Outside the Classroom
Year 11 VCD
In a journey that seamlessly wove together history and contemporary design, our Year 11 Visual Communication Design (VCD) students embarked on an insightful excursion to the historic Pentridge Prison Redevelopment. This walk, part of our Unit 2 Outcome 1 study on Design Place and Time, allowed students to delve into how heritage structures can be reimagined within modern contexts.
Pentridge Prison, a site renowned for its rich and complex history, provided a captivating backdrop for our exploration. As students navigated through its hallowed halls and observed the evolving landscape, they engaged with a vivid narrative of transformation. The prison, once a symbol of confinement, has been thoughtfully redeveloped into a vibrant community hub—a striking example of how design decisions can harmonise the old with the new.
Our excursion began with a historical overview of Pentridge Prison. The imposing façade and storied past of this once notorious institution offered students a deep understanding of its original design factors, including security measures and architectural styles reflective of its era. This historical context served as a crucial foundation for appreciating the current redevelopment efforts.
Students were particularly keen to photograph and analyse the integration of heritage features within modern design. They observed how the prison’s original elements—such as the distinctive brickwork and wrought-iron details—have been preserved and highlighted in the redevelopment. These elements were not merely retained but celebrated, blending seamlessly with contemporary design additions like sleek glass facades and innovative communal spaces.
One notable aspect of the redevelopment is the transformation of former cell blocks into trendy apartments and commercial spaces. This juxtaposition of old and new was a focal point of our observations, illustrating how designers address challenges and opportunities when repurposing historical structures. Students noted the thoughtful use of materials and the clever design solutions that respect the prison’s past while catering to present-day needs.
Throughout the excursion, students were encouraged to think critically about how design decisions impact user experience and the cultural significance of places. By documenting their findings through photography and field notes, they explored themes of adaptive reuse and the role of design in shaping contemporary urban landscapes.
Reflecting on the day, many students expressed a newfound appreciation for the complexities of integrating historical elements with modern functionality. The Pentridge excursion offered a practical, real-world example of how design can preserve heritage while fostering innovation. It underscored the importance of considering both historical context and contemporary needs in the design process—a key lesson in our VCD studies.
In summary, our Pentridge Walk excursion was an enlightening experience that bridged the gap between historical architecture and modern design principles. It provided our students with valuable insights into how thoughtful design can honour the past while creating vibrant, functional spaces for the future.
As we continue our exploration of design factors and their impact on design decisions, the lessons learned from this excursion will undoubtedly influence and inspire our students’ future projects.
Sandra Middleton
Learning Area Leader The Arts
Intermediate Girls Basketball
On Wednesday 31st of July, our Intermediate Girls Basketball Team competed in the Divisional Round Robin Tournament at Coburg Stadium.
The team convincingly won against their side of the Pool, beating Pascoe Vale Girls-B team, AIA and Glenroy Private to advance to the Grand Final.
In the Grand Final the team competed against Pascoe Vale Girls-A team. The final was intense, with both teams desperate to win and progress to the next stage. At the end of the game the score was 23 all. To decide the winner extra time was not played, rather the rules stated that if the game was a draw, then the next team to score would win the game!
Pascoe Vale had an opportunity to score first, however they missed their chance, which resulted in a Coburg rebound and an opportunity for Lyric M to hit the winning shot, which she did!
The girls, the coaching team (Mia and Chelsea) and our wonderful cheer dads celebrated the victory.
Kylie Saccone
Year 7 Boys Futsal
Last Thursday on the 1st of August, the Year 7 Futsal tournament was held, which our Year 7's competed in. Both the A team and the B team played really well, with some very exciting moments like a penalty shoot out and some close finishes that came down to the wire. The A team had an unfortunate loss in the 3rd place match which landed 4th place out of 10 teams, a very respectable finish. All in all it was an exciting day which all the students enjoyed a lot!
Kemda Z (Student Coach)
Zhanet Zyka
Year 7/8 Boys Netball
On Monday the 12th of August, our Year 7/8 Boys Netball Team competed in the Regional Round Robin Tournament at NETS Stadium, Macleod.
The team played the following games:
Round 1. Greenvale v Coburg
8 to 5 (loss)
Round 2. St Helena v Coburg
23 to 8 (loss)
Round 3. Richmond v Coburg
10 to 12 (Win)
It was wonderful to see the boys develop in confidence and improve their strategic play in each match. To finish with a win in the last game was a great reward for their efforts!
Special thanks to Eliza H for her expertise in coaching the team and to Kirra W for her assistance with scoring duties throughout the day.
Kylie Saccone
Junior Girls Basketball
Thursday 22 August saw both our Year 7 & 8 girls basketball teams compete in the Merri-bek division. The girls are to be commended for their excellent teamwork and conduct on the day, supporting each other and interacting positively with other teams and referees all day. Both teams were undefeated, winning every game on the day including their respective grand finals and are now off to the next level! Well done girls, we wish you luck!
Melanie Buscema-Moore
Shed Building
A huge thank you to Bunnings for the donation of two sheds that are now providing much needed storage within the Garden Centre. We should also acknowledge the efforts of the Year 11 and Year 12 Vocational Major VCE students who raced each other in CHS's first ever 'Shed Off'. With the prize of class pizza on the line it was a hard fought battle between the two teams who learned as much about teamwork and leadership as they did about using impact drivers and pop rivets.
Whilst both sheds are still in need of a few screws, they are largely complete and have provided a welcome break from classroom learning. Well done all 11 and 12 VCE VM students, you have done a great job. Also a big thanks to Ed, Craig and George from School Council and Parents & Carers' Association who sourced the free sheds and delivered them to CHS.
Gary Vella
VCE VM
The Year 11 & 12 VCE VM classes visited Don Bosco on the 25th July. Both classes are focusing on Community Engagement at the moment, so visiting the Youth Centre, chatting to Campbell (a staff member who has worked in Youth Services for 20 years), being able to play with their baby rabbits and exploring their facilities was a great way to learn more about our community and the services within it. Campbell also taught us an awesome analogy about different perspectives to the same story or situation using a mug on a table, so thanks to Campbell and Don Bosco for having us!
Olivia Stray
Debating
Round 5 of the schools competition was last Wednesday night and there were some amazing debates happening! Unfortunately both C and B grades weren’t able to debate with C grade having a bye and B grade needing to withdraw.
We had the year 12s debate in the VCE grade last night as the affirmative team with the secret topic ’That the Australian government should prioritise funding non-digital entertainment over digital entertainment.’ It was a very interesting debate, and congratulations to the speaking team of Emma G, Finn M, and Edan B who, with Violet K and Willow K as writers, won by a respectable 3 points. Special mention also to Finn who took out best speaker.
The other team to debate was the D grade team. Samira P, Freya M, and Noah V were the negative team on the topic ’that streaming services (eg Netflix) made the wrong decision to ban password sharing’, versing St John’s Greek Orthodox school. They also won by 3 points, with special mention to Freya for taking out best speaker.
That brings the school competition to a close for the year. Congratulations to everyone who has taken part this year, and thank you to those families and friends of debaters for both ferrying your debaters around, and coming and spectating during debates. Your support is invaluable.
From here, the year 12s have an invitation to continue on to the finals. Information on that will become available in the coming weeks. Otherwise, that ends the schools competition for 2024. There have been so many amazing debates this year, and so much growth shown! Well done to all our debaters - I hope to see you back next year!
Kelly Harper
Basketball Academy
Empower Hoops
Recently our Academy girls took part in a special workshop called Empower Hoops by Former basketball players and current Carlton AFLW player Layla Price. Empower Hoops is a 1 hour interactive session that equips young female athletes with the confidence to adopt a high performance mindset and the tools for resilience and leadership.
Creek Cleanup
This week students some of our student athletes took part in the Merri Creek water way cleanup. We learned about the negative impact pollution near the water ways has on the wildlife and the environment. We collected over 20kg of rubbish and recycling in under 2 hours.
Mike Torres
Student Voice
Upcoming Out of Uniform Day
On Wednesday 21 August, CHS had a free dress day in support of UNICEF- The UN Children's Fund. UNICEF provides humanitarian aid to children worldwide and its activities include activities include providing immunisations and disease prevention, administering treatment for children and mothers with HIV, enhancing childhood and maternal nutrition, improving sanitation, promoting education, and providing emergency relief in response to disasters. It is largely funded by private donations. CHS students attending out of uniform made a gold coin donation and a total of $821.40 was raised. Year 8s raised the highest year-level total with $185.
Jaan Butler
Library News
Well here we are heading out of Winter, with Spring just around the corner. So, what better way to freshen up the library than a good old early spring clean. During our recent student free day, your busy bee librarian did a bit of a grand rearrangement of our lovely little library. So far, the responses have been very positive, with an overall opinion that there is now more space. YAY!
The Coburg High School Historical Group Book Drive was a wonderful success. Our book haul was very impressive. So, I would like to thank the following people for their generosity and support:
Glenyys Romanes, Martin Clements, Marli Theuliss, David Crickmore, Graeme Wilcox, Greg Pullen, Neil Bishop, Carolyn Seager, Jacqueline Milroy, Pauline Atkins, Joy (House) Doig. I would like to especially thank the Coleman family for an incredibly large donation to boost our Indigenous and LGBTQ collection. Thank you so much. Finally, thank you Glenyys for organising the book drive. I am beyond humbled.
Book Week is well and truly underway and there have been activities every day of the week. From The Dreaded Shredded Book to the Book Tower of Terror and the Never Ending Story which has been a complete and utter ridiculous amount of fun. The Book Character Dress Up Day Parade was a blast with some really creative characters roaming the library. We had two winners for Best Costume. In 2nd place was Liam C as The Wonky Donkey. In 1st place was Lily C as a young Remus Lupin. Thanks to all of the students who took part. Let’s do it again next year!
Dianna Jarnet
Librarian
English Team
What are we reading?
Ever wonder what other people are reading or want a recommendation? Here’s some ideas from what Coburg High’s English teachers are currently reading!
Megan Thomas - I recently finished listening to the audiobook of ‘The Younger Wife’ by Sally Hepworth after a friend suggested it as an easy, entertaining beach read. I listened to a lot of audiobooks when I was travelling Europe on the holidays and this book kept me sane during a lot of long bus trips. Opening with a wedding, where a blood-curdling scream is heard beyond the view of the guests, this story is told from the perspectives of four different women as the reader is forced to piece together details to figure out who has been hurt and who is responsible. Not a book I would be rushing to read again (now that I know what happens) but a book that was definitely compelling to listen to.
Kelly Harper - I finished reading the text I was going through last time, ‘The Saint of Bright Doors’, and if you’ve read it please, come chat to me! I have opinions about how it ended. Last week I finished a much easier read, ‘A Flame in the North’ by Lilith Saintcrow. It’s epic fantasy inspired Norse mythology, and I’m definitely picking up some homages to ‘Lord of the Rings’, too. ‘A Flame in the North’ is an epic journey story and the first in a series. Our main character, Solveig, is favoured by the gods with powerful fire magic and is also the eldest daughter. She is taken as weregild - part hostage, part guest - after her brother kills a guest during the mid-winter ritual for bringing back the sun. The story follows her physical journey to the north as she learns the Black Land is no myth and evil is here.
Angela Greet - After reading this New Yorker article, I started reading Edith Wharton’s classic ‘The Age of Innocence’. I am interested in how classic literature can lead us to ask questions of our lives now, and how much has changed since they were written. As I read I’ve found it particularly interesting to follow some traditional literary practices to help me make sense of her work. Essentially I take a section that ‘speaks to me’ each time, read that section several times and then wonder about how that section of texts relates to life now.
Liam Culbertson- Having just finished a handful of memoir/biographies, I have gravitated back to fiction with Hannah Kent's 'Devotion'. Strongly recommended by my partner, it's the story of two young women, falling in love in the backdrop of an Old Lutheran community and a sparse, harsh climate. Only a few chapters in so far, but incredibly compelling, great to finally have a book that draws me in so much that I forget where I am, or that I'm even reading.
Melanie Buscema-Moore - Having enjoyed the world created in Only a Monster (the last book I was reading for this list), I’ve followed through with this sequel. I can’t lie - I’m struggling to get into it and find my rhythm. I need to focus more to recall who is what character in which timeline. Most of my books I get through my local library and so I’ll use the deadline to push me to complete it, particularly as I’m second in the queue for the other book I’ve reserved - Lies & weddings, the latest from Kevin Kwan (author of the Crazy Rich Asians series).
Scott Dixon - I’ve just started Tom Hanks’ (yes, that Tom Hanks’) Uncommon Type, a collection of short stories that all have some loose connection to typewriters. (I’ve also gone on a real typewriter fixation of late and recently bought my second one.) So far they’re exactly the kind of stories you’d expect from someone like Hanks - pleasant, inoffensive slice-of-life narratives that won’t change your worldview but will make you go, ‘huh, that was fine’. Just like a Tom Hanks’ movie.
Alison Godfrey - Keeping my run of historical fiction going, I’ve just started reading Robert Drewe’s Our Sunshine, which is a reimagining of the life of Ned Kelly and his gang of outlaws. The story is told through a non-linear series of vignettes and fragmented, jumbled flashbacks as the Kelly Gang await their fate at the Glenrowan Inn. So far it is beautifully written, Drewe creates really lyrical prose and the narrative voice feels charismatic like its subject. I already found the legend of Ned Kelly and its part of the Australian consciousness pretty fascinating – but Drewe has created a new layer to the story, presenting Kelly as, ‘a man whose story outgrew his life.’
Lachie Gaylard - I bought this ages ago after the death of Harry Belafonte reignited my interest in 60s US politics. After watching an interview with Baldwin and Paul Weiss, where Baldwin calmly made some beautifully constructed and salient points, I said to myself, “I really need to read some of this guy’s stuff”. His writing is so precise and heartfelt; it’s essentially a sermon where he says even then that America is broken, and in need of “love…not in the infantile American sense of being happy but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth”. I couldn’t believe how applicable it is to the US today, but also for Australia grappling with its own past. It’s a super fast read, and seems like a great entry point to one of the greats.
Year 10 Formal
The Year 10 Formal, held on Friday, 16th August 2024, was a night to remember! Our students truly shined in their stunning dresses and sharp suits. It was heartening to see everyone come together and display such a high level of maturity throughout the evening. We're incredibly proud of the Year 10 cohort for making the night so special.
Eriol Backa