GEC College News

From the Principal Team

It was wonderful to celebrate our Year 12 students end of formal classes last week.  The final assembly on Monday was well attended by Year 12 families.  Our class of 2023 entered to the ‘Eye of The Tiger’ and left with a guard of honour formed by families and Year 11 students while we clapped to 'Gonna Fly Now', both songs played beautifully by our school band and led by Mr Dipnall. 

 

As is our tradition our entire school community formed a guard of honour as our colourfully and creatively dressed class of 2023 made their way to the buses for their celebration day on Tuesday.

 

The referendum held over the weekend is the first that Australia has had in over two decades and it highlights the importance of referendums to our democratic system of government.  As you know,  the referendum was held to determine whether to alter the Australian Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice which did not pass. 

 

We know that in a democracy, it’s important that people can express their opinions on key issues, especially those of great national importance. 

 

The Premier and the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples put out a joint statement on Voice earlier in the week. 

 

For many people, this referendum has been – and will continue to be – a sensitive topic with deep, personal meaning and it is important that we continue to engage with each in a respectful and considerate way, including in the workplace. 

 

There will be different responses to this outcome, including disappointment or distress for many students, staff and communities. 

 

All students, regardless of age and background, will have heard and probably participated in commentary about the Referendum in the media, at home and within their communities, and some may need additional support during this time. 

 

Any students in need of support are encourage to see the Wellbeing Centre staff or their Year Level Coordinator.  

 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff can contact Yarning SafeNStrong or 13 YARN – both 24-hour, free and confidential counselling services run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations.

 

External Mental Health Supports:

State Track and Field Championships

Congratulations to all students who competed.  Of the 256 schools competing GEC finished 10th. A fantastic achievement.  We are very proud of every student who participated.

 

Seif El Shorbagy

GOLD - Boys 17 Year Olds Shot Put

SILVER - Boys 17 Year Olds Javelin Throw

4TH - Boys 17 Year Olds Discus

 

Cooper Acklom 

GOLD - Boys 15 Year Olds Javelin Throw 

4TH - Boys 15 Year Olds 100 Meter

4TH - Boys 15 Year Olds 200 Meter

5TH- Boys 15 Year Olds Discus Throw

 

Laura Wong

GOLD - Girls 14 Year Olds 90 Meter Hurdles (NEW STATE RECORD)

GOLD - Girls 14 Year Olds 100 Meter Dash

GOLD - Girls 14 Year Olds 200 Meter

 

Angus Murrie

GOLD - Boys 15-16 800 Meter Multiclass

 

Sam Fardell

5TH - Girls 12-13 Triple Jump

 

Gaby Duieb, Monako Bernabe, Mia Euvrard, Laura Wong,

BRONZE - Girls 14 Year Olds 4x100 Meter Relay

STEAM Trip To Orlando

The inaugural STEAM tour to Orlando was fantastic – I was so proud of the students who attended. 

 

The lessons really engaged students and definitely had an inquiry focus.

 

At Universal, students learned about the physics behind a ride experience, the importance of it not just being a ride.  They learned how the artistic team designed the line up area for example, ensuring that participants were fully immersed in the theme of the ride.  In the Return of the Mummy ride lesson, they also learned about ancient Egypt.

 

They then did simulations or activities on iPads.  For example, they had to design the route for the King Kong ride that ensured participant safety using maths and science.  They then were taken to go on the ride having a much greater understanding and appreciation.

 

At Disney, the lessons were held as students walked around various parts of the park. They would watch a ride or experience, then do activities with the teacher and then get to experience the ride. 

 

At Full Sail University students were able to tour the campus.  They saw Oscars and Emmys on display that graduates had one in the work on films. The 2D and 3D gaming workshops were really interactive, engaging and challenging. Students were able to showcase their games.

 

NASA – I am not aware of any where in Australia where students would have gained the experience they gained there.  Absolutely fascinating.  They spent a day going through a series of activities in the Astronaut Experience, role playing various parts. They landed the Mars Rover as directed by students in Mission Control, fixed a few issues on the Space Station experiencing zero gravity, launched a rocket, fixed a few things in outer space and and returned to earth safely splashing down in the Atlantic, using Virtual Reality they walked on Mars collecting rock samples!

 

On the other day at NASA, students were able to visit the Saturn V display and actually see an entire rocket. They were really excited to see the Atlantis shuttle.  They met and spoke with an Astronaut who had done 2 space missions.

 

At iFLY they learned about thermodynamics and then put it into practice.

 

The other important learnings from this tour included:

  • An understanding of the many, many careers there are that they really had no idea about.
  • Experiencing travel and being away from home for almost 2 weeks.  This included being organised, being on-time to leave the hotel by 7am most days (or earlier), managing their food budget.
  • Working co-operatively.  Students were from Years 7 – 12.  They were absolutely wonderful.

Please see some of the student comments below.

 

This STEAM tour was amazing. The attraction parks were good and I learned a lot of things at the same time. My favourite place was Universal Studios. For the one who likes the roller coaster, there is your chance. I also learned more about how the attractions are made and function. The guides/adults were really nice to us. I had a very nice time. 

Margot Yao-Leclerc

 

My favourite part of going to the USA would have to definitely be Universal Studios, the rides there are so good, much better than the ones in Disneyland for sure. The best rides there would have to be the Velocicoaster, The Mummy ride and the Hulk ride. They are all incredibly fast and The Mummy ride has fire. Only a few rides in Disney came slightly close to matching the intensity of the ones in Universal Studios. This trip was so much fun and I would highly recommend it.

Sam Natalier

 

One of the things I enjoyed most about the STEAM Trip was being able to get to know things about everyone who went on the trip. The people in our group were from year 7 all the way up to year 12. We did everything and experienced everything as a group and we all got closer to each other. I will now always know these people that I did not know before which is really cool. Even if I don't talk to them everyday, it still has made me familiar with all these people and the shared experience we had together is something we could always bring up and talk about. Thank you so much to all the teachers that helped make this happen!

Arlo Grimwade

 

Kennedy Space Centre Astronaut Training experience
This was a very fun and enjoyable experience for all of us, there were several activities. There was 'The Briefing', 'Landing Simulator', 'Flight Simulation', 'Mars Rover VR', and 'Zero Gravity Simulator'. My favourite was the Mars Rover VR because you had to 'fix' thing on the Rover collect items from the mars surface all in the VR headset, at the same time you were being instructed by a friend on what to do how to do it excetera. The briefing was simply learning about space and rockets and all the cool stuff. The landing simulator was as if you were actually landing on mars and controlling the capsule, there were twists and turns but all in all it was great fun. The flight simulation was you had roles and you role play a rocket flight to space and back this was really fun I was the pilot and really enjoyed putting in real commands and see what happen would happen in real life on the screen in front of you. Lastly, the zero-gravity simulator, you were strapped into a chair that had technology to float on thin air, we were only a few centimetres off the ground but it felt so cool you weighed virtually nothing. You were also 'fixing things on the International Space Station (ISS)' with a friend telling you what you had to fix and where the problem was. 
Luke Davey

 

This trip was an incredible experience where I got to learn so many new and exciting things as well as bond with new people. I particularly liked the thrilling rides, especially the Rip Ride Rockit at Universal and I loved the shuttle launch experience at KSC. I can't thank the school enough for this opportunity. I will take away these memories for the rest of my life. I've made new friends and new memories. Thanks to all the teachers as well.
Jasper Grimwade

Chess State Finals 

The House Chess tournament was very successful.  Students went on to participate in the Chess Victoria State Finals. In the Open Secondary State Final GEC scored 26 points and finished equal 6th out of 26 competing schools. The event was huge as 269 students participated. Three GEC students (Randheer Thogata, George Fetsis and Pierre Maziarz) won 6 of their 8 games against very strong opposition and these three students were among the top 30 best performing players in the tournament.

 

In the Secondary Girls State Final GEC scored 10 points and finished 5th out of 7 competing schools.  Noeleen Bautista achieved 3 wins and a draw from her 7 games and was GEC’s top performer in this event.

 

Excellent results by all involved.

Scholarships

There are a number of scholarships available for students.  For information about scholarships offered at Glen Eira College please go to the Scholarships page under About Us on our website. The closing date for applications for 2024 scholarships is Friday 24th November 2023.

Transition

We will commence our 2024 timetable on Thursday 30th November. Students going into Years 11 and 12 in 2024 will have one week of transition classes.  They will receive documents relating to each subject and the expectations and also preparation that should be completed prior to returning next year.

 

Students going into Years 8 – 10 in 2024 will have just over two weeks of transition classes concluding on Wednesday 13th December. 

World Teachers’ Day

This year, World Teachers’ Day is on Friday 27 October. It is an opportunity to say thank you for the incredible contributions teachers make to our community.

 

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) established World Teachers’ Day in 1994 to recognise the role of teachers in society.

 

This year, UNESCO is putting the teacher shortage at the top of the global agenda with the theme ‘The teachers we need for the education we want: the global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage’.

 

You can get involved by sending a message of thanks to a teacher who is making, or has made, an impact on your life using #thanksvicteachers on social media. Don’t forget to tag the Department of Education and Training (the department) so we can see all your messages.

 

See the World Teachers Day webpage for resources to help you celebrate World Teachers’ Day 2023, including ‘Thank You’ card templates.

Dealing With Distressing Online Content

With the tragic and distressing events unfolding in the Middle East, Australia's independent regulator for online safety, eSafety, has issued guidance to help parents and carers support their children in dealing with distressing online content.

 

The eSafety website has resources for parents and carers about online safety. These include information on extra precautions you can take to protect your children from seeing disturbing content online.

 

eSafety encourage parents and carers supporting young people who may be more vulnerable to check in with them. If they are presenting with signs of distress, support is available through external services including:

Protecting Against Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Victoria’s mosquito season started this month and will extend to late April 2024.

Warm and wet weather can result in greater numbers of mosquitoes and increased risk of illnesses from mosquito bites. While the overall risk is low, some mosquitoes carry diseases that make people sick.

 

The best protection against mosquito-borne illness is to avoid mosquito bites.

Families can protect against mosquito bites by:

  • covering up as much as possible with long, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing
  • applying insect repellent that contains picaridin or DEET on exposed skin when leaving home
  • limiting outdoor activity if lots of mosquitoes are active.

To reduce the risk of illness linked to mosquitos, such as Buruli ulcer, promptly wash any new scratches or cuts with soap and clean water and apply a topical antiseptic and dressing. Families with any health concerns should see their doctor or phone NURSE-ON-CALL: 1300 606 024 (available 24 hours). 

 

Free Japanese encephalitis vaccines

Japanese encephalitis virus is spread to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes and can cause a rare but potentially serious infection of the brain.

Free Japanese encephalitis vaccines are available to protect Victorians at higher risk of the virus.

 

The Victorian Department of Health encourages eligible people who live or work in high-risk local government areas to get vaccinated ahead of summer, which brings an increased mosquito presence.

 

For more information, including what is considered a high risk area and eligibility for a free vaccine, refer to the Department of Health’s Japanese encephalitis webpage. 

 

For more information on protecting against mosquito-borne diseases, families can refer to the following Better Health Channel pages:

School Term Dates For 2026

There have been changes to Victorian school term dates for 2026. Following the announcement that the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria will not proceed, the original 2026 school term dates have been reinstated.

The 2026 Victorian school term dates are:

  • Term 1: Tuesday 27 January to Thursday 2 April 2026
  • Term 2: Monday 20 April to Friday 26 June 2026
  • Term 3: Monday 13 July to Friday 18 September 2026
  • Term 4: Monday 5 October to Friday 18 December 2026.

For the list of school term dates until the end of 2030, refer to School term dates and holidays in Victoria.

 

Sheereen Kindler

Principal