House Updates

Apollo

WE MADE IT. The term has come to an end, and here we are, halfway through another busy school year full of excitement. This term was filled with moments of pure competition and connectedness, so here’s a little overview of what went down! 

Sport Update!

We’ve won all our GBA games however in the finals, we lost by one point! I’m proud of people who’ve played in the games; HM to Emmanuel Joice for being GBA’s MVP. We also came 3rd in Push Up Challenge, I am still proud of all who participated. We have netball next term so sign up if you can: Netball Sign Up Apollo. Can’t wait to see Apollo win. - Merrita, your sports captain C:

Music

FIRST THING’S FIRST, let’s go back to May 10, the bright sunny morning of Chorals. With the dedication and outstanding achievements of our talented Apollo musicians, we had managed to bring in SECOND PLACE. We would also like to thank each and every member of Apollo for their participation and passion when singing their hearts out to Stitches and Benson Boone. We also can’t forget the hard working behind-the-scenes organisation by our lovely Chorals captain, Sachiv!

Arts

It’s been a crazy term for the arts events, with chorals, house dance, and house art all packed in the 11 week span. 

House dance concluded early this term with a performance that showcased both elegance and power through a range of dance styles. Although the process came with its share of challenges, the perseverance and sheer determination that our team displayed in the face of adversity to simply push through and keep the show running was incredible to see. A massive thank you to our performers, as well as our lovely tech crew who facilitated our props and costume changes. 

More recently, House Art saw an impressive showcase of artworks and pieces crafted by the artists of Apollo under this year's theme. Each year I am blown away by the level of workmanship each of the pieces are made with, and this year was no exception. Across all mediums, ranging from drawing to painting to textiles, we saw an admirable collection of works that demonstrate both skill and passion. Shoutout to Lucy Le (Ladybird Walk) and Jaden Tran (Circus in a Tranquil Creek) for winning judges choice awards. 

Looking forward, we have both our scripted and devised House Drama teams working around the clock, with our performance construction well underway for next term. It’s been a jam-packed term, but we’ve managed to power through, and I could not be more proud of you all. Over the break, take the opportunity to celebrate the wins, rest and recharge, and come back even stronger for next term! 💚

Your House Art Captain, Vanalika

Apollo Leadership Team, Vishesh and Chinwe 💚💚

Blackwood

Hey Knights!!!

We are almost at the end of Term 2, and we hope that everyone has been doing well and (hopefully) not too burnt out yet, but we are about to get to our well-deserved mid-year holidays! Before the holidays start though, we have a few words from our domain captains on some of the achievements we’ve made this term so far aside from Chorals and House Dance!

Blackwood absolutely smashed it in this year’s Push-Up Challenge, finishing miles ahead of the competition with a total of over 1000 push-ups. A big thank you to everyone who participated, the turnout was huge and so was the effort! Massive shoutout to Alexis from B5 for her fantastic participation and contribution throughout the challenge.

The challenge was part of a national initiative to support mental health awareness, and it was great to see so many people getting involved. Whether you did 5 push-ups or 67, every bit of effort helped.

Well done Blackwood!

- Gurleen, B4 (Blackwood Initiatives Captain)

Following a jam packed term, we were finally able to give our Blackwood students some quiet mindfulness during our first Wellbeing Vertical Flex of the year on the 18th of June. We, the wellbeing captains, planned this session with the hopes of allowing our fellow students the opportunity to unwind and connect casually within their home groups. Beginning the lesson with a respectful nod to Men’s Mental Health Week, students were able to take some time to themselves and quietly colour or draw, or join in on larger collaborative groups running games like celebrity heads. We look forward to more such sessions throughout the year as it was great to see both the students and teachers having such relaxed, constructive fun in their homegroups amidst the chaos of schooling.

- Namira, B5 (Blackwood Wellbeing Captain)

Congrats to all artists who participated in House Art this year!!

All the pieces were incredible and I'm so proud of you all for participating. 💙💙

A special shoutout to our incredible Judge's Choice winners Aishani Chandla ('Skin Beside Silence') and Angeline Brillouett ('Me doing chores')!!

Despite coming 3rd in judges' vote, we came 2nd in people's choice which is a fantastic feat and is one to be celebrated. ⚔️ 💙

- Zyna, B7 (Blackwood Arts Captain)

(Blackwood House Art Photos)

Looking back on this year so far, we couldn’t be prouder of how far we’ve come as a house. From our unity and energy in Chorals and House Dance to the commitment shown in the Push-Up Challenge and the win in GBA by our Year 12’s, Blackwood has continued to grow stronger, louder, and closer together with every step.

We’ve built something special. We’ve built a house where people support each other, show up, and give it their all, no matter the challenge. It’s not just about winning (though we’ve done plenty of that with way more to come!) It's about the Blackwood spirit that shines through in everything we do.

To every person who’s shown up, contributed, and made Blackwood what it is; we’re incredibly proud of you. And this is just the beginning.

Let’s keep pushing. Let’s keep growing. And let’s keep making Blackwood the house to beat. 

This will be the last newsletter before next term’s, therefore the Blackwood Leadership Team would like to wish everyone a restful break and to take some time away from studies, and gear up for an amazing and packed Term 3!!

From your House Captains, Rachel and Rishit :)

Kororoit 

Term 2 comes to a close, and Kororoit is still putting in the WORK! 

(Kororoit House Art Photos)

In House Art, we saw so many creative and talented students pour their heart and soul into creating these beautiful works. While we may have placed 4th in the people’s vote, coming 2nd place in the judges vote is an incredible accomplishment and we want to thank all the artists for their hard work, time, and effort; we couldn’t be prouder of all of you and the passion you brought into the event.

In the meantime, our actors, producers, and directors have been hard at work, as House Drama workshops and meetings have slowly been building momentum behind the scenes. So expect some something truly unforgettable and exciting to hit the stage next term. 

Term 3 will undoubtedly decide which house takes the cup in this close and competitive race, with events such as House Drama, Debating, Chess, Clean up Cory, and many others. So have an AMAZING break Kororotians, rest up, and we hope to see you next term bringing the FIRE!!! 🔥🔥🔥

Humble in spirit, champions by nature,

Audrey & Sahnan

❤️‍🔥🐉

Rothwell

Welcome to the end of Term 2, a long awaited holiday for our hardworking Rothwellians has finally arrived. Can we just start off by congratulating all our amazing artists that carried us to victory with House Art? Being first in both categories is definitely something that cannot be undermined. It is so wonderful to see the rich enthusiasm showcased by our members and the artistic talent, patience and creativity displayed was so tuff. 

On a similar note, seeing the determination and grit of our local gym rats in the push-up challenge was also quite spectacular. Rather than training for our winter arc, it seems like we are training for our summer, spring, autumn AND winter arc. It's amazing to see that we have collectively banked an insane 41,800 push ups!! WTHelly?? But if we really think about it, this just might be a sign for us to keep pushing in our other events too!!

For those feeling a bit empty after this hectic term, don’t worry as next term only gets better!! Our amazing house drama actors have been working hard behind the scenes to help bring us to victory. Keep an eye out for more upcoming fun house events e.g house chess, senior debating etc, that you might want to join! 

Lastly, just a reminder for everyone to take it easy over the break and finally catch up on some well-deserved sleep. We hope that everyone stays safe and healthy, and comes feeling revitalised and rejuvenated. More importantly, ready to bring back the spirit. Third place is still within our grasp, remember the House Cup is a marathon, not a sprint! Let’s lock in for the last few events!! 

#Fightfightfight #GoRothwell

Rothwell Leadership Team, Arthur and Olivia 

Humble in spirit, champions by nature,

Audrey & Sahnan 🐉❤️‍🔥

Rothwell

Hope you’ve all had an amazing Term 2 so far.  I know the year 11s and 12s have been bombarded with SACs, and the 9s and 10s with tests respectively. Term 2 has certainly been quite hectic, with Chorals in week 3 and House Dance just last week. With all our efforts, despite the outcome, the Rothwell leadership have been nothing but proud. You guys are so amazing!

In the past few weeks, Rothwell won Active April for the 5th year in a row, thanks to all of your hard work. We are so proud to see everyone’s joint and collective efforts, I guess the gainmaxxing actually did happen. Not only this, but Rothwell also came 🥇FIRST🥇 during the alumni week, where many of you got to connect with the Rothwell family tree and learn from many of their personal experiences.

With Chorals being a few weeks ago, you guys have put up a stellar performance in each event. The contrast between everyone’s loud, bright voices during mass singing compared to the near deafening silence during the interim, had us tongue-tied. What can I say? Silence is truly golden 😉. The choir, rock band and instrumental teams also put up inspiring performances, showcasing the sheer talent of our house!!

The house dance team last Friday also can’t be undermined. The incredible display of skills and the raw emotion put into the routine was just spectacular!! 

We, as the Rothwell leadership team, truly believe that this year has been one of Rothwell’s strongest years. Each one of you approached these house events with such passion and commitment, an undeniable fact, regardless of what the results might say.

Before we sign off, we want to thank you guys for everything you’ve done this year so far. While it may seem like the other houses are leap years ahead of us, it's still not over yet...  Believe it or not, there are still enough points for Rothwell to show the other houses that we are not to be underestimated. Trust, we as a house can still regain our aura 🤑🤑. Lets keep up the good work!!

Fight Fight Fight!

The Rothwell Leadership team, via Arthur and Olivia