Senior School News
Senior School Formal
Our Year 11 and 12 VCE and VCAL students are looking forward with eager anticipation to next month’s 2018 Patterson River Secondary College Senior School Formal. The formal has been an annual social event at our College for over thirty years and provides our students with an opportunity to dress to impress and hit the dance floor. Preparations have been intense with dresses being purchased on-line and shipped from the USA and competition for appointments at spray tan salons fierce.
This year the formal has moved to a new venue in the Peninsula Room at the Mornington Racecourse from 6.30 pm – 10.30 pm on Friday, 15 June. The event costs $75 and can be purchased on line at https://senior-school-formal.eventbrite.com.au. Tickets are strictly limited to 300 and can be purchased up until Friday, 8 June or until sold out.
Mr Leigh O'Brien
Senior School Program Manager
Monash Mentoring Program
At the end of 2017, I was chosen as a candidate for the Access Monash Mentoring program. This program is through Monash University and Victorian Secondary Schools where they will interview university students and carefully select students to be mentors for year 11 & 12 students. These mentors then meet with their student mentees every two or so weeks (I meet mine every two weeks) within their school to give them tips and advice for studying effectively, being organised, supportive, and managing life and school for year 11 and 12. My Monash Mentor Is Chloe Tran Nguyen and she is a global studies student at Monash. I meet with her every two weeks in the senior centre where we will talk about my strengths, weaknesses and what I can do to work harder, achieve better marks and balance life and school. This program has opened up career links, Shadowing Monash students, going to lectures and programs the university runs and offers for VCE students like the road to medicine seminar Chloe informed me about. Even though we have only had a few meetings, the information Chloe has given me and links she opened up have been extremely beneficial in how I study and how I manage and balance my week without getting stressed. I absolutely love my mentor and cannot wait for what’s to come in the program and the future.
Sarah Curtis Year 11
Overnight Zoo Camp
The Year 10 Advanced Biology class headed off to Melbourne Zoo after school on Tuesday 1st May. At the Zoo we were greeted by Sarah and Steph, our hosts for the night. We walked into the camp area, had some introductions and set up our tents. We were then put into the groups we would be working with that evening. The groups all had animal names: frogs, parrots, mice and Tasmanian devils. We had to find our fellow group members by closing our eyes and making the sounds of our animals.
After dinner we went on a night walk around the Zoo. During this tour we walked to many different animal enclosures. The animals we visited included the elephants, giraffes, zebras, lions and tapirs. The lions were very interested in our group as we sat and listened to some great stories told by Sarah and Steph. We participated in some vocal enrichment with the elephants by singing and humming to them and got to feed them. We also got to have some up close encounters with a snake, a lizard and a tortoise. Once our tour was finished it was time for bed.
In the morning we woken by songs from The Lion King. We packed up our tents and had breakfast before another walk around the Zoo. We fed some nectar to the birds in the aviary. After we said goodbye to Sarah and Steph we got to walk around the Zoo. We investigated some different animal adaptations, listened to some keeper talks and saw the seals do a little performance. We sung our way home on the bus.
We all had so much fun at our camp!
Tanya Sheehan and Amisha Kumar
Biology - Monash University Visits: Bioeyes
During the last week of April, the Year 10 Advanced Biology and Year 11 Biology classes had the privilege of having an educator from Monash University school of Biomedical Sciences visit.
A weeklong, hands-on science project that uses live zebrafish was presented to the students. The program offered exemplary science curriculum in cell biology, genetics and the scientific method.
On the first day, the students collected a mating pair of fish and observed their behaviour with each other. By day 2, the female had laid eggs; they had been fertilized and were able to be collected by the students. The resulting embryos were viewed under the microscope. Over the course of the next few days, the students observed the embryos develop from a single cell to a swimming larva, with a beating heart and a distinct pigmentation pattern.
Students were able to learn about human and fish anatomy, cells and DNA. At the end of the week, they were able to analyse their results and discuss the mode of inheritance of zebra fish pigmentation. The experience was invaluable, thoroughly enjoyed by all students, student teachers and staff.
Ms Julie Woodroffe
Plain English Speaking Competition
On the 29th of May, Aaryan Kulkarni and Hattie McFadden attended the Plain English Speaking Award at Toorak College. The competition focused on two parts; a prepared speech and an impromptu speech. Both students did extremely well in their prepared speeches, scoring very highly. They came up against tough contestants from Frankston High School, Toorak College, Saint Peters College and Woodleigh School. Speaking passionately about the defence force and gun law reform, both Aayran and Hattie made our College proud. Even the adjudicators congratulated the “future winner of the competition”: Aayran!
Well done, Hattie and Aayran!
Mr Jason Vellios & Ms Jane Lewis
White Card Induction Training
Patterson River Secondary College is very happy to have to been able to offer – Prepare to Work Safely in the Construction Industry – Construction Induction Course (White Card) to twenty of our Year 10 students.
This qualification is required by anyone working on or visiting a building site however, more and more employers are requesting that students have this certification before being accepted for work experience (regardless of the trade). The course was offered as an intensive one day workshop run here at school.
Trainer Liam commented that the students were well behaved and very pro-active throughout the day. Although certificates of attainment and actual white cards will be sent to all participating students to confirm Liam believes that all students have been successful.
Ms Sharon Smith
Careers / Pathways Coordinator
Senior Boys Baseball - Zone Finals
On Tuesday May 1st the Senior Boys Baseball Team headed to Cheltenham Baseball Club to play in the zone finals.
The team had been training every week and a staff-student game the week prior to sharpen their hitting and fielding skills.
The zone final had 2 pools with 3 teams each. Traditionally the strongest schools are the ones who are close to a baseball club and this time we were against McKinnon HS and Hallam HS. Both schools beat us convincingly in the same event last year and the boys were wary.
Some timely advice from Match Day Coach Mr Cashmore about shortening up the swing and only swinging at strikes settled the boys in the dugout before the game.
As the home team we took the field first. Aiden McKenna, behind the dish, did an outstanding job as catcher. Cody Smith, fresh from inclusion into the State and National U23 Softball squads took to the mound and opened as pitcher.
Chris Hall, Daniel Tempkin, Zac Togyer, Caiden Ali and Mateo Suito made up the infield. With Lachlan Wild, Lucas Blom, Thomas De Haas, Seth Hughes and Lucas Prattico patrolling the outfield across the games.
Great hustle and some infield outs to our team saw McKinnon only score 1 run. Chris Hall, not the typical size for a first base player, chased an errant throw behind first base and the runner foolishly took on Chris’s arm and headed to second. Chris made a great throw and our most experienced baseball player, Caiden Ali, made the tag and the team had set the benchmark for giving the opposition “nothing”.
Leading off batting is always tough but Cody Smith showed the lads how to be patient in the batting box by waiting for the strikes. The team mantra, “don’t strike yourself out” was followed as we got runners on the bases with “walks” and a ground ball by Aiden scored our first run.
After 2 innings the game was only two runs separating the teams until Lucas Blom stepped into the batting box with 2 runners on base at the bottom of the third innings.
Lucas saw a pitch he liked and caught the centre fielder out of position as the ball went like a bullet over his head and Lucas charged around 1st, and checking in saw the fielder had not yet picked up the ball headed to second, third and then finally waved home by Mr Cashmore at 3rd base to score an exciting 2RBI (his hit scored 2 other runners), in the park, home run! Pretty rare in any level of baseball.
Patterson River were now well up Daniel Tempkin came in to pitch the last innings to McKinnon. They got a couple of “junk time” runs but the game time was well and truly up.
Patterson River SC 9 McKinnon SC 3
A great effort and a great reward for the training and commitment these guys have made to training over the last 2 years and the Senior Boys Baseball Team.
In the second game against Hallam SC the team met their match. We scored some runs and made some good outs but a couple of simple errors and the Hallam SC team full of baseball players from the established clubs made us pay.
Final Result
Patterson River 1 Hallam HS 13
This Senior Boys baseball team made it all the way to the zone finals without playing a match but their win against a team that had won their way into the finals showed we deserved to be there.
By the way, Hallam HS went on to win the Zone final against Melbourne HS 18-0.
Thanks to Mr Cashmore for taking the team on the day.
Mr John McLoughlin
Team Coach