Secondary

Mr Chris Graham

Assistant Principal (Secondary)

Can you ever break a Toyota Corolla?

Like many families, we’re a two car family. One of them is a 2005 Toyota Corolla with approx. 360,000 kilometres. It’s a car that we regularly think, ‘maybe it’s time to replace’. However, it never seems to really die. Some of the sillier/tougher things our car has been through include:

• Driving up and down a 4WD track 
• Crossing a creek (or two, or three?)
• Being ‘accidentally’ filled with diesel petrol, continuing to drive (be it ever so clunky) until the tank was empty, then being filled again with unleaded and continuing as if nothing had ever happened. 
• Driving interstate - approx. 24 hours of continuous driving. 
• Being taken on holidays where every square centimetre was filled with things, including using roof racks to pack the top of the car.
• Having minimal amounts of money spent on it (i.e. It isn’t regularly serviced)

Yet despite all this ‘tough love’ (or some may say neglect?!), its age and the number of km’s; it continues to drive. We can’t seem to justify replacing it. Contrast this to one of our other cars (that we only had for 18 months). I decided that it was time to be a ‘big boy’ and get a nice/reliable car; we chose an Alfa Romeo 159 Ti. This was a really nice-looking car, it was a nice car to drive and was supposedly a reliable car; however, this was not my experience. Maybe mine was a lemon? This car was only ever driven responsibly, but constantly seemed to have issues. After spending $6000 on maintenance within 12 months, we decided to sell it. In a similar way, often the best forms of study is one like the Corolla; one that isn’t flashy, doesn’t always look good but one that does the hard yards and gets you from A to B with all your luggage. 

In a recent year 10 PE class, students were revising for our upcoming anatomy assessment. The students had to remember the names of the bones, the types of bones, the types of joints and anatomical movements. One of the students stated, ‘I’ve finished’, meaning that she’d completed her booklet. My reply was, ‘good, now you need to play with the information and get it stuck in your head - to actually study’. She then asked if she could have a mythical USB and plug it into her nose and download all the information into her brain? Often times, we need to do the mundane, the ‘boring’, the hard yards, the things that don’t look good, that aren’t flashy in order to achieve. Studying is definitely one of those things. Studying in this manner often leads us to realize that we have a much greater capacity to carry far more info that we initially gave ourselves credit for. 

As our VCE students are in the process of finishing all their topics, studying becomes increasingly important. Our College offers many places, tips, programs and people that can help students do this. If they ever need a hand, all they need do is ask. 

Ms Melissa D'Amico

Deputy Head Secondary (Middle School Culture)

Semester Two Leaders

It is with great pride and enthusiasm that we take a moment to celebrate the extraordinary individuals who are our student leaders. These dedicated young men and women hold a vital role within our community, shaping the very essence of Aitken College’s vibrant culture.

Congratulations to the following students who taken up Semester 2 Class Captain and Sustainability Leader roles:

Year 7 House Competition

On Friday 4 August, the Year 7 students participated in the academic house competition called the “BrainPower Hour.” 

During the exhilarating BrainPower hour, our enthusiastic Year 7 students engaged in a whirlwind of intellectual challenges and creative activities. Over the course of a single hour, they showcased their diverse talents across six captivating events. With a keen eye for detail, they skillfully identified flags from around the world, demonstrating their global awareness. In a linguistic feat, they seamlessly translated Indonesian phrases, highlighting their language prowess. The riveting 'Numbers Game,' reminiscent of TV's Countdown, put their mathematical acumen to the test. Mindful colouring allowed them to unleash their creativity while finding solace in the present moment. Scientific curiosity took centre stage as they contested a stimulating quiz, showcasing their knowledge and analytical thinking. They also played Scattergories, where they effortlessly generated examples across a myriad of concepts. The Year 7 students not only exhibited their intellectual agility but also their teamwork and adaptability, making the BrainPower hour a truly memorable and enriching experience.

A big thank you to Mr Ben Lawless for his organisation of the event and to teachers who worked with the students on the various activities. 

Mr Dean Taylor

Deputy Head of Secondary (Senior School Culture)

VCE VM

This term has been a very busy one for our VM students here at Aitken. As part of  their community connection, the students have hosted the senior citizens from Pascoe Vale Retirement Village for an afternoon tea and College Musical preview The guests were escorted and entertained by our students, who had planned the refreshments and set up the event with flourish. The VM VCE classes are also collaborating on creating a Cook Book for students. They are doing this with the assistance of Ms. Garlick. The students are testing their recipes and working out the costing of each recipe as part of their Numeracy Unit.  The classes are also working through the logistics of planning a Race Around Melbourne. These activities allow for their applied learning to be showcased and extended. Our students are showing maturity and aptitude in all of these activities.

Elpis Vlahopoulos

Head of Faculty – English (Shared) / Peer Coach