Around the Grounds
Music, Sport and Debating
Music Notes
On Friday 31 July, 116 Senior School students packed their bags and headed to Oasis Camp in Mt Evelyn for our annual Music Camp! With Music Gala right around the corner, these two jam-packed days provided the perfect opportunity for deep-dive rehearsals and non-stop music-making.
A massive thank you to all the Music staff who worked incredibly hard over the two days — with special shoutouts to Ms Juliana Kay for her incredible work leading the massed Choir, and Mr Lyndon Chester for his tireless dedication to our Strings’ Ensemble. Last but certainly not least, huge credit goes to our Year 12 Music Captains for organising an unforgettable night of activities on Friday!
Upcoming events:
Junior School Music Incursion
On Friday 7 August, our Barbreck students in Years 4–6 will be involved in the Mallet Jam workshops with James Madsen. This is a fantastic opportunity of our Junior School students to experience composition and making music in a fun and different way.
Term 3 Recitals
The sign-up Formstack has now closed, with a record number of students signing up. Due to this there will be two recitals running this term:
Thursday 20 August and Thursday 3 September.
Students and families have already been notified about which recital they have been allocated.
Victorian School Music Festival
Senior Concert Band will be performing at Hawthorn Town Hall on Tuesday 25 August
Epstein Singers will be performing at the Box Hill Salvation Army Hall on Monday 7 September.
Music Gala – Tuesday 8 September
Held at the world class Melbourne Recital Centre, this will be a concert not to miss.
Mr Francis Blakiston
Head of Music
Sport News
Snowsports
The past fortnight has been an exciting one for St Catherine's Snowsports, with students embracing every opportunity to challenge themselves.
Our annual House Snowsports Weekend at Mt Buller saw students from Junior and Senior School take part across alpine skiing, snowboarding, moguls and cross country. It was wonderful to see so many girls stepping outside their comfort zones, whether they were skiing for the very first time, giving a race course a go, learning a new discipline or cheering on their friends from the sidelines. House Weekend is about so much more than competition. It is about building confidence, resilience, friendships and a lifelong love of the mountains.
The momentum continued into the Victorian Cross Country Interschools Championships, where our students competed in incredibly challenging conditions, facing freezing temperatures, strong winds and low visibility throughout the day. Despite the weather, the girls showed outstanding determination and perseverance, producing some exceptional performances against many of the State's strongest cross-country skiers.
Congratulations to Bianca F, who claimed a silver medal in the Division 5 Individual Classic event, while our Division 5 Classic team secured a gold medal. We were also delighted to celebrate podium finishes from our Division 4 Classic team (bronze), Division 4 Relay team (silver) and Division 2 Relay team (bronze). Several students also achieved Top 10 individual finishes, and we are thrilled to have 21 students provisionally qualified for the Australian Interschools Championships at Perisher later this month, pending final confirmation of results.
Following the success of our Cross-Country team, attention now turns to the Victorian Interschools Ski and Snowboard Championships from 16–23 August. We look forward to seeing our students continue to represent St Catherine's with courage and determination.
Congratulations to every student who has represented St Catherine's so far this season. Thank you also to our dedicated staff and Snowsports Auxiliary, whose support continues to make these opportunities possible for our students.
Mrs Jenny Lyons
Head of Snowsports
Rowing
The Rowing pre-season is off to a fantastic start, with all rowers commencing training this week and embracing the excitement of a new season. Our Learn to Row program kicked off with 42 students taking part across two days. Students have been learning the fundamentals of the sport, including boat safety, equipment handling, and the teamwork that sits at the heart of rowing.
A particular highlight was welcoming several of our Year 12 rowers back to the boatshed, where they shared their experiences and offered a glimpse into the friendships, pathways, and opportunities that rowing can provide.
Across the program, there has been excellent engagement and enthusiasm, with our rowers building fitness through Strength & Conditioning and ergo sessions before taking their first strokes on the water for the season. As crews begin laying the foundations for the months ahead, there is a strong sense of connection, commitment, and excitement about what this season may bring.
Mr Tom Creber
Head of Rowing
Mr Charlie Goldsworthy
Rowing Coordinator
Debating and Public Speaking
This week’s Debating and Public Speaking Assembly acknowledged the incredible commitment, teamwork and talent of all students who have contributed to the program so far this year. The Debating Co-Captains, Isabelle and Bella led a joyous celebration of student achievements throughout Semester 1 and outlined some of the exciting programs on offer in Semester 2.
A highlight of the Assembly was watching two teams of Year 12 debaters meet the challenge of debating an impromptu topic with only 15 minutes to plan their speeches as a team. The impromptu topic, chosen by the audience, That the school should be responsible for installing an escalator up Heyington Station hill, made for a very engaging and humorous debate. The skill and courage to step out of their comfort zone displayed by each of the debaters was representative of the personal challenges and rewards of the program. Debaters are required to collaboratively formulate and articulate arguments under the pressure of time, as well as respond to the ever-changing dynamics of the debate.
As well as acknowledging each and every debater, mooter or public speaker, 30 students received certificates for achieving Best Speaker Awards in one or more of the Climate Issues Debates, The DAV Women’s Debates, or the first four rounds of the Senior DAV Debates. Two Year 10 teams and one Year 11 team also received resounding applause for remaining undefeated after four challenging debates in the Senior DAV program so far. The oratory skills and courage of students who individually took part in Interschool Public Speaking Competitions were also acknowledged.
The Year 11 Mooting team, Victoria, Aamna and Phoebe, who represented the School in the Bond University National Mooting Competition, shared their experience of adopting the role of Senior and Junior Counsel and Solicitor in a simulated court proceeding. The moot was based on a fictional legal problem before moot court judges. Mooting, like real life advocacy, requires teamwork, applying legal principles to the facts, communicating clearly and persuasively, and thinking on your feet.
The connection that the Debating program provides extends beyond the bonds between team members and fellow debaters in each level but across age-groups. The Year 10 debaters enjoyed the chance to share their skills and experience in weekly coaching sessions with the Year 5 and 6 Junior School debaters, and the Year 11 debaters look forward to coaching the Year 7 and 8 debaters in Term 3 and 4 as part of the program’s focus on peer mentoring and leadership.
Semester 2 promises to be another action-packed semester of Interschool Debating and Public Speaking, with the final rounds of the Senior DAV debates, the British Parliamentary Debates, and the much-anticipated commencement of the Junior Debating Program, as well as the DAV Junior Public Speaking competition and the Speech and Drama Teachers of Victoria Public Speaking Competition.
The hotly contested House Debating Heats take place on Monday 10 August. Like all House events at St Catherine’s, House Debating and House Public Speaking are met with fervent House spirit.
Ms Merran O’Connor
Head of Debating and Public Speaking