News from the School of Leadership

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we enter Term 4, we’re excited to share an action-packed schedule filled with events that showcase the spirit, talent, and development of our students and community. It’s a term filled with milestones, celebrations, and memorable moments that reflect the vibrancy of life in the School of Leadership at St. Luke’s.

Year 6 ‘Become Me’ Showcase - Tuesday, November 26Our Year 6 students have been working tirelessly throughout the year on their ‘Become Me’ projects, and they are eager to share their learning with the school community at their showcase event. This showcase is an opportunity for our Year 6 students to demonstrate the skills and knowledge they’ve developed through personal projects, focusing on their passions and aspirations for the future.

St Luke’s Day - Friday, November 15

Our St. Luke's Day Celebration is a day where we honour our school's patron saint and reflect on the values that guide our community—compassion, service, and faith. The day will begin with a special liturgy, followed by a range of fun activities that bring students and staff together to celebrate our shared mission.

Year 5 CPR Incursion and Surf Life Saving ExcursionHealth and safety are integral parts of our curriculum, and this term our Year 5 students will participate in both a CPR incursion and a Surf Life Saving excursion. The CPR incursion will equip students with essential life-saving skills, empowering them to respond in emergencies. The Surf Life Saving excursion will build on this knowledge by teaching water safety in a fun, hands-on environment. These experiences are invaluable in developing responsibility, awareness, and confidence in and out of the water.

Year 7 Orientation Day - Friday, November 8Welcoming our incoming Year 7 students is always a highlight of Term 4. This year’s Orientation Day will offer our newest members of the St. Luke’s family the chance to get familiar with their new surroundings, meet their teachers, and form bonds with their peers. It’s an exciting day filled with activities designed to ease the transition into secondary school and set the foundation for a successful Year 7 experience.

A Year in Review Assembly - Tuesday, November 26As the year draws to a close, we will take time to reflect on the achievements, challenges, and growth we’ve all experienced. The Year in Review Assembly is an opportunity to celebrate our collective successes as a school. We’ll revisit some of the highlights of 2024, recognise student accomplishments, and acknowledge the efforts of staff and families in supporting our learning community. It’s a wonderful way to end the year on a high note, fostering a deep sense of pride and unity.

Year 8 Milestone Week: Purpose Statements and Great Aussie Bush Camp - Week beginning December 9Year 8 will embark on an exciting Milestone Week, where they will take part in various activities designed to challenge and inspire them. A highlight will be their Purpose Statement Pitches, where students will present their draft statements outlining their personal and academic goals for the future to panels of industry experts. Following this, students will head off to the Great Aussie Bush Camp for a three-day adventure where they’ll build resilience, teamwork, and leadership skills while enjoying the great outdoors before transitioning into the School of Entrepreneurs in 2025.

St. Luke’s Christmas Liturgy - Monday, December 16We will wrap up the term with our St. Luke’s Christmas Liturgy, a special time to come together as a community to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

With so many events on the horizon, Term 4 promises to be a vibrant and rewarding time for everyone at St. Luke’s. We look forward to sharing these moments with our students, staff, and families as we celebrate the growth, achievements, and community that define the School of Leadership.

Yr 6 Thanksgiving Liturgy and Morning Tea - Friday, November 22

Parents and Carers of Year 6 Freeman and Riley are warmly invited to the 2024 Year 6 Thanksgiving Liturgy and morning tea to be celebrated in the College Performance Hall on Friday, November 22 at 8.45am.

Please RSVP using THIS link.

Mrs Kate Kelly - Head of School, School of Leadership

A Note from The SOL Assistant Principal

Connect 7

Our Connect 7 (Year 6 into Year 7 transition program) commenced on Friday the 25th of October which saw students be placed in a new class group (for the purposes of the program), receive a timetable, and have to navigate their way through the SOE building to find their classroom. This can them an authentic experience of life as a high school student. They were so keen and enthusiastic as they lined up for their classes including English, PDHPE, Visual Arts, History, Science, and Geography. This program runs over three weeks in afternoon sessions on selected Fridays and aims to ease students into their secondary schooling transition. It also enables an increased familiarity with secondary teaching staff and specialised learning spaces, capitalising on our K-12 learning community. The teachers involved in the program give up their time to plan and teach these taster lessons as they see the value in supporting our Year 6 students, and we sincerely thank them for their generosity.

Mrs Josephine Camilleri - Assistant Principal, School of Leadership

From Years 5 and 6

My conversations with parents often reveal some of my own experience as a parent - that their children often give a grunt as a response to the question: “What did you learn today?” It can be useful to work up to it by breaking the ice with some questions that might be more interesting to them. They might also give you some insight into their social and emotional wellbeing. Have you tried any or all of these?

What made you laugh today?
Which subject was your favourite today?
What was the best part of your day?
Who did you sit with at lunch today?
What’s the most interesting thing you learned today?
What did you like most about school today?
What was the hardest thing you did today?

Mr Scott Carroll - Stage 3 Instructional Leader

Stage 3 Stories…

Year 5 students engaged in CPR Training this week. It’s wonderful to see students feeling empowered and prepared for a potential emergency.

Confirmation

Ten students from Year 6 Riley celebrated a special milestone over the weekend as they completed their Confirmation. Surrounded by family and friends, the students participated in a meaningful ceremony, marking their commitment to their faith and personal growth. Each student had prepared for this moment through months of learning and reflection, deepening their understanding of the values they will carry forward. The church was filled with joy and pride as the community came together to support these young people on their spiritual journey.

From Year 7…

Miss Rowena Chand- Year 7 Wellbeing Coordinator

Technologies

Year 7 are continuing on with the creation of their Downforce Racers. Students are exploring the concepts of aerodynamics , force , lift and drag, and using the knowledge to create a downforce racer. Year 7 are using adobe to create a design that will then be laser cut ready for them to construct. Once completed the students will race them using an anchor point to see who has created the fastest car .

In Year 7TEC4, students are building on their coding skills by constructing EV3 Lego robots, a hands-on project that combines programming and engineering. After learning foundational coding concepts, they are now applying these skills to control their robots, programming them to complete challenges on a variety of courses. Each course presents unique obstacles, requiring students to adapt their code and problem-solve as they go. This activity not only enhances their understanding of coding logic but also fosters teamwork and critical thinking, giving them a fun and interactive way to see their programming in action.

Creative Arts - Art and Music

In Music, students are exploring how melodies are used to create a story. We started by examining character themes and advertisements to understand how short musical ideas can be crafted into memorable and recognizable melodies. In addition to listening skills, students have been developing their compositional skills through performance activities using technology and notation software. For those who wish to practice at home, one of the activities we’ve been working on involves applying these skills to create an iconic melody that tells a story or conveys an idea related to a product. Below is an example of this activity, where Year 7 students have notated a well-known theme.

HSIE

This term students are learning about the lure of Ancient Egypt and why it still has people fascinated thousands of years later. Exhibitions and events continue to draw people in. Students are encouraged to think about what is so interesting about Ancient Egypt and why it continues to draw audiences. One such event has been the VR experience at Homebush. Available through December, it is a fantastic experience for young people to engage in history.

PDHPE

Thanks to Mr Bettiol for organising a NRL workshop for Year 8 PDHPE students. The workshop is a preview to the PE unit ‘Field Games and Team Sports’ which all classes will commence from Week 6.

Students enjoyed playing modified games that required the skills of rugby league such as agility, teamwork, speed, reaction time and coordination. Here are some photos from 8 Navy:

Year 8 will now spend the next few lessons preparing for the St Luke’s Health Expo, where they will be playing the role of health promotion officers. In small groups, students have selected a health issue that is relevant to Year 7. Year 7 classes have then been invited to participate in the Expo to increase their knowledge and understanding of the issue, and make informed decisions in the future. We look forward to sharing this work in the next issue of The Net.

Year 8 PDHPE Teachers

Italian

Can we learn a new language without understanding its culture?

In Italian, students have started learning about the different regions, cities, and monuments of Italy. From il Colosseo di Roma to il Duomo di Milano, they are exploring Italy's landmarks and learning to differentiate between Northern and Southern Italy. Students were pleasantly surprised to discover that Verona, Italy, is home to a famous tourist attraction: the house of Juliet!

By learning Italian and its rich culture, students are not only enhancing their language skills but also gaining valuable insights that will open doors to travel, career opportunities, and global connections later in life.

From Year 8…

Students in Year 8 have been welcomed back full of enthusiasm and excitement as they head into their final Term of the SOL. In the coming weeks, further information will be shared with students and families regarding the end of year camp, which we are all very excited about. This camp is the culmination and celebration of four challenging yet rewarding years in the SOL, along with their Purpose Statements pitches, which represent their Milestone Week. I, along with all SOL teachers and leaders, am looking forward to working with and supporting our brilliant young men and women in Year 8 during their final term of the SOL, as they move towards the SOE.

Mr Zaccaria - Year 8 Wellbeing Coordinator

Life Design

Term 4 brings our students to their Capstone Presentations! A celebration of their Stage 4 Life Design journey culminating in presenting a Draft Life Purpose Statement to a panel of external guests in a unique, engaging way. These will take place on 9 & 10th December - more details closer to the event. Each student will explore a range of possible ways to present in a way that is truly unique to them through the Bookshelf of Me activities. This will lead into a recap of their SIM and prototyping what their Purpose might look like in the coming years.

Science

This term in science students in year 7 have been exploring the topic of forces. Students have been engaging in a range of hands-on activities to explore the topic of forces and explore the effects of Newton’s laws on the behaviour of objects. Activities that they have participated in include the creation of balloon racers and investigations involving electrostatics. Students are collaboratively working towards the design of an efficient parachute to overcome the force of gravity and slow its landing.

English

This term in English, students will delve into the life and times of William Shakespeare. Within this unit of work, students will come to appreciate the way in which Shakespeare shaped the English language, storytelling and has created some of the most formidable characters in literature to date.

Following this, students will be visited by The Players from Bell Shakespeare who bring Shakespeare to life in schools through dynamic live performances and engaging workshops.

Technologies:

Microbits and its usefulness in our daily lives: Students are building their skill set in Block and Python coding. They are writing Block codes in the online app- Makecode and testing the codes in their hand-held Microbit. Students are also learning to solve coding problems through collaboration. They will use their learnt skills to solve a real-world problem using code and Mircobit

Creative Arts - Art and Music

Visual Arts

Students have been working towards finalising their food sculptures inspired by the artistic practice of Patiane Stevenson. Students used a combination of cardboard, paper maché and acrylic paints to replicate their deliciously delectable delights. Next up, students will be diving into the digital art making. They will get to know Adobe Photoshop and create hybrid creatures to become their very own Pokémon pals.

HSIE

Students are currently learning about how we can use sources to investigate significant events of the past, in this case it is the Black Death. Students are being asked to reflect on Covid and what sources there will be about Covid to help future historians understand that significant event. Students are doing a wonderful job developing their skills of using sources.

Reminders:

The Net

Term 4 Week 4 2024

Issue 9 · 07 Nov 2024

In this issue