Senior School
STUDENT SHOEBOX FOR CAMBODIA
"The 2018 Mission Discovery trip was an incredible and unforgettable experience which has impacted us all, not only in our knowledge and understanding, but spiritually as well.
Although it is considered a developing country, Cambodia is filled with extravagant, historic temples, tight and cramped marketplaces and many small villages with a strong sense of community. One thing that we noticed straight away, was that many locals, especially the children, would often smile and wave at us even though we were complete strangers to them.
Although it is a beautiful country, Cambodia is still recovering from a civil war where millions of citizens, separated from their families, were forced into makeshift prison cells made from old classrooms. There they were tortured mercilessly before many were killed. It was a dark time in their nation’s history but together they have become a stronger nation.
Samaritan’s Purse has been supporting their recovery and development and we had the opportunity, during the Discovery Trip, to experience and participate in some of the projects through which Cambodian Christians were helping to improve the lives of their fellow Cambodians. The money that we have raised from fundraisers here at St Andrews is sent to Samaritans Purse where they use it for projects such as the Hope Project that was designed to provide a sustainable source of clean water through water tanks for villages or bio-sand filters (BSF) for families. We even had the opportunity of installing a few filters before sharing lunch with a village family.
Food security is also low in rural areas of Cambodia, especially for developing infants, and over 40% of their children in some areas are malnourished. SP created a recipe called ‘bor-bor’ or a type of rice porridge that contains easily accessible ingredients such as egg yolks, green vegetables and fish that provide all the required nutrients in order for the children’s bodies to grow.
However, the most memorable highlight for all of us was experiencing the sense of joy from the school children as we handed out the shoeboxes to them. (On this note, I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to fill those shoeboxes and bringing happiness to all the kids, not only in Cambodia, but all over the world.) Although interacting with all these kids was difficult due to the language barrier, our facial expressions and hand gestures were enough for us to share the laughter and delight with these beautiful children.
Highlights in our travels included; listening to inspirational testimonies regarding the power of persevering in prayer which God was using to change difficult or impossible situations; having devotions with the team of Samaritan’s Purse; trying strange foods like fried spiders, frogs, snake and grubs. From ploughing the ground, feeding the chickens and enduring the bumpy road trips, I can never fully express the fun and joy we all experienced as a team in blessing others and each other.
A special thanks to staff and parents who contributed to this journey by praying or packing a shoebox. Last but not least, thanks to God, who gave us safety throughout the journey, and the opportunity for us to see the Holy Spirit working in us and through the lives of the Cambodian people we met."
Eunice Lim Year 11E
YEAR 10 CAMP
Week 3 of this term was an exciting one for the Year 10s, as they set off to Camp Coolamatong in the Gippsland Lakes, run by Scripture Union. With God’s beautiful scenic artwork as a backdrop, the students leapt head-first into a range of water sports and other outdoor activities, along with an overnight hike. They splashed behind a speedboat on inflatable tubes, rode bikes through peaceful bushland, cooked dinner on camp-stoves, and learned to operate sail boats. It was also a wonderful chance to get to know each other better and celebrate the theme of ‘community’ through games, shared meals, and devotional times. Memories were made and relationships strengthened, both of which are sure to last for many years to come.
LEADERSHIP DAY
"On Tuesday the 12th of February, I had the privilege of participating in a leadership day. The day began with an incursion where Tim from CYC camp talked to the group about many things to do with leadership. One of the things that stood out to me were the 3 myths of leadership, knowing these myths gave me a clearer understanding of what good leadership should be. When this session concluded, we all headed to Knox for lunch together. We split into groups with Senior Leaders and Middle Leaders and competed against each other in an Amazing Race around Knox. Alex, Yunny and Mikaela won (see picture below). Overall, I had a really fun time and look forward to more opportunities like this in the future."
Kate Courtis (Middle School Captain)
DANICA'S BIG DATA CHALLENGE
"On the 22nd of February I was one of three students who had the privilege of attending Monash University's Big Data Challenge. This day consisted of approximately 80 students from schools all across Victoria that participated in one of four challenges - Actuarial Science Challenge, Business Analytics Challenge, Applied Mathematics Challenge and the Data Analysis Challenge. I chose the Actuarial Science Challenge as this was an area of study that had peaked my interest, and I thought that this challenge would be excellent exposure to what a career in this area would involve. In this challenge we were asked to create a mathematical model to demonstrate how much a person, who would be 15 in the year of 2050, should save throughout their lifetime to ensure that they had sufficient retirement funds. After the challenge, we were lucky enough to be able to listen to current students and industry professionals about their related fields and where maths at university can take you. Overall, this day was incredibly interesting, and was an amazing opportunity to see where maths can take you in the future."
Danica Dreyer Year 12
2018 VCE RESULTS
Congratulations to the class of 2018 and their results!
It is with great pleasure that St Andrews Christian College celebrates the outstanding academic results achieved by the class of 2018. Once again the school has had the largest number of students graduate in its history as well as the largest number of subject offerings made available to the 2018 students.
The top performing student, and Dux of the College for 2018, is Caleb Wu, who achieved an ATAR of 98.95! - an incredible accomplishment and one he can be proud of.
Caleb completed his entire schooling at St Andrews from Prep., all the way through to Year 12. One of the highlights was seeing how Caleb was able to reflect on the ways in which he was taught, and grew over the years, in areas that extended far beyond his academic studies.
Forty percent of our St Andrews students achieved ATARs above 80 with many being offered places at a range of universities that include: The University of Melbourne, Monash University, RMIT, Deakin, Latrobe and Swinburne in diverse disciplines such as Biomedicine and Fine Arts to Exercise and Sport Science and Business.
All staff at St Andrews are delighted to see our students successfully move on from the College and take their skills and learning to positively impact all parts of our society. Please continue to pray for these students as they transition to University.
ENGAGE AND EMPOWER
St Andrews Career Guidance and Pathways Program
At St Andrews we teach our students that each is an individual, created in the image of God with a unique purpose to fulfil as part of a great picture. I am passionate about supporting our students to reach their career goals and ensure they receive all the relevant information to help them prepare for the future.
We’ve had a great start to 2019 and have prepared a number of exciting programs and activities for our Senior School students.
From 20 to 22 March our Yr. 9&10 students will be engaged in the following programs:
Tax, Super + You - Australian Taxation Office Schools Education Program (Yr.9&10)
Optus Digital Thumbprint - (Yr. 9&10) Year 9: Explore how what we see and hear online affects what we think, feel and do and Year 10: Explore the benefits of a balanced online/offline life
Start Smart (Yr.10) - an interactive learning experience that is designed to engage students and empower them to make confident financial choices: Earning, Saving, Spending, Investing and Enterprise
VIC Roads ‘Road Smart’ (Yr.10) –the beginner driver Road Safety Education and Training Program
My Career Match (Yr.10) – the Personalised Career Report
13 June – Monash University Clayton Campus School Visit for Yr. 11&12 students
24-28 June – Yr. 10 Work Experience
St Andrews Careers Newsletter is a great resource for our students and parents. I aim to provide information about the latest offerings from universities and TAFEs, upcoming Expos, Open Days and workshops and it is inspiring to hear students’ comments about the programs and workshops that they have attended.
Our life is about glorifying God and loving one another and our careers is an extension of that. We seek to serve God and other people through our work and I look forward to another productive year and many learning opportunities it brings for St Andrews students.
Mrs Irena Yevlahova
Careers Coordinator
Bien Joué MATTHEW STEPHEN
Year 10 student Matthew Stephen has recently returned from a 12 month exchange trip to France. He represented St Andrews Christian College in a most exemplary way, receiving a special commendation Award and Letter from Southern Cross Cultural Exchange for his character, cultural sensitivity and the manner in which he conducted himself abroad. Matthew's passion to learn all about things French, it's people, life and culture has broadened his life experience and will keep him in good stead for the future. Well done Matthew, St Andrews is proud of you and you have set a high bench mark for future St Andrews exchange students following your path.
YUM! YUM!
YEAR 12 GIRLS PICNIC LUNCH
The year 12 girls put together an amazing spread for their little picnic social which was held at lunch time on Wednesday 13th February. It was a beautiful time of laughter and relaxed chatter with simply splendid food. Well done girls. Looking forward to more lunches like this.