9-12 Community News

While we would like to say “What a busy end to a very unusual year”, this year has in some ways replicated the strange year that preceded it. So, we celebrate and acknowledge the tremendous efforts of all of the members of the 9-12 Community as we come to the end of a second challenging year. Congratulations; we made it!

The last few weeks in the 9-12 Community have continued to be busy. We have had our end of year exams, academic reports, Early Commencement and our Annual Awards Ceremony.

Our Years 10 and 11 students are to be congratulated on the way they conducted themselves during the examination period. Completing exams such as these is excellent preparation for the final exams that students will face as they complete their VCE studies.

Congratulations to Keelee Smith, who was announced as the recipient of the Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Award. Keelee wrote a reflective essay on the spirit of ANZAC in modern Australia. Her essay was so highly regarded that she has won a scholarship to assist her with her future educational journey. Well done, Keelee.

With the completion of the exams, the 9-12 Community stepped up and welcomed its newest members as we undertook the Early Commencement Program (ECP). The 2021 Year 8 cohort joined us as the 2022 Year 9s and we welcomed several new students across the levels. This week has provided a wonderful opportunity for staff and students to get to know each other. Staff have created meaningful activities designed to engage students in order to learn more about their different learning styles and establish what prior knowledge students may have of the subject area to help with their planning and preparation for the following year. 

This week has provided a valuable opportunity for teachers to plan curriculum and establish ways in which  they can tailor learning to the individuals they have in their class. Staff and students have also spent time co-constructing the expectations for classes for the following year so that students are fully aware of what the learning and classroom expectations are for next year. The activities and programs also set out to promote and model the high expectations and growth mindset expected. The week was filled with lots of activities to build positive relationships with students and staff alike and promote a safe and supportive learning environment. 

ECP saw the Year 11s move up to claim the mantle of the senior students as they entered the Tolle Lege and took ownership of their VCE Rugby jumpers. The students were excited to accept this rite of passage and look magnificent as they wear their uniform with pride.

While classes end this week, our 2021 Year 12s are eagerly awaiting their results, which are released on December 16th. We hope that the 2021 Year 12s, and Year 11s who completed Units 3/4 subjects, get the rewards that they deserve.

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the many wonderful staff, students and parents who have helped to make this year one to remember. We are very lucky to have such a fabulous group of people who make up our community and we have thoroughly enjoyed working with you all. In a year that presented us with so many challenges, we worked together to ensure the best outcomes were achieved. We would like to wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas and look forward to working with you all again in 2022. 

Michelle Downie                         Brad Downie

9-12 Community Leader           9-12 Community Leader

Wellbeing                                      Student Learning and Professional Practice

Year 12 Literature 

During ECP, the Year 12 Literature students have completed their reading and recording of "The Winter’s Tale" by William Shakespeare. 

Leontes, the King of Sicilia accuses his wife Hermione of having an affair and has her imprisoned. In prison she gives birth to a baby girl. Sadly, Hermione dies in prison and the baby is left in the forest. An oracle says to Leontes that he will be reunited with his wife and daughter. To Leontes's disbelief, the statue of his wife Hermione comes to life,  and he discovers that his daughter Perdita is not dead, but was raised by shepherds in the forest and has consequently married the son of his old friend Polixenes. The play ends with the family happily reunited. 

Denise Stewart

9-12 English and Literature 

Year 9 English

Biography - Beatrix Potter 

by Tate Tartaglia

Beatrix Potter's story began in late 18th Century England in 1866. She lived with her brother, mother and father. At a young age, Beatrix told her brother stories about lively animals like rabbits, hedgehogs, and newts and enjoyed drawing and painting these animals in watercolour. In her adult years, she spent her time jumping from publisher to publisher to see if she could potentially get her sketches and stories turned into books. After many failed attempts Beatrix encountered a publisher to make her dream of making her stories become a reality. The publisher, Norman Ward set to turn Ms Potters sketches and drawings into books to be sold around the country. Norman and Beatrix fall in love. Eventually, Norman proposes to Beatrix. Beatrix is very stunned by this and doesn’t quite know what to say to this question, but just as Norman was about to leave, Beatrix responded with ‘yes'. Beatrix wrote to Norman every day and Norman responded. But after several months Norman did not make a response, Beatrix is very concerned about this and why she is not getting a response, until one letter she received would decimate her life. Norman had fallen ill and died. After this Beatrix locked herself in her room in the house. She only ever came out when Normans’ sister Amelia came to visit. Eventually Amelia persuaded Beatrix to get back on track, so that’s what Beatrix did, she bounced back and started creating more and more books to sell. Later in life, Beatrix moved to the country, married her lawyer and bought much land from the proceed from her novels. Beatrix never had children and died from pneumonia in 1943 at age 77 and bequeathed most of the land to the British National Trust.

Biography - A.A Milne 

by Jack Freeman

After leaving London for the countryside the writer and author A.A Milne started to write stories about his son ‘Christoper’ and his toys. A.A Milne was borne in 1882 and died in 1956. The stories become an instant success, such as, 'Winnie the Pooh’. A.A Milne’s children’s books brought much happiness to families post WWI. A.A Milne suffered from PTSD from his experiences from WWI and his writing enabled him to cope. A.A Milne’s son Christopher Robin Milne also became an author, he was born in 1920 and died in 1996. Christopher Robin Milne’s novels included the stories, “The Enchanted Places” and “The Path Through the Trees”.