Around the College

Patrick Klonis Selected for U18 National Team

We are proud to announce that Patrick Klonis (Year 11) has been selected for the Australian Men’s U18 Volleyball team.

Patrick, the only Victorian player to be selected in the 12-man squad, is currently representing Australia in a three-match international series taking place in Osaka, Japan. This remarkable achievement is a testament to Patrick’s dedication and hard work in volleyball during his time at Mazenod. We congratulate Patrick on his selection and wish him all the best as he competes at the international level.

Science Week 2024

From 12th to 16th August 2024, Mazenod celebrated Science Week, offering students a range of exciting activities designed to ignite their curiosity and deepen their understanding of science.

Frederik Bennett (Year 8), summed up the experience: “We learned more about science, how our world functions, and created good experiences with each other, which in turn strengthened our friendships. Everyone who participated had a blast, creating a true science community.”

Throughout the week, students engaged in hands-on activities, starting with designing terrariums to model mini ecosystems. They also participated in a science-themed escape room, tested milk proteins in an experiment, and crafted DNA bracelets representing endangered species. The week concluded with a lively Science Trivia Grand Final, where students showcased the knowledge they had gained.

Science Week was an opportunity for students to connect with science in a fun and meaningful way. We thank everyone who took part and contributed to making the week a success. It was a memorable experience for all involved!

2024 House Golf Championships

The Mazenod College House Golf Championship recently concluded at Waverley Pitch N Putt, with Gerard House claiming top honours, finishing with an impressive 118 points.

This annual competition provides an opportunity for students to showcase their golfing skills while fostering healthy house competition and preparing for future events.

Congratulations to Noah Traplin (Year 10), who was awarded the prestigious Peter Riley Perpetual Trophy for his outstanding performance. Josh Bakof secured second place, followed by Lucas Asadurian in third.

House results were as follows:

The tournament also served as a key trial for the upcoming ACC Junior Golf Tournament in October, offering Year 9 and 10 students valuable experience ahead of the event.

Mazenod Literature Festival

Mazenod Literature Festival proved to be very popular with students participating in competitions and creative activities. The theme, Reading is Magic inspired the naming of Inkspire the Fable Dragon. Teams of students enjoyed participating in Kahoot trivia and book competitions, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Breakout Escape rooms and a poetry competition. Wide reading classes featured the book, The Concrete Garden and created pop up sensory cards from coloured sandpaper. Student winners were awarded canteen and book vouchers. 

Popular Young Adult authors presented talks and workshops. Emily Gale presented to parents and students at the Festival breakfast launch before speaking to all Year 8 students in the Lecture Theatre. Popular illustrator Marc McBride and author Mark Smith presented to Year 7 and Year 9 students respectively and held workshops for nominated students.

My favourite activity was the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Escape Room because it was all well prepared in advance and perfectly crafted to be an enjoyable experience…overall I just enjoyed working through the challenges together with my teammates.

— Ryan Susilo 7C

I liked the talk by Marc McBride because it was a very cool experience that we learnt from.

— Jack Gifford 7L

I enjoyed the Sensory Pop Up Cards as it was fun making them as we had to use our creativity into making it in our own way.

— Buvindu Jayathilake 8Y

The writing workshop was the most exciting part of Book Week 2024 because I usually struggle on how to start a narrative and I learnt not only how to start a good narrative but also the many different genres it could be.

— Aswin Sheen 8G

Mark Smith's story was absolutely fascinating. He spoke to us in an engaging manner, not just reading off a script. He also spoke to us, not only about him being a writer now, but about his childhood and how he didn't always like books. He spoke to us in a relatable way, because he spoke about when he was our age.

— Samuel Duckett 9R

It (Mark Smith's presentation) was very engaging and the first author presentation that genuinely had me interested and on the edge of my seat.

— Gianluca Vescio 9Y

2024 Dante Alighieri Poetry Recitation Competition

We are proud to celebrate the achievements of our Year 9 Italian students in the Dante Alighieri Poetry Recitation Competition 2024, held on 31st May in Carlton. Over 1,500 students from across Victoria competed in two divisions: the Italian-Australian and Non-Italian divisions.

All Year 9 Italian students participated by learning and reciting a poem. Eleven of our students were recalled for the Finals on 25th June, with 10 able to attend. Four students—Adrian Greensmith, Jack Bird, Lachlan Thai, and Raffaele Casciere—reached the Grand Final, with Lachlan Thai securing an impressive third place in the Non-Italian division.

National Health & PE (HPE) Day

Movement, mindfulness, and healthy choices were the focus at Mazenod for National Health & Physical Education (HPE) Day on Tuesday, 4th September.

VCE students powered through PE class with an energising spin cycle session, while some Year 7 students enjoyed a refreshing swim at Monash Uni. Staff joined in with a healthy morning tea and ended the day with a calming yoga session. A perfect reminder that staying active and balanced benefits us all!

Year 10 Modern History

The Year 10 Modern History students recently went to the Holocaust museum at the end of their unit on exploring how the Holocaust was humanely possible.

The students had the opportunity to explore the new exhibition in the recently refurbished museum and ask questions of their tour guides. They also had an interactive session where they examined historical sources brought to Australia by Holocaust survivors to determine how it fit into the 6 categories the museum had selected around Holocaust experiences: propaganda, discrimination, dehumanisation, loss, resistance or a return to life after.

The final session of the morning was a Q&A session with Sarah Saaroni, one of the last remaining survivors of the Holocaust here in Australia. She is currently 98 and was born in Poland, she survived the Holocaust by moving to Germany and disguising herself as a Christian. The boys were able to ask her questions about her experiences during the war and her thoughts looking back. Her main philosophy is: "Live and let live. You don't have to love everyone, but you have to learn to respect everyone."

You can see her testimony here: https://vimeo.com/518884584/f2536fee1e

Year 10 Reflection Day

On Friday 23 August, our Year 10 students participated in their annual Reflection Day, where they explored the issue of homelessness through our Christian lens of “looking for the face of Christ in the faces of the poor”.

In the morning, guided by their Pastoral Leaders, the students took time to unpack the causes of homelessness, the many forms that homelessness can take and who the issue affects most through a variety of circle time discussions, statistical examinations and video reflections.  The students reflected on the Gospel Parable of the “Sheep and the Goats”, and then wrote their own special prayer or a message of hope to send in our care packs created by the Winter Sleepout students to go to our friends on the street through our Winter Appeal. 

In the afternoon, the students then had the privilege of hearing from guest speaker Adrian Eagle, who shared his story on the power of faith and positivity, as he recounted his journey from homelessness and helplessness to becoming an ARIA award winning R&B/Soul/Reggae artist.

The students share their experiences of the day below:

“It was a fantastic opportunity and I am thankful for it… Something that impacted me was how much I take for granted”

— Kevin Robin

“The singer was very cool! Something I learnt from today was that lots of people our age are homeless”

— Rhys Rodrigues

"I enjoyed the reflection day and made me more grateful for the things that I have”

— Stephen MacPharlane

“I learnt that the issue of homelessness in Australia is far deeper than just the people who live on the street… I found the winter sleep out to be very fun and engaging, as well as being insightful on the issue of homelessness”

— Dean Tzortzoukas

“During the reflection day, something that impacted me was how lucky and blessed I am to have a shelter over my head”

— Trevon Jayakody

“Something I learnt today was that domestic violence and the rising living expenses are the primary contributors towards homelessness”

— Alastair Caciolo

“Something that inspired me today was staying positive and having faith in God”

— Richard Le

“Something that I learnt this Reflection Day was that homelessness is not largely caused by gambling or drug addiction, but by an unfortunate turn of events, such as losing a job or something like a recession or medical bill. This happens to people just like myself”

— Mohammad Karimi

“Our reflection day was very engaging and informative. I especially liked the talk by Adrian Eagle… I learnt that many people run away from an abusive partner, don't have the funds to afford a house and have lost their job, resulting in a lack of source of stable income.”

— Prathamesh Murthy

“Something that I learnt today was to give ‘a help up, not a hand-out’!”

— Brandon Yeo

Thank you to all our Year 10 Pastoral Leaders for their support on the day, and to our Social Justice Leader, Ms Jennifer Vissenjoux for her wonderful work with our Winter Sleepout evening, that followed the Reflection Day.