Subject Domains

English

Sinead Allen | Domain Leader

It has been another exciting term in English at Sandringham College. Students from Years 7-12 have been developing their skills and knowledge on a range of different topics including text analysis, analysis of argument and crafting texts. Additionally, our students have been working hard to prepare for the final assessments and upcoming exams. 

We recently had some of our Year 7 and 8 students participate in the Write a Book in a Day writing competition. It was fantastic to seeteams create and illustrate a book in 12 hours to raise funds for childhood cancer research.The finished products were impressive, and we thank all of the students that participated for their efforts.

BE PREPARED FOR ENGLISH

To help set students up for success in English lessons, it is important that they come to class prepared each day. Students should have:

• Workbook

• Mini whiteboard

• Blue or black pen

• Red pen

• The text that they are studying

• Dictionary

Homework plays a vital role in English learning at secondary school. Continued practise and retrieval of skills are essential for building understanding and confidence. Parents and carers can support their child’s learning by helping to establish a quiet, distraction‑free space for homework and encouraging students to attempt all questions, even if they are unsure.

EXTRA SUPPORT

Students seeking additional assistance can continue to access:

• Homework Club at the Holloway Road campus after school in the library.

• Additional support from their English teacher by arrangement.

Well done to all of our English students on another productive term. We look forward to continuing this work in Term 4.

HPE

Lauren Varadi | Domain Leader

Years 7–9 HPE: It's been an active term across the junior years. Year 7 students have been developing their skills in invasion games through PE, while Health has focused on puberty. Year 8 has centred on invasion games as well as striking and fielding in PE, alongside a Health focus on healthy and respectful relationships. Year 9 students competed in a SEPEP (Sport Education in Physical Education Program) unit, taking on Sofcrosse and European handball, while Health explored respectful relationships and sports psychology.

Year 11 HHD: Year 11 Health and Human Development students took on the challenge of becoming parents for 24 hours using RealCare Baby simulators. Feeding, burping, rocking and changing nappies gave students a genuine taste of what it takes to care for a baby. Building on their study of infancy and early childhood development, students also visited Kids at Tulip Childcare, where they spent a wonderful afternoon interacting and playing games with 3- and 4-year-olds, observing physical, intellectual, social and emotional development first-hand.

Year 12 PE: Students enjoyed a yoga excursion at Liquid Room, Sandringham.

Units 3 & 4 – PE, HHD and OES: These classes have now completed their content and are in full exam preparation mode!

OES Camp

Our Unit 2 VCE Outdoor & Environmental Studies students recently spent three days at Mt Buller, providing an opportunity to apply classroom learning in an Australian alpine environment.

Throughout the camp, students participated in snow-based activities while examining the characteristics of the alpine environment and considering how people interact with and use outdoor environments. The experience allowed students to connect key Unit 2 concepts with real-world observations and experiences.

The three days at Mt Buller provided students with valuable practical experiences to draw upon as they continue their Unit 2 studies.

Humanities

Rasita Ramsaran | Domain Leader

Year 7 Excursion to the Melbourne Museum to see ROME: Empire, Power, People

On 5 August, our Year 7 students stepped back in time to explore the fascinating world of Ancient Rome through an extraordinary collection of objects on loan from the Museo Nazionale Romano and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze, two of Italy’s most prestigious museums.

Throughout the term, students have been developing their knowledge of Ancient Roman society, including everyday life, social structure, religion, slavery, gladiatorial entertainment and the growth of the Roman Empire. The exhibition provided a unique opportunity for students to connect this classroom learning with authentic evidence from the ancient world.

Students examined artefacts dating back more than 2,000 years, considering what these objects reveal about how Romans lived, worked and expressed their beliefs. Rather than encountering Ancient Rome only through textbooks and classroom sources, students were able to see firsthand the material evidence historians use to reconstruct and interpret the past. The excursion also encouraged students to think like historians by closely observing primary sources and considering what could reasonably be inferred from the surviving evidence. Students recorded observations and reflected on how the artefacts supported, challenged or extended their existing understanding of Roman society.

It was wonderful to see students enthusiastically engaging with the exhibition, asking questions and making connections to their learning. The experience brought Ancient Rome to life and provided our Year 7 students with a memorable opportunity to deepen both their historical knowledge and appreciation of the ancient world.

Year 8 Medieval Europe Presentations

To conclude Term 3, our Year 8 students will showcase their learning through an independent research project on a topic of their choice related to Medieval Europe. Students will investigate a diverse range of topics, including medieval diet, weaponry and warfare, castles, clothing, medicine and everyday life. Through the project, students will deepen their knowledge of medieval society while developing important historical skills, including researching reliable information, selecting relevant evidence and communicating their findings to others. The presentations will provide an opportunity for students to learn from one another and discover the many different aspects of life in Medieval Europe.

Walking in His Parents’ Footsteps – An Interview with Gary Sokolov

Gary Sokolov is the son of Lale and Gita Sokolov, Holocaust survivors whose story inspired The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Lale was deported to Auschwitz in 1942 and forced to tattoo identification numbers onto prisoners. There he met Gita. They survived the Holocaust, married and later moved to Australia.

Gary explained that his parents rarely spoke about their experiences. Despite their suffering, they taught him to reject hatred and treat others with kindness and respect. After Gita’s death, Lale shared his memories with author Heather Morris, leading to the publication of The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Gary later visited Auschwitz and Birkenau, including places where his parents had lived and members of his family had been murdered. He described the experience as extremely emotional but important for understanding his family’s history.

Gary believes young people must continue learning about the Holocaust. As fewer survivors remain to tell their stories, he argues that education and remembrance are essential for challenging hatred and prejudice and ensuring the lessons of the past are not forgotten.

Languages

Laura Ritchie | Domain Leader

Year 7 Chinese students have been working hard on their Hanzi writing in preparation for an in-class speech presentation. Some students even wrote passages of around 200 Chinese characters—impressive work!

Year 8 Chinese students enjoyed their Chinese Museum Excursion and Kung Fu Workshop after their Food and Drinks, Sports and Leisure Topic. They explored Chinatown, reading Chinese signs on restaurants, bubble tea shops and other businesses. At the museum, they discovered Chinese history, inventions, migration and the contributions of Chinese Australians. They also participated in a Kung Fu session led by a Shaolin master, developing their focus and basic self-defence techniques.

Year 9 French students were able to demonstrate their creative and culinary skills through their Term 3 ALT. Students wrote, filmed and produced their own cooking shows in French. This was a real highlight for students and lots of fun to watch the cooking shows.  

Year 9 Chinese students completed their Weather and Clothing topic by exploring the development of Chinese clothing through The Last Emperor. By examining Puyi’s changing outfits, students considered how clothing can reflect different historical periods, social status and changes in society. 

The Year 12 French class and some students from the Year 11 French class took part in the Berthe Mouchette Oral Exam, run by the Alliance Française. Students answered general conversation questions and then used an image to talk in depth about a topic they had been studying in class. For the Year 11 students, a Francophone Festival and for the Year 12 students about French Impressionism. Well done to all students for taking part, and congratulations to our four finalists: Delia, Juliette, Josie and Lucas. 

Mathematics

Laura Suckling | Domain Leader

It has been another productive term in Mathematics at Sandringham College, with students across Years 7–12 continuing to build their knowledge and skills across a wide range of topics. It has been pleasing to see students demonstrating persistence when tackling challenging problems and continuing to develop their mathematical reasoning and fluency.

As we move towards the end of the term, a reminder that exams and assessment tasks are approaching for many year levels. Consistent revision over several weeks is far more effective than last-minute cramming. Students are encouraged to regularly review class notes, complete homework, revisit previous assessments, and practise questions from their textbook and online resources.

BE PREPARED FOR MATHEMATICS

A simple but important reminder that students should come to every Mathematics lesson with the required equipment:

• Calculator

• Workbook

• Blue or black pen

• Red pen

• Ruler

• Grey lead pencil

• Mini whiteboard

Having the correct equipment, particularly a fully functioning calculator, helps students maximise their learning time and be prepared for upcoming assessments and examinations.

EXTRA SUPPORT

Students seeking additional assistance can continue to access:

• Maths Club at the Bluff Road campus on Wednesdays at lunchtime in S8.

• Homework Club at the Holloway Road campus after school in the library.

• Additional support from their Mathematics teacher by arrangement.

We are proud of the effort students have demonstrated throughout Term 3 and encourage them to maintain their focus as we head into a busy assessment period. We wish all students the very best in their upcoming examinations.

Science

Dr Roxanne Toivanen | Domain Leader

Years 7 to 9 spent this term in Science deep in biology. Year 7 explored classification, getting hands-on with specimen jars and discovering that scientific names for species are far more literal than they sound. Take the koala: its scientific name, Phascolarctos cinereus, comes from Greek and Latin roots phaskolos (pouch) and arktos (bear), plus cinereus (ash-coloured). Year 8s were introduced to the microscope and cell biology, then moved on to the body systems that absorb nutrients and transport them around the body to make energy: the digestive, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Year 9 covered the nervous system, disease and our mighty immune system. The dissections, hearts for Year 8 and brains for Year 9, were a highlight for many.

As we near the holidays, we wish the 26 lucky Year 9, 10 and 11 students heading to Space Camp in the USA over the Term 3 break an amazing time. This is the first time Sandy has been able to run this trip since COVID, and the itinerary includes visits to Universal Studios, the University of Central Florida, and the Kennedy Space Centre, where students will be able to participate in a range of interactive space exploration activities. A big thank you to our expert astrophysicist and physics teacher, Dr Len Halprin, who has organised the Camp and will be travelling with the students, as well as Casey Irwin, Tom McInerney, and Michelle Lynch, who are also supervising the trip. Stay tuned for a full wrap-up of the trip in the Term 4 newsletter.

For our Year 12 students, most science classes have finished content for the year, and students are moving into revision and exam practice. All students will receive an exam pack before the holidays with practice exams to work through, and alongside the trial exams running over the break, we hope students make good use of the time. In Term 4, Year 12 teachers will keep running revision classes during the school day in the lead-up to the exam, and it's worth reminding students that all Year 12 teachers also run extra help sessions in the library at lunchtime and after school. For any Year 12 student wanting to give their best effort in November, we hope they'll make the most of everything on offer.