Around the College 

Outdoor and Environmental Studies

What a time to be alive for our VCE Outdoor & Environmental Studies students! A brand new offering at Nazareth in 2024, it is certainly immersing our students in many amazing opportunities. 

Outdoor Adventure Experiences have already included: 

• snorkelling sessions at Rickett’s Point Marine Sanctuary, 
• a Surfing Day at Phillip Island's Smith’s Beach, 
• Rock Climbing sessions at Bayside Rock and,
• to finish off the term, a snorkelling day in Port Phillip Bay - including swimming alongside a pod of dolphins. 

All of this whilst teaching and learning about Victoria’s Natural Environments. What incredible adventures our Outdoor and Environmental Studies students are experiencing at Nazareth! 

Stay tuned throughout the year, as more highlights from camps and adventure experiences are shared with you all.

Mr Adam Cooper

VCE Outdoor Ed & Environment teacher

SIS Big Night

A number of our Performing Arts students recently took part in the SIS Big Night 2024. This event took place at The Drum Theatre in Dandenong, where students from member schools are invited to show their music and dance talents.

Mr Simon Landid 

Instructional Leader Performing Arts

Visual Arts

Art Making and Exhibiting

This term Year 10 and VCE Unit 1 Art Making and Exhibiting students had the privilege of attending the 2024 Top Arts Exhibition at the Ian Potter Centre and the Triennial at the National Gallery of Victoria – International. Students had an insightful viewing of the 2023 exhibiting students’ folios that gave them an excellent example of the detailed, thorough expectations of assessed folio outcomes in VCE. The Top Arts exhibition displayed a diverse range of artworks, art mediums and display methods. At the National Gallery of Victoria – International, students were given a tour of the Triennial Exhibition with a specific focus on art by First Nation Australian artists and artworks as well as the considerations made by art curators in the display of artworks and the layout for such a large exhibition. 

The enjoyable day provided Art Making and Exhibiting students with an abundance of knowledge and a first had experience in viewing local and international artworks.

Ms Mary Green

Art Teacher

VCE Visual Communication Design (Unit 3)

As part of their Outcome 1 assessment, VCE Visual Communication Design (VCD) Unit 3 students were provided the opportunity to practise some of the techniques used by contemporary designers from different fields of design practice. This quick change from the theory dominant aspect of the assessment, allowed students to think and work like their chosen designers. Many worked using traditional methods, such as drawing, but others decided to work digitally or make a 3D prototype to bring their drawings to life. Please, take a look at the great work below. 

Mr Rosario Ripper

Instructional Leader Visual Arts

Year 10 English - Foundation Incursion

On 4 March, the students of Mr Indge’s Year 10 English Foundation class were blessed by author Steven Herrick’s gracious company. The class had been studying the novel 'Bogan Mondrian', one of the many works written by Steven Herrick when surprisingly he was in town to welcome the idea of entertaining the classes thoughts and questions of the novel. He expressed his own experiences revolving around the theme of domestic violence in which was represented via the main heroine, Charlotte. The realistic and somewhat fluid way he’d written the environment that surrounded Luke, the supposed 'Bogan' in the title, was derived from his own personal life when growing up as a child. A life where the poor lived in the shade of the wealthy and that at the time the rich were in power over even the police in some cases. Steven Herrick was a very kind and humble guest who spoke intently about the financial difficulties of writing but also the motivation and passion he carried for it. In a surprising turn of events, it was revealed that he not only wrote novels but poems. He even went as far to demonstrate this talent by creating a poem around two of the students present. 

His humour brought the class to laughter and was a fun time for all that were there. When asked questions about the novel and his many other written novels he gave intuitive insight on the skills one must use when writing, such as experience and an overall picture of how each chapter is to be paced. As a student there myself it was obvious how humble and kind he was to the readers of his novel and just people in general. Being able to crack jokes and set a positive atmosphere was a true representation of his skill, mastered through many experiences of stage play and stand-up talks. The Year 10 class and generally Nazareth College is very grateful to have such an extraordinary individual entertain us with an enjoyable performance and lesson.

Stanley Riches 

Year 10 KN3

Vinnies Easter Raffle and Other News

Once again, a HUGE thank you to the Nazareth community for supporting the Vinnies' annual Easter raffle for 2024. It is due to the wonderful generosity of both the staff and Vinnies students that approximately 40 prizes were up for grabs, and I can assure you, there were many smiling faces on the last day of term when the winners were announced!  Thank you to all the students and staff who purchased the tickets, including parents at the Progress meetings. 

A mix of staff, students and parents won prizes. We managed to raise more than $800. These funds will be directed to the St Anthony’s afterschool tutoring Program, an initiative of the SVDP Society. The funds will purchase much-needed books, stationery, games, and exciting incursions.  

I would also like to acknowledge the fantastic students from Nazareth who volunteer each Tuesday afternoon at St. Anthony's PS, assisting the primary students with their homework. This is community service in action 😊. New volunteers are always welcome. The signup sheet is outside my office in the Resource Centre. 

Today, Nazarenes joined to support our Casual Dress/Sausage Sizzle fundraiser to support the victims caught up in the Gaza conflict. Part of the funds will also be allocated to brain cancer research to support one of our students whose family member has been affected by cancer. She is currently fundraising for this cause. More details will come with the total monies raised. 

 A special thank you to the VCE-VM students for always being on hand to cook hundreds of sausages! These days could not happen without them. And, of course, the Vinnies, who initiate these events, promote, and serve the hungry masses at lunchtime. 

During Term 2, Vinnies will focus on the annual Winter Appeal, which coincides with the Social Justice Mass in June. More information will be provided soon, but once again, we will be asking the entire Nazareth community to participate by donating non-perishable food items and toiletries, which will be distributed to those most in need in our local communities. Stay tuned for more details. 

Ms Douglass & The Vinnies Team 

NB: Any winners who walked away with an Easter hamper basket, could you kindly return these to my office to be reused for 2025 😊.