海角大神

Visit to Bathurst Island

Recently I visited Xavier Catholic College Wurrumiyanga on Bathurst Island which is one of the Tiwi Islands north of the Australian mainland and it was truly a memorable experience. It commenced with a short flight from Darwin and, upon arriving at the school, we were welcomed by Principal Rhett Bowden and gathered with the school community for a smoking ceremony. We were informed that one young man had a very important role as he had been taught all of the songs by the elders of the community. From a young age, the elders, especially the women, had sat with this boy and helped him to learn their songs. This was seen as vital in keeping these important cultural traditions going into the next generation. The songs often tell a story about the environment, the birds and animals and the strong connection between the land and indigenous peoples. The young man led the group in song and others soon accompanied him with song and dance.

Following our welcome we moved to the first formal lesson of the day and I joined a Year 7 maths class. I saw evidence of a basic understanding of measurement. The Australian curriculum offers some flexibility and the teachers on Bathurst Island are doing an amazing job of adapting the curriculum to the needs of their students.  Yet, as far as our national standards as measured by NAPLAN are concerned, most of these students are well behind their peers on the mainland. Achievement in terms of grades and test scores measure progress in our part of the world most of the time for most students, but we should remain open to other metrics. Learning can take many forms and, while we understand that literacy and numeracy creates agency, we should also celebrate those who have other skills. I had the opportunity to meet young aboriginal people who can speak three languages, can live 鈥渙n country鈥� with their mates for up to 3 months and have a living sense of their ancestry and spirituality which they share through dance, song and artwork. 

The local community on the Tiwi Islands are clear that they do not need rescuing, but they would appreciate help to make sure that their young people can either stay on the islands, or return after schooling in the south, and become 鈥済ood parents鈥�. It is an incredibly complex situation, but there are emerging indigenous leaders in the community and Mr Bowden looks forward to a time in which Xavier Catholic College is led by Tiwi people.

Whole School Assembly

Our next whole school assembly is on Monday and it will be a great opportunity to gather and celebrate our values as a community. The focus of this assembly is achievement and excellence.

Family Mass - Fathers Day

There is an opportunity to gather for mass in our Chapel next Tuesday, 5th September 2023. The focus of this mass is to offer thanks for our fathers and it will commence at 7.30pm.

Year 7 2024 PAT Testing

PAT Testing was undertaken on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon this week marking another important milestone in the transition process for our Year 7 class of 2024. Thank you to the staff who administered the tests and to parents / carers for helping the students get to the College in a timely manner.

Staff Spirituality Day

Staff Spirituality Day is an important part of staff formation in our Catholic school and also an opportunity to build and maintain the appropriate accreditation to teach in a Catholic school. Thank you for your support so that our staff could gather together last Friday.

Subject Selection Expo

Thank you to all families who were able to take up the opportunity to visit the Subject Selection Expo and Information Evening last Thursday evening.  Teachers were on hand to offer advice about the subject offerings on hand for students at Years 8 to 11 and also talk about the varied pathways that students can pursue at the College. There were a steady stream of families throughout the evening and many fruitful discussions.  I trust that you found the evening valuable in helping to chart a course forward through the wide range of available pathways.

School Improvement Surveys

MACS have distributed school improvement surveys this week to all students and staff, and some families will also have been randomly selected to participate. The email will come from a survey company called Orima. If you receive this email you are encouraged to complete it before the deadline on 15 September 2023.

Visit of Mr Michael Sukkar MP

Thank you to Mr Sukkar who visited the College this week to provide us with new flags to display on our flagpoles. He was also able to visit the students in our VCE/VM class and the Year 9s in Cafe9 during his visit.

New Caledonia Study Tour

A group of French Language students will be travelling to New Caledonia in the last week to this term marking a milestone as this will be our first international expedition post COVID-19.  We trust that all participants will have an amazing experience and thank Mrs Aluthge, Mrs Walshe and Dr Rodezno for agreeing to supervise the tour.

Darren Atkinson

Principal

So Subject Selections have been submitted, here is what happens next:

• If a subject is not viable students will be informed of their options. Students will be advised by the Student Programs Coordinator (Ms Meredith Greenwood) about their next actions.

• Students who have applied for VCEReady will have the test on Monday 4th and choices will be finalised. Students will be advised by the Student Programs Coordinator. (Ms Meredith Greenwood) about their next actions, either they will study the subject or choose alternatives. 

• The VET Coordinator, Ms Ebony Monteau, will inform students of their VET enrolments.

• Some students will be contacted to amend their selections if they are incomplete. This will be initiated by the Head of Senior Years.

• Finalised subjects will be available to students at the time that booklists are made available in Term 4.

• Year 10 Mathematics recommendations will be sent to families with a process for questions early in term 4.

• If a student chose VCE Vocational Module the VM team will meet with each student that has applied for VM to assess their pathway options, VET choices and readiness for SBAT opportunities.  Meetings will be held during term 3 and the first week of term 4.  Following this students and families will receive written acceptance into the VM program for 2024 and an information session will be made available for families.

Specific questions should be directed, by email, to Ms Meredith Greenwood. General questions about the structure can be directed, by email to me.

Listen, Learn, Love.

A New Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

This past week was the release of the 2023 - 2024 Social Justice statement from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.  Below is a snippet from their introduction.

In this year鈥檚 Social Justice Statement, Listen, Learn, Love: A New Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, we hear from members of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic

Council (NATSICC) who speak directly about the history of injustice faced by the First Peoples of this country and what needs to be done to right those wrongs. Recounting the impact of loss of land and culture, the experience of racism, the forcible removal of children, high incarceration and suicide rates, alcohol abuse and domestic violence, and poor outcomes in health, employment, housing and education is very painful.

However, amidst these challenges, the strength, perseverance, and dignity demonstrated by the First Australians offer a glimmer of hope for a future where these injustices are overcome, and their voices are heard and valued, paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable society.

Last Friday our staff participated in their Spirituality Day. As part of this day, we watched the film "The Last Daughter" which is the story of Brenda who was stolen from her family in 1973. Unfortunately, she and her siblings are not recognised by the government as part of the stolen generation as it occurred after the official program was shut down in 1969 - even though the same process and consequences occurred. It was a story of sadness but also of hope, forgiveness and healing for all the people impacted by this incident. As a staff we were able to discuss justice and forgiveness from a Catholic perspective during our discussion groups.

For those who may be interested The Last Daughter is available for viewing on Netflix.

Tania Grace

Assistant Principal Mission

Please welcome new staff who have commenced at 海角大神 recently:

It was wonderful meeting parents and students at our recent Subject Selection Expo, and chatting about future aspirations and pathways. I am currently working with members of the Executive, Leadership and Learning Area teams on staffing for 2024. If you, or anyone you know is interested in teaching at 海角大神, please go to the Employment tab on College website to view current vacancies.

Gina Goss

Assistant Principal - Staff

Senior Years Report

On Monday, 4th September, the school will meet for the term three whole school assembly. Gathering to celebrate excellence and achievement by students from across the year. Marking students' accomplishments is one purpose of the assembly, but equally, sharing the journey they have been on, their reflections, and learning from the experiences.

The assembly recognises achievements across all dimensions of the school. Students will see and hear about the successes of VET Hospitality, the arts, english, science and technology departments. There will be musical performances, reflections from the Fair Trade Fair, and insights into the students' experiences who attended World Youth Day. Music Captains will share information on music events and the accomplishments of the choirs, concert bands, guitar ensembles, strings groups, and Seussical the Musical. Sports captains have the pleasure of identifying and celebrating student success from within and outside the College.  

We thank all the students in advance for their willingness to share their experiences. Their efforts are a product of hours of commitment, perseverance, and the desire to step outside their comfort zone. They are an example of young people taking positive risks and, importantly, contributing to the life of the College. 

We look forward to seeing and hearing all the many accomplishments of students from across years 7-12 and witnessing the student performance. It's an uplifting way to start the week.

Rachel Crawley

Head Senior Years

Middle Years Report

We have a new initiative at 海角大神 in the Middle Years where we celebrate Student of the Month and honour students who best represent the virtues of whatever the monthly theme is. This is voted on by peers, and teachers and is overseen by the students鈥� homeroom teachers.

For the Month of August, the theme was 鈥業nclusiveness.鈥�

We celebrated by giving those students a morning tea in the College Boardroom where they could mingle with each other and be congratulated by the Executive of the school. One message we gave the students is that being inclusive people, it gave their peers a voice and a permission and ability to be themselves and hopefully show and develop their attributes more readily. Something that is instrumental in developing a positive culture in any organisation.

The Students of the Month for Inclusiveness were:

Year 7: 

Sienna Stevenson, Joe Harvey, Summer O'Keefe, Sam Benstead, Giacomo Fiorenza, Georgia Broome, Nate King, Laura Fabre, Chloe McKernan, Tyler Socan, Jude Porter, Jack Kay, Riley Frank, Sylvie James, Clare Britton, Matilda Tobin, Ella Sadler, Raph Jurriens, Romley Gurr, Hunter Mascitti, Eliza Young, Isabel Eslick, Jamieson Punturere.

Year 8: 

Ashley Glennie, Ryley Corcoran, Hugh Mercuri, Carrington Sambrooks, Devron Dias, Damon Chowdary, Joel Troiani, Maeve Gilson, Deon Jito, Oliver Riddle, Ruby Bracegirdle, Jonathan Doan, Rebecca Fletcher, Zara Caligiore, Hailey Coulson, Connor Fouche-Wright, Madison Stride, Dulcie White, Aidan Kors, William Kennealy, Jasmine Matar, Samantha Crossman, Cooper Manners.

Year 9: 

Ria Jijose, Callum Settle, James Vardapatyan, Chris Wallis, Sean Miller, Nick Schulties, Jack Taylor, Rose Ennis, Samantha Mugamu, Kiah Singh, Holly Kenna, Joel Angelini, Ruth Holloway, Lucy Postill, Athan Komninos, Billy Johnson, Campbell Eastwood, Robbie Pilato, Addison Miller, Mackenzie Buchanan, Gracie Laffin, Will Elliott, Massimo Petruzziello.

Phil Box

Head Middle Years

Fostering a nurturing environment of respectful relationships within families holds the key to not only harmonious living, but also improved academic outcomes for your children. As parents and caregivers, embracing the art of teaching children about respect at a young age sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy interactions and empathetic understanding. It will help cultivate a positive environment where communication flourishes, conflicts are resolved constructively, and bonds are fortified.

Teaching children to respect themselves and others will open up avenues for both personal growth and academic achievement. Fostering an environment where respect is not just a word, but a practised behaviour, will empower young people with essential life skills. Effective communication, active listening, and the art of compromise, will provide your child with a solid foundation that will transcend family interactions and help them collaborate effectively with peers, teachers and the broader community.  Equipping children with an understanding of healthy versus unhealthy relationships is an important aspect of their development. It will guide them to make informed choices, foster positive connections, and set boundaries that contribute to their emotional wellbeing. Understanding the nuances between healthy and unhealthy relationships provides children with the essential tools to navigate their social world, build self-esteem, and cultivate meaningful relationships. 海角大神 is committed to teaching Respectful Relationships curriculum and embedding the values, principles and behaviours in all that we do. Having a strong partnership with families and caregivers is an essential part of this program and will increase its success.

Have you had a look at School TV???

SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource that can support you in the challenges relating to modern-day parenting. 海角大神 Parents can access this wonderful resource via PAM under the School Links.

This award-winning resource helps build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It can assist in starting conversations on topics that are sometimes awkward or difficult to tackle.

In this edition of SchoolTV, learn how to empower young people in healthy interactions to embrace differences and forge connections that honour their self-worth. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month鈥檚 edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

Here is the link to this month's edition:

Should you have any questions relating to Respectful Relationships or your child鈥檚 wellbeing, do not hesitate to contact us.

Sharon Daley- Director Student Services

daleysl@aquinas.vic.edu.au

Environmental and Sustainability News

Become a citizen scientist 鈥� The Aussie Bird Count

What is the Aussie Bird Count?

The Aussie Bird Count is an activity for all-ages that involves observing and counting the birds that live near you.

You can participate in a 20-minute bird count at at home or in a local park this week 16 鈥� 22October 2023. There is a compiled heap of resources to help you get to know your localbirds and more about birding () including posters,helpful guides, podcasts and bird call recordings.

You will help BirdLife Australia develop an understanding of local birds whilst getting to know the wildlife on your doorstep and there are some fantastic prizes to win.

Simply download the Aussie Bird Count app. In the app are images and lists of Victoria birds to help you record them and a handy timer will let you know when your20 minutes is done.

Click the link about how to get started and how to participate.

 
Karyn Myers

Environment & Sustainability Coordinator

Family Mass Invitation

海角大神 College warmly invites students and their families to celebrate mass together. The focus, while primarily is on Fathers and the important males in our lives as we celebrate the joys and qualities of all family members.

When: Tuesday 5th September

Time: 7.30 pm
Location: Mary MacKillop Chapel.

For planning purposes, please . 

  

As part of our celebration of National Science Week, the Year 10 Biology students participated in an e-Meet with Dr Mike Clark from Melbourne University, School of Biomedical Sciences. 

Mike鈥檚 laboratory works at the intersection of genomics and neuroscience. His laboratory has three main areas of investigation.

1. Risk genes for neuropsychiatric disorders

2. The role of gene isoforms in brain development

3. Novel applications and tools for Nanopore sequencing

Further details of Mike鈥檚 work can be assessed via link.

Outlined below are some of the reflections of the students based on their session with Mike:

Mrs Lynda Schulz and Mrs Cath Santagada

During class time, our Year 10 Biology class had the amazing experience of speaking to Dr Mike Clark about his current job, where he is the director of running the lab. Dr Mike Clark explained the degree and courses he took to get to where he is now, and it gave us a real insight on what we might want to do beyond high school. Dr Clark also highlighted the importance of having a passion for what you are doing, and explained to us that the way to get into his job was by simply discovering the passion he had for science, especially biology. He also gave us guidance on how normal it is for people our age to still be confused on what we want to do outside of school. This inspired myself and many of my classmates to focus on finding things we are passionate about, and go from there. Dr Mark Clarke encouraged us to ask questions, answering all in deep detail which was an amazing opportunity for us to learn more about biology. Overall, talking to Dr  Mike Clarke was an amazing experience to learn more about what we would like to do beyond high school, as well as expanding our knowledge about the science of biology. 

Bella Gatt

Today in class we were fortunate enough to have Dr Mike Clark talk to us about his line of work. He informed us of his academic pathway to his current job. Dr Mike Clark also outlined what a degree in Biomedicine outlines at Melbourne University and the potential career pathways that this degree can offer. He showed us photos of the lab of 10 people that he runs and explained some of the research projects he鈥檚 conducted and a brief summary of  the results. Dr Mike Clark answered all of our questions about his line of work and how he chose to pursue his science interest. He also offered us the important advice to choose a degree in an area that we enjoy.

Gabby Linton

Our experience with Dr Mike Clark鈥檚 presentation was very eye opening and informative. We learnt about the transition from high school to university which we found very beneficial at this stage of our high school experience. We also had the opportunity to listen and understand his personal experiences through the years and how he came to study biochemistry. We also got a little teaser into what his lab is like and even what his lab is researching currently. At the end of the e-meet we all had the chance to ask any questions we had which was very useful. Overall, it was an educational experience and we would definitely love to see the upcoming year 10鈥檚 have this opportunity next year.

Maeve Wilkinson and Ava Kannegiesser

As part of Year 9 RE - Keeping Pace, students had a guest speaker, Isaiah who spoke about his personal experiences as a refugee. Below are some comments from the students who attended.

Something new I learned is the amount of time some refugees spend in refugee camps and the way Isaiah described connections and being able to survive in camp because of family and others. I was struck by the fact he had spend 14 years in a refugee camp which was my whole life almost, also how young he was when he became a refugee (also the same age as me) - Meg Johnson

My emotions change when listening to the speech, at first I was hopeful, then as I began to see the gravity of the situation I felt solemn and sympathetic but by the end I felt once again hopeful and that I had a job to do to make the world a better place. I was, by the end feeling like his enthusiasm and willingness to forgive was contagious and soon I started to feel it too. I feel like we should treat the refugees and those that come to our seas, fleeing from danger with the respect and equity that all people deserve. This would mean less time spent in detention camps (if any). But the biggest change that I would make would be the perception of the general public to Refugees. Change it so that they are seen as people not just as refugees (somebody that has a story, somebody that is as deserving as respect as you and me). - Pip Wilhelmsen

Some things that I learned is that refugees have to spend an enormous amount of time in camps, Isaiah spend 14 years and that's almost as old as me. - Alfie Brancatella

The stigma around how refugees are treated and talked about in Australia needs to change, many Australians view refugees as something negative. - Rylie James

Our Yr 9, 10 and 11 Dance students participated in a workshop run by Siobhan and Brad from the Sydney Dance Company on Tuesday 22nd August. The students were lucky enough to learn choreography from their work "Ascent" which is currently playing at the Arts Centre Melbourne. Here are some reflections from the dance students:

It was an honour to be taught by some of Sydney Dance Company members, We were given a fantastic opportunity to learn contemporary dance, from a professional contemporary warm-up to learning some of the choreography they are dancing on tour. It was an amazing experience to be in the presence of such wonderful modern artists and to learn some new techniques for us to use in the future. - Eleanor Yr 9

The Sydney Dance Company was an unforgettable experience. I learned new ways to move in the contemporary styles, as well as new efficient warm-up exercises.  Kayla Yr 11

Working with Sydney Dance Company was an incredible experience. It was really fun to see how a company warms up and practices drills during technical classes, additionally getting to learn some repertoire from a piece in their upcoming company show was brilliant!  Ava Yr 11

The Sydney Dance Company came in to teach us some of their own choreography, I loved the uniqueness within the sections of the dance! Lily Yr 11

Gina Goss and Sarah Owen - Dance Teachers

The Victorian School Music Festival is an education based performance opportunity in which schools from all over the state attend and perform in front of a chief adjudicator and other schools. The chief adjudicator this year was Dr. Mary Schneider. Dr Scneider is a Professor of Conducting and Director of Bands at Eastern Michigan University where she conducts the EMU Wind Symphony, teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting and music education, and oversees the comprehensive university bands program. After each of the bands performance, Dr. Scneider worked with the students in a masterclass on stage and gave them new musical ideas as well as reinforcing others. Both our Junior and Senior band attended the festival last week and performed excellently. After lots of rehearsals and sectionals over the last couple of months including hours of rehearsals at music camp and the seniors spending many of their breaks at school practicing, the Junior Band performed on Monday and was awarded Silver while the Senior Concert Band performed on Wednesday and was awarded Gold. Congratulations to all the students involved in a great week of music-making!

Jess Jacobs - Music Teacher

On Wednesday 23rd August, 海角大神 College held their Years of Service dinner. This event is held every 5 years and recognises staff who have dedicated 10 or more years of service. We congratulate and thank the following people who have served our community for many years.

Over the next week we have 3 major sporting events for the 海角大神 students.

On Wednesday is the EISM Cross Country carnival at Ruffey Lake Park in Doncaster.

The team has been busy preparing for the carnival with regular training sessions. We are aiming to win this year after finishing 2nd by just 2 points last year.

Good luck to our 100 runners competing on the day

As well as the cross country, we have 3 boys teams (Junior on Tuesday, Intermediate and Senior on Thursday) competing in the Victorian Schools Netball Finals days. Our boys teams qualified for the finals by being successful on their qualifying day earlier this term. We have had a great tradition of doing well on this day, so hopefully we can continue this. 

 Some of our Yr 9 EISM teams will be playing in their season 2 Grand Finals - Boys Touch Football, Volleyball A & B  Girls.- Touch Football, Volleyball A, and Table Tennis.