Secondary Life
Year 9 Outdoor Education - Climbing Camp
Seth Naunton and Joshua Spence, Outdoor Education Students
Rock climbing camp was an awesome trip. A few weeks before the camp, we went on excursions to the Cathedral Ranges and to Hard Rock in Nunawading, to learn some basic skills. In the lead up to the camp, we split into groups of three and as a team planned all our meals and snacks for the week.
Once we arrived at camp we split into two different groups. One camp group stayed at a farm near Mitre Rock and the other camped at the base of Mt Arapiles. We swapped campsites on the Wednesday. Both camps had three separate activities which you did in your climbing groups. At the farm camp, there were two top roping (where you climb on a rope that has an anchor already set up) climbs at different locations, with a variety of climbs ranging in difficulty, challenging us all in different ways. Our third activity was the rock journey at Mitre Rock, which involved a climb up the side of the rock. We learnt new skills such as tying knots, belaying, and other climbing techniques.
At the Mt Arapiles camp, there was more top roping, a rock journey which comprised of three abseils - the final one being 40m high! The highlight for (almost) everyone, was the multi-pitching. Multi-pitching is where a guide climbs up the cliff and places gear in the rock. They then find a ledge to start belaying everyone. You then complete this process repeatedly until you reach the summit of the cliff.
Overall, rock climbing camp was a blast and a once in a lifetime experience. It is definitely a highlight of the year for many of us and will be fondly remembered.
Year 7 Pharoah Exhibition
Olesya Longden, Year 7 General Studies Teacher
Did you know that Ancient Egyptians saw the flies as symbols of persistence and often wore them as protective amulets? Or that it was a common practice for a pharaoh to appropriate a predecessor's grand statues and buildings for their own edification, by replacing the existing names with their own?
These are just two of the many interesting facts our Year 7s discovered when they visited the Pharoah Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria last week.
Over the last few weeks, we have been learning all about the way the ancient Egyptians lived, worked, worshipped and died. It has therefore been an incredible privilege for our students to see these ancient people face to face as they explored over 500 beautifully arranged artefacts, some of which have never been shown to the public. Students were struck by the grandeur of the statues and beauty of the craftmanship that dates back as much as 5,000 years. Some of the students were excited to see artefacts that are connected to the pharaohs they are researching in their assessments.
We are so grateful to have been able to experience the marvel of Ancient Egypt and witness an authentic connection between our learning at school and the real world.
Celebration of Song
Janine Power, Music Administrator
On Wednesday 31 July, we hosted our “Celebration of Song” concert. All our DCC choirs performed, comprising the Foundation, Junior, Intermediate and Advanced vocal ensembles, together with the Junior and Senior Secondary Worship bands and our Intermediate Bellringers.
Our audience of over 400 parents and friends and a group of over 180 performers, filled the Community Hub with beautiful music.
The evening opened with our Junior Worship band leading the audience in praise and then the Foundation choir of Year 3 and 4 students singing Rockin’ Robin (accompanied by squeaky toys).
There was an expansive mix of musical pieces from tongue twisters, classical choral, beautiful bellringing, familiar jazz standards and contemporary songs finishing with our Altonatives with an a cappella rendition of “Beginning to see the light’.
Well done for a wonderful night of music.
Victorian Schools' Music Festival
Janine Power, Music Administrator
On the back of a successful Celebration of Song concert, our Junior, Intermediate and Advanced Vocal ensembles attended the VSMF on Monday 5 August. This festival is a wonderful opportunity for choirs to perform to other schools and although not a traditional ‘competition’, the students receive awards depending on how well they present their selection of music. Performances are judged by well-known adjudicators, among them the director of the Australian Girls Choir.
Our Junior Vocal Ensemble was awarded a gold, and our Intermediate and Advanced Vocal Ensembles were both awarded platinum, which is exceedingly rare as it indicates the ultimate achievement of excellence in their division.
Our students were gracious and appreciative audience members for other schools that performed and have demonstrated the important skill of audience etiquette.
Parents should be immensely proud of their young vocalists.
