海角大神

The Language of Lockdown

Much of the discussion this week from our health officials and leaders has been related to the mental health consequences of lockdown. It is apparent in Professor Sutton鈥檚 message that he appreciates that there are mental health implications to a tight lockdown, but that the alternatives are, in his words, 鈥渃atastrophic鈥�. One feature of living in a pandemic is the need to make decisions in which both options are essentially bad and praying for the wisdom to choose the 鈥渓east worst鈥� option. Fortunately, few of us are called upon to make decisions on behalf of millions of others, but we all have responsibility for the wellbeing of those in our care. It is no surprise that many Victorians are experiencing fatigue as a result. 

The impact of Covid-19 on families is uneven and this applies to mental health as well. It is important that you are reassured that we continue to monitor student mental health through our Pulse app and through check-ins at Homeroom and Mentor. Our evidence would suggest that you are doing an amazing job as parents/guardians and that the overwhelming majority of our students are reporting that they feel safe and supported. While some basic principles around good sleep, nutrition, exercise, communication and positive thinking are known to be protective, it is important that our response is also nuanced and help is sought from the relevant professionals such as GPs when necessary. Support is also available at the College. Please do not hesitate to contact the homeroom teacher, mentor, Year Level Coordinator, or YFC should you have concerns. 

I continue to offer my encouragement to all of our students, and our Year 12s especially, to stay focused on completing each task to the best of their ability and to use the time that they have with their teachers as productively as possible. It is understandable that there is uncertainty and we will continue to provide updates as they become known. The VCAA have already indicated that they will be implementing mechanisms to attempt to ameliorate disadvantages related to lockdown. We look forward to the return to in-person learning in early September. 

Staff Spirituality Day - Friday, 27th August - postponed

Please note that our Staff Spirituality Day scheduled for next Friday will be postponed due to the lockdown. Instead, Friday will be a four period day commencing at 11.25am with Periods 2 and 3, and then Periods 6 and 7 after lunch. The later start should help those students and staff who will have been engaged in the Subject Selection Expo (8,9 and 10) and Parent Teacher Interviews (7) on Thursday evening. Staff Spirituality Day is an important part of staff formation in our Catholic school and will occur on the day of the GAT instead. This date will be confirmed as soon as an announcement is made by the VCAA and Education Minister.

Parent Student Teacher Interviews and Subject Selection Expo

Year 7 Parent Teacher Interviews and Year 8-10 Subject Selection Expo will need to take a 鈥渧irtual鈥� form again this year due to current restrictions. Significant planning has been put into ensuring that these meetings are purposeful and as easy for you to access as possible. Of course, we are aware that an in-person meeting may be preferable for many, but our experience of last year tells us that these online meetings can also be highly profitable and informative. Deputy Principal, Mr Box, has provided an outline of the arrangements for Parent Teacher Interviews and the Subject Selection Expo, more information will be available on PAM next week. All students in Years 8 to 11 received an individual email on August 17 that contained the access codes and passwords for Subject Selection next week. 

Year 7 2022 Information Night

Thank you to the families who joined us for our webinar on Monday night as we commenced the transition process for those students who will be joining our community in 2022. While we would have preferred to meet in person, there seemed to be a general sense of appreciation in gathering online to discuss some of the issues related to the transition from primary school to secondary and hopefully some reassurance that this is something 海角大神 does extremely well. We remain optimistic that on the other side of the lockdown we will be able to resume our normal orientation activities and that the next generation of our students remain excited about joining 海角大神. We will be making every effort to ensure that we extend a warm welcome.

Enrolments and re-enrolments for 2022

Families are reminded to log in to the College Community Portal and indicate that they are seeking re-enrolment for current 海角大神 students and update any details that may have changed since last year. Can I please ask that you complete this process as soon as possible to assist in our planning for 2022. Should you have any questions you are asked to contact the Registrar. Enrolment deadlines for Year 7 2023 close today and I am pleased to report that we continue to experience strong enrolment interest in the College.

Advisory Council Seminar

Our Advisory Council met for its annual seminar program last week and it was a very productive night as we reviewed the CIS Accreditation feedback and identified the main commendations and recommendations. The second part of the seminar, led by Michael Box, provided an opportunity for council members to reflect on aspects of the College that they value highly and also opportunities for growth. These recommendations will help shape our next five year School Improvement Plan. Over coming weeks, families and students will be encouraged to complete the CIS Surveys so that we can get feedback to help inform this process. 

Darren Atkinson
Principal

Please refer to our latest Covid-19 updates page for ongoing information.

Subject Selection Expo - a helpful guide

This year the 海角大神 College Subject Selection Expo for students in Years 8, 9 and 10 will be held online. The online format will still provide students and their families with a range of opportunities to ask questions in real time, seek information and understand the subjects available for 2022 and beyond.

WHAT IS ON THE SUBJECT SELECTION WEBSITE?

The Subject Selection Website features a number of areas where students can find information about subjects for 2022 to support them in the subject selection choices.

• Watch Me First: these videos provide key information and helpful tips about subject choices transitioning to the next year level ie: Year 8 to Year 9. We recommend you watch this first to provide an understanding of the subject selection process.
• Learning Areas: within each of the Learning Areas sections you will find a video overview and supporting information about the Learning Area and subject area focus across all year levels. We recommend taking a look at the Learning Area that interests you and get to know a bit more about the subjects offered.
• One on one Google Meet: if you would like to speak to a subject expert one on one, click on the link within the Learning Area section. It will take you to a Google meet where staff will find the best person to help with your questions. The teachers are happy to discuss their subject with you, we ask for your patience as there may be a small wait while we select the best person for you to speak to.
• VET, VCAL & Careers Pathways: these sections will provide an overview of what VET and VCAL are and the options available for subject selection pathways. Within each section you will also have the option to speak one on one with a subject area expert.
• Ask Me First: If you have any questions about Senior Secondary education, choices, implications, processes, then we have staff ready to help with your concerns. General questions about pathways, differences between courses and subjects and VCEReady and VETReady are handled here.

MAKING THE MOST OF THE SUBJECT SELECTION PROCESS

Selecting subjects for the following year can be daunting, whether it be deciding to try something new for students moving from Year 8 to Year 9; or setting up a foundation for the career pathway for students in Senior Years. We recommend you and your child consider the following steps as part of the subject selection process:

1. Set up a Parent Teacher Interview with your Homeroom Teacher or Mentor for Thursday 26th August to discuss their thoughts on potential subject direction. Please note: This is done through the PAM portal.
2. Explore the Subject Selection Expo Website to get an understanding of the Learning Areas you and your child would like to know more about; and discuss which Learning Areas you may like to have a one on one discussion with a subject expert.
3. Plan your session on the Subject Selection Expo Website. Look at the 鈥淲hat is happening on the day鈥� section on the Home page and work out what you would like to attend. Learning Areas will have specific times available for one on one discussions; and live presentations will be at particular times
4. Watch the 鈥淲atch me First鈥� videos for the relevant year level transition. These will help to give you an understanding of the process.
5. Participate in Question and Answer (Q&A) sessions about subjects and courses that are new to students like VCAL or VET, with expert staff and other parents

If you have any questions, you can refer to the Ask Me First section, or the Help links in the footer for more information.

THE NEXT STEPS

Students have been provided with information about the subject selection process. On August 17th all students were sent their login details to access and submit their individual subject selections for 2022. 

Once your student is happy with the subjects they would like to undertake in 2022, they need to submit these selections via the link they were sent or through SIMON.

All students need to submit final by Monday 30th August 2021.

Please refer to PAM for access to the links to the Subject Selection Expo and any updates on this guide.

Michael Box
Deputy Principal Learning

Turning our attention to storytime as a way to share…

Firstly, this is a very important message from the Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools. Please read below information about a fantastic resource available to you and your child in order to support positive mental health in times of adversity. 

This is a link to a on the Federal Government鈥檚 launch of to support the mental health of Australia鈥檚 children, young people and parents.

#ChatStarter was developed by the in partnership with parents and young people who have experience of mental health challenges and Australia鈥檚 national mental health organisations - , , , , , and .

You may wish to explore how #ChatStarter could be of support to you when engaging with your child in discussions about how they are feeling and progressing.

It is important to acknowledge that remote learning can be both productive and challenging. For this reason, the students should have the opportunity to discuss their experiences with you. If you have any concerns about your child, please do not hesitate to contact the College. Homeroom Teachers and Mentors are the first point of contact, but you may also contact your child鈥檚 respective Year Level Leader or Team Leader. If you wish to access our counselling services, please contact the Youth and Family Centre via email at yfc@aquinas.vic.edu.au. 

Secondly, I would like to thank all of you for supporting your children and working in partnership with the College. We are fortunate to still be able to hold Parent Teacher Interviews, and Subject Selection Expo and for the children to continue to learn. This wouldn't be possible without your support. I suggest that every now and then, it is perhaps best to switch off the TV during down time and instead, you can share some stories with members of your families. Storytelling is an art that has been used by many of our ancestors over centuries past, providing good lessons about life in our search for answers to the unknown. Our First Nations peoples used storytelling to educate about values; Jesus used parables as a way to teach right from wrong and we have all heard a story or two about our grandparents, adversities in years past, achievements, and many other events that helped shape who we are, yet these stories may be buried in our heads. Perhaps you could share them with our loved ones.

In this edition of the Lighthouse, I decided not to directly write advice about dealing with the current challenges that your child may face. In recent articles, I have written about languishing, resilience building, and other related topics. What I have decided to do for this edition is share a story my grandfather used to tell me about the settlement of humans in what is now known to be the volcanic land of El Salvador, the country where I was born and emigrated from. I hope that you find the story interesting and it provides you with motivation to share stories you heard in your childhood with your loved ones. I have written this from my memories, so I hope that I do justice to the wonderful story grandpa used to share with me. It relates to the arrival of the Pipil, the descendants of the Nahualt tribe of the Aztecs, to Central America during the devastation of what is now known as Northern Mexico, an area conquered by the Aztec empire which led to migration and unrest for centuries. Please note that the story is retold as I remember, and that it presents the struggles of many characters seeking survival. I hope you like it and that it teaches you about the settlement of the Pipil before the Spanish inquisition. 

And, so, here it goes… 

There were three struggles that started the sequence of events that begin this tale. A cantil venomous pit viper snake waited for its prey to come out of the small hole on the side of the broken branch sitting on the floor of the majestic forest where it lived. The snake had patiently waited for some time, knowing that the greed of the small rat scavenging the remains of the corpse of the wild boar that sat there in a putrid state could not help its instincts to come out and continue to eat from it, despite the prediction that the snake awaited its move. The snake focused its sight on the small hole, knowing that it was almost time to attack. Its mouth could not enter the small hole, but through torment, it was sure to make the rat attempt an escape if the temptation to eat the remains of the boar disappeared from the fear. It was only a matter of time before it would swallow the rat to its insides, break it, mould it, and consume it. The rat knew this, and understood that its only chance of survival was to escape. The snake knew this too, and decided to wait at the entrance of the hole of the dead branch.

The rat knew that it was being watched by the predator, and if able to think rationally, would have accepted that it was nature; it was about to serve a purpose and be a meal to the venomous monster waiting outside the small hole in the dead branch. Slowly, the rat moved its head out. It hoped to clear the area, and rapidly run through the gap, into the dense grass and make a lucky escape. It knew that luck needed to be on its side if it was to get out of this alive. As it moved its head out, it was confronted by the head of the ugly monster and quickly retreated. The snake attacked and plunged its head into the small cavity on the branch. Its force moved the branch slightly, and broke away some of the edges of the void, yet the rat found itself safe again inside. The rat knew that its safety was temporary, not a long-term proposition, but these circumstances just had to do for now.

Just as that struggle was progressing, another one emerged. A young jaguar, barely a year old in existence, yet trained to hunt by instinct, spotted a wild boar resting in the long grass below a tree merely 100 metres or so away from where the rat was being hunted. The jaguar had been resting on a rock positioned just below the lower branches of a small mango tree when it instinctively established a connection to its prey. The boar was old, and perhaps tired by a life of hunting while escaping its predators. It was a difficult life, a time of despair for animals living in the wild. The boar, large in size and slowly moving towards the hills, could not sense the struggle it was about to face. The jaguar acted on predisposition; it jumped to its prey attempting to take what belonged to it. Running fast, and covering 20 metres or so very rapidly to arrive at its prey, it attacked. The boar, surprised by the actions of the predator, which despite being experienced in fighting off bigger and more dangerous animals, ran in hope of getting away. It was a big beast, strong and powerful, and served as a great challenge to the jaguar, who despite being a skilful hunter, was young and na茂ve.

The jaguar jumped on top of the boar, and with a strong swipe, changed the route that the enormous beast below him had taken. The boar, which was heading to the thick forest above in the small hill, changed direction and headed towards the creek that ran across the bottom of the valley away from the lake. The jaguar fell off, and quickly got on top again, this time biting ferociously at the side shoulder of the old boar. It is said that against all odds, creatures find the strength to fight. With great pain, the boar managed to shrug the jaguar off its body, turned its head and thick tusks into a defensive posture and proceeded to attack its invader with great anger and aggression. With a strong thud, it lifted the jaguar up in the air, and the young aggressor quickly became a victim of the struggle. The jaguar was hurt and the boar had a chance to escape. At this point, the third struggle began.

The boar, wounded by the vicious bites to the shoulder, and the severe swipe to the top of its body, ran uncontrollably into space, knowing that this may just be its only opportunity to continue to live. The jaguar, humiliated and hungry, realised that it was hurt, and had entered an unfamiliar territory. It did not know what to do, and how to react to this. It did not know what it felt to be hurt, to slowly lose sense of control, to be left at the mercy of nature. Perhaps he was now to be eaten by the dirty scavenging rats that lived under broken branches and the long grass. The jaguar bled, and did not have the energy to stand, let alone chase. It sat in the long grass, dejected and awaiting another beast to end its miserable life. The skies changed in his vision, the smells disappeared, and slowly it accepted that he was now to rest for eternity.

As this was happening to the young jaguar, the boar ran uncontrollably and travelled 200 metres when it came to its unfortunate destiny. As it ran through, it broke a thin reed that connected two branches with very sharp ends to be catapulted into the body of the beast from above. They landed on top of the boar and slowed its travel to freedom. Five creatures, never seen before in this tropical forest, suddenly appeared and cheered at the hunting of the boar that was now lying motionless on the ground. It had run with the spears in its back for maybe 30 metres, but came to a sudden stop when a sharp stone, one that had been thrown from the bushes, crashed the boar鈥檚 head front on. The hunting measures were primitive, yet effective. The creatures used their spears to stab the beast until it stopped crying. The five creatures walked upright, on two legs, and uttered unrecognisable sounds. They moved with freedom and seemed to be the new custodians of the vast forest that housed so many inhabitants. This was the third struggle, a bigger predator had arrived, and the boar and jaguar had to give way for such change.

Some distance away, through the many trees and reeds hanging from them, the snake could hear the noises coming from within. It awaited for its prey to come out so that it could eat it, ignoring the commotion that emerged from the struggles not far away. The rat made its move, rapidly moving through the grass and disappearing into the wilderness. The snake launched itself in despair, attempting one last effort to eat its prey but failed miserably. It retreated, knowing that the rat would soon come back to eat from the rotting flesh of the old boar scattered at the bottom of the tree. It knew that the rat was an inferior being; its purpose was to be hunted, used by superior beings.

The snake curled and rested below the broken branches underneath the long grass. As it waited, it was disturbed by unfamiliar sounds. It curiously lifted its head and dragged its body along the grass away from the area where the sounds came from. It stopped, hid under a large branch and rested again. The noise continued, and as it was about to move again, a sharp spear penetrated through the centre of its body. In an instance, the snake was disturbed, shocked, and killed.

The five creatures communicated with each other and pointed to the creek. It was a small stream carrying fresh water and since the heat was unforgiving, and many insects surrounded the bodies of the men who had discovered the remains of the old boar that the rat had eaten from, swimming in the creek became a tempting proposition for them. The oldest of the creatures, a man with dark skin and of Nahualt appearance, looked at a beehive which rested below one of the top branches of a tree. With a spear, it poked it, and bees flew out and attacked the intruders. He ran and screamed in laughter, headed towards the creek and the others laughed at him. The group of men consisted of five strong hunters of Nahualt descent. They had migrated to the south, looking for a new place to settle. Their families awaited them at their camping site, some five or so kilometres back. Their journey had been challenging and exhausting, they had carried with them their belongings and now needed to build and establish themselves in the forest. They knew that their families would eat a good meal today. The wild boar that they had so easily hunted would serve as a reason to celebrate, to thank their gods for the offer of food as they sought out their promised land.

As the struggles continued on this day, it was only the rat that got away from its predator. The snake would offer poison and leather, the boar tusks, flesh and bones. The jaguar was never found, it simply disintegrated in time, and its skull would later be found by children who played with it. This all happened 1100 years or so ago. It was during the migration of man to what we now know to be the Americas, the area of the Pipiles, the area that gave birth to El Salvador in Central America, a land that has continued to be a struggle for many. This time, the rat got away, the rat survived.

Dr Napoleon Rodezno
Deputy Principal

Feeling down?

During these past few days since the extension of the lockdown and the introduction of tighter restrictions, I am sure many of you have experienced a myriad of emotions like I have felt. Frustrated and saddened by what we see everyday not only in the news but in the streets we walk to exercise or drive through to get groceries. People who, through their own frustration, are endangering themselves and others in the need to experience human contact.

When we are frustrated, afraid, sad or angry, we often say and act in ways that are not normal for us. The number of racist, discriminatory reactions from people through social media is what I am finding disappointing. In the words of Jesus, 鈥淟et he who has not sinned cast the first stone鈥�. This is great to remember in regards to our reactions - but it does not necessarily help with our feelings.   

I have been exploring ways to find comfort and connection with God during these lockdowns. There has been a significant increase in the resources available, from various forms of meditation, reflections and prayer to videos and stories that help to make you smile. Over the next few editions I will add some links that may be of interest. Below I am sharing two prayers for when you may be feeling down from a site called Psalm 91. I am also sharing a link to a clip called windows. It is a children's story about time in lockdown.  

Adapted prayer from St. Ignatius of Loyola 

 鈥淥 Christ Jesus,
When all is darkness
and I feel my weakness and helplessness,
give me the sense of Your great Presence;
Your divine love and strength.   

Help me to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry me.
For living close to You,
I shall see Your hand,
your purpose, and Your Will
will shine through all things.
In Your good and Holy Name I pray,
Amen.鈥�         

Adapted prayer from St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina 

鈥淪tay with me, Lord, for it is necessary that I have Your presence so that I do not forget You.
You know how easily I can abandon You.
Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak, and I need Your strength, so that I may not fall so often.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life, and without You I am without any fervor.
Stay with Me, Lord, for You are my Light, and without You I am in darkness.
Stay with me, Lord, and show me Your Will.
Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.
Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much, and to always be in Your company.
Stay with me, Lord, if You wish for me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a forever nest of love.
Stay with me, Lord, I need You now;
stay with me, Lord I always do.
Stay with me, Lord, I pray to You.
In Your Good and Holy Name I pray,
础尘别苍.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Link for

Tania Grace
Assistant Principal - Mission

Winter warm house energy ideas

During winter, we all need to keep warm.  Can you keep yourself and your home nice and warm in a greener, cleaner way?  Here are some ideas for staying warm over winter.

• Feeling cold? Put some extra layers of clothing on first.
• Ensure curtains and blinds are used to stop heat from escaping from your window.
• Install insulation in your house (or top up old and thinning insulations 鈥� great lockdown project)
• Seal up gaps and cracks around your house that let the cold air in.
• Watch the temperature 鈥� around 20潞 C in winter, is a comfortable temperature for most people. 

Environmental Lockdown Ideas

Stuck at home with lockdown.  Here are a few environmental friendly activities you can do at home.

Have a plastic-free spa day. A great way to combat hidden plastics is to have a DIY family home spa day. There are many ways to make great natural scrubs from coconut oil, sugar, salt and few scented oils. Glass containers make a terrific container for these. You can create face masks from bananas and honey. Make some home treatments and listen to some calming music and relax.

Put on a fashion show of clothes made of out rubbish. Upcycling and making new objects from old used things or waste material is one the best fashion trends for the environment. Why not create a formal outfit from old newspapers? Set a time limit to add to the fun of the fashion show. Add some fashion music and it鈥檚 time to show off, your new creations.

Waste free movie night. Lockdown is a time to choose some environmental based tv shows and movies. There are many shows, series and films which address the climate crisis and threats faced by our environmental and give you some inspiration on how you can try to help. 

Here are some to get you started:

• BBC鈥檚 Blue Planet and Blue Planet 2
• The Lorax, a classic
• Finding Nemo (and Dory)
• Mission Blue
• Racing Extinction 
• Family Nature Walk.  

Enjoy a walk together in nature. Choose a local park or bushland setting. Turn your devices off and tune in nature with some simple mindfulness. What can you can hear, smell and feel? Stay focused on these thoughts as you calmly walk through the area. How many different plant and bird species can you name? Help your local environment by collecting rubbish on your walk.

Karyn Myers
Environment & Sustainability Coordinator

Pathways in Science 鈥� the process of subject selection

Subject Selection is an important event in the annual calendar of 海角大神 College. Students from Years 8 鈥� 11 take part in selecting those subjects that will form their program for the year/s ahead. The process includes a Subject Selection Expo where families are invited to hold focused conversations with teachers to assist students in making well-informed choices for their future pathways.

In this process, students have a wide breadth of subjects from which to select and they are encouraged to seek guidance and input from a range of resources and people including family members, homeroom, mentor teachers, subject teachers and the 海角大神 Careers Counsellor.  Some of the best advice that I have heard is that students should select subjects that they enjoy, and subjects that they are interested in. Experience suggests that these two factors are not mutually exclusive. Students usually perform better in subjects that they are able to engage with more deeply and meaningfully.

The study of Science may lead students into a diverse range of pathways including biomedical and health sciences, veterinary sciences, agriculture, environmental studies, communication and information technologies, engineering, and psychology. Students should use their Year 9 and 10 electives to sample a range of science disciplines with a view to establishing a pathway into the senior years.

For those students entering Year 9 in 2022, students have a choice of two electives to complement their core science curriculum. Future Sciences and Planet Science provide students with an opportunity to broaden their understanding of the key knowledge covered in the core curriculum and develop their science skills. Both subjects are semester based subjects and provide an excellent foundation for senior pathways in Science.

At Year 10, students can select several semester based science subjects from a range of six subjects within the Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences. The subjects on offer are designed to align closely with those offered as VCE subjects at the College: Biology, Chemistry, Environment Science, Physics and Psychology.  General Science is offered as an elective for those students who are seeking a more generalised course in Year 10 where a VCE Science pathway is not the preferred option. Ideally students will select their VCE pathways based on the experiences of their Year 10 electives, though there are no prerequisites to studying Year 11 Science subjects.

In making their choices, students should be encouraged to consider their past experiences in a range of subjects. The Year 7 鈥� 9 core Science curriculum takes a thematic multi-disciplinary approach whereby students are exposed to a range of different disciplines and contexts for their study of science. Students are encouraged to speak with their current Science teacher to assist them in identifying those areas in Science that appeal most strongly. Students should also be encouraged to think longer term about future career aspirations and the possible pathways that can be taken to reach their goals.  Visiting tertiary institutions and speaking to those already employed in desired industries can be most helpful.

Please feel free to make contact with me to discuss any questions you may have as you assist our young people to navigate choices and consider their future pathways. 

The subject selection website contains a range of information about the subjects and pathways offered by the College. 

Lynda Schulz
Science Learning Area Leade

What has learning from home looked like in the case of Physical Education? 

Fortunately the curriculum addresses how contextual factors influence the health, safety, wellbeing, and physical activity patterns of individuals, groups and communities. As such, we have been able to positively leverage the challenges of a global pandemic as stimulus and reason to provide students with the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and dispositions to advocate for, and positively influence, their own and others鈥� health and wellbeing throughout this period.  

Physical Education classes have posed a unique set of challenges.  In a curriculum area where we would normally engage students in practical sessions with small and large groups of students interacting with each other through the use of various types of equipment and spaces we have now needed to adapt and develop learning activities which students could complete individually with limited to no equipment at home that still maintained an educative purpose with clear learning outcomes and intentions.  

Sport Australia through its two national surveys 鈥� AusPlay and the Community Perceptions Monitor 鈥� has provided insights into the impact of COVID-19 on sport and physical activity participation in our community.  

Not surprisingly, the data indicates that the pandemic remains a deterrent when it comes to rates of participation in organised sport across Australia, particularly for children, highlighting the need to focus on the incidental and recreational avenues for them to access physical activity during these times.   

Pleasingly, the pandemic has driven up rates of participation in socially-distanced sports and recreational activities, particularly for adults, role modelling positive behaviours for children and adolescents.

Whilst we continue to experience lockdowns, future data will continue to provide a clearer picture of the true impact regarding participation, return to play, attitude and motivations to sport and physical activity in our lives now and into the future.  

The full report and its associated findings can be access through  

Conscious of the above insights, particularly for children and adolescents, as a department we have prioritised the opportunity to focus on the value of movement and physical activity in our lives and aim to enhance the students鈥� physical literacy.  Physical literacy enhances the physical skills and fitness, the attitudes and emotions that motivate you to be active, the knowledge and understanding of how, why and when you move and the social skills to be active with others. 

We hope to develop an increased sense of confidence and competence in the students鈥� ability to participate in physical activity throughout their lives within a range of different settings beyond structured and organised sport or activity and particularly in the context of restrictions as experienced throughout the pandemic. 

Parents can use physical literacy as a reference point to understand what their children should be learning through movement - at home, at school, and on the sporting field and be key advocates for and active participants in supporting this development particularly during lockdown.

To ensure that students are working towards and demonstrating progress in these outcomes, they have been provided with a range of opportunities to reflect upon and articulate their experiences each lesson. These included some of the following HPE at Home learning activities and approaches as outlined and depicted below:

• Students activity logs and reflections
• Activity task cards, circuits and checklists 
• Shared videos and apps which students could follow to help guide and support them in performing various fitness activities and programs
• Individual and group activity challenges (Step Challenge)
• Engaging application - Olympics 
• Flipped learning - students familiarise themselves with content knowledge outside of the classroom (in the form of text, videos) to allow remote learning to focus on application of knowledge, discussions and feedback

Steve McGrath
PE & Health Learning Area Leader

With Olympic mania sweeping the Country, students were asked to recreate their Olympics at home. Sometimes with themselves playing the part, sometimes other things that they could find around the home or the neighbourhood. 

They had to replicate key parts of the Olympics. Events, mascots, the medal ceremony, the Olympic Village and anything else that sprung to their mind. It was a chance to get into the Olympic Spirit as well as let their creativity run wild.

Phil Box
Year 7 & 8 MacKillop Team Leader

Here are a couple of examples of Olympic scrapbooks

Restaurant Nights may have been postponed or cancelled, but VET Hospitality and Kitchen Operations students are looking for ways to use their skills and knowledge. 

The Dine-In experience is an innovate way to keep up morale with students and parents and an opportunity for students to continue using and building their skills.

The results of the Dine-In experience will be showcased in the next edition of The Lighthouse.

Owen Stott
Director, Wurundjeri Trade Training Centre

Students in Year 9 Social Arts are working collaboratively in groups to share their messages through Art in their school community. They brainstormed concepts that are important to them and their future.  

Some of the ideas they came up with included raising awareness for the plastic pollution in our oceans and the effect it has on the sealife; and the importance of bees in our ecosystem and the effects of pollution in our cities. 

They also wanted to create a meaningful art piece for the current Year 12 students, an interactive wing installation that students can take their photos with the scripture 鈥淕o and do likewise.鈥� Lk 10:37 included. Students are using recycled materials to create these Fence Art pieces.

Kathy Thompson
Teacher

Some of the students brainstorming ideas: 

"To begin the process of creating the fence art I first had to choose which materials were best suited to the side of the fence I was working on; the colourful side full of life representing how our oceans should look. I began by outlining the waves with a vibrant blue fabric which Madi helped to emphasise by going over it for a second time. I also created a basic outline for seaweed that can be filled in later and began to create a jellyfish. It was difficult initially to choose a threading technique but once I had the hang of it it was easy. Teamwork is great in my group with Madi helping me with the waves and everyone else sharing ideas and offering suggestions. Next lesson I鈥檓 going to experiment with some different materials and finalise my seaweed and jellyfish designs."
Alice Edwards

"Today we started our actual fence art, and played around with different materials.  I struggled with a couple of the different materials and worked out how to use them best, but I kept playing around with them and ended up finding a good way to use the materials. The group's working really well and collaboratively. Next week we are still working in the fence art, but mainly finishing off different elements of it that we've already started."
Caitlin Sharp 

"This lesson we started to mark out our wings. We tried to proportion the wings to each other and mark them out evenly. They have been lined with a string like material. We trialled sticking in feathers to border the outline and tying them works best.  Figuring out how we could fit the wording was a problem we faced. We solved it by changing our phrase to something different. The group is working well and everyone is contributing to the task. No one is doing nothing or not helping the group. We have all put in ideas and put effort into the piece."
Daniel Massaroti

On Thursday the 5th of August the Year 10 students attended a presentation (albeit online in a COVID safe manner) from Darren Pereira around how to Shape their Destiny and make informed choices in regards to subject selection and future pathway planning. Darren鈥檚 presentation allowed the students to:

• Identify & align their innermost desires to their talents & unique abilities.
• Crystallise dreams, set goals & develop a plan of action to achieve them.
• Develop powerful strategies to become & stay motivated at will as well as boost students' confidence.

We were also lucky to have Darren available to present to the parents and caregivers of Year 10 students in the evening. Consolidating the message to the students and enabling them to assist their children in identifying their talents and key areas of interest. 

We feel this presentation was of great assistance to the Year 10 cohort. Providing more autonomy over their decisions regarding subjects and pathways, as well as providing them with the opportunity to critically reflect on their future aspirations. 

Paul Jess & Belinda de Guzman
Year 10 Year Level Leaders

Student Reflections:

"The "Shape Your Destiny" presentation last week on Thursday was very interesting and helpful. It was great to listen to Darren Pereira talk and he was very enthusiastic, making sure we all got involved, despite the presentation having to be done remotely. For me, the session really helped to solidify the ideas I had already surrounding a future career path. I think that it would have helped the rest of the year level to narrow down their subject selections and future career pathways, even if they were unsure. There were a number of key takeaways, not only about careers but also about life and doing what you love."

"Big D's presentation was extremely energetic and was engaging. He had a sense of humour that was easily relatable and made it convenient for us to watch and listen. Not only was he energetic he was also very informative and interactive. He used many great metaphors to pass on information that you could simply follow and understand. Overall the presentation was enjoyable and I gained a deeper understanding of how I could path my future."

"The Shape My Destiny session had some really important messages in it like 鈥渄o what you love and love what you do鈥� & 鈥淚f you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life鈥� and other key things about choosing a career. I found the session helpful because it gave me more of an idea about why I would be working in the future. Not for the money but because I would be doing something I love."

After a week in Lockdown 6.0, we are all eager to get back into the classrooms and into Term 3. 

Year 7 has been challenging in the way that we have been forced into many snap lockdowns. However, there have also been some great memories we have made this year. We have managed to fit in an athletics day carnival, a swimming carnival, a cross country and camp. We feel very lucky to have been able to fit these events into Year 7 as they all gave us opportunities to make new friends and get involved within the 海角大神 community.

We have put together a few tips to stay mentally and physically fit during lockdown:

• Have at least a 20 minute break during recess and lunch. During these breaks, do something that you enjoy such as going for a walk with a friend or spending some time with your family.
• Make sure to get outside regularly. At least for an hour a day.
• Make a healthy snack and lunch to keep you motivated throughout the school day. Some good choices include a smoothie bowl, avocado on toast, a salad, nuts, yoghurt, or some fruit.
• Make sure to have a planner with you at all times during the day as well as your subject鈥檚 books and folders ready.
• Make sure to find at least three things in your day that you are grateful for, or that you have enjoyed. It is important to recognise the little things in your day that make you smile.

Whilst these times have been tough, we must continue to follow the government鈥檚 restrictions. There are always people around you that can help if you ever feel like you might need it. We have almost reached the end of this lockdown and soon we will hopefully return to face-to-face learning.

Holly & Lachie
Year 7 Captains

Unfortunately 2021 has once again seen a number of Homeroom groups missing out on their scheduled time to participate in the Cafe N9ne program, and an abridged version of the program will operate for the remains of Term 3 and all of Term 4.

However, to keep the program alive during these times, we want to give all Year 9 students the opportunity be a part of next year's menu!

The Cafe N9ne bigger than BIG breakfast competition challenges our students to create the most delicious version of a Big Breakfast. 

How to enter:

• Students are to research or cook their own favourite breakfast items that can be platted together to make the most delicious version of a 鈥淏ig Breakfast鈥�
• Include a list of ingredients
• Include a cooking method
• Include how you would like to see this dish platted for service
• All entries are to be emailed to Mrs Mac mcconchieja@aquinas.vic.edu.au
• Entries are to be submitted by Thursday 2nd September, 3.00pm.

The winning dish will be featured on the 2022 Cafe N9ne menu; and the winner will receive a Cafe N9ne voucher for you and three friends to have breakfast in the Cafe...anything and everything on the menu is yours for a 40 minute sitting - 8.30 to 9.10am.

It may look a little different but a taste of Cafe N9ne is still a possibility!

Social media helps young people connect with friends and express themselves. It can also be a place for people to share mental health challenges they may be facing. In some cases, young people may see friends or influencers sharing images, videos or messages of self-harm or promoting unhealthy eating habits. 

With so many of us in lockdown, there may be more opportunities for young people to be exposed to troubling content online. As parents, it's vital our children can come to us for open, non-judgmental discussions about what they are seeing online. 

You may not have all the answers but you can help them find out what to do when they encounter distressing content and get access to the right support. Start with our  which includes links to support services. You may also find the  very useful during this time. 

Our  are also a great way to help your children navigate the online world. Scroll down to register and look out for our upcoming webinar on digital technologies and mental health.