Student News

Professor Suzanne Cory and Zoe Day (2017 Alumni)

On Thursday, August 15th, our school celebrated Science Week with an exceptional event featuring prominent figures in the world of molecular biology: Professor Suzanne Cory and alumni and PhD candidate Zoe Day. The day was filled with inspiring discussions, hands-on learning, and a deep dive into the fascinating world of scientific research.

Professor Suzanne Cory, a distinguished molecular biologist with numerous accolades, and Zoe Day, a PhD candidate from the Hulett Laboratory at the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, graced us with their presence. Their visit was not only a privilege but also a source of great inspiration for our students.

The day began with an insightful presentation from Professor Cory, who shared her remarkable career journey and the advancements she has contributed to the field of molecular biology. Her story highlighted the dedication and passion required to excel in scientific research, offering valuable lessons to our students.

Zoe Day also captivated the audience with her experiences as a PhD candidate, shedding light on the challenges and rewards of working in molecular science and immunology. Her practical advice and reflections on work-life balance resonated deeply with our students, providing them with a clearer perspective on pursuing a career in science.

Throughout the day, our students eagerly engaged with both speakers, asking thought-provoking questions and gaining meaningful advice. The interactions were enriching, as Professor Cory and Zoe Day offered insightful responses and guidance, especially on navigating the field of molecular biology and balancing professional and personal life.

The event included a special tour of our science rooms, where students had the opportunity to view our facilities and engage in discussions about ongoing research. At lunchtime, we hosted a fun and educational “Jeopardy” game with a science twist, and our special guests enjoyed a selection of science-themed foods, crafted to celebrate their contributions and enhance the festive atmosphere.

Overall, the visit from Professor Cory and Zoe Day provided an invaluable learning experience, offering our students a glimpse into the world of scientific research and the dedication it demands. Their insights into the profession, combined with their personal stories, have undoubtedly left a lasting impression and inspired many to pursue their own scientific aspirations.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Professor Suzanne Cory and Zoe Day for their time and contributions, making this Science Week a truly memorable and educational experience for all.

Trisha, Vijval, Wana, Finaly 

School & Vice Captains

Suzanne Cory High School Hosts Wa Ying College for a Cross-Cultural Exchange

On the first day of Term 3, Suzanne Cory High School had the pleasure of welcoming 30 students and 3 teachers from Wa Ying College, Hong Kong, for an enriching cultural exchange. The visit, which took place on July 15th, was a remarkable opportunity for our students to connect with peers from overseas and share in a day of learning and creativity.

Our principal, Ms. Goodridge-Kelly, kicked off the day with a warm welcome speech, expressing our excitement at hosting the visitors and highlighting the importance of cultural exchange in broadening our students' global perspectives. Following this, students from Wa Ying College gave an engaging presentation on Teen culture in Hong Kong, offering insights into their daily lives and cultural practices.

To ensure a meaningful interaction, 15 of our students were selected to accompany the visitors throughout the day. They led their guests on a guided tour of our campus, showcasing our facilities and giving them a glimpse of life at Suzanne Cory.

One of the highlights of the day was the traditional Chinese paper cutting activity, where students from both schools collaborated on creating intricate designs. What made this activity particularly special was the infusion of Australian culture into the art, with designs featuring iconic symbols like koalas and Indigenous patterns. The students were fully engaged, and the creative exchange left a lasting impression on our guests from Wa Ying College.

The visit was a resounding success, fostering new friendships and leaving a positive impact on everyone involved. We look forward to more opportunities for international collaboration in the future.

Chufeng Liu & Yujia (Monica) Shi

Chinese Teacher

Victorian Young Leader to China Virtual Program

We are excited to announce that five of our students will be participating in the Victorian Young Leaders to China Virtual Program from 5th to 16th August. Held online from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM each day, this program offers students the chance to engage in interactive sessions with peers from China, guided by a professor from Beijing Foreign Language University. They'll explore topics such as Chinese history, contemporary society, and traditional arts, enhancing their language skills and cultural awareness. We appreciate your support in preparing students for this enriching experience and look forward to the positive impact it will have on their global perspectives.

Chinese Team

Westbourne Grammar Chess Tournament

About 2 weeks ago on the 2nd of August, Suzanne Cory recently participated in a local Chess competition at Westbourne grammar with two teams of 5 students.

The event was held by Chess Victoria who run a different finals tournament at the end of the year.

There were several schools present at the tournament including Keilor Downs, Werribee Secondary, Iona College and many more. 

The games ran with 12 minutes and 3 seconds increment per move, with 7 rounds of games running in total. It was a standard tournament and the team score was calculated by totalling the points of all 5 players from the team.

Our school put up a great fight at the tournament (coming 4th place and 6th place) which although was not what we were hoping for, one of our teams was able to make it to the Chess Victoria State Finals coming up on October 14th.

On top of that, one of our players, Melvin Tan secured 3rd place individually at the tournament.

These are some of the photos from the event:

Overall, the tournament was a great learning experience for our players and hopefully we can succeed in the finals coming up at the end of the year!

Signing Off,

Chess Program President

Meet Shah (B3)

Local Parliamentary Convention at MacKillop College

Last week, Suzanne Cory High School had the unique opportunity to attend the Local Parliamentary Convention hosted by MacKillop College in Werribee. This convention brought students across the Wyndham region together for a day of meaningful discussion and exchange on the importance of their voice in governance and policy making, with the theme, “Young people under the age of 30 should have a permanent voice in Parliament”.

The highlights of this event was hearing the address by MP, Joanne Ryan, a member of the Australian Labor Party, representing the Division of Lalor in Melbourne's western suburbs in the House of Representatives. Her speech sparked engaging conversations on what further steps can be taken to ensure that young people are permanently represented in parliament. Additionally, a speech by Josh Gilligan, the Deputy Mayor of Wyndham Council, provided valuable insights into the ways young people can already contribute to their community.

Students were then divided into several groups with peers from other schools to engage in discourse on the theme. They collaboratively evaluated numerous youth issues such as education, climate change, and mental health, and examined the potential benefits and drawbacks of a youth voice in parliament, before formulating their own stances and presenting their findings to the attendees. Finally, the convention concluded with a voting procedure modelling the parliament’s “In your place” method, resulting in a consensus that young people under the age of 30 should have a permanent voice in parliament.

We would like to thank all the students who participated, and look forward to seeing them continue to engage in these civic discussions and ensure their voices are heard. We’d like to extend our gratitude to the Whole School Extracurricular Captains, Ms. Nguyen, and MacKillop College for organising and hosting this event.

Sahnan Saini (K7)

French Model United Nations

On Friday, 26th July, five of our VCE French students participated in the Model United Nations, conducted entirely in French. Held at the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, this annual event is organised by the United Nations Association of Victoria, along with the Department’s Languages Unit and is supported by the Association of French Teachers of Victoria.

Our students attended as delegates of the General Assembly, representing Finland. They had spent time researching Finland’s stance on the issue of combating climate change and committing to global action. Their Position Statement for Finland was clear and well-researched, and they maintained a strong presence throughout the sessions. During the Unmoderated Caucus, they actively participated in debates, defending their positions with gusto and speaking eloquently in French.

Their performance throughout the day was impressive, showcasing their language skills and their ability to engage deeply with complex global issues.

Congratulations to Sofia, Krish, Justin, Malakai, and Nomaan for their achievements at the conference.

French VCE Immersion Day

On Wednesday, 7th August, our French VCE Yr11 and 12 students set off for a day of immersion in the city. 

The first challenge? Split into groups, they had to solve riddles and mind-bending puzzles, communicating only in French. It was a test of both language skills and teamwork.

It was amazing to watch them dive into the activities with enthusiasm, embracing the language with every clue they cracked. One group emerged as the ultimate champions, solving every puzzle in record time. Bravo!

Afterward, it was time to refuel with some classic French treats. Whether it was a croque-monsieur, a warm crepe, or a flaky croissant, lunch was très délicieux. 

The students also embarked on a photo scavenger hunt through the streets of Melbourne, spotting all things French. 

The day wrapped up at The LUME, where the students explored the world of Leonardo Da Vinci and answered questions about his connections to the Francophone world. They saw a 3D replica of the Mona Lisa, pages from the famous Codex, and life-sized models of DaVinci’s inventions. To top it all off, they had their portraits ‘painted’ by the master himself and tried their hand at a virtual art class, with some fantastiques results.

What impressed us the most? The students’ dedication to staying in the language throughout the day, tackling each challenge with resilience and creativity. C’était formidable!

French Senior Berthe Mouchette Competition

On Tuesday, 20th August, 34 of our Year 11 and 12 students took part in the Senior Berthe Mouchette Competition, a valuable opportunity to hone their French language skills.

The competition began with a four-minute conversation about the students’ personal experiences and their interactions with French language and culture. From there, students participated in one of several five-minute activities, depending on their class: reciting a French poem on the theme of Les Jeux Olympiques and discussing its themes, engaging in a discussion on a chosen topic, or presenting and discussing a selected image. These activities closely mirror aspects of the IB and VCE exams, giving students a taste of what’s to come and boosting their confidence in speaking with a native French speaker.

A big bravo to the following Yr 11 and 12 students for stepping up to the challenge and seizing every opportunity to practise their skills:

French IB Immersion Day

On Wednesday, August 14th, our IB students also took part in a French Immersion Day.  Our students started the day at the Alliance Française learning about food and culinary habits in France to tie in with our IB Unit on “Expériences.”   The workshop was facilitated by a charismatic native French speaker.  Our students were very brave in practising their conversational skills whilst learning new vocabulary within a cultural context.  Afterwards, we ventured to Roule Galette, owned by the Dubois family from Paris, to sample some French delicacies such as delicious crepes and escargot.  

Our students had the opportunity to practise their French with the French servers in a real-world context. Finally, we ventured to ACMI in the afternoon to experience some modern French cinema.  Overall, a fantastic day that enabled our students to consolidate and apply some of their hard work this year in IB French class. 

Bon travail, tout le monde!  

HAPE WEEK

Hello SCHS community!!

HAPE week stands for Health and Physical Education week and this event ran from the 29th of July to the 2nd of August, coincidentally proceeding as the 2024 Olympics began. This week consisted of careful planning from the Sports coordinator, HAPE faculty as well as the SCHS sport captains and it was great to see the overwhelming participation from both students and staff throughout the week!

There were four days of exciting activities. On Monday, we had staff vs student fencing run by Mr Haslinger and Keerat!! The staff won!!

On Tuesday, there was a free throw and longest kick competition with Mr Moden and Mr Kelly organising these activities respectively. Despite the glaring sun, many students gave it their all! A few teachers got involved too, attempting to kick a footy as far as possible. It was quite entertaining to watch 😊 

Ms Dunstan and Mr Luci organised a village art activity which required students to make a poster for the Olympics. We were a bit late but hopefully next year they can submit something on behalf of our school!! 

The highlight of the week, personally, was the staff vs students sports trivia organised by Keerat and I. Both teams were quizzed on the Olympics with some general sport questions. The two teams put up a great front however the students won by a fair bit of points!! Thank you to the teachers who took part in the panel, and the house sport captains too!!

I hope everybody had a great week and for those who missed out, there’s always next year!!

A big thank you to Mr Haslinger, the HAPE faculty and those who participated for making HAPE week such a memorable one!!

Alesha Pajar (C6)

SRC Report

Hey everyone!

Although the 2024 SRC reign is approaching its final weeks, your SRCs are still working hard with our initiatives to create an eventful and memorable Term 3 for the Suzanne Cory cohort. 

The Year 9’s have started collaborating with MHS SRC to bring back Steptember 2024 for the Year 9s and 10s, encouraging students to track their daily walking throughout the month of September to raise money for individuals fighting Cerebral Palsy. On top of being a fundraiser for such a great cause, junior year levels are highly encouraged to get involved to strengthen our connection with the other selective schools. Additionally, the Year 9 SRCs have been working with the English faculty to present a Spelling Bee Competition as part of book week, with the event running on Monday Week 6 in the Rothwell area. We can’t wait to see who will reign Spelling Champion of Suzanne Cory!

During Week 2’s open forum, the Year 10 SRCs premiered another sensational SCNN (Suzanne Cory Network News) episode. The video covered the World’s Greatest Shave with many unseen interviews as well as the year 9’s Blindfolded Taste Testing Competition with some candid and humorous takes on last term’s event. It was full of rib-tickling jokes and appealing edits that made for an overall enjoyable watch during everyone’s open forums. Additionally, with the big night less than a month away, our Year 10s have been eagerly planning the long-awaited social, which is sure to be a hit! Please remember to buy your tickets for the night, it's sure to be unmissable!

The year 11 SRCs have been working relentlessly to put together the Student vs Alumni event, being held in Week 7 this term. The event encompasses all facets of Suzanne Cory excellence being a trivia, netball, volleyball, soccer, and a talent show! We are so excited to welcome our alumni back to school with some competitive spirit and friendly competition. If this wasn’t exciting enough, the Year 11’s are also hosting the long-awaited Brawl Stars Tournament in week 6, where teams will battle it out in the Rothwell area to assert who the real Stars are!

Our year 12 SRCs had the pleasure of presenting the long-awaited Formal Video in Week 4. There was a great turnout with the auditorium being full of eager Year 12s and curious lower levels and the video was warmly received by the crowd! Many awws and laughs filled the room all throughout the 14 minute video, which now can be found on YouTube. We want to thank everyone for the great reception and the energy the Year 12s brought in the video itself! Equally thrilling is the Science Week Jeopardy hosted by the year 12 SRC reps alongside Professor Suzanne Cory themself! This is occurring in Week 5, the setting being the auditorium to see who the best science (or at least Jeopardy) students are!

And finally, with leadership applications happening so soon, we would like to encourage anyone who is interested in running for SRC in 2025 to talk to any of the house reps or co-chairs. We are all more than happy to share how fulfilling, crazy and, most of all, fun this role has been. We cannot wait to see all of your amazing applications!

Best of luck,

Rama Ghosh and Sofia Selimi, SRC Co-Chairs