Faculty News
LOTE Greek
Celebrated on the first Sunday of September each year, Father's Day in Australia is a special day dedicated to honouring and appreciating fathers and father figures.
Junior School Greek LOTE Department celebrated Father's Day with a series of engaging activities for students from Prep to Year 5.
In the Prep to Year 2 classes, students practiced relevant vocabulary related to fathers and father figures, while creating colourful cards that captured their affection. The young learners delighted in using words such as "supportive," "funny," and "caring" to describe their dads.
Meanwhile, students in Years 3 to 5 focused on enhancing their adjective usage as they crafted thoughtful cards, incorporating descriptive language that highlighted the unique qualities of their fathers. The joy and creativity on display were truly heartwarming, and the students took pride in presenting their heartfelt messages to their dads and showing their appreciation to them. Overall, the activities fostered a sense of community and gratitude, making Father's Day a memorable occasion for all involved.
Natasha Spanos
VCE Academic Leader LOTE
Orthodox Christian Studies
With a sense of excitement and joy we are anticipating the upcoming visit of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I to Melbourne from the 12th to the 14th of October 2024. This visit marks a significant occasion as we celebrate the centenary of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia since its establishment in 1924.
His All-Holiness, often referred to as the "Green Patriarch," is renowned for his leadership in environmental stewardship and his commitment to preserving God's creation. In anticipation of this historic event, our Junior School students are engaging in meaningful learning activities to deepen their understanding of His All-Holiness and his impactful work.
In Prep, students are beginning to identify and connect with the Patriarch's role in caring for God's creation, recognising the importance of environmental responsibility. Students in Years 1, 2, and 3 will delve into the symbolism of the Patriarch's vestments and learn about the significance of his role in global Orthodoxy. Our Year 4 and 5 students will take their learning a step further by exploring the Patriarch's leadership within the Hierarchy of the Orthodox Church. They will reflect on how his work inspires them to strive for personal greatness and spiritual growth.
We look forward to this momentous occasion and the opportunity it provides our students to connect with their faith and the work and role of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I within the Church and the world.
V. Pavlidou & E. Fanaritis JS Orthodox Christian Studies Teachers.
Mrs V. Pavlidou and Miss E. Fanaritis
Orthodox Christian Studies Teachers
Debating
Our third Annual Interhouse Debating Competition saw more Year 6, 7 and 8 students than ever before compete, inspired by the previous performances of their older peers. They argued on topics like
- That the voting age should be lowered to 16
- That the school day should run from 10.00am to 4.30pm
- That the government should build as much new social housing as possible
...and many more fascinating points of contention.
Best of all (and unlike what we see in the modern clickbait-saturated news media), our students presented, listened and rebutted between teams with respect and logic, coming to clever and nuanced conclusions. The two dominant senior teams from Rose House faced off against one another in front of a crowd of hundreds, while the overall victory belonged to Fraser House, for their very first time!
I am so incredibly proud of the preparation, teamwork and school spirit displayed by our wonderful debaters. I can't wait for more in 2025!
Leigh Gridley
Year Level Leader (Years 8 & 9), Debating Coordinator
Science
Year 10 Excursion to Monash University
On Thursday 12 September, we took the Year 10 cohort on an excursion to Monash University. We are currently studying genetics and evolution and the opportunity arouse for us to visit the biological sciences wing.
Throughout the day students were treated to interactions with lecturers, PhD students and educators all experts in their chosen field of study. Students started off together learning about Natural Selection and the formation of new species from common ancestors. They were asked to place different species into a phylogenetic tree based on their morphological similarities and differences.
Students then went on a tour of the Australian native trees that had been planted around the campus and learnt about the different adaptations each had to survive in their given environment. This opened the door to great discussion and learning opportunities.
Students then had an opportunity to look at skulls of human ancestors and place them in order based on key structural features which would have evolved over hundreds of thousands of years base don environmental pressures such as food availability, predators and climate.
Students finished off their visit by hearing from three PhD students who shared their research they were working on for their final submission. They were extremely passionate and gave our students a glimpse into the world of academia.
All in all, it was an excellent excursion and beneficial for many students.
Mr Manoj Patel