海角大神

Reflections on Term 1

Term 1 always seems to feel as though it is busy. We start each year with a great sense of expectation and enthusiasm and, as we come to the end of term, it is worth reflecting on what has been achieved and feel rightly proud. In addition to our comprehensive classroom learning program, there have been a number of activities related to building relationships and being inclusive of each other, such as our camps programs for Year 7 and Harmony Day. There have been activities designed to push students outside their comfort zone, such as Year 9 Special Education Block and Challenge Walk. For those who love sport we have resumed EISM competitions, Swimming Championships and our Inter-house Athletics. We were also able to celebrate the excellent results achieved in 2020 at our Celebrate Excellence @海角大神 Evening and finally host the visiting team from the Council of International Schools (CIS) to demonstrate our strong progress in relation to meeting international standards. Each of these opportunities, and a myriad of others not mentioned, have required great commitment from our staff, support from our families and School Advisory Council, and enthusiastic participation from our students and, for this, I am grateful and offer my thanks. I hope that you have an enjoyable and restful break.

Harmony Day

Harmony Day continues to be one of the highlights of our College calendar and this year proved no exception. The students were given the opportunity to hear from an array of outstanding speakers, all sharing insights into the personal stories and there was also dance, music and food to help highlight and celebrate the wonderful riches that our cultural diversity can offer in Australia. A focus of Harmony Day was the plight of those less fortunate that agencies such as Caritas support both financially and through advocacy. Striving to see 鈥淕od in the other鈥� is truly a Lenten mission.

Year 7 Parent Forum and Welcome

On Monday night many Year 7 families accepted the invitation to hear reputable cybersafety presenter, Robyn Treyvaud. Ms Treyvaud spoke on a broad array of matters relating to digital wellbeing. She provided those present with with their children about what may be concerning them in the online world. The evening ended with a social gathering hosted by Parents and Friends in which new families were welcomed to the College.

Parent Teacher Meetings 

A reminder to all parents and students that our Parent Teacher Meetings for Semester 1 take place on Wednesday 21st April or Thursday 29th April from 2pm to 8pm. These are important meetings to receive feedback in regards to student progress to supplement the information provided in PAM. Following positive feedback from 2020 and to ensure we maintain a CovidSafe environment we will be conducting the meetings online.  To accommodate the interviews, school will conclude at 12.15pm on both dates.

Open Day Thanks

Despite the weather being a little bleak, we had an amazing turnout on Sunday 21st for Open Day. Our numbers were bolstered by families whose child was in Grade 6 and missed the tours last year. But the many seeking enrolment information for their Grade 5 would suggest that once again we appear to have very healthy levels of interest in our local community. The most common response to 鈥淲hy 海角大神?鈥� is that we were recommended by a friend or family member and I want to say thank you for sharing your positive experiences. Word of mouth is incredibly powerful. The College was presented very well and we have received a number of compliments from visitors, especially about the fine young people who acted as student guides and showed off their school with such pride.

CIS Accreditation

To conclude the accreditation visit the College Leadership Team was addressed by the Chair who commended the College on the high quality of our self study report, especially given the Covid-19 pressures. He said that the visiting team had been made to feel welcome and he regretted that they had not been able to join us in person. He spoke positively of our alignment with our core values and the strong sense of belonging amongst our students, staff and parents/guardians. The Chair said that it is clear that we have taken the recommendations from the Preparatory Visit seriously and have actively worked to improve. This was evident in our Annual Action Plan which was specific and outcomes based. Many students were interviewed by the visiting team members and they were positive and articulate about their learning (even students who had only been at the College for seven weeks).  They spoke with enthusiasm about their skills and opportunities and they were, to a person,  praiseworthy of the efforts of staff to make sure that their learning was the best that it could be. They could describe their learning and what they needed to do in order to continue to improve. CIS now assess the report from the visiting accreditation team and should return a report to the College by early May. This report will help shape our next five year School Improvement Plan.

School Uniform

We allow a two week change over to full winter uniform from the start of Term 2 i.e. students can wear summer uniform if the weather is still warm up to Friday 30th April.  From Monday 3rd May, all students must wear the full winter uniform which includes their blazer. The College Hat is not required in Terms 2 and 3, but all students are encouraged to remain Sun Smart, especially during outdoor activities. 

Easter

For Christians, Easter is the most important festival in the liturgical calendar as it celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the cornerstone of our tradition and the essential truth on which our belief is founded. With a mix of symbols from ancient pagan rituals blended with traditional Christian ones, all packaged in tin foil for the modern consumer, it鈥檚 easy to feel confusion around the meaning of Easter. It's important to acknowledge that, in our increasingly pluralist and secular society, it will mean something different from one person to another and many will see it primarily as a holiday from work. However, we are poorer as a society if we lose sight of the message that Easter is about hope and new beginnings. Easter is a time of saying thanks for the year that has passed, asking forgiveness for the many times that we have failed to live up to our own expectations, and going forward confident that we are forgiven and loved. Easter will be different this year in many of our local parishes who will need to apply attendance quotas in accordance with CovidSafe guidelines. If you are unable to attend in person, there will be an opportunity to gather virtually in prayer as many parishes will be streaming their liturgical celebrations.

First Week of Term 2

• Monday 19th April - Student Free Day (Staff Professional Learning)
• Tuesday 20th April - All students return
• Wednesday 21st April - Student Classes finish at 12.15pm (Parent Teacher Interviews)

Darren Atkinson
Principal

Parent Teacher Night and feedback

The parent teacher night module on PAM opened last night. As you would be aware, all of the interviews this year are online.  To  those new to the College online interviews can be both convenient, in that there are no parking issues and the time lapses between interviews doesn't seem to matter so much, but also slightly strange as we have to work together as parents, teachers and students to ensure that the interview itself doesn't appear to be artificial.

A parent teacher interview is a form of feedback. Schools spend a lot of time on feedback and the major features that make feedback effective. We work hard to try and train the students to understand what feedback is really doing and to distinguish feedback from praise. The rubric that we use for this is the questions framed by Hattie & Timperley, which are embedded in Visible Learning.

• Where am I going? (What are the goals?)
• How am I going? (What progress is being made toward the goal?)
• Where to next? (What activities need to be undertaken to make better progress?)

So when we are talking to students about their work or their progress work we either explicitly or implicitly ask students these three questions.

These questions could be very helpful in removing that awkward pause at the beginning of the parent teacher interview. You might have other questions that you wish to ask, but somewhere it is important that you find out what the goals are for the subject, and for your son and daughter studying that subject; how  your son of daughter is going in meeting those goals; what do they need to do and what can you do as parents to help to meet those goals.  

Of course we don't want parent teacher nights to be a mechanical response to these questions and we understand that there are many other questions you may  have and other perspectives that you wish to offer.  But as  you are waiting for the Google Meets to begin and if you're feeling a little reticent about how the meeting might go, the three questions above might be a very good place to start.

Michael Box
Deputy Principal Learning

A strong finish to the first term opens opportunities for growth

As the first term of the school year concludes, it is important that we are appreciative of all the great achievements we have experienced in what has been a successful return to school from the uncertainties that 2020 presented to most of us. Despite our 海角大神 community, together with the rest of the state, having to face a snap lockdown, the adherence to many restrictions as a way to maintain good health and safety from the virus, and the facing of the subsequent challenges that this may have presented to each person, it is important to reflect on what has been a successful school term for all despite the setbacks. The learning experiences of students, from our newest members to the community in our Year 7 cohort, to the young women and men taking their final year at the College, have been positive and fruitful. There has been a strong buzz around the school and the authenticity of it is reflected in how strongly most students have returned to some normality as they have reoccupied their school in order to resume their learning experiences as 海角大神 students. 

Pleas from the extended communities Australia wide that promote a paradigm shift in how young people are educated to become more insightful in theory and practice of respectful relationships have gained motion and this has created many opportunities for schools to rethink how essential the respect for the dignity of the person must be embraced above all in our teaching. Yet, despite the accepting of a notion that perhaps schools need to do more, it is also important to recognise that Catholic schools have traditionally provided good guidance in the embracing of respect and appreciation for others through the ethos that underpin them. 

Recent communication from the Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools, MACS, outlines the relevance of Respectful Relationships curriculum in our schools. It is highlighted that Respectful Relationships are not only at the core of Catholic values and teachings, but are a necessary element of a proper functioning society. This means that developing young men and women who respect each other鈥檚 fundamental rights is central to our aims as a school community. 

Specifically, the issues of consent, sexual assault and gender inequality are critically important to our context as leading promoters of Gospel values. There is no doubt that our school, in partnership with parents, has an important role to play in addressing these significant social issues, particularly as we address them with the view of the respect for the dignity of the person. 

海角大神 College stands against gendered violence and the discrimination or persecution of anyone. We embrace diversity and are committed to respect and restorative practices as ways to address personal growth. This is clearly voiced in our values, our mission and vision as a Catholic College. Recent events across the country related to abuse and discrimination reinforce the need to support students to build and manage safe and respectful relationships, understanding that each person is an image of God and must be respected and embraced accordingly. 

海角大神 utilises a range of programs to help form appropriate interpersonal behaviours and respectful attitudes among the students in their learning, as enshrined in Gospel values. We teach respectful relationships education as part of the Victorian Curriculum, which focuses on building students鈥� social and emotional skills by supporting them to recognise and regulate emotions, develop empathy for others, and build and manage safe and respectful relationships, including understanding consent. The College provides sexuality education as part of the Health and Physical Education curriculum, and plans to extend this through our pastoral care programs. Our school takes sexual assault allegations very seriously and we respond to any disclosures in an appropriate and supportive manner that reflects our responsibilities for the care of each person. Students are taught the processes that support their safety through explicit guidance of how to respond and seek help from the many child safety officers at the College. 

Any allegations are acted upon quickly by following our clear policies and procedures for responding to allegations of abuse and assault. We report any allegations of sexual assault to Victoria Police and Child Protection in accordance with cross-sector education protocols documented within and . 

We provide support to any students who are victims of sexual assault. Students can receive support from a range of staff at the College commissioned to guide and support their wellbeing. This includes the student鈥檚 respective Homeroom Teachers and Learning Mentors, Team and Year Level Leaders, the Youth and Family Centre staff and other pastoral staff. If you have any questions or concerns, or wish to discuss something that has happened, please contact me at the College. 

As a parent or carer, if you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault and needs support, please contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732. You may visit . 

You can also access help through:  

• on 13 22 89  
• on 13 11 14  
• on 1300 22 4636 

Students can access help through:  

on 1800 55 1800  

As a strong community committed to the safety and care of all, from you as parents and guardians as first educators, to school teachers and leaders, to system and sector leaders, we must all work together to do all we can to address the issues that our children face and prevent future harm to any young person. Critically, we must empower the young people in our care to participate in what must become an ongoing conversation on the efficacy of existing school respectful relationships programs, and the priority they are given in our context. We are committed to seeking and voicing justice for our students, and for the many victims that have suffered as a result of gendered violence and oppression. As a Catholic school, we take these matters extremely seriously and will work with students, parents and our local community to support education programs in this critical area of student safety, taking strong consideration that it is through education that we will achieve best results. In the next term, we will create spaces for these matters to be explored and support measures to be extended within learning experiences for all students. Student voice will also be a part of this process. 

This coming Sunday marks the resurrection of Christ, and this reminds us that Jesus is God鈥檚 gift to us. It is indeed a time to reflect on the power we are given to be agents of goodness and to always embrace Gospel values in all our actions. Please use the time to remind your children of their rights and responsibilities regarding respectful relationships, consent, admiration for one another and the embracing of Gospel values. I wish you and your families a positive end to the term and a joyful period of reflection, prayer, gratitude, enjoyment and care. 

If you are yet to sign up for the Year 10 Pathways/Futures Week, I urge you to do so. Thanks to the people who have thus far signed up for what will be an exciting experience. 

May God bless you, always.

Dr Napoleon Rodezno
Deputy Principal

Holy Week

Today we enter the holiest days of the Catholic year, a time of reflection and wonder. For me the powerful emotions of the Good Friday Mass leading to the culmination of joy on Easter Sunday is hard to describe. As we head from the Lenten to the Easter season - I hope to share a few thoughts with you.

Holy Thursday - the day of the last supper. It is also a pivotal moment for understanding true leadership; one of compassion and servitude. We often hear of servitude leadership - where the leader provides service to their colleagues to help them achieve their tasks. Jesus demonstrates this through the washing of the feet. His response to confused disciples at his actions was 鈥淚 have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.鈥� John 13:12鈥�15

Good Friday - the solemnity and horror of Jesus鈥� persecution and crucifixion. Even through all this bloodshed there are moments of love, compassion and forgiveness. There are three particularly powerful moments for me. 

• The first is when Jesus looks at the disciple he loves from the cross and says to him that Mary is his mother and to Mary that he is her son. This is significant as with Jesus gone, Mary (an older woman of that time and presumed widow) would be destitute. In his last few breaths, he did what he could to protect and care for his mother. This point always brings a tear to my eye.
• Eloi Eloi lama Sabachthani is the second moment for me. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Such a truly human response from a person suffering and dying - scared of what is to come. In some ways this helps me to understand that it is normal to feel doubt towards God and his intentions for me. At the same time my heart aches for the pain and loneliness he must feel.
• The final moment that in many ways leaves me amazed is when Jesus says 鈥渇orgive them Father for they know not what they do鈥�. Here is a man who has been through the most horrendous experiences of humiliation, torture and punishment and yet he asks forgiveness for those inflicting it. It makes me wonder about my own ability to forgive. So often you hear people say - 鈥淚 can never forgive….鈥�, and I reflect on whether I have said that. Maybe it is possible to forgive, if I just look past the hurt.

Easter Sunday - a time of disbelief and of joy. Lets face it, if we knew a person had passed away and then discovered them missing because they had come back to life, I don鈥檛 think anyone would believe that. However, in exploring and developing an understanding of the resurrection is a time of great faith, hope and love. In the words of St Paul to the Corinthians, 鈥淟ove never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away…..And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.鈥�

This Easter, may the love of Christ continue to bring faith and hope to you and your families.

Tania Grace
Assistant Principal - Mission

It is my pleasure to introduce some more of our new staff members to the 海角大神 community:

Janine Hulston has joined our Science department at 海角大神 College. She has a Doctorate in Chemistry and worked as a senior consulting chemist for over a decade.  She has also spent several years working at the Australian Synchrotron (ANSTO) in Clayton, meeting incredible scientists from all over the world. During her time working in industry she got her hands dirty working at alumina refineries, studied ways of reducing carbon dioxide emissions from brown coal fired power stations, developed techniques to clean up contaminated soil and groundwater and worked on research projects with scientists all over the world. As you might be able to tell, Janine is super passionate about science and wants to pass this passion onto our students at 海角大神 College.  Janine is particularly passionate about engaging girls in science and showing them that both girls and boys can have amazing careers in the science field. 

Her first term at 海角大神 College has been incredible and she loves the enthusiasm and energy of all her students, whether they be her Year 9 Future Sciences students who used the engineering design process to build incredible contraptions to remove plastics from our oceans; her Year 9 Core Science students who learnt about the effects of alcohol on the brain; her Year 7 students who learnt about the scientific process by making slime; or her Year 8 students who learnt about the wonders of the microscopic world.
Janine is married to Chris who is also a scientist. He works on submarines with the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG). They have two teenage girls and as a family they love to go camping and bushwalking. 

Alysia Silvagni studied a Bachelor of Creative Arts at Deakin University majoring in Drama before completing a Masters of Teaching (Secondary) at Monash University. This is her fourth year of full-time teaching, having moved from East Doncaster Secondary College to 海角大神 College this year. Alysia is enjoying getting to know her new students, colleagues and surroundings. She particularly enjoys the wonderful sense of community that 海角大神 possesses and how actively the College welcomes new staff and students into that community. In 2018-2019 Alysia worked for a year at a Catholic college in North West London where she spent her holidays travelling to Ireland, France and Greece. Next on her list of destinations that she would like to travel to is the U.S., Canada and New Zealand. Alysia is looking forward to watching her students engage in all of the exciting opportunities that 2021 presents at 海角大神 College.

Jonathon Broughton is a Science Teacher with a Bachelor of Biological Sciences, a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education, and a Master of Education specialising in International Education. After five years of teaching in Melbourne, Jonathon moved to Strasbourg in France where he worked as an English Language Assistant at French Lyc茅es and enjoyed travelling throughout Europe. He returned to Australia upon accepting a position at Sacre Coeur in Glen Iris. Since high school, Jonathon has had a passion for rowing. Although he maintains an interest in the sport, it has taken a back seat with the addition of a daughter to his family at the end of 2020. Starting at 海角大神, Jonathon was immediately aware of the friendly and welcoming staff. He was also struck by the size of the school initially, but has noted that the support and opportunities offered to students enable them to build deep connections and friendships with their peers. He is looking forward to further exploring all that 海角大神 offers its students and becoming more strongly involved in the School community.  

Natalie Jones is a member of our Health Centre Staff. She holds a  Bachelor of Nursing Pre Registration/Health Promotion at Deakin University, and Post Graduate Certificate in Emergency Nursing at Australian Catholic University. Natalie has also been working at Eastern Health for 20 years and still working in the Angliss Emergency Department. Natalie has travelled to Europe and Bali. I look forward to travelling to South America, Colombia one day to see her mother's country of origin. She enjoys running, watching her children play sport, camping (others would call it glamping) and being at THE BEACH! Natalie is married to an IT consultant and has two children Dylan and Chloe and her gorgeous pet cavoodle Daisy! 

We welcome Janine, Alysia, Jonathan and Natalie to 海角大神, and I will introduce some more new staff in the upcoming editions.
  
A reminder that Parent Teacher interviews are a wonderful opportunity for relationships to be established and developed between the staff and our families. The ONLINE interviews will take place on Wednesday 21st April and Thursday 29th April from 2.00pm - 8.00pm. Please take this opportunity to meet with your child鈥檚 teachers via the booking system on the PAM portal.
 

My warmest wishes and Easter blessings to you all for the coming school holidays.

Gina Goss
Assistant Principal - Staff

Happy Eco-Easter

As we celebrate Easter and the end of Term 1, it鈥檚 a great time to relax, get out in nature and spend time with loved ones. Food is an important part of these celebrations and here some tips to support our environment. Palm oil is often used to make chocolate and is incredibly harmful to the environment. Palm oil plantations, primarily in Malaysia and Indonesia, are responsible for deforestation and threats to local environments and animals populations such as orang-utans. One of the easiest things you can do when selecting your chocolate goodies this Easter is choose chocolate products that either use 100% Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) or that are palm oil free.

• Chocolate with Certified Sustainable Palm Oil - Coles Robern Menz, The Chocolate Box Ferrero Lindt and Sprungli
• Palm Oil Free Chocolate - Haigh鈥檚 Chocolates, Pana Chocolate, Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, Koko Black, Whittaker鈥檚 Pink Lady Chocolates 鈥� white, milk and dark bilbies

Seafood
You can also consider your seafood choices over the Easter period. It鈥檚 worth the effort to make sure you鈥檙e purchasing goods that have been sustainably caught. Check out the list of sustainable seafood here:  or download the goodfish app.

Recycling Easter egg foil
Don鈥檛 just throw them into the recycling as they are too light. Collect and scrunch them into a golf ball - you can do this with all the clean alfoil you use throughout the year.

Chook news

Our chickens are thriving under the care of the 8 Gold this term.  They are gaining weight, free ranging in the garden and our big red girl is happily laying an egg a day for us.

Community request - The chooks are looking for an old play pen to use. If you have one that you don鈥檛 need anymore please contact me at the college.

Karyn Myers
Environment & Sustainability Coordinator

Being a Tour Guide on Open Day 

鈥淏eing a Tour Guide for Open Day was a great experience. There were a lot of dedicated teachers and students showcasing what an amazing place 海角大神 is and all the different opportunities on offer. Due to Covid, there was a huge amount of people lining up for tours. I was nervous at the start, but because of the detailed guidelines from the teachers, it went really well. The families and kids I were showing around were really nice and asked me questions about different subjects like media and dance. By the end of the day I felt really happy that they were really impressed by the school."
Monique Bambery, Year 9

"I decided to volunteer as a Tour Guide for Open Day because I wanted to try and push myself to try something new. Before my first tour I was so nervous, this is because I鈥檓 generally not very confident with new people. However after that first tour I felt much more confident and found it a lot easier. Throughout the day I could answer more questions and give the information needed more clearly. I was really proud of myself at the end of the day. Some of the questions I was asked the most were...Why do some students have a green lining around their blazers?. Another question I got a lot was...What did I like most about the school? Overall I really enjoyed my experience as a Tour Guide." 
Natasha Ladd, Year 9

"Being a Tour Guide on Open Day was a great opportunity to share my knowledge and experiences of the school to the visitors. I was a bit nervous at the beginning, but I got better as the day went on. I enjoyed being able to show people around the school and tell them about my perspective as a student. The day improved my communication and leadership skills by helping me to speak better in public and lead a group. Overall I really liked the day and it was a good way to display my skills and understanding of the 海角大神."
Connor Haughie, Year 9

Our Year 7 Team Leaders are proud to announce that after a long and arduous interview process, we can congratulate our Year 7 Captains for 2021.

We look forward to learning more about them in the upcoming editions of The Lighthouse.

Congratulations...

Holly McGill

Lachlan Motteram

Health and Physical Education - Guiding Propositions 

"In Health and Physical Education, students develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to strengthen their sense of self, and build and manage satisfying relationships. The curriculum helps them to be resilient, and to make decisions and take actions to promote their health, safety and physical activity participation. As students mature, they develop and use critical inquiry skills to research and analyse the knowledge of the field and to understand the influences on their own and others鈥� health, safety and wellbeing. They also learn to use resources for the benefit of themselves and for the communities with which they identify and to which they belong." (VCAA) 

At 海角大神 College our ongoing review and development of the teaching, learning and assessment in HPE aims to achieve the above outcomes and is guided by the following five interrelated propositions:

Focus on educative purposes

In pursuing an educative purpose in teaching HPE the aim is to provide ongoing, developmentally appropriate and explicit learning about health and movement. The progression and development of the disciplinary knowledge, understanding and skills underpinning Health and Physical Education and how students will make meaning of and apply them in contemporary health and movement contexts, is a primary focus.

It is important that our curriculum makes clear these outcomes through embedded learning intentions and success criteria that allow opportunities for students to demonstrate progress and achievement. The next four propositions provide some insight into how we aim to achieve this.

1) Take a strengths-based approach

Rather than focusing only on potential health risks or a deficit-based model of health, the curriculum has a strong focus on supporting students to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills they require to make healthy, safe and active choices that will enhance their own and others鈥� health and wellbeing.

This approach affirms that all students and their communities have particular strengths and resources that can be nurtured to improve their own and others' health, wellbeing, movement competence and participation in physical activity. The curriculum recognises that students have varying levels of access to personal and community resources depending on a variety of contextual factors that will impact on their decisions and behaviours. It is important that we continue to work with students to find ways to ensure their challenges, interests and needs are addressed and engage and facilitate them to find ways of addressing these.

2) Value movement

If movement and physical activity are to become an enjoyable part of everyday life 鈥榓cross the lifespan鈥�, and address an educative purpose and strength-based approach as well, then movement in and of itself needs to be taken as worthy of learning about. Learning in, through and about movement needs to take into account movement that suits different individuals, different bodies, different cultures and different opportunities.

At 海角大神 this has necessitated a shift from a sport based approach to include a thematic and lifestyle approach that expects students to also be thoughtful about their movement practice, to problem solve and to be able to transfer what is learnt in one movement context to another essentially developing their physical literacy.

3) Develop health literacy

Health literacy can be understood as an individual鈥檚 ability to gain access to, understand and use health information and services in ways that promote and maintain health and wellbeing. Our Health and Physical Education curriculum prescribes a scope and sequence as students progress through the year levels that focuses on developing knowledge, understanding and skills related to the three dimensions of health literacy:

• functional dimension — including researching and applying information relating to knowledge and services in order to respond to a health-related question
• interactive dimension — including more advanced knowledge, understanding and skills to actively and independently engage with a health issue and to apply new information to changing circumstances
• critical dimension — including accessing and critically analysing health information from a variety of sources which might include scientific information, health brochures or messages in the media, in order to take action to promote personal health and wellbeing or that of others.

4) Include a critical inquiry approach 

The curriculum and assessment engages students in critical inquiry processes that assist students to research, analyse, apply and appraise knowledge in health and movement fields. The realities of contemporary society is that children and young people can access any information at the click of a button. They are bombarded with subtle and not so subtle images and messages that are delivered as 鈥榯ruths鈥�.  Students need to be able to analyse and examine health information they are presented with from all forms of media.  In doing so, we intend for students to develop the ability to critically analyse and critically evaluate contextual factors that influence decision making, behaviours and actions within a diverse community of individuals that often require different approaches and strategies. 

Recognising that knowledge about health and movement is fluid, what we can do and do well through our HPE curriculum is educate young people 鈥� not about the risks, though that is likely to come into it, but about how to critically analyse health information, how to understand and respect themselves and others as part of a diverse community and how to move with pleasure because they have learned to be confident and competent in at least some forms of activity across their lifespan.  

Adapted from: Health and Physical Education Victorian Curriculum (VCAA)
鈥楾he role of the five propositions in the Australian Curriculum: Health & Physical Education鈥� (Dr Jan Wright, 2014)

Steve McGrath
PE & Health Learning Area Leader

Earlier in Term 1 the 海角大神 Year 10 Foundation English classes visited the Ringwood Training Centre to gain an insight into the different types of VET subjects and courses available to students. With offerings ranging from IT to Engineering and Automotive, there were plenty of options to explore and things to learn.

Jackie Patterson
Literacy Coordinator

"My favourite part of that afternoon was the Automotive Centre because I have an interest in motorised vehicles as well as pulling things apart and re assembling them. I also could see myself doing welding and fabrication because I feel like doing welding would be a great skill to have and you would be able to produce some really cool products."  Nick

"Overall our time at RTC was fun and very educational. All the people we met along the way were very nice and taught us a lot. I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to check out RTC." Tash

"The highlight of my trip was the automotive centre because it looked very engaging and hands on. There were many different sections in the facility one of which being a Dyno. A Dyno is a machine that measures a vehicles torque and horsepower in a graph.鈥� Winnie

This week the Year 10 Physics students completed their extended practical inquiry into rocket design. The project is the culmination of a unit on forces and motion. Students researched parachute design and tested various prototypes before constructing a rocket that was launched on the school oval. Congratulations go to the winning teams of Michala, George, Thomas and Jason and Daniel.

David Mulholland
Teacher

"Doing Cafe N9ne was super fun. It was great to try out all the different jobs and I really enjoyed doing it with a bunch of my friends. My favourite thing to do was probably on Friday when we could do whatever job we wanted to do, and I chose to do coffee. Even though we made a few mistakes throughout the week we got amazing feedback and I wish I could do it again.  

It got a bit stressful at times but in the end it was a super fun experience. The teachers there were extremely nice and helpful and if we were getting something wrong they would help us until we were doing it correctly."

Olivia Westaway, Year 9 

The VEX Robots Victorian National Championships were held recently at the Templestowe College. ART - the 海角大神 Robotics Team - consisting of 20 students from Years 7 to 11 including six brand new team members was excited to participate in its first competition in almost 15 month. ART had two teams in the VEX EDR and four teams in the VEXIQ competition and the students demonstrated amazing resilience as they battled through the different rounds of competition during the day. Participating in head to head battles, skills challenges and autonomous driving, the team had a very successful day. The Senior Team won the Skills Award for highest points scored in the day and the also won the Innovation Award for their creative design solution. The Junior team took it one step further winning the Tournament Champion and the Design Award. 

Andrew Russell
Technology Learning Area Leader
 

"This being my first year helping out with the Robotics Competition, I was sceptical that our pile of rowdy, chaotic Year 7 builders and programmers would put together working robots to compete at Templestowe. I watched them rip off large chunks of their robot, even in the last week, and start from scratch over and over. But we had three B grade teams carrying robots turn up on Saturday morning, ready to squish into the bus and drive to Templestowe and into the fray.

I am constantly amazed by the inventiveness and fortitude of the Year 7s on our team. Early in the day, we were told that the A grade team's wheels weren't regulation and we had to cannibalise one of the Year 7 robots. This caused major setbacks to that teams autonomous program and handling of their robot. After the initial disappointment (loud, indignant and vocal), and a period of reflection, they came back , working on a completely new program and spending an hour getting familiar with the new robot design. I am not familiar with this level of resilience in younger students. It is a testament to the students that they went on to make the highest score for their grade in the Skills competition and scored the most points in the autonomous programming challenge. They learned a lot about working as part of a team instead of as individuals. I noticed our team regularly helping teams from other schools and chatting with them throughout the day. There was a definite feeling of inter-school camaraderie. 

Finally, I am really enjoying seeing teams of girls in the Junior and Senior teams. Team numbers are growing, with five girls in the junior team, and veterans Sophie and Ashley bringing home the Design Award and Final Tournament Champions."
Damian Perry, Teacher
 

"Ashley and I represented 海角大神鈥� Senior VEX IQ team. We went in excited and a bit scared of the competition. It was an amazing day and I really enjoyed talking to people who have similar interests as me and looking at their robot. Not only was the day amazing but we managed to get two trophies one for teamwork and one for best design. Overall the robot competition was loads of fun and I鈥檓 very grateful to have gone and managed to win."
Sophie Fegan, Year 9 
 
鈥淚 found this competition really interesting and fun. It was fun to edit our robot and it was fun to compete against the other teams" Sean Miller, Year 7
 

鈥淪o coming into the competition. I was kind of nervous but as I started to go through the competition and practices I got into the flow of driving and I realised I took inspiration from everyone's amazing builds. Overall it was a fun experience." 
Darian Kozul, Year 7 

鈥淚 learnt that robotics is trial and error. What I learned was not everything goes to plan and you have to adapt and fix it. "  
Brayden Waddell, Year 7

There is no shortage of digital devices designed to manage our wellbeing. There is an app to help us monitor our activity, sleep, nutrition and so on, infinity. Many of these are fantastic and support us to make health promoting choices, others at times less desirable even problematic.

Can you remember the time families had a home phone or landline? That phone that was fixed in a communal space maybe the kitchen wall. Many of us no longer have fixed phones, mobiles go with us everywhere and increasingly some have a phone app attached to a wrist 24/7.

Gen Z (born 1990s early 2010) and Gen Alpha (born 2010 鈥� mid 2020s) are consumers of sophisticated digital technologies and are our current students and possibly even our children. These young people are savvy digital natives able to create, produce and publish content that often indicates a level of competency well beyond their biological age and maturity. Whilst this is cause for celebration for many it also cause for concern.

The area of cyber safety and the broader impact on wellbeing is a topic families are keen to learn more about. The transition from primary to secondary school in particular can be a period of some turbulence for families. New routines, access to new devices, growing autonomy and independence amidst the emerging teenage brain which is increasingly wired for speed not accuracy or safety.
Robyn Treyvaud, a celebrated expert in Digital Wellbeing and Cyber Safety presented at 海角大神 this week at our Year 7 parent gathering. Robyn, founder of Cyber Safe kids has worked both nationally and internationally in education, private and not for profit sectors and as a key advisor to industry and government. Robyn led a discussion with our families about the challenge of living in the information age, trying to manage increasing feelings of information overload, uncertainty and vulnerability. Her presentation explored current Australian research highlighting the common challenges families face. This however was not a presentation about the perils of technology.

Robyn encouraged her audience to be 鈥榩lugged in parents鈥� to explore aspects of the digital terrain their children encounter. Furthermore to recognise that screen time is one issue impacting on the health and wellbeing of our society in general. Sedentary behaviours are often linked to use of digital device however our wellbeing can be impacted in other ways. Emerging research recognises the impact back lit/blue light screens have on physical growth, mood, relationships and our learning linked to sleep disturbance and deprivation. Recent youth mental wellbeing literature reported a concerning increase to exposure of inappropriate content and communication and internet addiction.

There appears an endless supply of parenting information on raising young people in a digital age. Understandably it can be difficult to sift through the volume of content to find credible information. The eSafety Commissioners website () is a comprehensive, reputable website designed to educate, inform and support Australian young people, adults and seniors. Robyn also commented favourably on a free app developed in Australia, a collation of topical information presented in bite size portions designed to inform and support young people鈥檚 safety in a rapidly changing world. I encourage you to explore the Beacon app ().

Protecting children and young people from harm and facilitating their wellbeing to the best of our ability is the role of every adult. There are many things in life you should not learn the hard way! Exposure to offensive inappropriate content, extremism and a wide range of 鈥渄igital dramas鈥� often is counterproductive to building the knowledge and capacity to navigate an online world safely.

Robyn encouraged us to know the signs young people may show if they have negative experiences online. It is vital we engage in robust discussions with children and young people. Protective behaviours to support safety and wellbeing of children and young people in real life can be varied from those required in the digital landscape. Risk taking behaviour of previous generations can look quite different today. Young people have traditionally engaged in risky behaviours however contemporary environments combined with modern technologies presents uncharted waters to navigate.  

. Whilst this is not directly related to digital safety and wellbeing this report explores the risks associated with vaping but also highlights the primary source of supply is often online. 

In closing it is important to recognise the invaluable contribution digital technology can bring to our lives. Supporting our young people to use technology and engage in safe and respectful communication, actively seek support when required is on ongoing challenge. The most effective tool we can help our children to recognise is the strength of a well tuned moral compass and those who they can seek support from. Whilst young people are incredibly capable in the digital space, adult wisdom and experience should not be discounted.

I look forward to the next app, program or function our students teach me. Learning with and for young people is one of the most rewarding aspects of our work (albeit challenging)

Cheryl Kane
Child Safety & Wellbeing Coordinator

 

On the evening of Monday 22nd March the EISM Champions Swimming Carnival was held at MSAC swimming centre. The Champions Carnival is a competition between all the best swimmers from all 3 divisions (22 schools) in the EISM. 海角大神 had 20 students who competed in the competition and we had some excellent results.

These were the results from the competition are:

U13 Boys
Tharwin Prarom - Gold Medal 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 50m backstroke
Medley Relay - Silver Medal
Freestyle Relay - Gold Medal
Relay team - Tharwin Prarom, Griffin Box, Jordan Bruton, Tristan Hew

U14 Girls
Alyssa Martin - 50m freestyle 8th, 50m backstroke 6th, 50m butterfly 7th
Grace Rider - 50m breaststroke Bronze Medal
Medley Relay - Bronze Medal
Freestyle Relay - Silver Medal
Relay team - Alyssa Martin, Grace Rider, Hayley Laukens, Gabby Linton

U14 Boys
Oscar Dubois - 50m breaststroke Gold Medal, 50m butterfly Silver Medal, 50m freestyle 4th, 50m backstroke 4th

U15 Girls
Chloe Chambers - 50m breaststroke Silver Medal

U15 Boys
Sebastian Varela-Torres -  50m freestyle 6th
Medley Relay - 6th
Freestyle Relay - 7th
Relay team - Sebastian Varela-Torres, Connor Haughie, Tom Vardy, Will Clemow

U16 Girls
Lexie Quinn - 50m freestyle 5th
Caitlyn Sultana - 50m breaststroke 4th
Freestyle & Medley Relay - Silver Medal
Relay team - Lexie Quinn Caitlyn Sultana Kate Laukens, Teagen Barden

U16 Boys
Josh Nester - 50m breaststroke Silver Medal, 50m Butterfly Gold Medal, 100m freestyle 7th

Open Girls
Grace Higgins - 50m breaststroke Bronze Medal, 100m freestyle 7th, 50m butterfly 5th

Congratulations to all these swimmers on a wonderful performance. A huge thank you to the staff who attended the evening - Ms Lemieszek, Mr Phil Box, Ms Jess Lane and Ms Olivia Spadea.

Bernie Brummell
Sports Coordinator

The senior boys EISM cricket team played in their Grand Final yesterday against Mt Lilydale at 海角大神. Both teams were undefeated this year and were very keen for a great game. After winning the toss, 海角大神 batted. We started steadily with Ryan and Heath scoring steadily. After losing 3 wickets and being 3 for 47, we needed to settle. Billy and Isaac batted well and we recovered and they put on a partnership of 59. We continued batting well and ended up on 134, with Isaac not out on 41 and Billy scoring 27. 

Mt Lilydale started the chase well and scored quickly and they put on an opening partnership of 47  off 6 overs before we took 4 quick wickets to regain control. In the end we bowled and fielded well and restricted Mt Lilydale to 115 off their 20 overs. Congratulations to Isaac on being selected as the best player in the final.

Well done to all the team.

Congratulations to the following players who played in the Grand Final - Harry Flynn, Ryan Webster, Heath Disney, Billy Box, Isaac Macklin, Ben Kenealy, Xavier Farrell, Brad Plant, Pat Romijn, Jack Tilbrook-Penone, Bryce Cosham, Buster Todd, Chris De Navi.

Also part of the squad for the season was Mack Ayton and Lewis Miller.

Bernie Brummell
Sports Coordinator

海角大神 College is competing in the Big Science Competition again this year. 

The Competition takes 60 minutes to complete and consists of a series of Multiple Choice Questions designed to test critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, not just factual recall. 

Questions are set in real-life, contemporary contexts making them relatable and interesting.  Questions are aligned with the Australian Curriculum and test students' ability to think critically and solve problems,  as well as their scientific knowledge.

This year, the competition will be run as an online event.  Students are able to undertake the competition online at a time of their choosing outside of timetabled class time.  This international competition is open to students in Years 7 to 10. Registration is free.

Each student who takes part will receive a certificate as well as feedback on their performance in the competition.  The College will also be notified of the registration and performance of 海角大神 students.

Students can self-register via the following link: 

The Competition will run between 17th - 28th May 2021 and registrations are now open.

Any questions can be directed to Mrs Lynda Schulz, Science Learning Area Leader (schulzlg@aquinas.vic.edu.au) or Mr Chris Kelly, the 海角大神 Laboratory Manager (kellyc@aquinas.vic.edu.au), via email.

Not sure you鈥檒l get value out of an Entertainment Membership?

• Head to Casalinga and save up to $40.
• A free frozen yoghurt at Tutti Frutti. 
• $10 off at Star Car Wash. 
• Coffee and cake or a loaf of bread at Laurent. 
• Up to $50 off at Sushi Hub. 
• $50 off a major car service at ABS Auto. 

All this within a few kilometres from 海角大神. And there is so much more…JB HiFi, Woolworths, WISH e-gift cards, Dan Murphy鈥檚, Rebel Sports, Big W, The Iconic…

Don鈥檛 forget that 20% from each Membership contributes to the Mary Rice Centre in Nairobi.

Spartans will be open on Saturday March 6th from 9am to 12pm as well as our regular trading hours of Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. 

When families are ready to purchase their Winter uniform you can head in store or purchase online. Just a reminder...the first Saturday in April falls on the Easter weekend so Spartans will not be open.

Read more about the 海角大神 College uniform requirements