Middle School

Year 9 Experience - Camp Awakenings

A few weeks ago, five students from Cheltenham were presented with the opportunity to attend Camp Awakenings at Camp Manyung in Mt. Eliza. The camp began on Friday the 12th of August, and ran until Sunday the 14th of August. We were all very nervous, anxious, and excited about attending this camp as we didn’t know what to expect, and what was in store for us with this being our first time ever attending this camp. We all thought that it would be like any other school camp. However, it was not. It was much more fun than expected and taught us many valuable lessons for, and about, life. 

Upon arrival at camp on Friday, we played games such as tunnel ball outside with the camp staff members and other kids from many different schools in Melbourne. We were then separated into five different coloured teams with completely new people we didn’t know and had never met.  The five of us from Cheltenham were separated into five different coloured teams with one of us being in each coloured team - these teams were red, orange, yellow, green and blue, each with a different camp staff volunteer leading the team. Some volunteer camp leaders came all the way from Perth just to come back and be a part of this camp, just like they did when they were our age many years ago. Once the teams were announced, we went and sat with our group leaders and other group members to have lunch and introduce ourselves while learning some details about each other. 

We were given shirts (there was a place on the shirt where we could write our names using a sharpie), bandanas, and wristbands in our team colours. Each team also had their own team song with dances being choreographed for each of these songs. The song YMCA was used as the song that everyone danced to. During meal times, each team’s song would come on, and we would get up and perform our dances. We met lots of nice new people and we got to know them better and became friends with them. We also participated in many activities such as the giant swing, crate climb, escape room, tree climb, and many more over the 3 days at camp. 

We got talks from people like ex-NBA player Chris Anstey and the staff members about topics such as reaching out to other people and learning from them and their stories, letting go of things that bothered us or felt like a weight on our shoulders, controlling the way we react to something bad happening in life, and many more. 

This camp taught us to step out of our comfort zones, give things a go, and play the game. I am very glad that I went, it was a great experience. 

By Taya Rapoport 9F

Year 10 Food Technology - The Great Bake Off

This semester for Year 10 Food Technology, students were required to investigate a recipe and produce a magazine article.

They could choose from a yeast-based product (pretzels, focaccia or grissini) or an egg-based product (sponge kisses, lemon souffle or macaroons).

The students produced the recipe, photographed their product and then wrote an article on their food product for a magazine...how great do they look!

Year 9 2D Art

The two and three-layered stencils artworks are now complete and they look amazing!  

The photos follow the artwork's journey from start to finish.

Year 10 3D Art - Kiln Beasts

Year 10 Inside Health excursion to the Danny Frawley Centre 

The Year 10 Inside Health students have been looking at mental health and organisations that assist the community in dealing with such issues, and one of these organisations is the Danny Frawley Centre, based at the St. Kilda Football Club.

During our excursion, we were fortunate enough to participate in the Play to your strengths program where the presenters took our students through a session looking at their top three character strengths and how a more positive and grateful outlook on life can have an effect on personal growth and wellbeing. This is the same program that every staff member and player completes at the St. Kilda Football Club, from the coach to the trainers. 

The students really enjoyed the experience and learnt the importance of a strong community club that provides great health services to its members and people in need from the local community.

We were even fortunate enough to meet one of the AFLW stars Erin McKinnon who, no surprise, plays in the ruck!!!     

Mr Collings