海角大神

Celebrate Excellence Evening

On Monday evening we gathered as a community to acknowledge the students who had achieved excellence during 2021. This included those from our Graduating Class of 2021 who placed in the top 10% of graduates in Australia; those who excelled in VCAL and VET; those who achieved perfect 50 Study Scores; and those who received special awards. We were also able to acknowledge student excellence at each year level and I made note in my welcome that it was especially pleasing to see that so many students had continued to thrive even when their learning moved to an online mode during the Covid-19 lockdowns of the last two years. It was also wonderful to be able to invite parents and guardians back to the College to celebrate the success of their young people. Congratulations to the recipients of awards and thank you to those who put in so much work in preparation for this event.

Opening Mass and Assembly 

On Tuesday we conducted two Opening Masses and Assemblies as we established Senior Years and Middle Years bubbles in accordance with our COVIDSafe Plan. The focus of each was to welcome the newest members of our community into their first whole school gathering. Father Dispin John presided over the Middle Years Mass and Father Mark Reynolds the Senior. Both have close ties with 海角大神 as Father Dispin is the current canonical administrator and Father Mark has previously acted in this role. Both set challenging goals in their homilies, encouraging the community to strive to make a difference in our world. Father Dispin commented on the feeling of joy that he felt in the warmth of the welcome. Thank you to the Catholic Life Team, our musicians and Ms Grace in particular for her work to prepare our liturgical celebration.

At the conclusion of Mass we moved into our Opening Assembly led by our College Leaders. Student voice is a huge element at our assemblies and we have very capable public speakers amongst our student body who benefit from the experience to present to their peers. All student leaders were presented to the gathering and given their badges as they made a pledge to serve the community to the best of their ability. Our musicians once again showcased their talents and it was lovely to hear our College song sung again after a couple of years in which we have missed the opportunity.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday ceremonies were conducted this week to mark the beginning of the Season of Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday.  The faithful traditionally receive ashes on their forehead as a visible symbol of penance. 海角大神 also marks Lent through our Project Compassion campaign in support of Caritas.

Year 7 Camps

Our Year 7 Camps occur this week and next and it is a great opportunity for the newest members of our community to meet people and start to build friendships. Thank you to the staff who so generously offer their time so that this sort of experience is available to our students.  

Mask Mandate

While masks are no longer required to be worn at the College, it remains a strong recommendation that masks are worn when appropriate social distancing cannot be maintained. We are also asking students to be respectful of the choices of those who wish to continue to wear a mask. It appears that the RAT program will continue for the remainder of the term and I want to thank parents and guardians for your efforts to ensure that the tests are used twice per week and positive results are reported to both the Department of Health and the college. We are sending an update to those who may have been in contact with a positive case at 11.30am each day and this strategy seems to be working at keeping our case numbers relatively low.

Email Volume

Email is an effective and convenient way of communicating and we rely on it heavily. It should come as no surprise to you that email proliferates in a large community like 海角大神 and we are asking staff to schedule send their emails, where possible. We are asking that emails arrive in the recipient鈥檚 inbox during normal office hours (again, where possible). We want our staff to be able to switch off in the evening, attend to their family and other personal needs, and re-energise ready for the day ahead. You can support us by schedule sending your email (most popular email programs have this function) and expecting that a response may take over 24 hours. Matters that are urgent or relate to child safety should not be initially communicated by email and you should phone the College on 9259 3000.

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. Should you have any questions please contact College Registrar, Ms Madeleine Kalla on 9259 3008.

Darren Atkinson
Principal

As I wrote in the last Lighthouse and Mr Atkinson has acknowledged above, Celebrate! Excellence, our excellence evening was held last Monday. We held it in the Middle Years Quad, because at the time of planning there were COVID restrictions for indoor events with visitors, but the addition of a marquee and theatrical lighting enhanced the feeling of celebration for our students and families. Even the weather seemed willing to participate in the sense of success. 

We acknowledged achievements from the students of the Class of 2021, and students from Years 7 to 12 for their academic, vocational, spiritual, artistic and leadership success. We listened to our 2021 College Dux, Reuben Steen鈥檚 speech about success, enjoying Lachie, Jay, Brooke and Aaron鈥檚 very different but always excellent musical performances; and were deeply moved by Xavier鈥檚 film and the displays of artwork. 

This uplifting occasion affirmed for many of us that our students who are either embarking on, or completing their education who embody the Attributes of an 海角大神 student by being inquirers, being open minded adaptable and considerate was not just evident, but important, and for the students showing courage and resilience were essential to enriching their talents.

Celebrate! Excellence was a night that affirmed the College, not just because it showed that we could run a successful night that was both entertaining and uplifting, it gave the students a chance to see how the attributes of an 海角大神 student could be achieved in many ways, by many different people. 

Michael Box
Deputy Principal Learning

Building resilience as a way to experience wellbeing

Through the course of this week, the 海角大神 College Community celebrated our identity as a Catholic school and showcased the talents, efforts and achievements of many students. The College held some key events, with the Celebrate! Excellence Awards Night on Monday, followed by the Senior and Middle School Mass and Assemblies on Tuesday and the Ash Wednesday Liturgy on Wednesday. The celebrations are symbolic of the fact that we are back at school and the students are able to once again, celebrate as a community. Throughout the course of the week, it was clear to me that the students appreciate their school and that the staff are prepared to work hard to ensure that this happens. Congratulations to the organisers for planning, developing and implementing the events, for the rest of the staff for supporting the organising team and the students and parents for attending and participating. A special thanks to all award winners and students that led the events. 

In the last edition of the Lighthouse, I reflected on some understandings of wellbeing, or well-being, by members of our global community. I presented the perspective that the Hedonic and the Eudaimonic traditions have shifted the way that young people perceive well-being and how this may differ from the way that their parents perceive wellbeing.

Today, I wish to continue to explore the notion of wellbeing from the perspective of personal development by the individual through the exploration of how wellbeing may be applied, interpreted and lived in everyday life. It is considered that wellbeing, quality of life and happiness are often used interchangeably, yet wellbeing is broadly described and applied in different contexts such as health services, schools, workplaces, at home, whole city or community settings, and each context may apply the notion of wellbeing differently. Furthermore, wellbeing is considered to be the state of self-realisation.

Wellbeing is often described as existing within different domains. For example, one sees and seeks financial, social, physical, mental, spiritual, and/or community wellbeing, and each can be considered independently, despite the fact that they are experienced in combination as they impact on one another. It is agreed by researchers that wellbeing may be conceptualised at different levels of analysis; at the individual, couple, group, organisation, city, region, nation, and global levels. This notion has implications for assessment and evaluation of wellbeing, which tends to only be measured against the existence of positive outcomes, despite the fact that a conclusion of what is positive is often subjective. In other words, the absence of negative experiences (or negativity bias), may not necessarily mean positive well-being for our children. Equally, an ill person or those disadvantaged by circumstances, can still find positive experiences which will provide a strong sense of wellbeing. Equally, we must consider that wellbeing is not static as it exists along a continuum of experiences. Wellbeing is a personal experience, and is therefore impossible to measure through standardised means.

Why it is important to consider wellbeing as a personal experience is because we have little control of what may await us in our journeys, as it is the way in which we respond to the adversity that we may face that determines how successfully we navigate through the hard knocks of life in the search for positive wellbeing. Challenges build resilience, and without resilience, a person cannot find a true sense and state of wellbeing. It is in the challenges that we face that we find ourselves and we establish a strong sense of happiness and self realisation, but this cannot be done without the building of strong resilience. 

While we have been celebrating College life as mentioned earlier, we have also witnessed on the news the atrocities that are taking place in the Ukraine. People have had to suddenly leave their homes and face the challenges ahead by either deciding to fight or flight, with the notion of freeze not being a real option if you want to survive. I can relate to this, as when I was a young 15 year old, my parents decided that we would migrate to Australia in search of a better life. It was one of the best decisions they made, and gave me great opportunities to live and realise my dreams. However, the move was very challenging because despite all the blessings that I experienced as a child refugee in this wonderful land, I still had many challenges to overcome. My first two years in Australia were of extreme poverty, and this was different to what I had been used to as a child when I lived in El Salvador. I could not speak English and I missed all that I had left behind. Yet, I still found a sense of wellbeing, although the negative factors may have outnumbered the positive ones. 

The development of resilience is crucial to the person finding a subjective well being which incorporates self realisation, happiness and enlightenment. We can鈥檛 underestimate the human heart and our ability to navigate through life in a way that is enriching and fulfilling, in whatever we choose to do (or not do). Each generation has its own story and your story can help build the base for your children鈥檚 journey. However, it is crucial that in teaching them to find happiness, you let them build their resilience so that they can have control in their lives. 

The absence of positives in a situation because of the complexity of an experience does not always lead to the absence of wellbeing. When my father died at the relatively young age of 67, I found a sense of resignation and comfort when considering that upon his arriving in Australia at the age of 40, he mentioned that this country had given him a new life. It was then that I realised that dad had lived wonderful times here, continuing his work in telecommunications, where despite having graduated with degrees in engineering and telecommunications, and having had experience as a manager and leader in the field in El Salvador, he worked as a telecom/telstra technician, until he retired at the age of 63. Although most people would see this as a setback, dad was happy to work there. And suddenly, through this time, his children had children and suddenly, he was the happiest he had ever been, because he became a grandfather and because his children became adults. Although he had died suddenly and unfairly, he had accomplished happiness, a good quality of life and continued to embrace the gifts that he found in this wonderful country. And for me, I found happiness in knowing this. 

It was at this point that it became clear to me that reliance on seeking positives without dealing with the negatives will most likely lead to tunnel vision and negative outcomes in life. It is impossible to have a life without adversity, pain and complexities, and preparing our young people to face this is crucial. The media portrays a horrible reality irresponsibly, and despite our kids at the College experiencing community celebrations through the week, we still have been witnesses of the impact of greed in the way that the people of the Ukraine are being treated. I guess that we should look at the fighting spirit of those escaping the war and those prepared to stand up for their freedom as examples of resilience. May God bless our brothers and sisters and may the war come to an end.

Our children need to be prepared to face adversity, develop resilience and appreciate the imperfections that make us unique. They must appreciate the rawness and authenticity that we all have. It is the key for them to enjoy wellbeing and well-being as the outcomes of happiness, contentment, quality of life and above all, self-realisation. There is always good in everything, we just have to have the resilience to find it. 

Nap Rodezno
Deputy Principal

This week we had three liturgical events. Opening mass for Senior Years, opening mass for our Middle Years students and our Ash Wednesday liturgies. The readings for our mass were very relevant for not only the start of our new school year but also to the meaning of Ash Wednesday. The first reading spoke about how we are all equal whether rich or poor and we should love our neighbour as ourselves. The gospel reading spoke about how we should treat each other, give to the poor, care for the sick and visit those in prison. The key concept summarised as 鈥渨hen you do this to the least of my people you do it to me鈥�.

The priest for each mass spoke wonderfully about these themes. Fr Mark Reynolds spoke to our senior students about the need for equity amongst all people, to stop racism and discrimination and to work towards unity. He recognised that every one including the church has to work harder to achieve equity. Fr Dispin spoke to our middle year students about how learning to treat each other with respect. If we learn to follow what Jesus teaches us, then we could have a happy peaceful world.

Wednesday this week as we received the ashes, we paused and sought forgiveness for our errors. We remembered to be repentant for the times we haven鈥檛 been respectful or treated people how we would like to be treated. It is also a time to forgive others when we have been hurt. 

As this week comes to an end and as we enter our first week of Lent may we all take a moment to reflect on our actions - the good and the not so good so that we all can strive towards an equal, unified society. 

Tania Grace
Assistant Principal - Mission

Introducing some more of the new staff who have joined the 海角大神 community this year

Gina Goss
Assistant Principal - Staff

Jonathan Lau

Hello, my name is Jonathan Lau. I completed my Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Western Australia in my home city of Perth in 2014 and last year I graduated with a Master of Teaching completed at RMIT University.

My duties at 海角大神 include being the Homeroom Teacher for 9 Silver, teaching 7-10 Mathematics and coaching the Year 9B boys basketball team. Before coming to 海角大神 I was the Residential Boarding Assistant at Melbourne Grammar's Boarding School. In this role, I was running the student recreation and wellbeing program. During this time, I was also completing my Master of Teaching. I love the welcoming/friendly culture and broad range of extracurricular activities at 海角大神 interested me greatly and I am very excited to be getting involved with what I can over the school year. Due to my parents having worked there for 3 years, I have spent large amounts of time in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. There are many fond experiences of Eagle trainers, Naadam Festival (Mongolian National Olympics), horse riding and sub-zero temperatures. I love cooking, golf, basketball, board games and nerding out over anything to do with coffee.

Brendan West

I completed a Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary)/Arts from Deakin University and I am an English teacher and Year 9 Homeroom teacher at 海角大神. My previous school was Brentwood Secondary College in Glen Waverley .海角大神 has a very good reputation in the community of being a welcoming and inclusive school. I wanted to be somewhere where social skills and progress of individuals (both students and staff) is just as important as academic achievement. In terms of travel, I have been to the U.S.A a number of times and to a variety of states for various reasons. Our most recent trip, to Disneyland, Memphis and Nashville was a particular highlight. Getting over to the UK and Ireland was also a great experience. We had plans to travel to Japan in 2020 but…!! I have played guitar since I was 12 years old and music has been my main outlet since then. I love going to see bands play as often as I can. My wife and I have been happily married since 2016 and are very much looking forward to adding a new member to our family any week now.

Alison Prince

I have a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Teaching from The University of Tasmania. On graduating, like many Australians, I headed over to England where I worked in schools in both London and Essex for close to six years. I absolutely love travelling and I used this time to explore Europe. My favourite country was Turkey. The people are incredibly warm and hospitable. It was during this time that I met my husband Eoghan who is also a teacher. We moved to Melbourne and for the last thirteen years I have been teaching at St Monica's College in Epping. I have two little boys called Ronan and Fionn. We try to visit my family when we can in Tasmania and we hope to eventually visit Ireland where the rest of my family live (we have cancelled twice due to COVID!)  During my spare time, I love to write, paint, run as well as do bushwalks.

Bernard Green

I hold a Masters of Educational Leadership ACU, Master of Arts (Theology) ACU, Graduate Diploma Student Welfare UniMelb, Grad Dip Ed (Sec) ACU, Bachelor of Theology University of Divinity. At 海角大神  I am teaching Year 7 to 11 Religious Education including VCE Religion and Society Unit 1-2, Year 10 Mentor teacher ( Group 11), Year 9 Green Homeroom and Learning Area Leader for Religious Education.

Before 海角大神 I was at Caroline Chisholm Catholic College Braybrook for 7 years and a total of 27 years teaching in Catholic Education in seven other schools from Mornington to Mildura and Altona to 海角大神.

There is a great sense of welcome both from students and staff at the College. Students have amazing manners and thank teachers for the class. There is a feeling that people love being at 海角大神 and that gives a really positive atmosphere.

I have loved travelling over the years through Western Europe and parts of Asia for cultural and historical highlights, not to mention great hospitality, food and wine.  I love Sci Fi and whodunit genre movies. I have been involved in Catholic Church parishes all my life, being part of groups like Vinnies, liturgy groups, RCIA and others. My family includes my wife Nancy and daughter Wini who is a bubbly 3 year old who already wants to go to school and be a pilot when she grows up!

Matthew Powell

I completed my tertiary education at Deakin University in Burwood. Here I studied a Masters of Teaching in secondary education, majoring in History and Literature. I teach two Year 7 English classes, two Year 8 Humanities classes and a Year 9 English class. I also look forward to working with my homeroom of 7 White.

海角大神 College has a very warm and welcoming community. All staff are friendly and willing to help whenever I need it. Although I am new to the College I already feel accepted and a part of the community. I have also heard many great things about 海角大神 College from members of the public.

I have travelled to Japan, USA, Fiji and Canada. Of these locations my favourite journey was Fiji with its incredible scenery, wonderful community and the fact they included me in their Dance of Fire!

Recently I鈥檝e been watching some NFL but my real passion is AFL. I can鈥檛 wait to see the Hawks make a mighty comeback this year! I also enjoy going for jogs on the weekends, walking my dogs and exercising.

Fiona Lewis

I am a Registered Nurse in the College Health Centre, and hold a Bachelor of Nursing with a Major in Mental Health from Deakin University. Before 海角大神, I worked at Eastern Health, paediatric nursing and assisting in delivery of the COVID-19 Vaccine program and COVID-19 swabbing/testing throughout 2021.

海角大神 College has a great atmosphere of community and belonging, I felt welcomed the moment I arrived at the school. I have travelled to Japan, USA, countries throughout South/Central America, New Zealand and Bali. I would love to visit Alaska and do a trip around Scandinavia one day.

My hobbies include Skiing/Snowboarding in Winter, being on lake Eildon in the summer and American football (Go Kansas City Chiefs!). My fiance Taylor is a Pilot and our adorable little boy Albert is two in March. I have an avid interest in gardening and working on our vegetable patch - so far not much luck. I seem to have a black thumb in some areas and the rabbits seem to enjoy our vegetables before we do. Bok Choy, rocket, spinach, potatoes and snow peas seem to be my forte.

Emily McKenzie

Hi my name is Emily McKenzie and I am a new Instrumental Voice and Choir Teacher here at 海角大神. I studied a Bachelor of Arts/Music, as well as my Diploma of Education at Monash University, I have been teaching for the last 12 years as well as singing and performing as much as I can in the meantime.

Over the past 3 years, I was working at Wantirna College as a Voice, Music, Drama and choir leader, and had a huge involvement in their school productions of Wicked, Catch Me If You Can and The Addams Family, I have also taught Performing Arts at many primary schools, putting on school productions and concerts of many different shows over my time.

I am so excited to have a position here at 海角大神. The reputation of the vocal and choral program is something that I am very excited to be involved in, and working with such a brilliant and collaborative staff on improving the musical journeys and outcomes of students is something I am thrilled to contribute to. In my 鈥檚pare鈥� time I am a very busy Mummy of two primary aged kids, Ava and Oscar, as well as performing in Musical Theatre productions across Melbourne - something I have missed greatly over the past few years. I hope to get back to auditioning and performing again as soon as I can, I miss the stage! This year I look forward to getting to know students, parents and staff in the 海角大神 community, and help to foster a love of music and performance whether on stage or off.

Senior Years Report

Celebrating student success is an important and fundamental element to the life of the College. Success is recognised in a variety of ways across the school. This week the highest achieving students were recognised at the Celebrate! Excellence Assembly.  Achievements across all dimensions and disciplines of the College were recognised. Congratulations to all the award recipients from 2021.  Musical performances by Gaby Steen, Jay Hills, Lachlan Francis, Brooke Tudor and Aaron Steer were also showcased on the evening. 

Tuesday we celebrated the College Opening Mass and Opening Assembly. Coming together in our sub schools to join in prayer, song and reflection. The Gospel message: to be kind and compassionate with one another is poignant to the world this week. While we have had the great fortune to celebrate student success, join as a peaceful community and be witness to beautiful musical performances this has been a stark contradiction for people in the floods of North Eastern states and the Ukraine.

Managing responses to the current and difficult realities is important for the health of our community. Being exposed to information regarding these extreme situations is not harmful. It is the inability to process the information that can be. It is essential that we assist our young people with the skills and knowledge to manage their emotional responses and their situation at hand. SchoolTV special report video and the article from the Raising Children Network are two excellent resources providing practical advice to parents to assist combat associated impacts and strengthen the coping skills of young people. 

Rachel Crawley
Head Senior Years

Middle Years Report

As mentioned in the first edition of the Lighthouse, over the first month of school, students have filled out forms and come up with expectations for themselves for 2022 as well as ways that they are going to aim to bring to life the 海角大神 College core values, particularly the Spirit of 海角大神 core value for their year level. Although there was the odd, 鈥榠dk鈥�, it was pleasing to see the thought that went into this exercise by so many. It is also encouraging from a teacher鈥檚 point of view to see the type of response and the expectations that are echoed by so many students from Years 7 to 9. 

Here is a snapshot of a few:

鈥淭o be my own person.鈥�
鈥淥ne thing I can do to bring life to 海角大神 would be taking the risk of answering a question during class whether my answer is wrong or right.鈥�
鈥淭o represent the school with pride."
鈥淚ncluding my classmates more.鈥�
"Giving others permission to shine by letting myself shine first. This could either be by having a go at a maths problem or by trying a new sport at EIS, This can give others the confidence to do the same."
鈥淕et my licence.鈥� 
鈥淰aluing teachers by listening and being respectful when they are talking.鈥�
鈥淭ry get a trade.鈥�
鈥淎lways keep a positive mindset. I want to be able to tell myself to keep going even if a task is challenging and that I may not be able to do it now but if I really put my mind to it I can work hard and eventually not even remember the fact that I didn鈥檛 know it before.鈥�
鈥淭o improve my outlook and attitude towards school.鈥�
鈥淪urround myself with people who have the same values as myself.鈥�
鈥淎 way I can bring life to 海角大神 in 2022 is by valuing others. This is valuing my teachers, peers and the school with respect, supporting them if needed.鈥�
鈥淓ncouraging and looking out for others who may not be my friends.鈥� 
鈥淪ocially I will make more friends and talk to new people I haven鈥檛 before. Get out of my comfort zone and make more of an effort to engage with not just the people in my house but everyone in my year level. With my learning I will take risks, ask questions in class, challenge myself and overall push myself further.鈥�

There were obviously many, many more along these lines. 

On a side note, the word:

• 鈥淥辫辫辞谤迟耻苍颈迟测鈥� in relation to making the most of them, was in just over 20% of all students鈥� responses. 
• 鈥凌别蝉辫别肠迟鈥� in relation to their peers and teachers was in nearly 20% of student responses 
• 鈥淓苍肠辞耻谤补驳别/别苍肠辞耻谤补驳别尘别苍迟'' in relation to how they could bring life to 海角大神 was in over 20% of student responses as was the word 鈥榠ncluding/inclusion.鈥�

Being part of the Excellence Assembly, College Opening Assembly and Mass and Ash Wednesday liturgy this week it was great to see the high expectations that students have set for themselves in action. It was wonderful to see so many set the bar so high and to see young people determined to be people that bring life to the 海角大神 community in how they involved themselves in the ceremonies whether on stage or as respectful members of the audience.

Phil Box
Head Middle Years

Music plays a big role in the life of the 海角大神 College community, and it is great to be able to enjoy regular Music Fridays in the Forum again. These lunch time performances are coordinated by our Music Captains and are a great way for budding musicians to showcase their incredible talent. Here is a showcase of our recent Music Friday performances.

Jared Campbell
Music Programs Coordinator

A reminder this weekend is Clean up Australia Day on Sunday March 6th. You can support your local environment by attending a registered Clean Up activity or simply doing your own clean-up of a neighbouring area like your favourite walking path or nearby park area.

How to find out more information, click here;

In the 海角大神 Veggie Patch some strange new visitors have been noticed crawling on the lemon tree.  The caterpillars have been eating the leaves and laying eggs and will turn into the Dainty Swallowtail butterfly. Interesting these caterpillars love all types of citrus plants and during their caterpillar phase they roughly eat the equivalent of three adult lemon tree leaves.
Like to learn more about these wonderful invertebrates, .

Karyn Myers
Environment & Sustainability Coordinator

Settling into a new faith learning community is always an exciting time for me. As the new RE Learning Area Leader, I am learning very quickly about the hope-filled and optimistic students of 海角大神 and the staff who are caring for them in quick time. 

After seven years at Caroline Chisholm Catholic College in Braybrook, I have arrived at my seventh Catholic secondary school with ideas that hopefully enhance the learning experience for our students and offer further opportunities to express their faith in new ways. One of these ways will be to investigate the further implementation of the MACS Religious Education Guidelines that promote the Pedagogy of Encounter. This is a model of learning that encourages students to ask critical questions about living a good life based on reflective and critical investigation. 

Over time I hope to share examples of how students are able to develop responses to thematic questions such as 鈥榃hy do we want others to have good things in their lives?鈥�. This question allows students to investigate the Gospel challenge Jesus offered for each of us to love God and our neighbour with a focus on how good and evil impact on our lives and what we can do to promote the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. 

As we enter Lent, I wish all our families and learning community a reflective season of prayer, generosity and awareness of all the good things that God has bless us with. If you have any questions about the College Religious Education programme, please do not hesitate to contact me by email greenb@aquinas.vic.edu.au . Go well in 2022!

Bernard Green
Religious Education Learning Area Leader

Earlier this week our Year 10 Religion and Society class, discussed the meaning of Shrove Tuesday and the preparation for Lent, while enjoying tradition pancakes prepared by the Cafe N9ne class.

While most of us fully support the idea of conserving biodiversity, it can be a concept that is difficult to articulate. We know that it is important, but in the face of growing economic and social pressures, how do we justify spending time and resources to reduce its rate of decline? 

This is a key question that Year 12 Environmental Science students grapple with as part of their course work. 

Developing the skill to understand the viewpoints of others is critical in working with people and to implementing change in cultural practices. Many Environmental Science students already have Biocentric and even Ecocentric worldviews. They value species and the ecosystems they live in but they also need to understand that much of the world operates with a more anthropocenic viewpoint. Technocentric ideas are often given to provide hope or solutions to conserve the dominant paradigm of the time. 

To help students develop skills in seeing the worldview of others, the Year 12 Environmental Science students spent a day at Badger Weir looking at examples of Ecosystem Services, how the area is developed with anthropocentric values underpinning the management. 

Craig Cleeland
Environmental Science Teacher

Every Thursday afternoon this term, a group of Year 9 students have been participating in SEPEP (Sports Education in Physical Education Program). Essentially it is a leadership development program that runs within the context of a sport tournament that is run by the students. 

The first four-week block was a basketball tournament, culminating in a finals day. Congratulations to the winning team of: Ryley Larkin, Max Fortune, Tahkyn Cameron, Murray Foster, Matilda Langridge, Sophie Naismith, Jesse Korn and Harry Molnar-Andric. 

As voted by the students, the joint-MVP鈥檚 for this season were Jack Aston and Tahkyn Cameron, and the teacher鈥檚 award went to Aaron Piper.

Matt Parker
Teacher

On Monday night the 海角大神 College community came together to Celebrate Excellence! We acknowledged the academic, community, performance and sporting achievements across all years levels and celebrated the outstanding achievements of the Class of 2021. Congratulations to all students who received awards last night. We are very proud of you all.

2021 College Dux, Reuben Steen, shared some words of wisdom to the eager students, parents and peers: "Firstly, it鈥檚 easy to get caught up in the stress of school, and it might feel like every year the pressure piles higher and higher - trust me, I felt it. To deal with that, one thing that helped me so much was to just relax, laugh, and make jokes with my friends at lunch, recess, and after school. While it is obviously important to work hard, make sure you enjoy yourself too. Believe it or not, I definitely didn鈥檛 study 12 hours a day. You have to find a balance, and don鈥檛 forget to have fun.

Secondly, build a good rapport with your teachers, or in other words, let them know that you're grateful for their work and act interested in what they鈥檙e teaching you, even if it鈥檚 English. Always say thank you after lessons, participate in class, and ask questions. Just remember, your teachers are the ones that know the subject back to front, so if you want to do well, they鈥檒l be the ones to help you get there.

My final piece of advice, which is pretty much my entire personality, is to work smarter, not harder. Don鈥檛 waste your time. If you know a task isn鈥檛 going to help you learn, have a conversation with your teacher to see if you can maybe do something else instead that鈥檒l be worth your time and effort."

This week we held two Opening Masses and Assemblies as we established Senior Years and Middle Years bubbles in accordance with our COVIDSafe Plan. At these occasions we welcomed the newest members of our community into their first whole school gathering. Father Dispin John presided over the Middle Years Mass and Father Mark Reynolds the Senior. Father Dispin commented on the feeling of joy that he felt in the warmth of the welcome.  At the conclusion of Mass we moved into our Opening Assembly led by our College Leaders. All student leaders were presented to the gathering and given their badges as they made a pledge to serve the community to the best of their ability. Our musicians once again showcased their talents and it was lovely to hear our College song sung again after a couple of years in which we have missed the opportunity.

Nick Schulties

When I went for the leadership role in Year 7 and didn鈥檛 get it that pushed me to try harder and get it  the next year. My mother also encouraged me to keep trying to get the role because I got so close last year. This year I am most looking forward to working with the Year 7 and 9 Captains to help improve the school and make it a better place for students to learn and also to make friends. Another thing I am looking forward to doing is working with the House leaders to work on improvements in team spirit. I would like to make an impact this year as a Year 8 Captain by helping the College and others to be the best it can possibly be. Another way I would like to help is by trying to bring all the year levels together so we can be one and have friends in different year levels.

Samantha Mugamu

I was inspired to apply for Year 8 Leadership after seeing what previous student leaders - including my older siblings - were involved in doing, it looked to be a place for me as well. After my first year at 海角大神, I felt a good understanding of and affiliation with the 海角大神 community, so this leadership role would be (and is) a great opportunity to contribute back to the College. I hope to get to know many more faces of peers and teachers in this position, develop my experience on presenting and extra responsibilities, and also leave a legacy of my own with further contributions to the Year 8 curriculum. As a student leader I want to influence my peers in a good way, by helping them understand the College values not only in words but actions too, and encouraging them to make the most of all learning opportunities now for the significant effects in our future.

Congratulations to Ella Grigg and Sebastian Barnes who have been selected as the 2022 海角大神 Sports Captains. Both of these students have been actively involved in sport throughout their six years at 海角大神. They have always been keen to do as much as possible and also to show leadership to younger students. They are very keen to see sport develop further at 海角大神 and to organise more opportunities for students to participate in a range of activities

I asked them to write about what sport means to them:

"Being involved in sport has made me who I am today. It has taught me how to give everything a try, to be resilient, organised, to never give up, to work with and support others, and to promote effort and hard work. Sport has made me feel incredibly connected to the 海角大神 family over my time at the college and this connection is something that I鈥檓 very grateful for. I've gained access to so many amazing opportunities through sport inside and outside of 海角大神 and it has helped me be the best version of myself. Outside of school, I play basketball for Ringwood Hawks where I am able to continue to work on my athletic and leadership skills so that I can be a beneficial leader to the college. After a few years of interruptions, I want to get participation levels to the highest they鈥檝e ever been, regardless of age or gender so that we can all make the most out of this year! "

"Hi, my name is Seb and I am proud to be your 2022 Sports Captain. I have been involved in sport my entire life and it has had the biggest impact on me today. I love basketball, currently playing with the Blackburn Vikings. Basketball isn鈥檛 the only sport that I enjoy though, I have a passion for everything and that is what I look forward to bringing this year. Sport is a massive aspect of someone鈥檚 life, affecting them when they don鈥檛 even know it, it develops great courage, teamwork, leadership, and self-confidence as well as preparing those qualities for the future. It is a great learning point and I feel like it is a good distraction from things you don鈥檛 like doing as well as keeping you nice and fit."

As we begin 2022 many new opportunities are available for students and families to become further involved in our Social Justice and Outreach at the College, this takes many shapes and forms and is accessible for all. Below is a short description for three key groups that students can be involved in, it goes without saying, student voice is powerful in affecting change! 

I also encourage students to get involved as it may help when applying for part time jobs, applying for tertiary education and programs or even in entering the workforce, as volunteering in these groups allow you to develop a greater perspective and life skill set. Most importantly, each of these groups provides an opportunity to connect, make new friends, express your own spirituality, culture and identity and also to have fun. 

Students for Social Justice & Outreach Group -  Each year students from all year levels are invited to lead and share a voice on social justice and outreach at the College. This group has been developed over the years at the College to provide a greater platform for students to show initiative and be animated in Social Justice and Outreach. This may include offering new programs or identifying areas of need in our community, developing activities and resources to educate our community and also to run and organise key events throughout the College Calendar including Tinnies for Vinnies, and Project Compassion.

FIRE Carriers - FIRE stands for 'Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education'. This is an opportunity for students to become leaders in reconciliation at 海角大神 College. When you become a FIRE Carrier, it is for your whole time at 海角大神 with involvement in multiple events throughout the year. Students who attend the Immersion to Arnhem Land will also be included in the program and share the wonderful experience with the wider College Community. 

Building Bridges - 海角大神 College has been represented in the Building Bridges Program for over 10 years, we have extended the invitation to all Year 10 and 11 students to engage with students from other schools in the Eastern Region and to become animated in understanding and expressing faith in our current world. Students will attend seven sessions over the year and the program will culminate in a presentation evening of recognition. Students are also offered the opportunity to volunteer as a facilitator of the program. 

We encourage students to look out for announcements in SIMON and ask their Mentors or Homeroom Teachers if they have any questions or would like to be involved, or contact me directly on tukavkins@aquinas.vic.edu.au.

Sasha Tukavkin
Justice & Outreach Leader