Student News
Year 9 Chinese Excursion to the Chinese Museum and Chinatown
On Thursday, 7th November, our Year 9 Chinese students spent an immersive day exploring traditional Chinese culture through a visit to the Chinese Museum, a tour of Chinatown, and a hands-on Chinese knotting workshop. At the museum, students learned about the history of Chinese migration to Australia and explored fascinating exhibits that highlighted the rich cultural heritage of the Chinese community. The Chinatown tour offered a lively experience of its vibrant streets, historic landmarks, and unique architecture, deepening their understanding of this iconic cultural precinct.
The highlight of the day was the Chinese knotting activity, where students learned the art of creating intricate knots, symbolizing unity and good fortune. It was wonderful to see their creativity and enthusiasm as they crafted their own keepsakes. The excursion was a meaningful and enjoyable experience, leaving everyone with a greater appreciation of Chinese traditions and history.
Monica Shi, Jeremy Hu, and Chufeng Liu
VCE/IB Chinese Immersion Day: Exploring Culture and Education
On Friday, 8th November, our VCE and IB Chinese students participated in a dynamic immersion day that deepened their cultural and educational understanding. The morning began with a hands-on workshop at the Chinese Museum, where students explored traditional Chinese culture and its historical context. This interactive experience allowed students to engage with Chinese heritage in a meaningful way, broadening their appreciation for its depth and influence.
In the afternoon, students enjoyed one of the most popular Chinese films of the year, offering a glimpse into contemporary Chinese society and its values. Through discussions, they reflected on the differences between Australian and Chinese educational approaches, fostering a greater understanding of cultural and systemic distinctions. The day was both insightful and inspiring, enhancing students’ appreciation of Chinese traditions and modern perspectives.
Monica Shi, Jeremy Hu, and Chufeng Liu
Gifted Outreach Program: On-Site Day Success
On 22nd November, Suzanne Cory High School hosted an exciting Gifted Outreach Program, welcoming 30 primary students from nine different schools to experience the dynamic environment of our campus. Guided by 10 Year 9 mentors, the primary students engaged in a thought-provoking project titled "How Do I Design the Ideal Secondary College?" The day included a campus tour and a variety of interactive school-related activities, providing a firsthand look at Suzanne Cory's unique facilities and community. Enthusiasm was high as participants shared their ideas and explored what makes an exceptional secondary school.
Our Year 9 mentors shone throughout the day, demonstrating outstanding mentorship skills as they facilitated the process, fostered collaboration, and supported the primary students in completing their projects. The final designs, developed with creativity and thoughtfulness, reflected a deep understanding of the needs of a modern secondary college. The ability of our mentors to guide their groups and ensure the projects were completed on time and to a high standard was commendable, and their efforts were appreciated by students and staff alike.
The day after the on-site activities, each group presented their "ideal secondary school" projects online in a showcase attended by parents, teachers, and principals. These presentations highlighted the students' hard work, innovative ideas, and teamwork, leaving the audience highly impressed. This two-day event was a resounding success, not only in providing an enriching experience for the primary students but also in showcasing the leadership and community spirit of Suzanne Cory High School.
Alex Carroll, Michelle Magalona, and Chufeng Liu
Ecocore Botanical Gardens & Beach Clean-Up Excursion
On Wednesday, 13th November, students a part of Suzanne Cory High Schools’ environmental club Ecocore participated in a rewarding Botanical Gardens and Beach Clean-Up excursion in Melbourne and Williamstown.
The day began with a beautiful visit to the Royal Melbourne Botanical Gardens, where students learnt about the history of the Botanical Gardens and the importance of biodiversity and conservation. The second half of the excursion took place at Williamstown, where Ecocore members took part in a beach clean-up initiative. The students – supplied with recyclable materials – worked together to collect trash, helping to protect the local ecosystem and reduce pollution.
The excursion provided a valuable experience in environmental care, while also fostering teamwork and a deep connection to nature. Ecocore aims to continuously inspire its members to take action and make a positive impact on the environment.
Zyna Fatima, B7
Cultural Olympics
Our school consists of a multitude of cultures. As such, it is important that we celebrate the cultural diversities that make up Suzanne Cory High School. The year 11 SRCs, along with the Cultural Celebrations Committee introduced the Cultural Olympics, which aimed to showcase a variety of events ranging from Pandi to European Handball.
Four teams, consisting of a range of students across year levels, had its members participate in four different events with a common goal: to win the Cultural Olympics.
It was a fun spirited competition between all four teams, but ultimately Team 3 came out on top– winning by only one point. We hope you all enjoyed the Cultural Olympics, and hope to see you all in future school events!!
Australian Baseball League Schools Game
On November 18th, Suzanne Cory High School was invited to the Australian Baseball League annual Schools Game between the Melbourne Aces and the Canberra Cavalry, held at Melbourne Ballpark. We got there bright and early, despite some delays due to someone being late .
At the top of the first inning, the announcers called out free popcorn for the rest of the day if the batter struck out. All pressure was on the Melbourne pitcher, and lo and behold, the batter struck out. Instantly all of the kids at the field, as well as some teachers, ran toward the popcorn stand and lined up. The queue was filled for the rest of the day. Throughout the game the announcers ran chants and cheers, and at the bottom of the 6th all students had the opportunity to run from first base to third. As the game progressed there were foul balls flying everywhere and our students ran out to the parking lot to find them. Obviously, there was more popcorn being consumed throughout this. The Melbourne Aces won a very exciting game, which included several huge home runs, by a score of 6-4.
At the end of the game, the students had the opportunity to meet the Melbourne Aces players as well, where they handed out balls, stickers, and other memorabilia, as well as signing them all. As we left the field we were given some complimentary apple juice (only because it was about to expire), which tasted extremely unique to say the least. Driving out, the boys in Mr Haslinger’s bus begged him to take us to Macca’s, and a last-ditch effort was made to contact Ms Fenby on her bus to ask to bring us there. I am sad to report it did not work. Overall a very fun day, and our students are definitely looking forward to it next year. Lastly, I would like to give a big thank you to Mr Haslinger and Ms Fenby for taking us there, and a final goodbye to Ms Fenby, who, unfortunately, will be leaving us this year. She coached all the SCHS baseball teams as well as the inter and senior boys hockey teams and will be missed very much.
Akshya A., R4
Student Leadership Day
On Thursday November 14th, our 2025 student leaders took part in the annual Student Leadership Day. As part of this day, students got to know their teams through a series of code breaking activities and also participated in some lively workshops run by teachers and our amazing school captains. These workshops focused on building essential skills for leaders and got our teams thinking about what they wanted to achieve in the upcoming year.
A big thank you to Lucy Kinnane, Jayesh Mohan, Rhianna Laguesma, Dinda Widya Murti and Vinh Nguyen for their energetic and creative workshops that got all the leaders working together and challenging themselves. Thank you also to Joel Moden, Geoff Duckworth, Lisa Guastella, Roshini Muslayah, Tegan Dimble and Damien Luci for their work with the student leaders in planning for 2025. This day would not have been a success without your efforts. We are all looking forward to seeing the hard work started during our leadership day continuing on in 2025.
Dolly Nguyen
Director of Engagement: Student Voice and Agency
ADT Showcase
On Tuesday the 2nd of December, the school held it’s end of year ADT showcase! There were nibbles from the food tech students, displays of artwork from the Viscom and Art Making and Exhibiting students and Buskers in the agora performing soulful solos and group pieces and were eagerly cheered on by the friendly crowd of our school community as they shined on stage.
The night was full of amazing performances, and it’s so clear to see all the hard work all the music teachers and students have put into preparing their pieces and songs. It was an honour to showcase the shining talent of ADT students to the parents and the rest of the school. As your Music Captains this was our very first time presenting to the school and, well… There were some interesting challenges, which gave way to unplanned jokes and all-around fun and we wouldn’t have asked for it to go flawlessly if we knew it’d turn out this enjoyable! Needless to say, the evening performances went smoothly and everybody left thoroughly entertained! Thank you to all the students, staff, and parents who contributed to making this event a success, we truly couldn’t have achieved it without your incredible support and involvement!
Your Music Caps ♫
Jayme and Ashmi
Over and Out!
Penalty Shootout Mania
On the 4th of November, the staff and students of SCHS participated in a brand new soccer themed event, the Penalty Shoot-out Mania. The rules were fairly simple. Different teams of students had their chance to take on teachers in multiple rounds of penalty kicks, with a slight twist: before each kick, the kicker had to roll a die to determine which powerup would apply to their kick. There were some advantageous power-ups to the kicker, like the goalkeeper having to stand to the side and being allowed to move only after the kicker started their run-up, to negative power-ups like wearing a blindfold (which saw a lot of laughs from the crowd as some kickers missed the ball completely!)
There were some successful kicks across the board from the Staff and Students, but the Students ended up winning narrowly by 4 goals to 2 goals respectively, showing just how challenging it is to convert from the spot when all the eyes of Suzanne Cory are watching.
We would like to thank all the staff and students that participated in the shoot-out, as well as those that helped us to organise and set-up the event. We would also like to thank everyone that came down to the synthetics to watch, and we hope everyone had a great laugh seeing your teachers and friends score (and miss) some penalties.
Your 2025 Sport Captains, Adi and Priyanka
Adi Atre (B1), Priyanka Mehta (A1)
Year 10 Outdoor Education
During the second Physical Education elective rotation for 2024 the Outdoor Education classes enjoyed excursions that allowed the students to see real world applications of technological changes in outdoor activities and responses to risk.
Students either participated in a surfing lesson at Torquay and Ocean Grove or indoor rock climbing at Cliffhanger. No matter which excursion the students participated in they were consistently praised by the instructors for their resilience in the face of a challenge and their ability to pick up new skills.
Staff attending the excursions along with the students enjoyed watching the students smile as they challenged themselves in unfamiliar settings.
Year 10 Outdoor Education
During the second Physical Education elective rotation for 2024 the Outdoor Education classes participated in outdoor cooking practical lessons. Students utilised Trangia outdoor stoves to cook their prepared meals.
This allowed students to plan and execute their own menus while learning a new skill of cooking on a liquid fuel stove. Many lessons were learnt, in particular cleaning up!
Year 11 Camp
Our Year 11 students recently enjoyed an unforgettable 3-day experience at Campaspe Downs, designed to help them transition into their final year of school. The camp blended fun and personal growth, offering a range of exciting activities such as canoeing, a thrilling giant swing challenge (with loud screams as the competition!), and laser tag in the bush. The students also participated in a trivia night, where staff members showed off their karaoke skills in front of hundreds of excited students.
In addition to the fun, the camp provided valuable sessions led by school staff to support the Year 11s as they prepare for the challenges of Year 12. Despite the hot weather, the students demonstrated outstanding enthusiasm and engagement throughout the camp, making the most of every opportunity to connect with their peers and build lasting memories.
A huge thank you to the dedicated staff who helped organize and run the camp, ensuring it was a smooth and memorable experience for everyone involved. The students’ positive attitude and spirit throughout the camp were truly commendable, and we look forward to seeing them thrive as they step into their final year of school.
All the best for your final year of studies!
Ms Dunstan
Connect Club Photo Booth Fundraiser
As we conclude the end of the 2024 academic year, it is more important than ever to reflect back on not only the progress in which we have made, but also those who you have made it with. On the last day of school, Connect Club has provided students with a unique opportunity to take photos with their friends, aimed at creating lasting memories to commemorate this year.
The mission of Connect Club has always been to foster connections—between ourselves, our peers, and the world around us. Through this photo booth experience, we hope you’ve deepened your bonds with those you treasure most.
We raised $172.50 from this event will be used to create gift baskets for local hospital staff and care packages for recovering patients. It’s our way of giving back to those who work tirelessly to care for others, spreading kindness and gratitude beyond our school community.
As we head into the holidays, we hope that you continue to engage with the surrounding community, and enjoy a well deserved break!!
Tim Nguyen (B2)
On behalf of Connect Club.
Alson on the last official day of school there was a themed dress up day with the theme of “Through the Decades”, where students dressed up in any style throughout the decades for a gold coin donation ! Whether it be the 2000s, 90s, 80s, 70s, or even earlier, students were creative and made the last day a memorable one!
We raised the $377.10 for Abound Communities, a not-for-profit organisation formed in 1869 with the aim of providing affordable, safe and dignified independent homes for older Victorians, and to offer appropriate and practicable extended care when required.
What a great effort!
Your ‘25 Citizenship Captains,
Meredith and Shanika
Terry Bennet Cup
Thank you to all the staff and students who were involved in the Terry Bennett Cup today. It was a fantastic event and it was a real joy to see our SCHS students making new friends and having fun with their counterparts at Nossal.The final results for the day are:
- 4th place (Apollo x Pegasus): 283 points
- 3rd place (Rothwell x Griffin): 329 points
- 2nd place (Blackwood x Garuda): 352 points
- 1st place (Kororoit x Phoenix): 386 points
Congratulations to the red teams from both schools on securing a back to back win in the Terry Bennett Cup.
