From the Principal Class
Dear Viewbank Community,
Term 3 sees us continue to prioritise the management of Covid, influenza and other viruses. Staffing shortages continue to pose challenges, and we continue to work to minimise disruption to students and their learning.
On a very positive note, we have been able to implement a comprehensive on-site course-counselling process. This takes a lot of back-end work and I want to thank all our AP’s, House Leaders, Heads of House, Careers team, Domain leaders and Learning Leaders for their work. The implementation of a new Senior Certificate has added another layer of complexity but certainly more pathway options for students.
Production:
"We Will Rock You" has been a great success!
Although attendee numbers were a little down (Covid impact), there was no denying the excitement and energy, mingled with exhaustion of our cast, crew, and production team.
A special thanks to the following:
- Katrina Wellins (Director and Vocal Coach)
- Genelle Lentini (Producer, costumes, and choreography)
- Ben Mogford (Production, lighting, and set building)
- Andrew Van Gemert (Orchestra Director)
- Jess Chong (makeup)
- Mahalia Rank (costumes)
- Steve Varley (Media coordinator)
- Daniel Gigliotti - past student (Sound coordination)
This year we have been very proud that our senior students have taken on the role of choreographers and assistant producers.
Special mention to Elle T, Rarnee B, Scarlett M and Ben A (all of Year 12) for their amazing commitment and leadership of the whole student cast and crew.
I also want to acknowledge the work of Emma Ford and FOPAVA for providing such great support of Production through their fundraising efforts.
I had many emails and messages from families, with great feedback on this year’s performances. The production continues to be an important feature on the College calendar!
Please see Production & FOPAVA Raffle News page for student reflection and photos.
Year 9 Program - LEAD Melbourne:
Year 9 students will engage with a City Program this term. This will be their camping experience and a great opportunity to build independence whilst exploring aspects of Melbourne city. The focus this year will be on diversity and how the city recognises and celebrates diversity. There will be parent briefings in the next few weeks.
The LEAD program event is now available for you to consent and pay for this program on Compass.
The consent and payment is due by Thursday 1st September.
Year 9 LEAD Melbourne - Online Information Evening
The College will be running an online parent information event on Tuesday 9th August at 6pm.
In this session we will run through what the program will cover as well as our safety protocols and expectations of students in order to run a successful experience for all staff and students, and there will be an opportunity to ask questions.
There is no need to RSVP to this information evening, please find the link below.
A recording of the event will be made available in the days following the session.
Link to Information Evening: Click here to join the meeting
We look forward to seeing you online on Tuesday evening.
Year 10 Awards:
Congratulations to all our award winners in Year 10, including those students receiving recognition for academic achievement, learning growth and House spirit, and other awards. It is always wonderful to celebrate the efforts of students across curricular and co-curricular areas. See article and pictures in Middle Years News further on in the newsletter.
Year 11 Public Speaking:
I had the pleasure of sitting in the audience at the Year 11 Public Speaking event this morning.
The speeches were highly sophisticated and thought provoking, discussing issues of concern to the students. I applaud those who spoke in front of their peers - this is such an important skill. Equally, the critical and creative thinking needed to expertly craft these speeches left me feeling quite inadequate! Well done to all finalists and congratulations to following:
| Place | Name | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jack | No issues concern me |
| 2nd | Talia | Modern Advertising |
| 3rd (equal) | Stella | Australia should introduce a wealth tax on billionaires |
| 3rd (equal) | Ananya | Should governements be legally obligated to protect people from climate change |
Japanese Language Model United Nations Conference:
Congratulations to Bill Y and Mikolai Z of Year 12 for their participation in the Japanese Language Model United Nations Conference on the 25th of July.
It was wonderful to receive an acknowledgement email from the event organiser, Satoshi Sanada who highly commended our students who stood out amongst the select entry schools and large private schools.
Thank you to Michiyo Naito and Chris Mertins for their work in preparing our students.
Viewbank College 2022 Yearbook (The Phoenix):
The Viewbank College Yearbook is a celebration of the year that was.
It is a collection of stories, photos, and successes.
Purchase of the yearbook costs $25 and is an optional item for purchase.
If you would like a copy, please pay via Compass no later than Friday 9th September.
Upcoming Events:
Tickets are now available for 2 upcoming College events:
Friends of STEAM Trivia Night which will be held on Thursday 25th August, 2022 at 7.30pm in the Performing Arts Centre. To book tickets, click here. For further information, please see STEAM News further on in the newsletter.
2022 Jazz Night will be held on Tuesday 13th September, 2022 at the Brunswick Ballroom at 7.00pm. Click here to book tickets.
Sharon Grimes, Principal
Emma Ford, Assistant Principal
Rachael Smith, Assistant Principal
Anna Crosswhite, Acting Assistant Principal
Jackson Moloney, Acting Assistant Principal