Teaching & Learning

International Students News

International Student Club is up and running on Tuesday lunchtimes, doing a variety of activities including playing badminton and basketball!

Global Map

Thank you to Nathanie, Lauren, Jazmin, Selin and Gisele for maintaining our map of flags in the upstairs foyer. Each flag represents our students’ cultural backgrounds. If any students would like their flag represented on the map, please message Miss Crespo on Teams or tell our Global Prefects, Nathanie Hanadi and Junghoo Kim.

International Student Education Expo

In early Term 2, our school Careers Counsellor, Athena, arranged for our senior International Students to travel to an “Education Expo” at the state library of Victoria. Our international students got one-to-one course consultation with university representatives from Monash University, RMIT, Deakin University and many other educational institutions.

Our international students are all interested in pursuing varying careers, such as nursing, pharmacology, architecture, fashion design, computer science, business, and law. At the expo, they were able to ask many questions about their desired courses and get a sense of what they would need to do to achieve their dream careers.

They were rewarded with bubble tea and prizes for completing a “treasure hunt” that required them to talk to different university representatives at the expo.

Maths & Physics Tutoring for International Students

A former student and dux of our school, Kristin Zhou, is tutoring our international students to help them achieve their learning goals. Kristin achieved outstanding study scores in Physics, Maths Methods and Specialist Maths. Our Year 10 and VCE international students who have received her assistance have all said that her feedback has been immensely helpful.

Sara Crespo - Liu

International Student Coordinator

ICAS Assessments

Next term we will offer the ICAS Assessments to students in Years 7-12. ICAS Assessments are designed to recognise academic excellence. Students are assessed on their ability to apply classroom learning to new contexts using higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills. A compass post will be sent out later this term with information about how to select and pay for the ICAS Assessments. In 2024, students can participate in the following tests:  

1.      English 

2.      Mathematics 

3.      Science 

4.      Digitech 

5.      Writing. 

Amanda Tate 

English and Humanities

Japanese Club Begins 

From the first week of Term 2, the Japanese faculty at South Oakleigh College started the Japanese Club for students. For the first few weeks this Term, students have been viewing the film Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) -in the Japanese dub, of course. 

Held in one of the classrooms during Tuesday lunchtimes, the Club is for anyone interested in furthering their studies of Japanese language and culture, with plans to support students across the school to prepare for their assessment tasks during the Exam season. 

Bonnie Tynan 

Japanese Head of Learning 

Music is everything. 

As an Australian First, South Oakleigh College Music Department were featured in the World Famous "Rolling Stone Magazine" (Australia)

Please enjoy the article below. 

That’s the answer Aidan Prewett gives when asked what music means to him. “Music is life. It’s sharing,” he says. “Music is taking something that you love and not just giving it to other people, but letting them experience it, play with it and mould it to be their own thing. That’s magic.” 

For Aidan, music goes beyond just being his profession. It’s his passion. From his relaxed vibe, quirky shirts, and pure love of music, it’s easy to see how Aidan takes inspiration from the fun-loving teacher in School of Rock. 

Just like Mr. Schneebly from School of Rock, he doesn’t only teach his students about song structure and techniques, he shows them how music can shape their life beyond school – from building confidence to finding their voice. 

This is the story of how Aidan became the rockstar educator every student wishes they had.

1. Embrace Unconventionality

The first time Aidan saw the movie School of Rock, he was glued to his seat. “I sat there in that theatre and the credits were rolling and I just had to stay in that seat until the ushers came and kicked me out,” he remembers. 

So, why was he so drawn to the unconventional character teaching a bunch of kids about ‘sticking it to the man’ through Rock ‘n’ Roll? Turns out, it’s less about the music, and more about the real connection with students. “[Mr. Schneebly] is an inspiration. The way that he connects with those kids, I take that into my life every day.” 

In fact, it’s the first thing he sees as he walks into his classroom each day. “My memento is this poster from School of Rock,” he says, pointing to a larger-than-life promo of the film. It serves as the centrepiece of Aidan’s educational philosophy. “It changed my perception of what a teacher could be. I wanna be like Jack Black.” 

2. Inside a Music Lesson

After 16 years as an Instrumental Music Teacher at a secondary school in Melbourne, Aidan has his daily class schedule down pat. 

“We rock up around 8.30am, head in, and set up the classroom. Wait for the school bell, then off we go,” he starts. Each lesson begins with a bit of theory, before diving into practical performances, which Aidan admits is “one of my favourite parts.” 

“It’s always different. There’s never two performances that are the same and seeing how each different group of people forms their own dynamic and attaches themselves to a song is pretty magical.” 

3. Making the Classroom a Home

Imagine a classroom where Mozart meets Metallica, where Beethoven and Beyoncé coexist. That’s Aidan’s arena, where students don’t just follow the curriculum – they curate it. There’s no blank walls or stacks of books, either. “I started putting records up on the walls and thought, when someone tells me to stop, I’ll stop.” Nobody ever did, so he kept adding. “They gave me a little bit of budget and I was like, record player, perfect.” 

For Aidan, it’s all about creating a space that feels like home, both for himself and his students. “This place is my home,” he says. “I feel like this is where I belong. I can’t really imagine ever leaving. It’s just a beautiful place to be.” 

By creating a space where students feel free to express themselves, Aidan not only amplifies their voices but also tunes into their individuality. “It’s about letting them experience music and mould it to be their own thing,” he explains.

4. Building a Legacy Through Music

According to Aidan, a teacher’s impact lives on long after their students leave school. He’s all about setting his students up for the future, whether that’s in music or not. “Some of them are going to go off and do music, some of them aren’t,” he says. “But all of them are going to take a little bit of our classroom with them into their life… and that’s pretty cool.” 

For those kids who do take off in music, like one of Aidan’s star students who was signed by Universal Music in the US, there’s an immense pride in knowing he played a part in their education. “She’s done an album and it’s now got 75 million Spotify streams,” he says. “And she started with me, that’s amazing.” 

That said, Aidan finds equal joy in witnessing shy students taking their first steps on stage, embodying the belief that teaching is about facilitating small yet significant victories in students’ lives. 

It’s clear: Aidan Prewett doesn’t just teach music, he lives it. And his students are all better for it. 

Aidan Prewett

Music Coordinator

Debating Team 

Congratulations to our Senior Debating team for winning the Debating Association of Victoria Senior School Competition defeating Glen Waverley Secondary College by a massive 2 points ! 

It was held at Wesley College on Thursday May 9th where debaters Isavella Dimopoulos, Anna Alexopoulou and Ana Donnellon (Ana D was awarded best speaker) represented our senior team. 

JJ Syer and Sam Benson came along to support with the preparation of talks as the topic is released just 1hour before the debate. 

The 2 point win  is considered a large margin in debating which is an exceptional effort for our debating team. 

This keeps us still undefeated for the season and at the top of the ladder for our division.

Absolutely fantastic achievement to date. 

Nicholas Morlin

Debating Facilitator