MENTONE GIRLS’ SECONDARY COLLEGE NEWSLETTErmgsc.vic.edu.au/uploads/Nov122015.pdf · of a three to...
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MENTONE GIRLS’ SECONDARY COLLEGE NEWSLETTEr Edition 18 | 12 November 2015 MENTONE GIRLS’ SECONDARY COLLEGE Cnr Balcombe & Charman Roads (PO Box 52), Mentone VIC 3194 tel: (03) 9581 5200 | fax: (03) 9585 1012 [email protected] | http://www.mgsc.vic.edu.au/ Principal’s Report As I announced at the College Assembly last Friday whilst the Principal, Ms Lehner, is on sick leave I have taken on the role and responsibilies of Acng Principal. I know the school community joins with me in wishing her a speedy recovery and to be back at work as soon as she is well. At our College Assembly, numerous girls received awards in a range of acvies. These included public speaking, French and Japanese, Australian Musical Examinaon Board praccal examinaons, Mathemacs, beep tests (fitness), sport coaching, community service and Science. It is important students take the opportunies offered to them to excel in all these areas, and I congratulate all awardees. Rachel Butler 10D, Maddie Duker 7F and Taylah Tysoe 8E gave speeches as part of the public speaking awards and all at the assembly were impressed with their confidence and ability to engage the audience. There was also a report on the recent trip to Japan and visit to our sister school, Nakamura Senior High School. As usual at the assembly there was the opportunity to enjoy a musical performance. This me it was the full orchestra and choir that will perform at Presentaon Evening. A special thank you to the Year 12 students who came in to perform at a busy me as they sit their final exams. This week exams began for students in Years 9 to 11. They should be using their me in preparing for these exams, revising and tesng themselves so they can aain the best outcomes. The week beginning 16th November is orientaon and exam feedback week. Details can be found later in the newsleer. All students should be aware of the program for this week. Headstart commences Monday 23rd November. All students will commence classes in their respecve 2016 year levels. Staff believe this aids the transion into the new school year and enables the girls to ‘hit the ground running’ when they return in late January. All students and parents are encouraged to aend our Presentaon Evening on Tuesday 24th November at Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash University Clayton Campus, commencing at 8pm. This is a celebraon of the 2015 school year when all the academic awards are presented. It is also the announcement of the student leadership posions for 2016 and to hear the outstanding musicianship of the Presentaon Evening Orchestra and Choir. I look forward to seeing as many of our school community in aendance as possible. Mr David Russell Acng Principal Available online at hp://www.mgsc.vic.edu.au/ IN THIS EDITION College Maers School Council Report ISP & ELC News Senior School News English Health & PE Sport Maths Food Technology Parenng Ideas Key Dates PRESENTATION EVENING Tuesday 24th November, 8pm. All parents warmly invited. Book complimentary ckets: hp://nyurl.com/qcpryht WORKING BEE Saturday 5th December 9am to midday
Transcript of MENTONE GIRLS’ SECONDARY COLLEGE NEWSLETTErmgsc.vic.edu.au/uploads/Nov122015.pdf · of a three to...
MENTONE GIRLS’ SECONDARY COLLEGE
NEWSLETTErEdition 18 | 12 November 2015
MENTONE GIRLS’ SECONDARY COLLEGECnr Balcombe & Charman Roads (PO Box 52), Mentone VIC 3194
tel: (03) 9581 5200 | fax: (03) 9585 [email protected] | http://www.mgsc.vic.edu.au/
Principal’s ReportAs I announced at the College Assembly last Friday whilst the Principal, Ms
Lehner, is on sick leave I have taken on the role and responsibilities of Acting Principal. I know the school community joins with me in wishing her a speedy recovery and to be back at work as soon as she is well.
At our College Assembly, numerous girls received awards in a range of activities. These included public speaking, French and Japanese, Australian Musical Examination Board practical examinations, Mathematics, beep tests (fitness), sport coaching, community service and Science. It is important students take the opportunities offered to them to excel in all these areas, and I congratulate all awardees. Rachel Butler 10D, Maddie Duker 7F and Taylah Tysoe 8E gave speeches as part of the public speaking awards and all at the assembly were impressed with their confidence and ability to engage the audience. There was also a report on the recent trip to Japan and visit to our sister school, Nakamura Senior High School. As usual at the assembly there was the opportunity to enjoy a musical performance. This time it was the full orchestra and choir that will perform at Presentation Evening. A special thank you to the Year 12 students who came in to perform at a busy time as they sit their final exams.
This week exams began for students in Years 9 to 11. They should be using their time in preparing for these exams, revising and testing themselves so they can attain the best outcomes.
The week beginning 16th November is orientation and exam feedback week. Details can be found later in the newsletter. All students should be aware of the program for this week.
Headstart commences Monday 23rd November. All students will commence classes in their respective 2016 year levels. Staff believe this aids the transition into the new school year and enables the girls to ‘hit the ground running’ when they return in late January.
All students and parents are encouraged to attend our Presentation Evening on Tuesday 24th November at Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash University Clayton Campus, commencing at 8pm. This is a celebration of the 2015 school year when all the academic awards are presented. It is also the announcement of the student leadership positions for 2016 and to hear the outstanding musicianship of the Presentation Evening Orchestra and Choir. I look forward to seeing as many of our school community in attendance as possible.
Mr David RussellActing Principal
Available online at http://www.mgsc.vic.edu.au/
IN THIS EDITIONCollege Matters
School Council ReportISP & ELC News
Senior School NewsEnglish
Health & PESportMaths
Food TechnologyParenting Ideas
Key Dates
PRESENTATION EVENING
Tuesday 24th November, 8pm.All parents warmly invited.
Book complimentary tickets: http://tinyurl.com/qcpryht
WORKING BEE
Saturday 5th December9am to midday
2 MENTONE GIRLS’ SC NEWSLETTEREdition 18 | 12 November 2015
College MattersOrientation Week: 16th-20th November
Year 7 and 8 have normal classes all week, except Friday period 1 when Year 8 have orientation followed by normal classes. Monday is Orientation day for current Year 10s; current Year 9s and 11s will not have classes. Tuesday is Orientation day for current Year 11s and Peer Support training for selected Year 9s; current Year 10s will not have classes. Wednesday is Orientation day for current Year 9s; current Year 10s and 11s will not have classes. On Thursday and Friday there will be exam feedback for all Year 9s-11s. The normal timetable may have changes to accommodate this.
Mr David RussellActing Principal
School Council ReportPlanning and budgeting for next year has begun as the end of the school year rapidly approaches. Thank you to our
Business Manager, Inny Smit, for the enormous amount of work she puts into keeping the school’s finances in order.At our last meeting, Acting Principal, David Russell, presented to Council the results of a recent Parent Opinion
Survey and coupled with NAPLAN results, student and staff surveys, it shows a positive move towards improving MGSC in many areas. The areas of Student Engagement and Student Learning are particularly pleasing.
It will be exciting to see the roll out of the new PE uniforms in coming weeks and work will soon commence on new signage around the school displaying our new logo. The installation of new shade structures is also imminent.
At this busy time with exams and report writing, I wish students and staff well. Remember to take time out to relax and look after yourselves. VCE students will be at the end of their exams and from all reports have been exceptional in their work commitment and focus. Congratulations girls! May the future hold many exciting adventures for you.
Elizabeth BradleySchool Council President
International Students & ELC NewsSovereign Hill
Last Week, the ELC students with the support of India Clarke and Alanna Marsh went gold panning at Sovereign Hill. The students completed a survivor activity in two groups. The winning team won nuggets of gold (chocolate) whilst the less victorious team had to dig in the mines (not really). Ms Moline and I led the students through the Red Hill mine. We experienced what it felt like to be in a dark and stuffy mine 53 steps underground, looking for elusive gold. The day ended with joy as most of the students found flecks of gold.
DiwaliOn Wednesday 11th November, students and teachers met during recess in the ELC for Diwali, the festival of lights.
This great experience allows our Indian international students and their school community to celebrate an exciting cultural event. Thank you to all who supported us on the day.
Ms Ekaterina XanthopoulosISP and ELC Manager
Senior School NewsYear 12s are currently completing their VCE exams. The process is going smoothly and students appear to be well
prepared and feeling satisfied upon completion. The Year 11s voted for the 2016 College Captain, SRC and sports leaders. The new College Captain will be announced at Presentation Evening. Parents are reminded to book tickets (link on front page of newsletter). The Year 12s will be formally farewelled, and will receive a folder and sing their graduation song.
Year 11 exams started this week. Next week the Year 11s will have an Orientation Day for Year 12 on Tuesday 17th. On Monday 16th, current Year 10s will have an Orientation Day to transition into Year 11. Thursday 19th and Friday 20th will be feedback days where students will attend classes to receive their exams and discuss them with their teachers.
The following week beginning Monday 23rd is Headstart where all students will be introduced to classes in their 2016 year levels. For VCE students, these classes will be conducted over two weeks and their reports will be available to parents later in the school year.
Senior School Team
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English2016 VCE Parents
thetextfactor presents a Guided Book Club for parents of VCE English students. We have the opportunity to bring the Guided Book Club to MGSC in 2016 to present text sessions to parents eager
to help their students with their English studies. This commercial and independent group provide study notes, a lecture and strategies for writing to parents in an evening session at the College. The cost per head per session is $25. At this stage we will ascertain the level of parental interest through a survey. If as a 2016 VCE parent you would be interested in attending a Guided Book Club session, please log in to https://docs.google.com/a/mgsc.vic.edu.au/forms/d/1ZojmipLIYNjRWw0OMBBiYL4eApZZKYDt1thHhfJ1wU8/viewform?usp=send_form to express your interest. Session dates will be advertised in the newsletter early in 2016.
MGSC Public Speaking CompetitionThe MGSC Public Speaking Competition is held each year to develop skills in research, confidence and the art of
persuasion. Girls develop a speech on a social issue and they learn to engage their audience using the Plain English Speaking competition criteria. Throughout October students have developed speeches on social issues. The presentation of a three to five minute speech requires research, planning and careful consideration of purpose and audience. All girls are congratulated for their fine work. Each year level enjoyed a final with their top eight speakers. The four MGSC champions for 2015 received a book voucher, certificate and had their names engraved on the perpetual trophy.
2015 PUBLIC SPEAKING YEAR LEVEL FINALS RESULTS:YEAR 7 YEAR 8 YEAR 9 YEAR 10
1st Maddie Duker 7F(Tall-ism)
Odessa Turk 8D(Feminist)
Maddy McAllister 9F (Recognition)
Rachel Butler 10D (Sanitary napkin tax)
2nd Monique Woolard 7C (Euthanasia)
Alicia Gilpin 8A (Against the death penalty)
Kate McMahon 9E (Feminism)
Emma Hilton 10G (Challenge of being tall)
3rd Beth Tedstone 7E (Irrational Fear)
Emily Kain 8C (Our right to an education)
Megan Clark 9A (Transgender identities)
Sarah Barkhouse 10F (Women in the media)
Ms Nola Rees Director of Teaching and Learning - English and Literacy
Health & Physical EducationJoan Barnett Beep Test Award
Congratulations to the following girls for achieving the highest beep test score for their year level throughout 2015:Year 7 - Millie Belleville – 13.2Year 8 – Kisarna Berntsen – 12.1Year 9 – Sarah Mathews – 12.8Year 10 – Sarsha Berntsen – 10.1Well done girls!
Ms Jackie MathewsHealth & PE Domain Leader
City of Kingston BreakfastOn the 20th of October we were invited to attend a breakfast at the Commonwealth Golf Club in South Oakleigh,
with special speaker Gillon McLachlan (CEO of AFL). The breakfast was attended by a number of schools from the Kingston area and representatives from various sporting groups. It was a reflection on the work done for recreation and sport in Kingston. We learnt about the inclusion of women, those with disabilities and older Australians in community sports, and how various clubs support and include all these people. It was an interesting way to learn about the improvements and changes made to include everyone in sports, since we all know how important sport is, especially in a country like Australia. It was an exciting event and we were able to take away a lot of new information!
Sam Gordon & Tamara PanjkovicHealth & PE Domain Leaders
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SportStudent Achievements
Jessica Ryan (Year 9) has been recently told that she will be playing for Borondara in the Victorian Netball League Under 19 competition in 2016 which is a fantastic opportunity.
Taylah Laval (Year 12) represented Australia at the 2015 New Zealand National Gymsports Artistic Gymnastics Championships over the school holidays. She won gold in the vault, came 5th in the bars, 4th in the beam and 12th on the floor. Taylah finished in the 1st place team which only included two Victorians. Congratulations on an outstanding achievement Taylah.
Joy Andreou (Year 7) has had an outstanding year of tennis which was capped off winning the 12 and under singles and doubles at the TACV Age Championships in October, the 12 and under singles at Tennis World Junior Hardcourt Championships in September, and representing Victoria as the number 1 player in School Sport Australia Bruce Cup Championships in Hobart this month. Congratulations Joy.
Mr Anthony BruhnCarnivals Coordinator
Maths @ MGSCCongratulations
Congratulations to all the students who received Maths awards at our last College Assembly on 6th November. These related to UNSW/ICAS, Maths Challenge Education Perfect competitions run earlier in the year. Recipients have been listed in prior newsletters and school notices.
Two other special Maths Awards were presented: • Santos-Brown Award for our highest performing Advanced General Maths student – received by Sarah Ross
(11E) • Hughes-McLeod Award for excellence of effort in our Foundation Maths subject – received by Oli Robertson
(10D)Well done to all students involved.
MGSC Mavericks – Great Cycle Challenge Success Raising money for medical research into children’s diseases was
the noble cause our MGSC Mavericks Cycling team peddled for in October. The intrepid team of 13 students, staff and supporters rode over 2,700kms to raise more than $2500. What a marvellous effort. Special mentions to Caitlin Bowie, Lauren Terry, Nikki Stobie and Sanjana Suresh for their significant fund raising efforts and Mr Hall for his 1000+ kms.
We are hoping to make this an annual event to boost support for the work of the Children’s Medical Research Institute – it also is a great boost to fitness & leading a healthy lifestyle.
www.greatcyclechallenge.com.au/Teams/MGSCMavericks
Less than 25 school days until the end of the year, so do your best and remember... “Maths makes a real difference.”
Maths Domain Team
Food TechnologyYear 9 Pasta Challenge
This week all Year 9 Food Technology classes have been challenged to develop their own pasta recipe. Many students experimented with making their own pastas. Well done on the excellent creations.
Ms Lizzie Ingold
5 MENTONE GIRLS’ SC NEWSLETTEREdition 18 | 12 November 2015
DEVELOPING YOUR CHILD’S SOCIAL MEDIA SCRIPTSBy Michael Grose
As parents we teach our kids to talk politely and clearly so that they know how to speak to others when we’re not around. In effect, we give our kids social scripts to fall back on when they talk to friends, teachers and relatives. There’s no guarantee they’ll look an adult in the eye when they speak to them, but our discussions, reminders and lessons about manners will hopefully hold up when we’re not around.
The same applies to social media. Our conversations and lessons will prepare them to be savvy users when we’re not around. Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. “Is this worth posting?” The relatively impersonal nature of social media means that we can post information and pictures with relative immunity. Also its immediacy means that we can do so without much thought. This means that kids need to be very critical about what they see online. ‘Is this accurate?’ and ‘Is this worth posting?’ are two valid questions children can ask when they read posts placed by others.
2. “Have you taken a big breath?” A child who blurts out everything that comes into his mind without thinking is sure to put plenty of people offside. ‘Think before you speak’ is the type of message that every child should have in mind. The same applies to social media. Just because they think something doesn’t mean they post it. ‘Take a big breath’ may just about be the most important message to give your kids about social media.
3. “Do you want the principal to see this?!” An invitation to a teenage birthday party posted on social media is one way to get more attendees than you bargained for! The viral nature of social media means that kids should only post messages and photos that they want to be spread and read by a large audience.
4. “How does this post make you feel?” We need to teach kids that not every post needs to be commented upon and not every thought needs to be shared, particularly when they are angry. Teaching them to walk away and then to step back in when they’ve calmed down is perhaps the most important communication lesson of all. It is very relevant to social media as emotions are often the last thing on many people’s minds when they haphazardly post a message.
5. “How will you fix this?” Social media just like any social space requires kids to behave ethically and with kindness. When kids overstep the mark and post hurtful things then it’s fair that they fix their mistakes, and apologise. It’s reasonable that we teach our children to act with tolerance and with empathy online, and if mean things are posted then they should be expected to try to repair relationships through social media, just as they should offline.
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Hosted by Kingston Youth Services in partnership with Kingston City Council, YMCA and Bayside Blades
New School Form: “I’ve had Asthma First Aid today” We are pleased to introduce a new asthma resource for schools funded by the Australian Government as part of the Asthma Child and Adolescent Program.
The new school form, “I’ve had Asthma First Aid today” is a simple way to advise parents and carers about the school’s management of an asthma incident experienced by their child. It records details about the time and place of the asthma flare up, the medication administered and any follow up required.
The form is provided as a writable pdf that can be emailed to the family or as a standard pdf for staff to print and complete by hand. Both formats are attached.
Asthma Education for Parents &
Carers The Asthma Foundation of Victoria is funded to provide FREE Asthma Education Sessions to Parents and Carers. Foundation Staff can come to your School or Children’s Centre and speak directly to parents of children with asthma. Please see the attached Flyer for more details or contact us on 1800 ASTHMA for more information.
National Asthma Week (NAW) A big THANK YOU to all who became actively involved in their communities during National Asthma Week!
Triple A Asthma Adolescent Action Program
Triple A is the first peer-led education program to improve the health & wellbeing of students with asthma.
There are still some places available for Term 4 2015, including a condensed program if time availability is limited.
For further information please see our website: www.asthma.org.au/Programs/TripleAProgram or contact Rebecca Colcott at [email protected]
Melbourne Pollen Count returns! The daily updated Pollen Count is now available on our website.
The Asthma Foundation of Victoria
www.asthma.org.au
1800 ASTHMA (278 462)
Term 4 2015
Why is Triple A different?
Innovative student-centred approach
Students become the drivers of both the teaching and learning
Hands-on activities e.g.: videos and games
Informative and participatory
Having fun is central to all aspects of
learning!
HOMESTAY FAMILY NEEDEDThe Languages Domain will host a student
teacher of Japanese from Japan for a month early next year, through a program administered by DET. If you are interested in offering a homestay place for the month
please contact Mr T. Board of $200 a week will be paid.
Dates: Sat 13 Feb – Sat 12 March 2016Contact: Allan Trigellis-Smith 9581 5200
KEY DATES | NOVEMBER 2015 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
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162016 Yr 11 Orientation DayMiddle School Planning Day
172016 Yr 12 Orientation DayPeer Support Training Day
182016 Yr 10 Orienation DaySenior School Planning DayYr 7 & 8 Band Evening
19 20 2016 Yr 9 Orientation Day
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HEADSTART WEEK 2
Yr 9 Drama Performances
Exam feedback lessons - special timetable
HEADSTART WEEK 1
Yr 10 Exams
Unit 2 Exams
Yr 9 Exams
Yr 12 Exams
Yr 12 Exams
Remember: SCHOOL ATTENDANCE – EVERY DAY COUNTS
KEY DATES | DECEMBER 2015 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
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10 NEWSLETTER #20 11Last day 2015 Years 7, 8 & 9 Reports online at 4.30pm
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15STAFF PD DAY (pupil free)
16Environment Week - Day 2 (alternative program - 3pm dismissal)
17Environment Week - Day 3 (alternative program - 3pm dismissal)
18 STAFF PLANNING DAY (pupil free)
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HOLIDAYS
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