Edition #6, Friday 30th April 2021

Principal's Report

Welcome Back to Term 2

A belated welcome back to the term as we come to the end of week two. I trust that you had an enjoyable Easter with an opportunity to spend time together with family and friends, or perhaps you finally had a long awaited chance to travel within Australia. Our students appear to have returned with enthusiasm ready to tackle the challenges of the busy term ahead.

Sadly, I notify the community of the passing of Ms Rosa Coppola this week after a lengthy period of illness. We remember Ms Coppola as a dedicated and creative Art Teacher. Ms Coppola has been a member of the 海角大神 community for 17 years and in a recent email to me said; 鈥淚 have enjoyed and found it so stimulating working with 海角大神 visual communication students during my 17 years.鈥� Ms Coppola believed that it was a privilege to teach students to use their personal creativity and develop a love of art and she had this gift.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Students were informed of Ms Coppola鈥檚 passing during morning prayer yesterday and the Chapel is open today and Monday as a place of solitude. Students have been asked to speak to their parents if this news has raised concerns and support is also available to students through their pastoral teams and the YFC.

ANZAC Day

Our ANZAC Day celebration at the College on the morning of April 26 was a solemn, yet beautiful, liturgy led by students from the Year 11 Faith and Liturgy class. Once again, our student body responded as appropriate and showed genuine respect in their silence for those who have sacrificed so much in the arenas of war and as peacekeepers. On ANZAC Day itself our College Captains represented us proudly and laid a wreath at the Dawn Service at Ringwood Clocktower.

Parent Teacher Meetings

Parent Teacher Meetings concluded this week. Thank you to those who were able to take advantage of this opportunity to discuss the progress of their children. I also wish to extend my thanks to the teaching and support staff for their continued efforts to provide meaningful feedback to you on your child鈥檚 progress. As you are aware, we continued to offer Parent Teacher Interviews online given the feedback that we received during 2020 and in response to our ongoing CovidSafe precautions. We will continue to review this format going forward.

College Patrons Mass

Next Tuesday we gather as a school community to celebrate our College Mass in remembrance of our College Patrons - St Thomas 海角大神, St Mary MacKillop and Blessed Edmund Rice. We give thanks for the leadership offered by the Christian Brothers, Dominican and Josephite Sisters in the founding story of 海角大神 College. Thank you to Ms Tania Grace for her work in preparing our liturgy and to Fr. Tony Doran for presiding.

Visit of Mr Michael Sukkar MP

Yesterday we welcomed Mr Sukkar back to the College so that he could see the shade sails that have been erected in the quadrangle with the assistance of an $18,000 grant from the Australian Government. Mr Sukkar toured the College and was impressed with the ongoing developments since his days as a student.

Enrolment for Year 7 2023 - current 海角大神 families

Families are reminded that we do not presume that you require a place in Year 7 unless we are made aware by the completion of an application form and, with very high demand on places, there is the risk of no vacancy if you miss the deadline. Applications are now open for Year 7 2023 (current Grade 5) and close on August 20. Please contact Ms Maddy Kalla on 9259 3008 or registrar@aquinas.vic.edu.au should you require an application form or have any questions.

Uniform Changeover

We come to the end of our transition period this week and from Monday, students must be in full winter uniform. Details of the

Darren Atkinson
Principal

Staff News

It is with pleasure that I introduce our new Director of the 海角大神 Resource Centre, Mr David Scott, to our community.

Gina Goss
Assistant Principal - Staff

David has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Information Management, completed a Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching (PGCE Primary) and a Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA). He commenced teaching in 2003 in England where he gained experience in a BECTA ICT Test Bed school, making him one of the first teachers in England to trial the use of technology as a teaching and learning tool.

Since migrating to Australia in late 2006, David continued to utilise his extensive ICT experience to add value to the learning experiences of children. He subsequently completed the EPICT practitioner course and mentored his colleagues in enhancing teaching practices through ICT integration. In Australia, David previously worked at Lake Joondalup Baptist College in WA managing Literature Services Delivery. In addition to promoting reading, a MS Access Trainer and Facilitator role, he further enabled high level collaboration and integration of ICT practices in the classroom and school library.

David is originally from Edinburgh, where his parents and sister still live and he also has a brother who resides in London. David enjoys skiing, surfing, spending time with his family and of course, reading. He is a fan of Christian music and has a love of Elvis Presley's Gospel songs.

David is delighted to be joining the 海角大神 community and can see the clear investment in students鈥� learning and commitment to meeting their needs. He is thrilled that students embrace learning activities with an awareness of God and are guided by the College values, namely Spirituality, Belonging, Perseverance, Compassion, Stewardship and Justice. He endeavours to maximise students鈥� application of information literacy models so they can broaden their intellectual boundaries as thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skilful researchers and ethical users of information.

David welcomes staff and students to the ARC and is looking forward to getting to know the members of our community.

Senior Years & Middle Years Report

Senior Years

This last fortnight Parent Teacher interviews have been held. They were well attended, and by most reports they were a constructive and effective way to discuss an individual鈥檚 learning. These occasions are just one of the ways that we facilitate home/school communication. The reasons for building effective dialogue between teachers and caregivers are obvious; but good communication between home and school is important for the student also.

The term "partnership" is often used because that word clearly establishes that school, children and guardians need to work together but their roles are different. Obviously in 2020 the delineation between home and College became much less clear, but most people understand the differences and indeed the similarities between the roles, unfortunately sometimes the media struggles with that distinction. In one weekend paper there was an article deeply critical of an approach a school had taken to teaching respectful relationships and consent. This article was followed almost immediately by one bemoaning the lack of values in education. It is apparent that both teachers and parents want children to succeed. Teachers take significant responsibility for the academics but also try to teach the child to love learning, while parents and guardians want their children to thrive at life. Both caregiver and teacher are mentors and models, and at a Catholic school there is also a focus on religious values and social justice even though the home is the moral compass for the child.

Of course, cooperation with each other is fundamental, and both the contribution of educators and that of guardians influence each other. Both home and school are equally important for a child鈥檚 development, not just for formal education, but for active citizenship; for helping young people in their social interactions; assisting them to establish and reach their personal goals and learn cooperation with others.

Meredith Greenwood
Head Senior Years

Middle Years

Year 8 Dominic are the first House heading to camp next week. Rice will depart in the second half of the week and Mackillop the following week. This is the first year that students will experience The Summit Adventure Park, located in Trafalgar, West Gippsland. Students will participate in activities such as laser skirmish, leap of faith, giant swing, obstacle courses and Homeroom team initiatives. A predominately outdoor camp that will enable students to explore and extend all dimensions of their learning; physical, social and emotional and specifically draw on the College values of Belonging, Perseverance and Spirituality. We wish all Year 8s and the staff well as they leave on Monday and look forward to hearing their stories and experiences.

NAPLAN testing for Year 7 and 9 begins from Tuesday 11th May. Year 9s will take all their tests between 11th -13th May. Year 7s will have one test on Wednesday 12th May and then continue with their tests Monday 17th - 19th May. Catch up tests will be scheduled across this time. A practise test has already been completed to ensure the school鈥檚 technology infrastructure is optimally functioning and that both students and staff are familiar with the operation of the testing platform and their devices. If any student was absent from the practise test and would like to familiarise themselves with the functionality before the live tests are held they need to access the ACARA public demonstration site: . Parents are welcome to take a look at the site, students will be shown how to access this demonstration site during homeroom time next week.

The purpose of NAPLAN testing is to determine whether all young Australians are meeting literacy and numeracy outcomes. There are no practise tests covering subject matter or homework associated with the tests. The only thing for students to do is to try their best.

Our message to students regarding NAPLAN is the same as any assessment, we want you to do your best but we don鈥檛 want you to excessively worry about it. Worry never helps you to do your best.

We realise all of our students will respond differently to the thought of these tests. Wouldn鈥檛 it be great every child had reliable and productive strategies embedded in their approach to all tasks they have to complete. The NAPLAN tests are an optimal time to discuss, select and put into practise strategies to deal with some of the internal tension all people feel when wanting to do their best under test conditions.

You may be wondering as parents/guardians how you can support your child during this time? A resource for you may find useful is from Andrew Fuller, a clinical psychologist specialising in brains, learning and resilience. You are also welcome to contact your child鈥檚 Homeroom teacher, Level Leader or myself if you require further information in the lead up to the testing period.

Rachel Crawley
Head Middle Years

Wellbeing Matters

Is social media good for you?

Technology is an integral part of our lives. It enables us to connect with family and friends, be a source of great joy, disappointment and frustration. It is easy to focus on all the potential risks, negatives and harm social media can bring. It is important to also recognize the positives and the importance of building our capacity to navigate the digital domain safely with integrity. It鈥檚 unlikely the plethora of social media platforms will disappear anytime soon and nor is it what we probably want. Incredible humanitarian social action can occur harnessing the instantaneous global reach social media can offer.

Internationally recognised expert in online cyber safety and digital citizenship, Robyn Trevyard suggests we should try and keep things in perspective and be an active presence online to appreciate the complexities of this domain our children and young people are growing up in.

For a significant period of time, cyber safety literature has referred to young people being 鈥榙igital natives鈥� and parents, grandparents and teacher (pending on age) digital immigrants. Our students at 海角大神 are growing up in the Instagram and Tik Tok era. Facebook is very much an 鈥榦ldies鈥� space and what even was Myspace? This doesn鈥檛 not mean young people don鈥檛 need support and guidance from their elders. In fact many would argue the level of mental ill health in society (particularly of youth) requires significant and immediate action. We must look for opportunities to walk beside young people as they navigate the turbulence of adolescence amidst the uncertainty of our times. Whilst many adults experienced adolescence in significantly different ways than their children, an open mind, willingness to listen (even to things we don鈥檛 like hearing) and creation of opportunities to learn with and from young people is a valuable protective factor. Connecting with young people on a variety of levels and mediums (including digital platforms) is important. Social media can divide and isolate as well as inform and connect.

Erik Woods New York Times writer and radio show host offered the following observation of 'click culture'.

"Even as the internet provides us great advances, it also segments us. We have social media tribes and our self-esteem is based on likes and retweets."

We all have days where our confidence and self-esteem may be lagging. Self-esteem is something that invariably fluctuates. Pockets of emotional turbulence and self-doubt are normal and to a degree necessary to build capacity and self-awareness. A key issue to keep in mind is the impact harmful content can have on mental wellbeing especially for children and young people. Within the context of social media and the issue of mental ill-health is amplified because of the ways in which it is being used and how it replaces other desirable pursuits. Social media can present a view on the world that is often filtered and unrealistic. Edited images of perfection offers young people a distorted account of society making their pursuit of happiness or success less attainable.
In light of all these issues is social media good for you? Robyn Trevyuard acknowledges both the challenge and real dangers associated with social media, however also argues young people can use it to improve their lives.

Her research showed 68% of teens claim social media provides them with support during difficult times. Furthermore 46% of adolescent girls agree that social media empowers them to speak about thing they care about. 83% of teens say that social media makes them feel more connected to their friends. Young people have achieved great things by taking to social media to express their concerns. Gun laws in the United States, gender equity, violence prevention and climate change to name a few key areas young people use social media in acts of positive global stewardship.

The key question being how we can help prepare young people to lead change and use social media well? We must have courageous, honest conversations and engage in deep listening with and for young people. As a starting point I invite you to take the quiz: How much do you know about social media and digital reputation or check out some of the fact sheets provided below.

Robyn also provided some to support families to have these important conversations. Social media is a space powered by people and as such offers great opportunity to spread kindness and social awareness, educate, create and enhance identity, diversity and tolerance. The well-worn clich茅鈥榶oung people are the future鈥� and young people can use digital media to be active agents of change. As adults we have both a responsibility and opportunity to ensure we influence our children and young people to advocate for positive social change, tolerance and kindness in our world.

Cheryl Kane
Child Safety and Wellbeing Coordinator

The Voice of our Students

Introducing our new Year 7 Leaders

"I went to Holy Spirit primary school and I was one of the four school leaders last year. I have two sisters, one who is in Year 10 and one who is in Grade 4. I have a Jack Russell dog named Jack. I play basketball and football and I like to go on bike rides with my friends. I also enjoy going to the beach and boogie boarding. I barrack for Collingwood and I enjoy going to watch them play with my dad and my friends.

I decided to nominate for Year 7 Leader as I wanted to represent the voice of my peers, encourage positive relationships across the year level and be able to influence decision making at 海角大神. I know being a leader brings invaluable learning experiences. The most important qualities of leadership are communication, teamwork, support and encouragement, respect for others, and initiative. I personally try to apply these attributes to everything I do (school, sport and any other activities). 2020 was a difficult year for everyone and we all missed out on many activities and events. I want this year to be a really enjoyable year for everyone, and I encourage everyone to get involved in 海角大神 activities."
Lachlan Motteram

"I first applied to be Year 7 Captain as I saw it as an opportunity to expand my leadership skills and be a part of the 海角大神 community, as well as to encourage others to step out of their comfort zone. There were many steps to take in the process, with so many amazing candidates, and after several weeks of written applications and interviews with the teachers, I was immensely honoured to be named one of the two Year 7 Captains of 2021.

I can鈥檛 wait to engage in the role of Year 7 captain and I am thrilled to be able to work with students and teachers at 海角大神 to allow for every student to have a voice to make a difference in the community. I am also excited to learn from the senior leadership team, team leaders, and staff, as well as being a classmate and friend that anyone can come up to. I鈥檓 really excited as to what this year will bring as I never imagined I would be so fortunate to be in the position as a student leader at 海角大神, Year 7!"
Holly McGill

College Calendar

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Monday 3rd May - Cafe N9ne Gold Gp 1; Yr 8 Dominic Camp; Yr 10 Great Ryrie St Homework Group	Tuesday 4th May - Patron's Mass; AGiLE P5; EISM Div 1 Athletics Carnival;	Wednesday 5th May - Restaurant Night; Yr 10 Ball Parent Info Night; Yr 8 Rice Camp; Senior EISM	Thursday 6th May - Restaurant Night; Yr 9 EISM	Friday 7th May
Monday 10th May - Yr 8 MacKillop Camp; Yr 11 Geography Fieldtrip; EISM Champions Athletics Carnival; Yr 10 Great Ryrie St Homework Group	Tuesday 11th May - NAPLAN; AGiLE P5; Yr 8 Dominic EISM	Wednesday 12th May - NAPLAN; Senior EISM; International Student safety workshop	Thursday 13th May - NAPLAN; Restaurant Night; Yr 9 EISM Semi Finals	Friday 14th May

Learning Area: The Arts

鈥淭he Arts enable students to develop their creative and expressive capacities by learning about the different practices, disciplines and traditions that have shaped the expression of culture locally, nationally and globally. Students are both artist and audience in the Arts. They make and respond and learn to appreciate the specific ways this occurs in different disciplines.鈥� The VCAA

At 海角大神 we provide such a wide range of Arts subjects, giving opportunities for students to express themselves in diverse and rich ways. In a world filled with noise and images, to spend time considering how and why something is created, and its impact on an audience can be significant. To appreciate others points of view and connect with artists and performers from different cultures enriches our lives.

Recently there was a call to remove some TV shows and movies from public viewing due to the appropriateness of the content - Faulty Towers for example. This was discussed with the VCE Studio Arts class this week while we were focussing on historical and cultural context. We looked at artworks showing stereotypes and imagery we now consider inappropriate and erroneous. These works provide insight on the values of the time, how far we have come and how much we still have to talk about. To remove these works from our galleries, similarly to the idea of removing shows from our screens, would be to curate our history. It is important we open discussions, learn from the past, imagine diverse contexts and appreciate how we have evolved and gone past 鈥榩olitically correct鈥� to be 鈥榤orally considerate鈥� in how we view, express and embrace diversity, this is encouraged in and through The Arts.

A student recently questioned the value of Art class - a valid question and one I welcome. To have a group of young people come into a room and make things, then walk out and head off to Maths or Science...what was the point? The problem wasn鈥檛 that I didn鈥檛 have an answer, the problem was that I had a million reasons and wanted to jump up and down to tell them how rich their lives could be through experiencing The Arts!

I didn鈥檛 do that, they would have thought I was mad! Rather, I asked them to imagine no Art at school. The obvious discussion was about not having a class where they would paint and make stuff from clay, but then it got real - the value of expressing creative ideas, the benefit of movement, imagination, the practical application of designs, the freedom of exploring, the achievement of creating something original, useful, beautiful, that tells our stories, sparks discussion, is provocative, that responds and reacts to our culture and connects us.

鈥淭hrough engaging in The Arts students are entertained, challenged and provoked to respond to questions and assumptions about individual and community identity, taking into account different histories and cultures.鈥� The VCAA.

Our young people have the opportunity to be vulnerable, supported, a viewer and consumer, a creator and risk taker. Visual and Performing Arts are essential and inevitable.

Sandi van der Niet
Arts Learning Area Leader

Drama isn鈥檛 important. Is it?

When selecting their courses students and their parents often ask the question, "what job will this subject train me for?鈥�. Which is a reasonable question but in the contemporary terms where the average person will change careers around 5-7 times in their working life; and in a highly competitive employment market (where there are an average of 19 applicants for every job where only 3 get interviewed) shouldn鈥檛 the question be, 鈥渨hat employable skills would this subject help me develop?鈥�

In a 2019 Department of Employment Skills, Small and Family Business research report* employers were surveyed on the skills that they want in their prospective employees. The report discovered that the essential 7 employability skills that employers valued, as much as technical skills, were:

Communication and Teamwork Skills
Interpersonal and People Skills
Creativity and Problem Solving Adaptability and Resilience
Reliability and Motivation
Critical Thinking
Digital Literacy

And with predictions that 84% of new jobs will be created in service industries the ability to communicate, work in teams, relate to other people, be creative and adapt is going to be more essential than ever.

So if you think, 鈥淒rama isn鈥檛 important,鈥� you may want to shift your thinking.
Drama at all levels has a strong emphasis on collaborative work. Students work in teams toward a common goal; their communication, interpersonal and people skills progress through this collaboration. Teamwork requires adaptability and resilience particularly when students find themselves working with others who have a range of ideas and opinions. The need to problem solve in order to work out the best attack on their ensemble task frequently requires compromise and critical thinking to meet the directive. Add to this the need to create and use a range of digital resources for research and presenting work then you might be contemplating, 鈥淲hy aren鈥檛 I do doing Drama?鈥�

The acting in Drama might be called 鈥榩retending鈥� but the development of employability skills it delivers certainly aren鈥檛 pretend.

Claire Travers
Teacher

*

Flower field by Lily Evans

Year 9 Dominic Camp

At the end of Term 1, Year 9 Dominic enjoyed a week challenging themselves and forming new friendships as the focused on their core value - Perseverance.

"We went on a kayaking expedition and we saw dolphins. It was awesome"

"Really happy with our amazing raft that stayed strong and afloat!"

"I liked watching the sunrise on the water with friends"

"Camp was a great experience. I would love to do it again. My favourite was the tubing"

"Everyone did well on the bike ride and no one gave up!".

Maroondah Youth Awards

One of my favourite events to attend is the annual Maroondah Youth awards. These awards recognise the strengths, resilience, and achievements of young people aged between 10-25 in Maroondah. The event is a night filled with personal stories, inspiring speeches, amazing performances, and recognition of young people. Despite the fact I have been attending these religiously over the last five years or so, each and every time I am still amazed at the talent, capacity and resilience of the young people in our community.

This year the award ceremony was like many others things, impacted by the events of last year. In a way it made the achievements of those we gathered to recognise even more special! Whilst there is no shortage of great young people at 海角大神, it was my privilege to witness four of our students receive awards from Maroondah Mayor Cr Kylie Spears and various councillors.

Mikaela Tenney one of our current College Leaders was recognised in the category of Leadership. Mikaela has served our school community in a leadership capacity each year at 海角大神. Her dedication to supporting others in particular last year during remote learning was simply inspirational.

Dylan Tudor was recognised for his achievements also in the category of Leadership. Dylan is an active year level student leader, a motivated and energetic member of in our Chid Safety and Wellbeing Student Advisory Committee and other capacities outside of school.

Andre Painter was recognised in the Perseverance category for his determination and dedication to his learning. Andre has an impressive work ethic and is willing to seek further clarification of any issue when required. Andre reminds us intelligence comes in many shapes and forms, It鈥檚 not if your smart, it how your smart!

Isabelle Flores (class of 2020) also received a Perseverance award. Completing Year 12 in a very different year, establishing an online business to replace the loss of part time income and keep her motivated and busy is testament to Isabelle鈥檚 character and strength.

Last but definitely not least Ted Walker O鈥橞rien鈥檚 award recognised his achievement and character strength of Perseverance. Ted has a bright future ahead given his motivation and entrepreneurial positive outlook on life. In addition to managing his learning form home in 2020, Ted established his own car detailing business to replace casual employment during lockdowns. Ted is a fine example of self-efficacy, determination and hands on learning!

What a pleasure to see our students shine their individual and our collective 海角大神 light proudly and bright.
Despite limited numbers being able to attend and other commitments preventing some recipients receiving their award in person more people than ever before could access the awards via a live stream option. The link below takes you to the Maroondah Youth Awards web page where you can see for yourself a selection of the talented, resilient and versatile young people we have in the local community. We may be a little bias but feel some of the brightest stars in this collection are those from 海角大神 College.

Cheryl Kane
Child Safety and Wellbeing Coordinator.

Sports News - Ultimate Frisbee Championships

On the last Tuesday of Term 1, 海角大神 entered the Victorian Schools Ultimate Frisbee Championships at Parkville. We took the Senior Boys and Girls teams who had been competing in the EISM championships.

A report from the Senior boys team

"On Tuesday, in the last week of term our small team from EISM went to the State Ultimate Competition in the city, where there was a large tournament of about 18 schools all competing. Caulfield Grammar managed to beat us early on in the morning, and then we beat the other four teams in our pool to finish second in our pool, with Caufield on top. Since we were the highest ranked second placed in all the pools, we entered the finals and were up against Caulfield again. Once again they beat us. We ended up finishing third place overall beating Covenant College Geelong. Because Caulfield had two teams, it worked out that we were the second best school in the whole competition! Overall everyone had a fantastic time, and we鈥檙e confident we鈥檒l do better next time! A huge thank you to our coach Mr Jess on his work with us."

The Boys team: Sam Alvarez, Max Baines, Nathan Boland, Isaac Curtis, Billy Gleeson, Charlie Hewitson, Kobe Hussey, Joel Jobling, Lewis Johnson, Max Napolitano, Rainier Palao.

A huge congratulations to Max Napolitano whose performance at the championships and trials has seen him selected in the U18 Men's Ultimate team for Victoria!

A report by Nathan Boland

"The 海角大神 College Senior Girls Ultimate Frisbee team recently competed in the Victorian Schools Championships. The team was extremely competitive, winning their first four matches convincingly and finishing first in their pool. The girls then had a solid win in the semi against Canterbury Girls Grammar School, before proceeding to the Grand Final. Here they faced Covenant College Geelong in a very tough, competitive match. Covenant started well with a few quick scores giving them a decent lead, but to our girls鈥� credit, they stepped up the defensive pressure and fought back from a 5 point deficit to eventually go down by just 2. Our team gave it their all and walked away with a silver medal and their heads held high after a successful day and a good result. The 海角大神 team should be very proud of their display of impressive skills and fitness, determination and positive attitudes throughout the day, as well as proud of their commitment in preparing for the tournament. They have worked hard, developed as a team and have played every match in the spirit of the game. A fantastic and inspiring effort from this wonderful team."

Congratulations to the team: Mikayla Aloi, Christina Doan, Erin Gualano, Natasha Langsdon, Mikaela Tenney, Emily Box, Indi Clarke, Rory O'Brien, Chloe Ross, Issy Edwards and Sophie Stokes. Coached by Miss Megan Lemieszek

Sports News - Touch Football Report

The senior boys and girls touch football teams competed in the Victorian Schools Touch Football Championships in the second last week of Term 1 at Endeavour Hills.

A huge thank you to the team coaches: Mr Steve McGrath (girls team) and Mr Tom Wilson (boys team)

"The senior girls touch team competed in a round robin format. There were three pool matches before finals so the potential to play five games in total for the day, a tough challenge in itself given the unexpected humid and hot conditions. The first game of the day was definitely an eye opener for our girls as we got a little bit overwhelmed by the speed of play by the opposition and a lack of awareness for the width and space to have to defend. To the girls credit after a review and reflection post game the girls turned it around in the second game and demonstrated an ability to drive with run and support through the middles and links making the most of quick turnovers. Reward for effort with several tries and a win gave the girls confidence in their ability and recognition for their efforts at training to implement game strategies and tactics. We finished the pool matches with one win and two losses which meant that we were playing in the Plate finals. The first semi final against Fountain Gate was a game played with great spirit and close all the way throughout, finishing level at the siren which meant we went into a drop off period. Both teams dropped two players from the field essentially now 4 V 4 for a two minute period. Fortunately we were able to score a great try on the wing just before the siren to win and move into the Plate final against Luther. The Final saw a similar outcome to the Semi with both teams tied at the end of the game and again going into a drop off. Unfortunately one of the Luther girls saw a gap in our defence and scored with a great diving try to win the game. It was great to watch the girls improve considerably through the day as they gained confidence and a greater understanding of game play. Well done to all the girls who competed, and thanks to the Year 12 girls especially for their commitment over the years and we look forward to next year."

Congratulations to the players - Emily Box, Tahliah Cameron, Sienna Devink, Kamryn Disney, Leila Hedderwick, Sienna Jones, Natasha Langsdon, Ashlyn Tait, Sophie Stokes, Grace Walsh.

"It was brilliant to be back in a competition setting and competing against other schools again after what transpired in 2020. The Senior Boys started the day very strongly with a good win against Luther College. With solid competition throughout the day both teams competed extremely well. With the boys finishing the day with 2 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses. The boys tried really hard and the losses were always close, which was so very impressive. As a result we would find ourselves runners up in the plate competition. Thanks to all the Year 12's for their commitment over the journey of their touch football careers at 海角大神 College, your contribution hasn't gone unnoticed. Finally, thanks to all students and Mr. Brummell for their commitment towards the Touch Footy carnivals and championship."

Congratulations to the players - Seb Di Simone, Owen Foxwell, Luke Dowling-Horgan, George Sajive, Ryan Webster, Harry Flynn, Jesse Meikle, Michael Barics, Pat Lavemai, Jayden Urban.

Senior EISM Grand Final action

BOYS BASKETBALL A
海角大神 63 defeated Emmaus 50

After a great season with only losing once and that was to Emmaus in a really tight game, the boys were looking forward to the grand final, and what a great game to finish off a great season. A team effort ensured that we controlled the game and ultimately a positive result. This team of great young adults is extremely talented, dedicated, supportive and passionate about playing with and for each other. They should be very proud of themselves and the way they handled the season. They are all an asset to the 海角大神 community on the court, but more importantly off the court. Well done on a great season and the grand final win!

BOYS BASKETBALL B
海角大神 41 defeated Mt Scopus 40

The 海角大神 boys took on an unfamiliar foe in Mt Scopus, with our round one match up cancelled due to Covid restrictions at the

time. The game was hard fought from the first whistle to the last, neither side holding more than a 5 point lead at any stage and many lead changes as momentum swung. In the first half we battled hard on the boards against a bigger Scopus outfit, but kept them in the game with sloppy turnovers at times. Jake Moore and Felix Seymour were strong on offence, getting to the basket and forcing the Scopus talls into some early foul trouble. Tom Rees, Linden Hammersley and Sean Griffiths all played great roles off the bench, bringing energy and being productive on offence. Reid McGreevy had a big role to play as our only true tall and he stood up with strong work at both ends. Michael Barics whilst undersized, was a beast on the boards and his hustle made sure we didn't give up too many second opportunities.

The second half was more of the same. as the game went down to the wire. Down 5 with 2 minutes remaining, our boys were able to hang in, make smart plays and give ourselves the opportunity to take the win. Josh Leonard was the stand out player on the court and deservedly awarded the MVP medal for the game. He was prolific all game but took over down the stretch making clutch free throws and the go ahead basket with 4 seconds remaining. The final score of 41-40 was a true indication of the closeness of the contest, and a win to savour. Congratulations to both our boys and Scopus, who all played the game hard, but in great spirit. Nothing like winning the close ones, well done boys!

SENIOR GIRLS BASKETBALL A
海角大神 36 def Emmaus 29

In a really tight final that saw the lead change many times, we finally took control in the last few minutes of the game. The girls used the ball effectively throughout the game and our defence was very impressive. It was really pleasing to see how hard the team worked when under strong pressure from Emmaus. Well done to all the players for their endeavours and commitment to EISM Sport at 海角大神

SENIOR GIRLS BASKETBALL B
海角大神 26 lost to Emmaus 32

Congratulations to all the players on the way we played today. We tried really hard against a very consistent team. We were always in the game and put lots of pressure on them but missed some key shots that could have made the difference. It was an exciting final as both teams pushed each other to play good basketball. Well done to everyone on your performance today and across the season

SENIOR GIRLS ULTIMATE FRISBEE
海角大神 10 lost to Mt Lilydale 16

In a great final we worked really hard and pushed Mt Lilydale all the way for the first three quarters. Unfortunately, they were able to overrun us and ended up winning convincingly. Well done to all the players for a wonderful season and your commitment to the team. Congratulations to all the Year 12s for your valuable contribution to the team and the Ultimate frisbee team over the past four years.

SENIOR GIRLS SOCCER
海角大神 4 defeated Mt Lilydale 1

The girls were very excited to get to play Mt Lilydale at home in the grand final having lost to them at the start of the season. We started well but were unable to take some chances early. Mt Lilydale scored first and this made the girls even more determined and we replied quickly after their goal. At half time the scores were level at 1 all. Scoring first in the second half was vital and the team's confidence grew and we took control of the game, scoring three times in the second half to win well. Congratulations to all the players on a superb final and their commitment to the each other throughout the season

SENIOR BOYS SOFTBALL
海角大神 0 lost to Mt Scopus 15

After having had a great season and not losing a game, we met Mt Scopus in the final (who we did not play because of the Covid lockdown). Unfortunately we met a very strong team who were clearly the best team in the EISM. We tried hard but could not match their skills and general play today. Well done boys on a great season and commitment to the team.

SENIOR BOYS TABLE TENNIS A
海角大神 0 lost to Donvale 6

The boys were looking forward to a really great final against the only team that had defeated us throughout the season. In every game we pushed them all the way but could not get key points. We were beaten by a good team who played consistent table tennis. Well done to all the players on a great season. Look out 2022, we will be back

Sports Report - Seniors Semi Finals

Sport	Opposition	Score	Comment
BOYS BASKETBALL A	Mt Lilydale	Won 73-31	A dominant display by a team of great young people. Every week they demonstrate a great sense of support and care towards each other, which is culminated through great teamwork and bringing each other into the game. Mt Lilydale got the jump on us early, but the leadership shown by Jordy Moran lifted everyone to take their intensity and performance to another level. Each week we see a different player lead by example and play with true 海角大神 spirit. A great all round performance by all and everyone played their role, which is very exciting to see leading into the final next week.
BOYS BASKETBALL B	Tintern	Won 66-33	Great game by the boys today. Strong defence and communication skills presented in this week's game. Great to see the boys improve each week, Very excited for the grand final!
BOYS SOFTBALL	Donvale	Won 15-7	Great win by the boys. Batting first we needed to start well and clean ball striking saw us max out the first innings with 7 home runs to put the pressure right on the opposition. From there it was a matter of ensuring we were smart in the field to limit their scoring opportunities. Some great fielding by Donvale in the second and third innings meant that we were unable to continue to make the most of our chances but fortunately the boys rallied together in the last to finish the forth with another 7 home runs and put the game beyond reach. We look forward to the challenge of next week in the Grand Final.
BOYS TABLE TENNIS	A vs Mt Scopus; B vs Donvale	A鈥檚 Won : 3,14 - 3,9; B鈥檚 Lost : 1,3 - 5,17	Great effort demonstrated by both teams today. Despite the Loss in the B鈥檚 team, the boys have demonstrated that their skills have developed over this season. Well done boys!
BOYS HOCKEY	Donvale	Lost 7-8	A nail biting game, the boys pushed but unfortunately drew short. A great season, well done boys!
BOYS ULTIMATE FRISBEE	Mt Lilydale	Lost 10-11	Semi Final time gave us an opportunity to get some revenge on the only team that had beaten us this year, way back in Round 1. We got off to a great start getting out to a 6-3 lead at half time. Unfortunately though we had a lapse in the first 6 minutes of the third quarter and were unable to stop the run and momentum of Mt Lilydale who piled on the scores to take a 9-7 lead at the last break. We started the last qtr flat footed and Mt Lilydale extended their lead to 11-7, to the boys credit, they kept trying and managed to get the score back to 10-11 but left our run a bit too late. A great season by all. To only have 2 defeats (both by 1 point) showed we were certainly one of the top teams and can certainly build on this for the Ultimate season in 2022. Well done to all the boys for their commitment through the season.
GIRLS BASKETBALL A	Luther	Won 64 - 14	Another great win today, the girls have performed brilliantly this season and can't wait to play next week's grand final.
GIRLS BASKETBALL B	Donvale	Won 60 - 13	A fantastic win, the girls played well, demonstrating how their team skills have developed over the season. Great season girls, you should all be proud of yourselves. Looking forward to next week's game!
GIRLS CRICKET	Emmaus	Lost 37-49	Highlight of the day was a superb piece of fielding in the covers by Grace 鈥楳issy鈥� Higgins. Swooped on the ball like some kind of cheetah on the African plains. Then with sure hands and in one stride, she whipped it over the bails where the run out was complete. The 2 spectators in attendance went wild Highlight of the term was working with such respectful, inclusive, growth-minded, enthusiastic, dedicated, well-mannered, fun students who were amazing ambassadors for 海角大神. Congratulations to Cassie Wynne, Ann Joseph, Grace Higgins, Kamryn Disney, Caitlyn Sultana, Bianca McCall, Chelsea Poli, Georgia Macdonald, Lexie Quinn and Grace Thomas-Scott for being all those things.
GIRLS TENNIS	Donvale	Lost 0,9 - 4,24	Congratulations on a wonderful season girls! Olivia Della-Gatta, Gemma West, Isabella Flack, Teagan Barden, Isabelle Comerford, Ava Gibson, Lucy Kinsman and Olivia Williams - an absolutely amazing group, thank you! Although we did not make it to the grand final, we are winners in effort, enthusiasm, and team spirit! Could not be happier with our performance across the season!
GIRLS SOCCER	Luther	Won 7-0	Another truly fantastic display of sportsmanship and skill shown by the girls today. We came out strong and kept momentum throughout the game which resulted in the mercy rule being applied. The improvement in the girls throughout the season has been amazing and played a vital role in our win today. We were strong on all accounts but a special mention goes to our goal scorers, Lara (6) and Sienna (2), and Brickie for her outstanding defence. Very excited for the grand final next week!
GIRLS ULTIMATE FRISBEE	Tintern	Won 15 - 1	Another Fantastic game by the girls!Great teamwork displayed, we are looking forward to next week's grand final!

Sports Report - Year 9 Round 5

Sport	Opposition	Score	Comments from the Coach
GIRLS BASKETBALL A	No Game
GIRLS BASKETBALL B	No Game
GIRLS SOFTBALL	Luther College	Won 13-8	After a fairly strong opening batting innings, our first innings in the field was quite rusty after the holiday break. However, on the back of some excellent pitching from Amy, we reset in the field and had a much better second innings and remain currently undefeated.
GIRLS INDOOR SOCCER	Luther College	Won 9-5	The indoor girl鈥檚 team faced our first defeat against Luther. All girls played well with Charlotte scoring 3, Stella and Bella scoring 1, the final score was 9 - 5. Unfortunately some were injured, hopefully they will recover soon. Overall Luther was an evenly matched opponent we needed to improve for our future games.
GIRLS TOUCH FOOTBALL	Luther College	Lost 2-6	The girls were a little rusty after the break and skill errors let Luther get the first two tries through in the opening quarter of the match. We fought back well in the second quarter with two tries of our own (Ash Stoddart and Amelie O鈥橞rien) to go into half time equal. The second half belonged to Luther, scoring 4 unanswered tries. The girls will work hard at training this week to get their touch back and aim to get back on the winner list next match!
GIRLS TENNIS	Luther College	Lost 9-21	Charlotte and Amy both hit some powerful winners in what was a close match-up. Ava and Gemma moved and communicated well on court and won some impressive rallies, but were defeated by their opponents. Alex returned and served with consistency and Kesia hit some great serves after warming up. Nadia and Charlotte proved to be a fantastic doubles team. Their teamwork was admirable and they dominated their opponents. Well-played, girls.
BOYS SOFTBALL BLACK TEAM	海角大神 Red		A really exciting tight game. The boys tried really hard, displayed great team spirit but lost a few opportunities to overturn the game. Great effort boys and well done to the 海角大神 Softball Red team!
BOYS SOFTBALL RED TEAM	海角大神 Black	Won 15-13	The battle of 海角大神 south saw the two Year 9 Boys softball teams who have been honing their skills in the diamond all year finally go head to head. 海角大神 black took an early 4-1 lead with some simple skill errors potentially letting the game slip away. However, with some clever hitting from Billy Banes and Cooper Storr we were able to get 7-away in our second innings that took the game away from 海角大神 Black. Michain Premaratne, once again was able to keep pressure on the opposition with an outstanding day pitching. A rusty performance after holidays but nevertheless, another high scoring game and a win on the board for 海角大神 Red. 15-13.
BOYS BASKETBALL A TEAM	No Game
BOYS BASKETBALL B TEAM	No Game
BOYS TENNIS	Luther College	Won 24-5	The boys tennis team has continued their dominance with another convincing win against Luther College. This maintains our undefeated status for the season. We are looking forward to playing the grand finals.
BOYS INDOOR SOCCER	Mt Scopus	Lost 4-7	The previously undefeated boys indoor team faced a tough match up against a well organised and disciplined Mt Scopus, and finished with our first loss for the season. It was a game of moments as we dominated general play, but were put to the sword on the counter attack. We learnt a lot about how momentary lapses in concentration can hurt, and the importance of holding formation. Looking forward to bouncing back next week.
BOYS TOUCH FOOTBALL	Luther College	Won 7-2	We came out of the blocks and quickly had a 4-0 lead after some good attacking moves. Luther then scored the next 2 and it was game on. The score remained the same for some time however we managed to pull away to finish the game. Archie鈥檚 footwork once again led to several scores and both Josh and Lachy didn鈥檛 stop running all day in the centre. After conceding 2 sloppy tries the team adjusted well after being reminded to hold their shape defensively.

海角大神