Senior School

Articles on this page:

• Inspirational Experiences at Year 10 Social Justice Camp
• Year 12 October Workshop Sessions during Holidays
• Culture Day - Thanks to our students
• Stolen Stories
• Write a Book in a Day competition

Inspirational Experiences at Year 10 Social Justice Camp

Our Year 10 students embarked on a transformative journey during their recent Social Justice Camp, where they had the opportunity to make a real impact on our community. With a packed schedule of activities, they left no stone unturned in their mission to lend a helping hand.

One of the standout moments was when some of the students took part in building a bamboo shelter next to Gwen's Pantry. Students worked tirelessly for over two hours to complete this shelter, making a significant difference to those in need. As one student noted, "It was fun and probably the best part of camp because Noah and I both really like using our hands and helping out."

Visiting various charities, including Pilgrim Uniting Church and Marion Life Community Centre, was a highlight for many students. They were able to witness firsthand the incredible work of these organisations and offer their support by cleaning, gardening, packing food parcels, and providing a listening ear to those with challenging stories.

As one student shared, "These were highlights for me because it was interesting to learn about what charities are doing to support the local community and what we can do to help."

The camp also featured engaging activities such as a drumming workshop and a lively Bush Dance. The visit to Gateway Baptist Church left a lasting impression on our students, who appreciated the warm reception and the opportunity to assist the church.

Reflecting on their time at TeenChallenge, students gained insight into the experiences of others and realized that those they met were "just regular people who had made a simple mistake."

The Year 10's Social Justice Camp was a profound experience for our students, filled with moments of growth, compassion, and community engagement. Their dedication and willingness to make a difference, driven by their Christian values and the belief in serving God, truly shone through.

We received a lovely review from Jennifer from the Salvation Army Unley:

"I volunteer at the Salvation Army Unley Thrift Shop and today we were visited by some students and teachers for a project on dressing for a job interview. What a pleasure! The girls were delightful, respectful and we all had fun in choosing the appropriate attire. Our volunteers and visiting clients commend your College on this initiative. BTW, all of the girls 'got the job' 😃"

Allison Storey

Middle & Senior Science Coordinator

Ruby Pastoral Coordinator  

Senior Teacher

A visit to the Marion Life Community Centre

One of the groups visited Marion Life Community Centre to help with garden maintenance, cleaning out the shed, sweeping and erecting  shelving units.

We were met with Callan who organised the day for our students and explained how Marion Life Community Centre help locals ‘within the suburb’ who are struggling. For example, they loan garden tools at a very low rate, give food for the needy, help with accommodation for homeless and cater for each individual depending on their needs.

The boys worked extremely hard, united as a team to achieve a huge amount in only three hours, including levelling and widening the garden for more pavers to allow wheel chair access, and put in two raised garden beds filled with soil. 

Callan told us afterwards that the work the boys achieved in three hours was planned for them to do over six weeks. It is the old cliché ‘many hands make light work’.

Callan from Marion Life Community Centre said:

“Hey George, thanks so much for your hard yakka today and for bringing such a wonderful bunch of young men to help out at marionlife today. It was an absolute joy to see the work ethic and can-do spirit of these gents. They and you have given marionlife and the community such a huge gift in today - thank you 🙏”

Below are some before and after pictures taken of the garden.

Andre Van Der Merwe 

Middle and Senior Teacher 

George Skouroumounis

Middle and Senior Teacher 

Before:

After:

Tidying the shed and erecting shelves

Year 12 October Workshop Sessions during Holidays

We are pleased to provide Year 12 students with workshops during school holidays, to support them with their final assessments.

Students were informed, in Week 5, that many subjects will require holiday sessions to support student final assessments. 

Please encourage your child to attend the workshops as per their arrangements with individual teachers. 

I sincerely thank the many staff members who have generously volunteered to conduct the workshops during their own time to support students. 

Upon arrival and departure, students will be required to sign in at the Front Office.

Workshop Session Times:

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Esther Amoy 

Deputy Head of Senior School

7-12 Visual Art Coordinator

7-12 TRP Ambassador

Culture Day - Thanks to our students

In addition to the Week 7 newsletter, we want to officially thank the many students who worked hard to organise the whole-campus culture day held on Monday, 4 September.

Thank you to:

Stolen Stories

Raymond Finn, Kunyi McInerny and Graham McKenzie were all affected by the South Australian Aborigines Act of 1911; the Stolen Generations policies of the last century. Last Thursday, our Year 12 Aboriginal Studies students heard theses veterans' stories at Colebrook Home. The students were privileged to be invited, along with students from St John’s Grammar, to meet the veterans who were taken from their families. 

I could not imagine what Graham’s mother went through when he was placed in Colebrook Home as a one-month-old baby, along with his sisters. He attended Blackwood High School and was part of the local football and cricket clubs. 

Raymond was also a resident at Colebrook Home. He shared some good memories of Sisters Rutter and Hyde who cared for him as a child. 

Kunyi was part of the Stolen Generation who was placed into a foster family at nine-years-old; she was the oldest of 12 children and all of her 11 siblings were also taken from her parents.

These stories were told to remind people of the importance of having a voice to help those who had no power and no choice in losing their children. The personal perspective provided by these stories of the children who lost their families is also a reminder of how stories of peoples’ lives are important and we are all children of God.

Kunyi explains her picture books and love of native animals.

Raymond Finn telling his story of a childhood stolen.

Andrea Grear

Head of Senior School

Principal, South Plympton Campus

Write a Book in a Day competition

In week 7, 20 aspiring authors and illustrators from Years 8 to 11, sharpened their pencils and headed to the State Library to enter the national Write a Book in a Day competition. The rules were simple. 

Your story must:

• Be based on the secret prompt given to your team on the bus that morning
• Be more than 6000 words long. Yes - 6000 words.
• Be your own work with no outside help
• Be finished and submitted within 9 and a half hours.

Ready, set, go! It was amazing to see the focus, creativity, collaboration as our two teams of ten scrambled to get their stories finished, illustrated and submitted within just nine and a half hours. The students’ different gifts came to the fore as they brainstormed, designed setting and characters, outlined plots, drafted, edited and occasionally rewrote chapters, checked for spelling and accuracy, painted, illustrated and encouraged each other through the highs and lows. It was all very inspiring to see.

The result was two fantastic, complete books which have been submitted to be judged alongside entries from all over the country. The Write a Book in a Day competition also raises money for the Kids Cancer Project. 

If your child was one of our writers this year, please speak to them for details about how you can contribute to this worthy cause.