Congratulations to all the students, staff, parents, community members, alumni and alumni parents on an amazing season of 'Rock of Ages'. This team has worked hard for months leading up to opening night, and the student performances looked effortless! Such talent, enthusiasm and commitment! Audiences were blown away by the performances, and I am so proud of them all.

Please take a moment to browse some of the highlights from the show at the end of this Bulletin.

End of term

School finishes at 1.00 pm on Friday 16th September.

General Achievement Test tomorrow 7/9

This impacts all students undertaking a Unit 3 & 4 subject. Normal classes will run for Years 7-10, but Year 11 students who do not take a Year 12 subject are not required at school.

Building Project Completion

We are finally finished!! We have a final walk through with the Department of Education project managers and the builders next week. I will publish some photos early next term, when we will hold an official opening for the buildings. It is wonderful to see our students enjoying light, airy and stimulating learning spaces. Finally our Year 12 students get to spend time in their new courtyard - and the weather is turning just in time too!

It has been an absolute pleasure working with our architects xxxxxxxxxx and builders FIIMA. A big thank you to our own project manager Lucas Williams, who has spent many many hours after school and on weekends to ensure the best possible outcome for our project. We were very fortunate to be awarded the funds to do this upgrade, and I would like to recognise John Fecondo, College Council President, for his relentless lobbying of government to obtain the funding support.

Nick's Gnocchi and Pasta

Nick’s Gnocchi and Pasta Fundraiser

We have partnered with Nick’s Gnocchi and Pasta for our first ever pasta drive. We are raising funds for our Community Engagement fund to support school-based activities, inclusive of morning teas, sausage sizzles and other lunchtime activities. Nick’s Gnocchi and Pasta is handmade with love and all orders can be delivered straight to your door (for a fee) or alternatively can be picked up from our College.

20% of the proceeds of this fundraiser will go directly to our Community Engagement fund, when you use the code ‘STHELENA’ at the checkout. All products are made fresh and distributed frozen, perfect for stocking up the freezer and Father’s Day!

Please share this with all your family and friends as anyone is welcome to order!

Our fundraiser will open from Thursday 1st September until Wednesday 14th September. Pasta can be home delivered or can be delivered to our College for pick up on Thursday 15th September and Friday 16th September.

Head to www.nicksgnocchipasta.com to order your fresh pasta order now! Any questions, please contact Caitlin Fecondo cfo@sthelena.vic.edu.au

State Schools Spectacular

We are so proud to have large number of St Helena students who have been selected to perform in the State Schools Spectacular - 2 performances on Saturday 10th of September, followed by a 90 minute broadcast of the show in Channel 7. This year's production will showcase over 3000 Victorian government school students in a performance of music, song, dance and circus acts. Many of our students are participating straight off the back of the season of Rock of Ages!

Congratulations to FOUR students participating as main cast members: Arianna K (Orchestra), Lilly V (Assistant Stage Manager), Alexia M (Principal Dancer) and Dion S (Acro Dancer).

I commend our students for being great St Helena ambassadors.

Webinars for Parents and Carers

Cyberbullying & Cybersafety

Headspace Greensborough and Austin Health Youth Engagement and Treatment Team Initiative (YETTI) will be delivering an information webinar for parents/carers and members of the community.

Topic: Cyberbullying & Cybersafety

When & Where: 15 September 2022, 5:30pm to 6:30pm via Zoom

RSVP: via Eventbrite (please note that this webinar has a participant capacity limit due to allowing time for discussion)

Cost: Free!

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/cyberbullying-cybersafety-community-information-webinar-tickets-410217249837

Navigating Screen Time and Gaming Addiction

When: Wednesday, 19 October 2022 | 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM

Location: Online (via Zoom)

Cost: Free!

https://www.nillumbik.vic.gov.au/Explore/Events-and-festivals/Events-calendar/Navigating-Screen-Time-and-Gaming-Addiction

Naked Truths #Consent

When: Tuesday, 29 November 2022 | 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM

Cost: $5, free for concession card holders

https://www.nillumbik.vic.gov.au/Explore/Events-and-festivals/Events-calendar/Naked-Truths-Consent

He’s been called the most hated man on the internet, and his vile rants have billions of views. (mailchi.mp) (click here for the weblink)

Last modified Aug 18, 2022

If you have teens on the internet, they’ve likely heard the name, Andrew Tate. Tate’s videos have recently gone viral on popular platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, with content containing abhorrent rants on pro-violence towards women, the illegitimacy of depression, and a slew of other insensitive, uneducated opinions.

For context, on TikTok alone, #adrewtate has over 12.4 billion views. But what is especially concerning to the global community is the fanbase that Tate has amassed, with other popular hashtags also receiving a staggering viewership: #andrewtateinspiration currently sits at 71.5 million views and #andrewtatemotivation at an eye-watering 144.1 million.

In contrast, hundreds of articles are being posted online, with media outlets denouncing the ‘King of Toxic Masculinity’ and calling for all content by and about him to be banned.

Tate himself is clearly a cause for concern, but he is not the first, nor will he be the last person to hold toxic views (and rant about them publicly). The problem that is understandably alarming for parents is Tate’s influence on their children. Parents are worried that his horrific attitude will corrupt their teenage sons, and adolescent girls are becoming scared of their male counterparts.

As a Clinical Psychologist and Online Safety Expert, I’m certainly not immune to the immediate anger that occurs after watching a Tate-rant, and given the amount of academically incorrect commentary he provides, I would further argue that he needs a misinformation warning linked to his posts, (but that’s another point entirely). What Tate is really seeking with his online tirades is the power that comes from eliciting this reaction. Therefore, he makes content not for the people who agree, but for those who don’t, and this is the key concept parents should remember when managing this type of situation.

Tate is nothing but an online troll with an unfortunately large platform, and remembering that the objective of an online troll is to share inflammatory posts or content with the intention of provoking viewers and thus evoking a strong negative response, their behaviour will intensify as their audience’s outrage increases. With that in mind, here are my suggestions to parents regarding the best way to approach this situation with their teens:

Stay calm and take power away from trolls

If our goal is to take power away from online trolls, then taming our own emotional response is paramount in achieving this. Remember that people like Tate are controversial for the sole purpose of eliciting anger or fear, but both you and your children can take power back by quelling this reaction.

It's important to remember that trolls often come with a fanbase of people who do not typically embody the same attitudes as the troll, but seek to jump on the rollercoaster of hype, therefore sharing the same agenda as the troll themselves. My advice for parents to share with their teens is simple: Don’t read the comments.

Enter into a non-judgemental conversation

Speak with your child about whether they’ve seen or heard any of Tate’s content and, if so, how it made them feel. In an open, non-judgmental way, genuinely explore their thoughts and perspectives. Your fears will likely subside when you learn that your child blatantly disagrees or has calmly disregarded Tate’s diatribe. Discuss the concept of trolls and how they try to use sensationalism to elicit responses.

Broaden the perspective

What worries many parents is the fear that the societal status quo has been disrupted and that, as a result, Tate’s horrific attitudes may corrupt their young and impressionable teens. However, when we take a closer look at the online articles on Tate, it becomes apparent that millions of people (teens included) who categorically reject Tate's warped perspective are not represented in the numbers. Parents can help shift the perspective of their fearful teens away from the scary hype by enabling them to realise how few people actually share the same sentiment.

Influence the algorithm

Because millions of people are viewing Tate’s content, social media algorithms are presenting more and more Tate-based subject matter. This also means that the content is likely being shown to children who aren’t actually interested in it, further increasing its reach. For parents, this can provide an excellent opportunity to empower their children by showing them how to shape their own social media algorithm to display content that supports their wellbeing. Teach them to swipe past Tate content, report it, and social platforms will learn that your child doesn’t want to see that type of content again.

Teach children to be helpful bystanders

On the back of social media hype such as this, we tend to see children going to school and playfully replicating the behaviours or attitudes of the trend in question. Bystanders play a critical role in decreasing this behaviour or ‘joke’ by creating a space where it is not accepted. Help your children practice respectfully calling out friends who pretend to share Tate’s views or, better yet, ignoring them and decreasing interest in their behaviour.

One final thought

My final point for parents to remember is that our children are shaped by our values and modelling as parents, by the teachers who support them every day, and by the society and culture of the communities in which they operate. Have faith in the important values you and your community have worked to instill in your children. Andrew Tate and his negative legacy will die out soon, but until then, your children’s positive values and healthy relationships will help weather the storm.

Highlights from the magical "Rock of Ages"

From the Principal

Dare to be Excellent

Term 3 Weeks 7 & 8 · 06 Sep 2022

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