海角大神

Welcome Back

I鈥檝e had the great pleasure this week to join with the Year 9 Dominic Team on their Challenge Walk as they have tested their endurance as an example of our 鈥減erseverance鈥� core value. It was also an opportunity to take time in a beautiful setting on the Yarra River to build on relationships and to reflect on the goals that each hopes to achieve this year. Acknowledging that COVID-19 is still prevalent in our community and that we must follow our COVIDSafe Plan if we want to protect each other and our wider community, it is, nonetheless, pleasing to see our students excited about being back at school and keen to make the most of the opportunities that have sometimes needed to be denied during the pandemic. There is a spirit of great optimism at the College as students settle back into their routines and we once again feel the rhythm of school life that makes 海角大神 such a vibrant community.

COVID-19 Update

My sincere thanks to you for your efforts to ensure that COVID-19 positive students are not attending school and are isolating. Your vigilance has played a significant role in maintaining quite a low incidence of positive cases coming on site each day given the large size of our community. An update is being sent to all affected families at 11.30am daily to indicate classes in which there has been a positive COVID-19 case reported. You will receive notification if your son/daughter has shared a class with a COVID-19 positive person in the past 48 hrs. Surveillance testing, using the supplied RATs, is recommended twice per week on Monday and Thursday and positive results should be reported to both the Department of Health and the College. Instructions are available on our website: /latest-covid-19-update 

Celebrate Excellence Evening

Our Celebrate Excellence Evening is on Monday Feb 28. Invitations will be distributed over the coming days and it will be a ticketed event to help us comply with our COVIDSafe plan. Should you have any questions please contact Ms Liz Grierson in the Senior Years Office (9259 3042). On the topic of excellence, it was pleasing to learn recently that Alice Hong (Graduating Class of 2021) has been selected to showcase her Product Design at the VCAA Season of Excellence Top Designs. Congratulations to Alice and her teacher Ms Kathy Thompson. The work will be on display at the Melbourne Museum.

Opening Mass and Assembly 

Our Opening Mass and Assembly is on Tuesday March 1 during the school day. As was the case last year, these are student only events so that we can comply with COVID-19 restrictions regarding area density maximums. We will be live streaming the event and details will be provided to help you watch remotely.

Open Day 

Advance notice that on Sunday March 20 we will have our Open Day from 12pm to 3pm.  Tours will be conducted on 20 minute intervals with the last tour departing at 2.20pm.  Bookings are not required. Parents with a child in Grade 5 are reminded that the enrolment period for the 2024 Year 7 class closes on Friday, August 19th, 2022. Please note that we do not presume that you are enrolling your child at the College and that an application is required. As the tours will enter College buildings we will require proof of vaccination from all adult attendees. Should you have any questions please contact College Registrar, Ms Madeleine Kalla on 9259 3008.

海角大神 Leading Lights

For those new to 海角大神, Leading Lights is an initiative that recognises past students who are making a difference in the world. Our 2022 candidates are Marty Alix (Arts and Entertainment), Angela Wood (Community Service), David Powell (Sport), Luke Brouwer (Service), Rebecca Glen (Science) and Ruby Tribe (Service and Health).  We鈥檝e missed a cycle due to COVID-19 restrictions, but look forward to inviting our new group of inductees back to the College on March 18 to help inspire our current students. We will also recognise their achievement at a cocktail reception with their family and friends. We are always looking for nominations for suitable candidates and the nomination form is available on our website.

海角大神 School Advisory Council

The 海角大神 School Advisory Council met for the first time in 2022 this week, albeit remotely. We have a vacancy for a parent representative to join our council, and invite anyone interested in being considered to please contact me on principal@aquinas.vic.edu.au. Should you want more information the is available on the College website.  

Fr Dispin John - Canonical Administrator
Mr Chris Leahy - Chair
Mr Darren Atkinson - Principal

Darren Atkinson
Principal

On February 28th we have our Celebrate Excellence Assembly. We will be farewelling last year by celebrating the success of students in all areas of the College - academic, artistic, sporting, community and spiritual - and acclaiming their resilience in continuing to achieve in complex and difficult circumstances. 

The next morning on March 1st we have our Opening Assembly and Mass. We will welcome our new members of the College and give them a glimpse of the opportunities before them, in arts, in leadership and in spirit. As part of this welcome it is good to remind ourselves of the aspirations we have for all of our students, the Attributes of an 海角大神 student, developed and refined over time and captured in this infographic:

We welcome all of our community to celebrate the new school year and the opportunities it brings.

Michael Box
Deputy Principal Learning

Redefining Wellbeing

The third week of the school year has started well for our community. Despite the number of restrictions we must continue to adhere to, the students and staff at 海角大神 have continued to make the most of the learning opportunities that being at school for face to face learning brings. In fact, the prospect that online learning is unlikely to be the main delivery of teaching and learning for our students as we all try to suppress the rise of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Victoria, is symbolic of the notion that perhaps we have moved past the worst of the pandemic. 

Our students have continued to attend the College consistently, with our attendance records indicating that school attendance is a positive illustration of the challenges that online learning presented to our students and their teachers in the last two years. As outlined by Mrs Sharon Daley, Director of Student Services, in her article contribution under wellbeing, connectedness is a key experience in the enhancement of belonging and the sense of identity that our 海角大神 students encounter upon their graduations at the end of their secondary educational journeys. Connectedness, as indicated by Ms Daley, provides the opportunity to experience the journey at 海角大神 in ways that extend beyond the formal classroom learning, extending to the realisation that each person forms part of an extensive community in which each member contributes to the wellbeing of all others.

With connectedness, comes authentic inclusion. And with authentic inclusion, comes systematic wellbeing. To me, authentic inclusion means the experience of feeling as a part of a community despite one鈥檚 uniqueness and differences. It is often human nature that when we encounter uniqueness, we identify differences, and this approach can lead to conflict and fear. However, when the inclusion is authentic, we identify not the differences but rather the unique gifts that each person holds, and in celebrating these gifts, we establish points of connection, embracing the notion that we all belong because differences bring wealth to the community. For young developing minds, the uniqueness that we all present may be confronting and challenging and this can lead to conflict. Over the next few editions of the Lighthouse, I wish to explore a number of areas related to wellbeing, or well-being, as a platform to resilience building, inclusion, self- acceptance and the development of confidence, and uniqueness as enhancers of connectedness, belonging and personal growth in our students.

There have been historical challenges faced by researchers when it comes to even agreeing on a definition of the term wellbeing. Research tells us that wellbeing is a growing area of inquiry amongst academics, yet, there are varying perspectives of how wellbeing should be defined (or even spelt: well-being/wellbeing) as it remains to be a largely unresolved area of study due to a lack of consensus in the literature presented to those of us focusing on wellbeing as the context from which effective learning takes place. I am fortunate to lecture in the Masters of Education at the Australian Catholic University and have found in my own professional and academic research that the literature and studies on wellbeing seem to be blurred and offer overly broad definitions despite the focused evolution of the term in recent years. It is clear that society鈥檚 obsession with the promotion of the term as a way of life and its practice and place within human life in general has impacted how wellbeing is defined in 2022. We often hear about the importance of wellbeing, but what does it actually mean for our children and young people?

There are multiple frameworks and models which have blurred the use and interpretation of it within the context of schools. And, it is fair to say that wellbeing is also intangible, and even harder to measure outside of the school鈥檚 gates. There is a difference between the 鈥榙escription鈥� of wellbeing as a construct and its 鈥榙efinition鈥�. In other words, we need to go beyond a description of wellbeing to clearly define the exact meaning it holds within the context of personal development for people whose experiences and contexts may differ from those of our own lives. To further understand this, one must look at the changes that humanity has faced over the last 40 years, identifying that the impact of the context we live in, has changed the ways in which different generations of people see their world and the concept of wellbeing. 

For all those people as old as me, (and perhaps some younger), wellbeing is defined under the Hedonic tradition, meaning that wellbeing is described, or considered to be, happiness, a positive affect, a low negative affect, satisfaction with life and pleasure, the attainment of success and pain avoidance. Perhaps the impact of the cold war, threats of economic recessions and the seeking of the Australian dream had something to do with that description of the way that people considered wellbeing to be a part of life. 

Our kids may see wellbeing differently to the description I shared above. Perhaps some of you do this too, and the hedonic tradition, embedded in the perspectives of my generation, may now be the minority. However, under the Eudaimonic tradition, well-being may be considered to be positive psychological functioning, human development, living a meaningful life, achieving a self-realisation, and achieving a purposeful degree to which a person is fully functioning, often measured by the contributions one makes to the society or community they form part of. Perhaps my conclusions here are stereotypical of the world under which I grew up, but I would strongly argue that the notion of self realisation is not something that necessarily drove my desire for success in years past in a conscious sense. To support my claim, think about the loyalty that some of us have had to our professions? Young generations are likely to change professions a number of times in a lifetime, yet most people my age and those of Gen Y most likely would struggle with the notion of starting something new or unrelated to what we prepared for, yet subconsciously, we may thrive for a liberation that is restricted. Wellbeing for my generation is about fulfilling an expectation to achieve a happiness often confined to a well developed plan, or by the circumstances of the context we choose to live under, whereas we teach our kids to find themselves in order to be happy. Perhaps we intended to do this subconsciously, but we have made sure that our kids can clearly articulate this as part of their journey. Our school reporting, our recognition of achievements here and in local sport, the arts or interests clubs are examples of our search for providing recognition as a way to enhance liberation and self realisation in our young ones. 

The purpose of this article is not to argue the validity of my reasoning but rather share with you a perspective which may assist you when engaging with your children on what is wellbeing to you and well-being to them. Too often, we assume wellbeing to be happiness and try to measure that happiness as the essence of the wellbeing we search for. Yet happiness is a construct that is subjective and in itself, limiting because of that complexity. 

The purpose of my message is to encourage you to identify what it is that your child perceives to be well-being. Is it happiness, and if so, how is this to be realised? Is it deeper than that and are they seeking a self-realisation which may go against the very foundations under which you may have lived your own life? At the end of 2020, my son decided to stop his degree in Architecture after a long year of remote learning in very difficult circumstances. Like all parents, I responded with questions which clearly illustrated that I was struggling to accept a decision that a very smart young adult had made. While I imagined the worst, he had reached a self realisation that led to a decision for him to pursue his interests in music further. He enrolled in a business degree course and started planning for his future as a musician and business person. Although confronting for me, I realised that he had taken a strong step in the right direction; he had applied the skills that he had learnt along his journey and had made a move that was difficult for his parents to understand. My sense of wellbeing was different, because rejoicing in the fact that my son had made a decision which would set his own path was a challenge for me. It was then that I realised that the wellbeing I experience with job security, professional satisfaction and my personal purpose with what I do is different to what my son considers to underpin his well-being; the opportunity to play in his band, record songs, study what he sees as relevant and dream his own aspirations through his own self realisation. I became a teacher because I value education and I see this as an opportunity to give back to society, but in doing so, I also missed out on my dream of being a mechanic, working on Toranas (and after all these years, I have not owned one) and enjoying the prospects that this could have brought to my life. I instead took the road that would lead me to the position of safety, security and fulfilment of my perceived happiness. My son seeks to achieve his well-being under the eudaimonic paradigm, in a context far removed from the hedonic sense of wellbeing that I have aspired to embrace at the same age. And he is succeeding. Do I worry as a parent? Yes I do. Should I let it be and celebrate his journey? Absolutely. 

As shared by Nic Marks from Radio 4, BBC, on the 7 of January 2012:

Wellbeing is not a beach you go and lie on. 
It鈥檚 a sort of dynamic dance and there鈥檚 movement in that all the time. 
It is in the functionality of that movement which are the true levels of wellbeing. 

Talk to your kids and help them find a wellbeing that is not measured by numbers but rather liberation. It is a long journey and we must enjoy the struggle and joys that emerge without the fixation we often have when focused on the end outcome. In the next edition, I will continue to share with you the relevance of wellbeing as a key for educational success. If you would like to listen to Nic Marks perspectives on happiness and our responsibilities for the preservation of the earth, please visit this . 

Any feedback, questions or other comments can be sent to rodeznone@aquinas.vic.edu.au

Nap Rodezno
Deputy Principal

I hope that the beginning of the school year has been relatively smooth for you all. There is always so much happening at 海角大神, and staff have been working hard to make the start as 鈥渘ormal鈥� as possible for our students and families.

Welcome to some of the new staff who have started at 海角大神 this year.

Gina Goss
Assistant Principal - Staff

Trish Poelsma

I am a Learning Support Officer working with Years 7 and 8 students in Rice. I worked at Marcellin College for 9 years and then at a primary school for the last 2 years. I was very eager to return to secondary school. My role is more varied here as I am timetabled to attend different classes and various subjects. I like working in a co-ed secondary school after working in a boys' school for so long. It's nice being back at 海角大神 after being a student here way back in 1985 and 1986. I have two boys who are now 21 & 23. My interests include reading, true crime documentaries, AFL and cooking.

Erin Gualano

After graduating from 海角大神 College last year, I now hold the Science Gap Year position. In VCE, I chose to study mainly science subjects, consisting of Biology, Psychology and Physics, as well as Maths Methods, English Language and Business Management. In my current role, I help in the set up and organisation of pracs, as well as looking after the different science labs at school. Next year I plan to continue my studies at university, focusing on my interests in the biological science fields. Outside of 海角大神, my weekends are spent playing and umpiring netball, and hopefully soon will consist of some more Covid safe beach and camping trips with my friends. 

Robyn Goode 

At 海角大神 I am teaching Science in two Year 7 classes (Purple and White) and two Year 8 classes (Green and Navy), and Homeroom teacher for 8 Navy (assisted by Ms. Wilson on Thursdays).I hold Bachelor of Science and Master of Teaching (Primary and Secondary) degrees completed at Monash University. I love gardening, both at home and as a volunteer with a "Friends" group for local parks. I also enjoy keeping fit by going to the gym and walking my dog. I live with my husband and 3 boys - the two eldest are both at university and the youngest has just commenced Year 12. I have felt very welcome in my first couple of weeks at 海角大神.

Melinda Seaw

At 海角大神, I teach piano and provide accompaniment at College events. I hold a Masters of Music Performance from Sibelius Academy, Finland. Before  joining 海角大神 College I was at Mount Scopus Memorial College and Killester College. I've travelled to a few European cities during my studies in Finland and would love to visit Europe again. Some of my hobbies include performing Chamber Music, reading and hiking. My family is from Malaysia, and we've got a lovely dog at home. I love the sense of community, lovely staff and students at 海角大神.

Daniel Lijnders

I teach Classroom Music teaching and Ensembles (Junior Gtr Ensemble - Rock Band Workshop) and Year 11 Mentor. I have a B.Mus . B.Ed double degree from Monash University.  Before 海角大神 I spent 14 years at Nazareth College and 17 years at Wheelers Hill SC (consecutively). Some things I love about 海角大神 include: Great facilities - large school student cohort  - Cafe N9ne! I toured France with a band, travelled Australia, Sth East Asia, Europe - would love to do a jaunt through North American "music towns". I Love all things music, especially performing for crowds, love Cricket, Music History/Trivia and Star Wars too! I am from a large Dutch Catholic family - one of six children myself (Dad was one of 13!) and I am married with two children. I play in a band called "Robot Child" with Waleed Aly.

Angela MacLean

I am working as a Teacher of the Deaf with St Mary鈥檚 at the 海角大神 campus this year. I have a passion for learning, having undertaken a number of other studies in Auslan LOTE teaching, Career Education and most recently completed a Masters in Student Wellbeing. I am a qualified Auslan Interpreter and work part time interpreting for all sorts of interesting things. I have worked in Deaf education for many decades, beginning at the Victorian College for the Deaf where students are profoundly deaf and communicate using Auslan (Australian Sign Language). My role at 海角大神 this year is supporting three Year 7 students who use Auslan to communicate. I find 海角大神 a warm, welcoming school where staff are supportive of our deaf students and go out of their way to ensure they are providing access and inclusion and this makes coming to work every day a positive experience. Probably the most interesting and adventures thing I have done in my teaching career has been linking with VCAL Literacy, Numeracy, Personal Development, planning for and raising $60,000  to take 10 Deaf students to PNG to walk the  Kokoda Track. (It was gruelling but an amazing experience….I would NEVER do it again!). My husband is a special ed teacher at Caulfield Grammar and I have a 24 year old daughter and a 21 year old daughter. I love to travel to warm places and snorkel and I can鈥檛 wait to get out there again. We have a family cat and three small, yappy dogs who keep us amused and encourage us to exercise. 

Nichaud Munday

I am the new flute teacher, teaching any students who sign up for flute lessons, and also run and work with the Senior Concert Band and Beginner Band. I studied a Bachelor of Music Performance with Honours at Australian National University, and completed postgraduate performance studies at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague in the Netherlands. Currently doing my Masters of Teaching at University of New England. Before 海角大神 I taught flute at the Academy of Mary Immaculate, and still teach at Sacred Heart Girls' College. I have travelled quite a lot, and have lived in The Hague in the Netherlands for a year, and Ontario in Canada for 6 months. I have always wanted to go to Switzerland! I love running, and have always had the dream to run a half marathon. I also love reading, and have just taken up knitting!  My family is amazing! My Mum lives in Albury-Wodonga (where I grew up) and my Dad lives in the gorgeous Dandenong Ranges. I have 4 siblings, and 2 nieces. They're the best! I am also engaged to a wonderful man, and we are tying the knot in April next year.

Love

No, today鈥檚 theme is not Valentine鈥檚 Day or a story about St Valentine. This edition is about this Sunday's gospel, Luke 6:27-38. Love your enemy. The reading has so many significant quotes from Jesus - that I would want to include it all. However here are two key foci from the scripture:

鈥淟ove your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you,鈥� which Jesus repeats later saying, 鈥淏ut love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.鈥�

And

鈥淒o to others as you would have them do to you…….Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven;鈥�

All of these quotes are familiar and some have even become common in secular society. But - what does it mean to love? To really, truly love a person be they friend or foe? So often we throw the word love around, however the true meaning behind the word can sometimes be lost. Love can be painful and yet joyous, frustrating, yet simple, difficult, and yet so rewarding. Love is a multitude of values and qualities all tied into one word. 

The love of the Trinity is our role model. Trinitarian love is unconditional, forgiving, patient and kind. The love of the Father towards the Son, and the Holy Spirit instils this love in us all. God loves us unconditionally and forgives us like he asks us to forgive others. He does not ask us to do anything that He is not already doing. Jesus, while on earth, demonstrated amazing love and forgiveness as he died on the cross. While we may not suffer the experience of crucifixion, we all have our challenges and burdens that maybe require forgiveness, and maybe a little more love given. 

So over this weekend, when you are meeting with the annoying relative or nosy neighbour; take a moment to stop, focus less on judgement and focus more on giving a little extra love into this world.

Tania Grace
Assistant Principal - Mission

Senior Years Report

We have just completed Week 3 of the term. Hopefully students and families should be becoming more confident and familiar with their new classes, teachers and the expectations of subjects. Parent Information sessions were held online this week with Mentor teachers. The College believes that your child鈥檚 learning is enriched through positive and reciprocal relationships between school and home. Thank you for your time showing your interest and support for your child鈥檚 learning.  

Not all people could be present due to other commitments or concurrent sessions. If you missed a session or want to revisit information then you may access the presentation slides from the Parent Access Module (PAM) homepage, under Knowledge Bank and then click on the relevant year level. A presentation file will be present in the folder for you to download and review.

I invite parents/guardians with children in the senior years to . Your feedback will assist our future planning for parent evenings.  

Rachel Crawley
Head Senior Years

Middle Years Report

It has been great for our Year 7 and 9 students to have experienced incursions on 鈥楥ybersecurity鈥� and 鈥楧igital Discernment鈥� over the past week. The main areas of focus were:

• Understanding what fake news is and how it impacts our world.
• How to report harmful content and practice discernment to stay safe and informed online.
• Creating strong passwords, enabling privacy settings on social media.
• Understanding just how easily and far things can spread when shared on the internet.

Some of the thoughts of students (and staff!) involved:

鈥淚 learnt that you should report all content that is hurtful/ offensive鈥�

鈥淚 have learnt that even with a password you would think no one would be able to crack, the smartest hacker can hack your password in a matter of minutes.鈥�

鈥淚 need to go home and change my passwords!鈥�

鈥泪苍蝉颈驳丑迟蹿耻濒!鈥�

鈥淚 learnt that there are many forms of Fake News and that we can鈥檛 trust them!鈥�

鈥淪tudents kept talking about improving their password security throughout the day.鈥�

鈥淭here were some great home truths and case studies that surprised us all.鈥�

鈥淚 learnt about the different types of fake news and how it affects our world, as well as how to report harmful information on different websites. I found it very informative and I learnt a lot of useful information.鈥� 

''The cybersecurity workshop was really helpful, informing us on how to keep our devices safe, and the people behind them safe too.''

This coming Monday, the Year 8s will have a workshop on 鈥楥yber Bullying and Respectful Relationships Online鈥� where they will look at the importance of respectful relationships online through different scenarios, and will be asked to consider their own impact when interacting online. We often hear negativity surrounding screens and social media but rather than saying  鈥榡ust don鈥檛 interact,鈥� the facilitator will look at the tools that students have to positively support themselves and show them that social media has the power to influence society, and our friends for the better when used appropriately.

Phil Box
Head Middle Years

Eliza Crouch

"My journey at 海角大神 has always involved the wonderful music department we have at our school and I could not imagine it any other way. From the excellent teachers in the program to the community of talented and amazing students, I would not be the person I am today without the love and passion for music our school has created. As a guitar student and recently being involved in choir I have been able to see the music program grow and develop more and more every year. One of my favourite memories was hearing the school song for the first time in year 7 at the opening assembly and seeing the love all students shared. Goosebumps and a memory I will never forget.  I feel so privileged and excited to help grow this amazing music community we have in 2022." 

Angelina Graham

"During my years at 海角大神 I have always been a part of the music department. In Year 7 I was welcomed into the program and fell in love with the clarinet through the support of the music department. Since then I have participated in bands, assemblies, open days and showcase nights with each helping me grow in confidence and musical ability. A highlight would definitely be the music camps and Generations in Jazz in 2019 before COVID19. I am so excited to see where this year takes us and to find some normality again. I am very grateful for this opportunity to be a role model as a Year 12 Music Captain in 2022." 

Gaby Steen

"Since starting at the College, I鈥檝e been involved in every production, singing group and music event that I can. From being a quiet Year 7 singer to music captain, my journey through the 海角大神 music program has been something I鈥檒l always remember. Just the other week, I had the opportunity to help teach our new Year 7s the school song. Seeing a new wave of 海角大神 kids learn and chant this anthem we all love was so uplifting. After spending much of the past 2 years in lockdown, I鈥檓 so excited, as are our music community to come together to perform and share more moments like this."

A date to add to your calendars. Clean Up Australia Day is on Sunday 6th March.  You can participate by joining a community to group to Clean Up your local area. You can also register your own site and keep a clean up kit from the organisers. 

There are three easy steps:

• Pick a location
• Register
• Spread the word and get others to join you.

Registration and locations can be found here;

The secret lives of the College chooks

Some upheaval has occurred in the hen house. One of our lovely Australorp girls has become broody meaning her maternal instincts have kicked in and she has stopped laying and is trying to hatch the eggs she is sitting on. She taking up the best nesting spots making it difficult and hostile for the other hens to lay next to her. Big Red has found a secret new spot to lay her eggs in the garden in the middle school. 

The veggie garden is being prepared for planting with the help of our middle students at lunctimes. Some Year 7 students have shared their first experiences of the chooks and veggie patch:

"I have absolutely loved our school garden a little shaded nook with some of the friendliest students and alike, this has been my go to place for relaxing and getting work done, amazing gardening place and I would recommend to everyone."
Flynn - Year 7

"I love holding the chickens especially nugget I also think the garden is so beautiful."
Alana - Year 7

Karyn Myers
Environment & Sustainability Coordinator

Critically Thinking About Food Studies

In recent years there has been a renewed focus on food education in schools. The Victorian curriculum has been designed to give students a broad understanding of the food industry and address the changing culture and understanding of food in our society. The increase in obesity, the diverse multicultural experience that is the Australian food scene, and the growing environmental concerns over our rate of growth and consumption are just a few of the areas that are reflected in the food technology curriculum.

Educating students on the benefits of healthy eating provides them with the skills to think critically about their food choices and provides them with the practical skills to be able to analyse recipes, assess their nutrition value, and make educated choices about their eating patterns.

There are obvious benefits of students developing skills in nutrition and cooking, the evidence suggests that the long-term effects do not just relate to making healthier lifestyle choices. The development of food literacy and skills lead to greater confidence in performing practical food skills, such as planning and preparing meals, interpreting food labels, basic food safety, and food regulation.

Students in Year 7 will have an opportunity to participate in the Food Studies program for one semester. During this time they are introduced to hygiene and food safety, practical safety in the kitchen, and will start to explore a range of preparation techniques and recipes that reflect the multicultural nature of the Australian culinary experience. During this time we encourage students to participate in meal choice and preparation at home. Parents could encourage students to be active contributors to the process and provide them with an opportunity to consolidate and develop the skills that they have learned in class.

With the rich collection of subjects offered to students as part of the Year 9 and 10 Elective program, students can continue to develop their skills by selecting the Year 9 Master Chef or Year 9 Melbourne Cafe Culture followed by Modern Cuisine or Baking and Pastry in year 10. Students with a passion for the culinary experience or a career in the food science area should consider Foods Studies in Years 11 and 12 as an essential area of study, where students engage in a broader understanding of the food industry and the importance it plays in a sustainable society.

Andrew Russell
Technology Learning Area Leader

Each year the VET Hospitality and Kitchen Operations classes host Cocktail parties evenings for their parents and school leadership to kick off the year. The Cocktail parties are designed to showcase, to the student鈥檚 parents, the fantastic facilities and the superb level of student ability. This year鈥檚 event was so big (and due to density limits) that it was held in the O'Driscoll Room and tours were taken up the stairs to see the students in action in the Wurundjeri Trade Training Centre kitchen and bar. The Cocktail parties were run on Wednesday and Thursday nights with over 140 guests.

The menus are designed by the students with the senior Units 3 and 4 students taking on a leadership role with the incoming Unit 1 and 2 students. This event creates a team atmosphere and a sense of comradery between all the students and gives the incoming students in Unit 1 and 2 an insight into what they can achieve after one year of training by seeing the Unit 3 and 4 students in action.

鈥淚 was exhausted鈥� Em Lucas, Year 12 (acting head chef on Wednesday night)

鈥淲e did a great job cooking. I really enjoyed having an extended time into the evening to cook鈥� Oscar Lynch, Year 11

鈥淚t was exciting that people were actually eating and enjoying our food after only being in the kitchen for 3 classes so far鈥� Isabella Knight, year 11

鈥淭he event was lovely and the cocktails delicious!! Congratulations to everyone involved鈥� Parent/caregiver

鈥淚t was great to interact with the Year 12鈥檚 because they taught me a lot鈥� Giulia Virgona, Year 11

Drinks included:

• Virgin Watermelon Margarita
• Espresso Martini
• VET HO Pomegranate iced tea
• Cranberry Sangria
• Zooper Dooper cocktail
• Spiced orange mule
• Frozen Mango and Pineapple cocktail
• Blue Breeze
• Grasshopper
• Strawberry Virgin Daiquiri 
• Iced Chocolate
• Lemon, Lime and Bitters

Food included:

• Salmon and dill on a blini 
• Caprese salad skewer 
• Turkey sliders wrapped and spice slaw
• Chicken vol au vents 
• Porcini arancini served with lemon myrtle mayo 
• Roma tomato and buffalo mozzarella served on a crispy crouton with basil pangrattato
• Stuffed and crumbed mini peppers with ricotta and goat cheese 
• Mini chicken spring rolls
• Steamed pork dumpling
• Mini lindt milk chocolate mousse
• Fruit salad 
• Lemon Meringue tarts

As well as the delicious food and drinks there was a discussion on the opportunity for students to travel to our sister culinary school Notre Dame du Roc in France as part of the French study tour, once overseas travel is possible again. 

I would like to thank all the teachers, support staff and students who participated in making these such fantastic events. Restaurant Nights are running throughout the year and dates are on the school calendar. Everyone is welcome to come and experience one of these gastronomic events by booking online through the school website /events/restaurant-night-2022 

Owen Stott 
Director, Wurundjeri Trade Training Centre
VET Kitchen Operations Teacher

In the early stages of Year 11 VCAL, students are beginning to identify and develop their employability skills.  This is something that remains a major focus across the two years of their VCAL journey and into the next phase of their career. The Year 11 cohort recently had the opportunity to visit Melbourne Cable Park and put some of these employability skills to the test.  Students used their communication, team work, leadership and problem solving skills to navigate the Aqua Course and for many, stepped out of their comfort zones in learning a new skill by having a go at the cable knee boarding and wakeboarding course.

In Work Related Skills, students are required to analyse the occupational health and safety rules and procedures at several real workplaces, the cable park gave us a great opportunity to witness safety briefings, risk management and the PPE required to stay safe. Students had a great time forming bonds as a team and learning to communicate with each other effectively across the day.

Michael O鈥橦alloran
VCAL Coordinator

"We came together at the start to go over the rules of the park, to avoid hazards and keep us all safe.  After this we made sure that we had all the correct PPE on to keep us from any injuries. We all started off being reserved and quiet but after pushing each other into the lake we all became very comfortable and competitive. After all the adventure, we tried knee boarding and wakeboarding on the cables. Being around new people gave me more confidence to try things even if I wasn't comfortable giving things a go. After the eventful day I have to say it was one of the best school experiences."
Amelia Chapman

"Our first activity was the inflatable water park but before we jumped on we were introduced to some of the parks OHS safety precautions by being fitted with a life jacket and they explained where not to go and they also displayed who the lifeguard was and where they would be located. After the inflatable park we then had lunch and then we were instructed about our 2nd activity and the safety precautions implemented such as helmets and life jackets, the knee boarding was fun and enjoyable for everyone involved."
Kyan Brasher

"We started our journey on the Aqua Park blow-up obstacle course. We then had lunch and moved onto the cable event by kneeboarding and wakeboarding. I felt like I went really well on the obstacle course and the cable park by getting up the majority of the time.  I learnt that communicating and learning from someone who is a pro makes it much easier to achieve."
Ben Baines

"It was a good experience because we were able to run around and spend time with peers we haven't really talked too much. While we were doing all of this we needed to make sure that we included some skills such as problem solving, teamwork and communication. The next activity we did was wake boarding and knee boarding. It was good to do because it made us get out of our comfort zone and try new things."
Ruby Haberfield

Year 11 Captains

Chloe

Throughout 2022, the Year 11 leadership group are eager to enhance the connectivity between our year level and also support the cohort by providing opportunities that suit the groups interests and needs. After the past two years being full of disruption and disconnect, a key focus area for 2022 is to promote cohesion and a sense of belonging, whilst also extending this to the rest of the school. Additionally, the leadership group is beginning to implement various initiatives and activities, aiming to target a more diverse range of student interests and aligning with our Year 11 focus points.

Nathan

As a Year 11 team, we want to be able to encourage and uphold the three main areas of focus; academics, connection and compassion. Through academics we want to be able to encourage positive study groups and habits, considering the majority of us are partaking in VCE. We want to aim to maintain positive connections amongst our own year level but as well as the rest of the senior years above and below us. We also want to aim to keep a sense of compassion for this around us not just throughout the school community but our local community. Ultimately, we want to bring about a positive influence over our cohort.

Year 11 Vice Captains

Lucy

I was first inspired to become a leader at the school after attending the Year 12 graduation in Year 7. Watching the College Captains get to lead a group of people they were so proud of sounded like such a good idea. I decided that if I wanted to see change in the school, I wasn鈥檛 going to wait around so I joined the Year 11 leadership team. My main goals as a leader are celebrating diversity, bringing light to students' struggles and encouraging passion in any aspect of life. I hope I can bring about effective change because a year level as good as mine deserves it.

Tom

Leadership has always been a goal and influence in my life. I鈥檝e always wanted to be a leader to students and peers around me since a young age. I think this tracked back to my family especially my dad who is now a principal and his position both as my father and a principal has really influenced me to follow the path of leadership. Becoming a leader gave me great opportunities to improve in my public speaking skills and help me be more confident with sharing my thoughts and ideas on how to make 海角大神 better. This year I鈥檓 hoping to work with the great leadership team to create change in this college. 

On Friday 4th February, all the Year 7 students went to Croydon Memorial Pool for their annual swim day. The weather was beautiful and all the students had a wonderful time doing a variety of swimming activities.

In the morning, the students did different activities to demonstrate their swimming abilities including treading water, special entries into the water and distance swimming. They also did some fun activities in the small pool at the centre. Looking around the pool, it was clear the students were having a wonderful time with all the positive sounds and excitement on the students' faces.

In the afternoon, the Year 7s had the opportunity to compete in their House group in a mini swimming carnival. The students competed in freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke individual events. Over the past two years Dominic won the carnival and Mr Harrison was super eager to complete the hat trick of wins. The students were very eager to perform in their races and win points for their houses. At the conclusion of the individual events, Dominic was leading from Rice and Mackillop. The final 2 races were the relays and with lots of points awarded, the races were exciting. 

In the end, Dominic did win in a close battle with Rice and Mackillop third.

A huge thank you to all the staff  and the class assistants (last year鈥檚 Year 12s students), who without their support these events would not be such a success.

Jess Lane
Camps Co-ordinator

Bernie Brummell
Sports Co-ordinator

As discussed in the Wellbeing Matters article, this week a number of our Clubs and Activities commenced for 2022 while others will be starting very soon.

On Thursday lunchtime, a number of eager Year 7 students gathered in a comfortable corner of the ARC for the first Book Club meeting for 2022. Students had the opportunity to meet new like-minded friends, review some of their favourite books, and discuss what they would like for the future of Book Club. 

There was a lively flurry of questions about the books the ARC has available and what it may have available in the future, as well as students making reading suggestions to each other. 

A Book Club page has been set up on the ARC Website to find out what is happening each week. Activities proposed for the future include guest speakers, video conferences, audio book afternoons, scrabble days, and weekly competitions and prizes. All students are encouraged to share their book review, and to give a little more incentive they are invited to place their review into a tombola at the ARC front desk for a prize randomly drawn at the end of each term.

We hope to inspire all 海角大神 students to discover the joy of reading through attending our weekly (Thursday lunchtime) Book Club.

The ARC Team

"We raced the first round of the Victorian Enduro Tour mountain bike race last weekend, the 5th and 6th of February. The race consists of six timed stages. Jack Harberts (U15), Brodie Bourke (U17) and myself Tom Vardy (U17) Started off our races with the urban stage of Saturday, a one stage race track starting at the summit of falls creek, riding through steep alpine terrain consisting of rocks and roots. Then the course goes through the village, through backyards and through the streets. Jack Harberts was leading this stage with a winning margin of 5 seconds which is huge in a race like this, but unfortunately he crashed in the last corner of the stage resulting in the 5th place. In the under 17s, I finished this stage in 7th and Brodie Bourke in 9th.

The next day we set out for another big day with five more stages to go (4 for Jack). Jack was on fire the rest of the day taking the win on every stage winning the overall by a huge margin of 34 seconds in a category of 25 of the best in Victoria.

I finished the day in 5th in the under 17s and Brodie Bourke in 18th in a category with 60 riders in it."

Tom Vardy
Year 10

Each year 海角大神 College and our extended community works with the St Vincent de Paul Society to donate gifts and funds for the Christmas Appeal, this was run in Term 4 last year. It was extremely humbling to see so many families and staff generously donating to those in need over the Christmas period. We received an acknowledgement and thank you from the St Vincent de Paul Society that we would like to share with our whole 海角大神 community. In our collective efforts we are truly living our Catholic Social Teachings.

Sasha Tukavkin
Justice & Outreach Leader

Parents of CSPV invite you each year to contribute your parent voice to various topics in education. We also seek your perspective so we can share resources, present webinars, events and other projects based on your needs as Catholic school parents.

We invite you to complete the following survey to share what is most important to you now your children are back at school. 

We encourage you to share this with parents in your school community to gather feedback on pertinent issues in education for parents at this time. We will then discuss each of the responses for consideration as we plan for the year ahead. Thank you in advance for your response to our survey.

 to complete the survey by Friday 11th March 2022. 

Regards,
Rachel Saliba
Executive Officer - Catholic School Parents Victoria
PO Box 3, East Melbourne Victoria 8002