Secondary School News

Dear Parents/Carers,

This is gentle reminder regarding our voluntary Family Financial Contributions request for 2024.

Whilst Government funding is provided to every public school to fulfil the standard Victorian curriculum, it is contributions made by parents/carers that help ensure that our can continue to offer the best possible additional opportunities, facilities, and resources to develop to foster student learning and a passion for education.

With your continued financial support, we will be able to achieve this by contributing to the cost of consumables and resources that our students require throughout the 2024 school year. Any financial contributions you make will also assist in the development and maintenance of our school programs, our library and our buildings and grounds.

You can make contributions to the school at any time via Compass course confirmation, located in the top right corner of the Compass Parent Portal. You can also contribute over the phone, or in person at the school office.

If you need any assistance with this, please do not hesitate to contact us at the office by phone 9417 6681 or via email Collingwood.co@education.vic.gov.au

If you have any queries, would like to set up a payment plan or need support for any payments, please contact our Assistant Business Manager Kristina Smith.

Angela Watters

Acting Principal

Woollangarra - School Holiday Outdoor Education Programs

Wollangarra is a small outdoor education centre situated beside the Macalister River in Gippsland, which has been sending young people aged 14-17 to the high-country mountains since 1989. When young people come on the property there are no timetables, bells, watches, or mobile phones. The living is simple and young people get the chance to discover Victoria’s mountains in small, well-supervised hiking groups.

Wollangarra is running their introductory Stage 1 programs this school holidays (Sept 23rd-27th) and is also running a 10-day extravaganza program during Term 4 (Oct 15th-25th). There is sponsored places available as well for those who need.

Want to know more - head to the website https://wollangarra.org/stage-1-%26-2-programs

Got more questions - feel free to email Annabelle (Outdoor Ed teacher at Wurun) -

annabelle.nunan@education.vic.gov.au

Aaron Jobe

HPE Teacher

Year 9 Leader

Year 9 Art Pharaoh Exhibition at the NGV

Keita Harrow and Fern Morton

On Friday the 30th of August, Alex McDonald’s Year 9 Art class went on an excursion to see the Pharaoh exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. We caught the train to Flinders Street Station, then slowly made our way to the NGV. There were numerous sections of the exhibition, which we spent our time exploring. From Egyptian art to the information written on the walls beside each exhibit, we learned a lot about ancient Egyptian history, art and culture. We even learned about the geography of ancient Egypt thanks to large maps on the walls near some exhibits.

Many students enjoyed their time at the exhibition, including Gaia Shafrir-Pyke: ‘It was so cool. It was really interesting to see sacred old artefacts in person. I wish I could go again! I would highly recommend this exhibition to anyone that is interested in ancient Egypt.’

One of our personal favourite parts of the exhibition was the ancient Egyptian jewellery, a lot of which was laid to rest with the pharaohs in their tombs. We found it fascinating that the jewellery has remained in such great condition over all these years.

Some of the highlights would, of course, be the jewellery, another that could be called a highlight was the sarcophaguses/sarcophagi. I never would have thought that we’d see one, but much to our shock, Keita and I got to see two sarcophagi.

The last highlight that should get a mention is all the statues. As many already knew, Ancient Egypt has a reputation for well-built sculptures, statues and buildings, but these just proved it.

The entire exhibition was incredibly well put-together and we enjoyed it very much, and I’m sure some of us would love to go again.

Chalkboard drawing for 7C's People of the World Main Lesson

Growth Mindset

A recent Year 7 Home Group session focussed on Growth Mindsets and included conversations and learning activities around the importance of embracing challenges as opportunities for growth, and believing that our most basic abilities and talents can be developed through effort, applying effective strategies and continuous learning.

Having a Growth Mindset relates directly to various attributes in the MYP Learner Profile such as being Open Minded, Reflective and Risk-Takers. It is important for students to understand that strength and improvement is built on failure, and that challenges (and making mistakes) is a natural part of the learning process.

This session culminated in students collaborating in groups and writing a recipe for a Growth Mindset. Great approaches to learning, Year 7 🙂

Lori Michael & Rebecca Cooper

Year 7 Home Group Teacher

IB Middle Years Programme - Professional Learning and Connections

Recently, I visited Rivercrest College with our Mathematics Learning Area Leader Mihi and teachers Simon and Geordie to learn more about the different ways to implement Mathematics into an MYP inquiry classroom. It was wonderful to have this opportunity to discuss curriculum, assessment and pedagogy with other educators within the MYP Vic/Tas Network.

I also attended the 2024 IB Schools Australasia Leadership Symposium at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre with some amazing guest speakers; one of them being Dr Adam Fraser (author of Strive: Embracing the Gift of Struggle) who highlighted the importance of normalising challenge, and tracking and celebrating progress. It was also interesting to hear Professor Matt Bower speak on teaching and learning in an AI world, and next steps for co-creating policies within school communities.

Lori Michael

Teaching and Learning Lead Teacher & MYP Coordinator

Wider-Reading

The Children's Book Council of Australia recently announced the winners from the shortlisted texts. These were exciting announcements for mainstream Year 7 students as they were eager to see if the text that they chose to read was the winner! All of the shortlisted books are available from our school library!

Please enjoy the below short Text Talk recommendation from Nina Larkins (7a) on the winning fantasy novel by Lily Wilkinson which explores friendship and was praised by the judges for its ‘strong feminist lens’.

Hunger of Thorns

‘This book is a beautiful fairytale-like story filled with blood, roses and magic. Wilkinson painted a beautiful and intricate picture that really came to life in the middle. I really recommend it for kids who want a break from reality.’

Happy holiday reading from the Secondary English Team! We encourage families to think about reading opportunities over the break and to consider audiobooks, shared readings and accessing local libraries and book shops. It would be great to start our first English session next term with students sharing what they have recently read.

Book Week 2024: Reading is Magic 🙂

Lori Michael

English Learning Area Leader

The Learner Profile

At Year 7 this year, students have been developing the Learner Profile attributes through classroom learning, but these also apply to all aspects of our lives and are central to life-long learning and being responsible members of local, national and global communities. Below are a range of ways that you can promote these attributes at home within the family. A simple approach is to model and recognise. Enjoy 🙂

The Learner Profile

Inquirers	We nurture our curiosity. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and value a love of life-long learning.	Encourage your child’s interests by visiting places such as the Local/State Library, Museum, NGV… Model being an inquirer: admit when you don’t know the answers to a problem or a question and seek out answers with your child Use the internet as a tool for inquiry and have conversations around reputable sites Discuss the role of inquiry in your personal and professional life
Open-Minded	We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, and those of other people. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.	Encourage your child to try new things - food, games, places, activities… Expose your child to different festivals, celebrations and traditions Encourage your child to listen for understanding Discuss issues and consider opposing points of view and reasons
Thinkers	We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.	Encourage your child to independently think of different solutions to problems Pose different real-life problems/questions to your child Ask your child questions when they are working on a problem: Do you have any ideas about how you will begin? Tell me about your thinking How could you do it differently? What do you notice and wonder?
Caring	We show empathy, compassion and respect. We act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.	Role-model the kind of behaviour you want to see in your child: helping others without being asked, being an active listener, acting in ways to show that you care… Reflect on the actions of characters in texts (prin/audio/film) Were they kind or caring? Recognise this quality in people’s actions
Knowledgeable	We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global decisions.	Encourage your child to make self/text/world connections with what they read/view. Include first language books/films. Ask your child what they are learning at school and engage in conversations about it: Why do you think that is an important thing to know about? Encourage your child to become familiar with current local/national/global events and issues
Principled	We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.	Discuss the importance of honesty/truth Talk about global issues and fairness/social justice Encourage your child to engage in team and independent sports/games Talk about the importance of effort over winning and being a gracious loser
Balanced	We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives - intellectual, physical and emotional - to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognise our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.	Encourage your child to participate in a wide variety of structured activities as a balance between school and leisure Discuss what you are eating with your child - is it a balanced diet? Emphasise that boredom is okay too - good for us! Put devices away Encourage your child to take timeout and go for a walk, engage with nature or read a book (Brain Breaks)
Communicators	We express ourselves confidently and creatively in different languages. We collaborate effectively, actively listening to the perspectives of other individuals or groups.	Encourage your child to stay in contact with relatives in other parts of Australia or different countries Encourage your child to explain their thinking orally or by drawing a picture Talk about what effective communication can look/sound/feel like Have family dinner-table conversations Play a game that requires a specific communication skill. e.g. Charades
Reflective	We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experiences. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.	Review your child’s report with them; talk about successes and opportunities for improvement Reflect on sport outcomes Talk about recent events/actions and what you have learned, or adjustments you would make Set goals with your child Talk about a growth mindset
Risk-takers	We approach uncertaining with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change. We see making mistakes as a natural part of the learning process.	Encourage your child to attempt new things and then reflect on it - whether they liked it and how it made them feel Discuss the difference between being a risk-taker and dangerous behaviour Recognise the learning gains that result from risk-taking and making mistakes Talk about comfort zones and the benefits of goal-setting Share your own growth stories from taking risks

Lori Michael - MYP Coordinator

INSTRUMENTS FOR SALE (updated 2 June) - Contact Person - Steve Wu

Please click on the attachment below to see a list of Stringed instruments for sale. If you

have an instrument for sale please email Steve at: fengchih.09@gmail.com

List of instruments for sale - 2 Jun 2024 (2).pdf

COLLINGWOOD COLLEGE ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM

Collingwood College is online! Feel free to follow us on:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/collingwood.college/ and like us on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/collingwood.vic.edu.au/ to keep up to date with everything that our school has to offer our students and the community.