Teaching & Learning
Calling all Former SOC Students!
Interested in joining our Alumni Community? We would love to hear what our former SOC students are up to! Fill out the following online form: https://forms.office.com/r/JakrRiSTFm if you are interested in sharing!
Monash Street Law – Human Rights!
On Wednesday 11 October 2023, the Unit 2 VCE Legal Studies students participated in the Monash Street Law Human Rights Incursion. Monash Street Law is a volunteer organisation run by law students at Monash University, bringing legal education and activities to the community. Our presenters (Charlotte Sutton, Caitlin Jones and Rachel K Samuel) shared their knowledge of the law as well as some of their university experiences.
In the session, the Legal Eagles explored the right to vote – considering whether this is a human right, whether voting should be compulsory, what the voting age should be, who should be able to vote and who should decide who gets to vote! The students participated in a “Take a Stand” activity, literally voting with their feet by crossing the floor, to express their views.
Then the students explored the High Court case of Roach v Electoral Commissioner, linking directly to our final Area of Study and the Legal Eagles’ final SAC for the year – a rights case study. The feedback was very positive, with the students particularly enjoying the interactive aspects of the session. What a great way to launch into Term 4!
Jacinta Marlborough
Legal Studies Teacher
Sustainability club – shrub and grass planting
On a mild spring day of term 4 members of the sustainability club planted a variety of shrubs and grasses at the front of the school adjacent to the new gym. Students were engaged with every aspect of the panting: digging the space, separating the roots of pot-bound plants, fertilizing the hole, planting the shrub, and then watering the plant.
We look forward to watching our shrubs grow over the coming months.
This planting will not only beautify our school but will help mitigate some of the destructive effects of rising temperatures and climate change.
Alison Jones
Sustainability Co-ordinator
Sustainability Club – Aussie Bird Count.
At our recent sustainability meeting members of our club participated in the Aussie Bird Count. The Aussie Bird Count is a project of BirdLife Australia in which volunteers from all over the country conduct bird counts around Australia. It runs for a week during October and on the day we did the count already over 64,500 checklists had been submitted, over 2,241,000 birds counted and 635 different species sighted.
It was a magnificent sunny day when we strolled outside and, shaded by huge gum trees, did the count. The bird count needed to be completed within 20 minutes and, during that time, we saw 33 birds from 6 different species.
We are delighted to be part of this project which will assist scientists in understanding bird populations and behaviours during these challenging times of climate change.
Alison Jones
Sustainability Co-ordinator
Year 10 Health & Psychology Zoo Excursion
On Wednesday the 25th of October two of the year 10 health and psychology classes went to the Melbourne Zoo to support their assessment task on fieldwork Investigation. At the zoo, the students had the time to observe the two animals they were working on and record information about their environment, nutrition, health and behaviour.
The students had the opportunity to roam around and explore the wide variety of animals. The students and teachers got to see monkeys, butterflies, seals, giraffes, elephants and many more. Doing this gave the students time to enjoy the zoo, have a good time with friends, take some amazing pictures and see the animals you wouldn’t normally see every day.
The students also got the chance to work with one of the members of the zoo and do a creative workshop that focused on animal wellbeing. In this workshop the students studied the intelligence of monkeys and their thought process, the students got to observe him feed his two monkeys Cruise and Rodrigo. The students were able to watch their behavior and they got to see why the monkeys went to the zookeeper in the first place.
The zookeeper provided the students with information on their assessment task by giving them explanations of the six ethical guidelines and considerations confidentiality, debriefing, informed consent, use of deception, voluntary participation and withdrawal rights. The zookeeper showed us how he used one of the six ethical considerations of Cruise and Rodrigo, being use of deception. He used food to lure the monkeys to him at the front of the cage and feed them, whereas if he did not have food the monkeys most likely would not have come.
The zookeeper also helped the students by providing them with explanations and information about the ethical concepts of beneficence, integrity, justice, non-maleficence, and respect.
After this first half of the workshop, the students went outside to the elephant section and were given a worksheet to fill out information on elephant behavior, the students were split into groups and each group was assigned to do either baby, adult male, or adult female elephants. Each student was assigned a different task in the group, one student had to watch the elephant's activity such as sitting, eating, standing, and playing. And the other student would have a timer running on their devices. Every ten seconds the student would record the activity and that was done thirty times. Later each group compared the data they received on the elephants and saw how gender and age play a role in the type of activity they do.
Overall, the students had an amazing time at the zoo and enjoyed every second of it. They had a lot of fun looking at the animals and observing the behaviour and habitat they lived in. The excursion and workshop greatly assisted the students with their assessment tasks.
Stefan Krozian
Year 10 Student
Junior Debating Team Update
South Oakleigh College's junior debating team had an outstanding season, demonstrating their exceptional skills and team spirit. Both teams in the junior debate category had remarkable performances, remaining undefeated for most of the competition. Unfortunately, one of the teams only suffered one defeat, losing one round in their campaign. Other than that learning curve, both teams remained as undefeated champions. Playing in a difficult area, our opponents included formidable schools such as Caulfield Grammar, McKinnon Secondary College, Leibler Yavneh College, and Glen Eira College. Despite stiff competition, South Oakleigh College's young debaters continually demonstrated their dedication and talent.
Notably, the junior team showed remarkable growth over the season. Year 8 students stepped up into leadership roles, acting as coaches and mentors for their younger peers. This collaborative effort allowed the Year 7 participants to develop essential debating skills and gain valuable experience, enabling them to flourish and contribute to the team's overall success.
South Oakleigh College's junior debating team has proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with, both individually and collectively, within their region. Their dedication and hard work throughout the season have undoubtedly paved the way for a promising future in the world of debating.
Nicholas Morlin
Debating Facilitator
Music Department Update
Hot on the heels of our Spring Concert and SOC’s Got Talent, Term 4 has kicked off with a bang as we’ve flown headlong into our Year 12 Music Contemporary Performance Examinations. Seven students travelled with Mr Prewett and Mr Tzimourtas to the Kingston Arts Centre to undertake the exam in early October, amid a flurry of excitement and nervous energy.
The exam itself was a wonderful opportunity for our students to show off their considerable talents in front of a panel of expert musicians, in a professional space and using South Oakleigh College’s highly professional instruments and equipment. Students accompanied each other on stage, demonstrating wonderful teamwork and offering each other support and encouragement in this high-pressure assessment.
Students performed a wide range of contemporary pieces, featuring songs by artists such as the Beatles, Dusty Springfield, Gwen Stefani, and even a student-arranged jazz interpretation of a Jamiroquai piece. It was an enjoyable experience for all involved, and it’s safe to say the VCAA assessors were extremely impressed with the performances we provided.
Special thanks to Meelee Chanthery for arranging our transportation, and to Mr Tzimourtas for getting us there in style!
Aidan Prewett
Director of Music
GTAC (the gene technology access centre) Experience
On Friday 13th October, our 7AcSc group attended a Design Thinking excursion to GTAC (the gene technology access centre).
To participate, students engaged with a virtual lesson prior where they empathised with amputees and had to design prosthetic limbs to suit the needs of their patients.
Using icy pole sticks, students were able to build some prototypes and test them in our DLC to see if they could perform basic tasks like taking off a shoe and sock.
It was an amazing session as the students were highly engaged with the presenter and the task.
The day at GTAC started with the 7's meeting Mrs Vrettos and I at Oakleigh Station.
All students were in uniform and on time! The live session had students undergoing all 5 steps of the Design Thinking process - Empathy, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test.
Students learnt about 3 patients with different needs. They set about designing limbs to suit, they looked at the biology of various organisms to understand more about how limbs operate. In small groups, sitting with real scientists, they set about designing limbs. They were given kits with motors, levers, hinges and software. Students were able to make limbs that could operate off sensors stuck to their skin. Electrical impulses from their own nervous systems caused prosthetic limbs to have movement.
Students learnt how to operate and build prosthetics, code for simple movements, and use sensors to assist in their movement.
The manager of the program was impressed with the level of energy, enthusiasm and work done by our Year 7 Accelerated Science group - they made Mrs Vrettos and I very proud.
Well done to the 7's for engaging in a challenging program in alignment with our OEP objective - that is, using Design Thinking to learn, connect and develop skills that are transferrable in all settings.
Steve Kuruc
Learning Specialist: STEM
The Premier's Reading Challenge
The Premier's Reading Challenge in Victoria is a program that encourages students to read widely and develop a love of reading. It first began in 2005 and since then more than 4 million students have read over 57 million books.
Our 2023 participants at South Oakleigh College were encouraged to read a range of books, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry and graphic novels, from a selection of recommended titles provided by the program including 5 of their own personal choice which we then reviewed and approved.
Registration was high as was our participation, particularly by our lower secondary students. (years 7-9) Our SOC students immensely enjoyed this challenge as, other than being educational and fun, it is also quite competitive.
The Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge is run at South Oakleigh every year and students are always encouraged to participate and give it a go!!
Nancy Bastakos
Library Manager
ICAS Competition Winners
Congratulations to students who participated in the ICAS Tests. Certificates have been distributed to students.
Congratulations to Lily Smith Year `10 who won a Medal in ICAS writing.
Students who received Distinction:
Serena Shi - DigiTech
Jacob Gili - Digi Tech
Jacob Gili - English
Owen M - Science
Owen M - English
Hazel Doyle - Science
Serena Shi - Science
Fern Doyle - English
Andrew Macrae - Maths
Harshul Moon - Maths
Oliver P - Math
Matthew Sun - Math
Jason R - Math
Hazel Doyle - Writing
Oliver P - Writing
Jamie Yin - WRITING
Fern Doyle - Writing
Abigail R - Writing
Tamsyn Huggins - Spelling Bee
Deeva Makwana- Spelling Bee
Salena Mills - Spelling Bee
High Distinction -
Lily Smith - Writing
Harshul Moon - Writing
Jacob Gili - Spelling Bee
Harshul Moon - Spelling Bee
Oliver P - Spelling Bee
Sulagna Monga
Learning Specialist: Enhancements, challenge & VCE