Library news

The Library saw Christmas come early as we put up our Christmas trees to begin our annual food drive collection for pasta and rice to donate to FareShare.  Thank you to our wonderful Year 11 Vocational Major students who helped to promote this to our school community and to everyone in our school community who donated food.  Congratulations to Irwin house who were awarded zooper doopers for bringing in the most donations. 

The annual magazine Crossroads was distributed from the Library this term, and saw a steady stream of students excited to pick up their copies.  It was combined with the Year 12 annual Class of 2023 magazine to provide a memorable record of life in Year 12. 

CHESS TOURNAMENT 

Chess has been a popular past time in the library in 2023.  It is very common to see multiple games of chess being played at both recess and lunchtime in the library and we have hosted four successful chess tournaments held throughout the year. We also held our first interschool chess tournament between Blackburn and Box Hill High School and hope that this becomes a regular event on the calendar. 

PARENT & CHILD BOOK CLUB - SIGN UP FOR 2024

Thank you to all of our lovely parents who took part in our Book Club this year.  It was wonderful to connect with you either in person or via email and we will be running this again in 2024.  If you love reading and would like to share your passion for books with your nearest and dearest then we would love you to join our parent and son/daughter Book Club.  

HOW WILL IT WORK?

We will select five book options per term that both a parent and student can read at their leisure.  At the end of the term, a date will be set where we meet in person to discuss the value of the book, its characters, themes, issues and the overall enjoyment.  We also welcome parents who just want to know more about new Young Adult books.  By signing up to our Book Club we will send you a list of recommended YA books that we have read and know are popular with students at BHHS. 

WHY JOIN?

The breadth and scope of YA fiction has evolved over the years and now includes more realism, romance, diversity, and inclusivity than ever before.  As parents, we spend hours of our time reading to our children when they are young but often this stops when our children become proficient readers themselves.  Sharing ideas and thoughts about a book, understanding how different generations process really important ideas and themes and bridging and reforming a reading connection is a fabulous way to engage and support your child’s education (many of the themes covered in English including illusion, reality, belonging, identity, conflict, agency and friendship are explored in the books that we will read) and branch into this amazing genre. 

INTERESTED?

Send me an email at kylie.pearson@education.vic.gov.au with your name and your child’s name and year if you would like to be involved.  

Victorian High Ability Program - Masterclass Events

The Victorian High Ability Program (VHAP) is part of a State Government initiative to support High-Ability students. It consists of a 10-week online course either in Math or English and it is delivered by the Virtual School Victoria.  Running every term this year, BHHS has had 45 students accept the offer to participate in the English challenge and enrichment program and 100 students take part in the Maths program. 

All students who participated in VHAP were invited to take part in several Masterclass events that all ran in Term 4.  These included 3 separate events for Maths and 3 separate events for English. 

Maths Masterclass 1

BioEYES – This hands-on, inquiry based educational experience allowed students to observe and learn about the life of cycle of zebrafish which are commonly used in biomedical research. This incursion was facilitated by Monash University scientists and educators and was a fabulous way for students to develop scientific thinking and problem-solving skills.  During the workshop, students observed zebrafish in different stages of their life cycle including transparent eggs and full-sized adults and learned about scientific topics such as habitat, genetics, stem cells, regenerative biology and ethics in an experimental approach that fosters enthusiasm for science education.

Maths Masterclass 2: 

Maths Games Day - Students worked in teams made up of students from Blackburn High School and Box Hill High School to tackle a whole range of maths challenges. The day that was facilitated by the Maths Association of Victoria was a fabulous opportunity for students to develop their mathematical talents and thinking skills in a setting where maths is regarded as fun and worthwhile. Collaborating with other schools also enabled student to develop their communication skills, their teamwork skills and their problem-solving skills. 

Maths Masterclass 3: 

Mini Chess Tournament – So many skills are developed through chess including Concentration; chess games demand precise logical thinking and can be long, arduous and require consistent intense concentration - which can increase aptitude for concentration, patience, and perseverance. Problem solving; chess promotes efficient problem-solving abilities, since success relies on the ability to quickly and completely assess a given game scenario.  Strong analytical and logical skills are thus also required. Decision Making; chess requires the ability to make thoughtfully considered, strategic decisions under pressure and Responsibility; chess teaches students to try their best to win, while accepting defeat with grace and good sportsmanship.  In this way, chess can be a very effective tool for self-improvement and self-motivation and a great was for our students to engage their maths skills in another context. 

English Masterclass 1

Art Journaling Workshop – Karen Comer

We welcomed Karen Comer who introduced our readers to the lyrical wonders of verse novels and facilitated an Art Journaling Workshop.  She presented the idea that images and words go together, and this workshop began with a collection of paper, cardboard, stamps, washi tape and glue to make a mini creative journal so students could collect their thoughts and images for a poem.  Using prompts, students gathered ideas for a poem and wrote a poem in their creative journal. 

Creative Writing Workshop – Danielle Binks 

We also welcomed lecturer Danielle Binks; a literary agent and author of middle-grade and young-adult fiction books.  A passionate advocate for ‘youth literature’ Danielle champions Australia’s national youth literature and writes compelling contemporary stories for young people.  She ran a fabulous presentation and creative writing workshop and gave students some fabulous strategies on how they can enhance their literacy skills.  

Finally, we welcomed in Melbourne Young Writers Studio presenter Matt Kazacos who presented to students the thrill of writing scripts for film and TV.  From the fundamentals of crafting a large-scale story to suit the screen, to the tools and techniques required to bring their own concepts to life, this full day event intrigued students to draw on examples from films, movies and shows and then apply what they discovered to their own screen plays. This workshop presented students with industry insight into the way stories are transferred from page to screen and challenged them to learn a new story telling craft.

The Library Team would like to wish you all a safe and relaxing break.

Merry Christmas to all.....