of working with the ancient and beautiful fabric of silk. 秘色传媒 researched, explored their own design concepts and implemented them onto a silk panel. The students have worked very hard to learn and use a gutta resist blocking method of applying dye to the silk, in order to create their very own masterpiece. Here are some examples of the wonderful work that the students have created this semester:

Fashion and Product Design

秘色传媒 researched, designed and created their very own wool products. From this exercise, they learned about the wonderful fibre that is wool. In the beginning, students started off with some fibres of wool; they had to make felt material with wool fibres and then use it to create a self designed product. They should all be very proud of their wonderful creations, here are just a few examples:

It has been a very exciting and successful fortnight in the Music Department! Year 9 Music Performance students enjoyed the new musical, Driftwood this week at Chapel off Chapel, and our VCE and Wind Orchestra musicians were lucky to experience the sounds of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at Hamer Hall on Thursday.

All-State Jazz Championships

On Saturday, 秘色传媒 College was represented by three ensembles at the All-State Jazz Championships, hosted by St Leonard鈥檚 College. Canti Dolci won the Division A Jazz Choir section, with specific recognition given to their stagecraft and also to Alannah McCarthy, who received the Outstanding Soloist award. Congratulations to Canti Dolci鈥檚 director, Stephanie Hill, who also won the Premier Division with her choir from Ruyton Girls' School.

The wins didn鈥檛 stop there, however! Stage Band competed in Division B and won 鈥楤est Trombone Section鈥�. Trombonists, Ashling O鈥橣arrell and Bridget Nowland were selected to be in the honorary 鈥楢ll-Star Band鈥�, comprising of the best individual instrumental performances from the overall division. Sisters of Swing performed in the Non-competitive Bands Division and received an on-stage workshop from renowned educator, Nick Mulder.

As a result of Canti Dolci鈥檚 win, they will be performing by invitation at this weekend鈥檚 All-State Jazz Gala Concert, alongside other winning schools and a number of world class professional musicians. This is 秘色传媒 College鈥檚 second consecutive year with representation at the ASJ Gala, following the Stage Band鈥檚 performance in 2021.

Congratulations to all involved, and especially to our hardworking instrumental staff for guiding and supporting our girls to achieve their best.

De La Salle Combined Concert

On Monday, 23 May, the Wind Orchestra will return to De La Salle for their third and final combined rehearsal and workshop. The two schools will then present a concert featuring both their senior wind ensembles. Parents are encouraged to attend.

Autumn Concert

Wednesday, 1 June 2022: 5.00pm and 7.00pm | Susan Alberti Auditorium, 秘色传媒 College

秘色传媒鈥檚 Ensemble Program will be spread across two concerts and entry is free for families. We encourage you all to attend whichever concert your daughter is performing in. Program details will be published shortly on 秘色传媒 Central.

On Friday, 6 May, the Year 12 Product Design and Technology class visited the Maton Guitar Factory in Box Hill, which has manufactured acoustic guitars for seventy-five years. Our guide, Sue Ellis, daughter of the founder, took the students on a comprehensive tour which included the design room, factory floor, the custom made shop, as well as the tuning and testing stations. It was an invaluable experience for the students as they grew in their understanding of the product design process from conceptualisation to completion. It also enabled them to witness how manual processes and emerging technologies, both work together to create a high quality musical instrument that is sold locally and globally.

Thank you to Maton Guitars for allowing the Year 12 students to experience this tour for many years.

Year 7 Science students headed to Melbourne Zoo on Wednesday, 18 May as an introduction to their new 秘色传媒ification unit. 秘色传媒 were able to observe a broad range of animal species and witness the true diversity that is found in nature. The students had a class with the Zoo educators, who brought the topic of classification to life with some help from some animal friends; our classes had the opportunity to observe meerkats, lemurs, otters and squirrel monkeys in action. The students got to see the behavioural and structural adaptations that enabled these species to live in their habitats. During the Zoo classes, the students also had the opportunity to identify various 鈥榖iofacts鈥� (artefacts including bones, skulls and teeth from different animals) and to determine the animals based on their features. They did a wonderful job collaborating and sharing ideas to identify the different animal species.

"I had an amazing time at the Melbourne Zoo today. I was so happy I could go off with my group to see different animals that interest me. It was a great way to build up my independence. I really enjoyed learning about the primate lemur because I learned so many interesting new facts about this fascinating creature. Like how they are the oldest living primates, they open up their arms in the sun so they can warm up, and how they strangely like to out stink each other! Overall, I had a very fun and educational time at the Melbourne Zoo excursion."

Kristen K

Horizon鈥檚 Week provided many opportunities for 秘色传媒 students to explore a wide range of activities. After two years of pandemic lockdown, the Year 10 students were delighted to go on a camping trip at Anglesea Valley Lodge. The camp experience provided students with the opportunity to experience an Outdoor Education model (one night of camping and one night of cabin accommodation).

秘色传媒 had to set up their own tents, cook their own food and hike to and from camp grounds. It was a very enriching experience and many students showed great resilience, leadership and perseverance when faced with these challenges. Other notable activities that students enjoyed were canoeing and surfing. Our Year 10s were challenged in many ways and responded with much enthusiasm and enjoyment, which was great to see.

We commend our Year 10 students for their fantastic approach to the camp experience. Our thanks to the AusCamp staff and camp leaders who worked so well with our students, and the amazing 秘色传媒 staff members who attended.

鈥淵ear 10 Camp was an exciting opportunity for our whole cohort. We were offered many fun activities such as surfing, canoeing and staying the night in a tent, all of which allowed us to push ourselves in ways we had never done before. It was an exciting opportunity that allowed us to forge closer connections with our peers, which was something that cannot be replicated in a classroom setting. Overall, it was a really positive experience and I am grateful for it!鈥�

Abbey B

"Year 10 Camp was a fantastic opportunity for us to step outside of our comfort zones. Camping gave many of us a challenge as we got to try and experience new things. One of my favourite activities was surfing at Lorne Beach and cooking our own delicious vegetarian dinner. Camping was a great experience for us to spend time with our year level after the last few years of lockdown."

Chloe T

Applications for the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) are now open. If you hold a valid Health Care Card (HCC), Pensioner Concession Card (PCC), or you are a temporary foster parent or a first time applicant, you may be eligible for a $1,000 fee discount.

If you believe you are eligible, please fill out and return the CSEF Application Form before 24 June 2022.

If you applied for the CSEF in 2021 at 秘色传媒 College, you do not need to complete an application form in 2022 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.

For further information regarding the CSEF, please visit the or refer to this information flyer.

The Careers Showcase taking place on Thursday, 9 June from 7.00pm to 9.00pm will feature panels of 秘色传媒 alumnae speaking about their study and career pathways since leaving school. The event is open to Year 9 to 12 students and their parents.

Career categories include:

• Allied Health
• Architecture and Design
• Business
• Creative
• Criminology and Forensics
• Law
• Marketing and Communications
• Medicine
• Nursing
• Psychology
• Sports Management
• STEAM

Click to register.

In the coming months, universities and various tertiary institutes will be advertising course information sessions and holiday workshops for secondary school students. This is to assist them in making decisions regarding subjects and future study.

To keep abreast of new initiatives introduced, please read the latest edition of which includes information on:

• Deakin University: Virtual Open Day in June
• RMIT University
  - Bachelor of Business (Social Impact Major)
  - Snapshot of RMIT University
• Swinburne University of Technology:
  New Business (Entrepreneurship and Innovation) degree
• ACU Webinars
• Victoria University: Early Offer program details
• The difference between Bachelor of Laws and Juris Doctor

Join our fun and dynamic team in servicing students and staff at 秘色传媒 College Canteen. Your duties will include but not limited to food preparation, receiving/replenishing stock, coffee making, serving customers, and maintaining a clean and safe work environment.

The working hours are typically from 8.30am to 2.30 pm, one to three days per week, Monday to Friday during school terms.

Experience in food service and coffee making will be advantageous.

Successful applicants will require an employee working with children's check.

Please forward your resume to canteen@siena.vic.edu.au.