School of Leadership
News from the School of Leadership
As we conclude the first term of the year, I reflect upon the learning, growth, and discovery for each member of our school community.
One of the most remarkable aspects of this term has been witnessing how our students have settled into their roles as learners and as individuals. From students new to the School of Leadership to our seasoned Year 8s, there has been a palpable sense of enthusiasm and commitment to personal and academic growth.
Over the term, I have had the privilege of observing students solving complex mathematical equations, delving into literary texts, and conducting scientific experiments. Our students have embraced the challenges presented to them with a spirit of resilience and eagerness to learn.
I have also seen our students flourish as individuals. They have demonstrated empathy, compassion, and kindness towards one another, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment within our school community. Through collaborative projects, extracurricular activities, and everyday interactions, they have shown a willingness to listen, learn from one another, and celebrate each other's successes. Indeed, these dispositions are life skills that will set them up for future success.
Thank you, parents and carers for your support and partnership in your child's education. Your involvement and encouragement play a vital role in their success, and we are grateful for the trust you have placed in us.
Mrs Kate Kelly - Head of School, School of Leadership
A Note from The SOL Assistant Principal
Uniform requirements
When students access the Basketball Courts or the Oval during recess or lunch they must wear a College hat. Hats can be purchased through Oz Fashions for $21. A reminder that Term 2 marks the commencement of Winter uniform meaning that students who wear the shirt and pants combination, must wear a College Tie, and girls who choose to wear the College dress, must wear ONLY Navy tights (70 Denier). Students must return in the correct uniform next term, or uniform infringements will be sent home. Your support with this is greatly appreciated. Jackets and jumpers can also be ordered through Oz Fashions in preparation for the cooler months. A full price list and instructions on how to purchase items can be found here.
Riding a bicycle or scooter to school and wearing helmets
Around 500 bicycle riders across New South Wales are hit with a whopping $344 fine every month if they are caught by police not wearing a helmet. Bicycle riders must wear an approved helmet securely fitted and fastened. This includes children on scooters. Please ensure your child rides to school with the required safety equipment, enforceable by law. Research shows helmets can reduce serious head injuries by about 70% and reduce fatal head injuries by 65%. There have been several accidents where children have been injured in Marsden Park, your help in preventing this is appreciated. Bikes and scooters must be stored in the racks located near the College Bus Bay.
Lockdown Drill
On Tuesday 2nd of April we held a practice Lockdown Drill. Students in the School of Leadership were wonderful! As I checked several classrooms across Stage 4 and a colleague checked Stage 3, it was observed that students were hidden, quiet and all doors were locked. Congratulations to all of our students in SOL who we see as leaders.
Mrs Josephine Camilleri - Assistant Principal, School of Leadership
Stage 3 Stories…
Beat Bullying Incursion
On the 25th of March, Stage 3 participated in a ‘Beat Bullying’ seminar. This was a valuable experience where students learnt how to identify bullying and what to do if they experience bullying. Here are what some stage 3 Malala students had to say:
Chris - “I learnt that bullies bully for different reasons and I also learnt about the different monkeys that are on bullies backs”
Navya - “The beat bullying system is a great way to teach young kids like me how to get monkeys off your back. The beat bullying system taught me to be a brave heart and to ignore the mean words they say to you because you shouldn't care what other people think because you should be yourself not anyone else! Be Brave, Be Kind And Be You!!!”
Aria - “I learnt that bullies can have monkeys on their back and that the monkeys that are on their can be what make them bullies.I also learnt responses and a really important saying. The saying was "Be a braveheart not a bystander”.
We encourage all parents/caregivers to talk to students about this experience to further prompt conversations around bullying and how students can be supported.
Iron & Clay - Year 6 (Written by Abigail, Renner and Rhian)
Iron and Clay are a youth band that play shows at all different schools. They played an incredible performance at St Luke's on Tuesday, it was awesome! They really got us all excited.
They didn't just play music; they made us want to dance and join in. It was so much fun!
Everyone was pumped up because of their energy. We're really happy we got to see them perform. It was a super cool concert that we won't forget!
From Year 7…
As this term nears to an end, Year 7 should be proud of their progress in their first term of high school. They have been thrown into the depths of high school with room changes, a multitude of new teachers’ names to learn, navigating online learning, friendships and managing homework. All of which our Year 7 students have faced head on; they have truly proved that they can BEE a leader.
Miss Chand- Year 7 Wellbeing Coordinator
Science
Year 7 has been learning all about how to “Work scientifically” in Science this term. This includes identifying and naming common lab equipment, understanding the rules of conducting investigations, and how to draw scientific diagrams. Our Working Scientifically skills align closely with many of St Luke’s Pillars including Create- ‘Applying Practice’, Relate- ‘Working Collaboratively’ and Inquire- ‘Posing Questions’.
Visual Arts
Students have been learning about the basic building blocks of art and how artists embed meaning in their works through consideration of compositional layout and design. Year 7s are working towards a design for their skateboard deck which embodies the essence of a self portrait through using signs and symbols to represent their identity. With the upcoming Paris Olympics introducing the skateboarding event for the very first time, students imagine they are representing their country and their deck designs are their opportunity to tell the whole world who they are and where they come from.
From Year 8…
Year 8 have been working diligently across the Term and should be commended for their fantastic start to 2024. Students have actively engaged in programs such as Peer Companions, Representative Sport and Wellbeing Week. They have shown their ability to represent the School of Leadership as our new ‘seniors’, working collaboratively with one another, communicating with respect and demonstrating a desire to assist across the College where needed. I feel very fortunate to be working with such a fantastic group of young men and women. I wish them all the best for the upcoming two week break, and look forward to an even better Term 2.
Mr Zaccaria - Year 8 Wellbeing Coordinator
Technologies
Food Technology - Taste Testing and Herb Research
Our year 8 students put their taste buds to the test during our Food Technology entry event.
Students were given 3 different foods to taste, blind! They had to describe to their partner the taste and texture of each food product and try to guess what it was they were eating.
Then students were given 3 different herbs and researched what they look like, taste/smell like and identified the meals or foods that each herb would pair well with.
This was a great introduction into our unit as students will be growing herbs and also incorporating them into their cooking!
Food Technology - Planting herbs
As part of the food technology unit the year 8 students were lucky enough to be the first class to enjoy our amazing outdoor garden on level 2 . The students explored the area and looked at our citrus trees. They then planted basil , parsley, sage & oregano in our new vegepods. The students have been studying the growing cycle and conditions needed for them to grow. They are planning on being able to harvest some herbs for our future practicals.
Visual Arts - Food sculptures
In Year 8 Visual Art we are learning about pop art food sculptures. We made tiny models out of paper and we have started making our final artwork in cardboard. The students had to choose a culture they are interested in to make a cultural type of food. We have everything from sweet to savoury, including cakes, pasta, pizza, kebabs and Indian sweets. It will be really exciting to see their finished products!
Music
Last week, representatives from SOL music classes performed alongside the SOE music team who performed at Elara Village Shopping Centre. SOL student Vaughn Bagus, performed a medley of music works on the piano. He demonstrated extensive skill in both musical performance and song arrangement.
In the classroom, students have begun their group performances. Students were divided into groups and presented with pieces of music to arrange, practise and perform. Skills of collaboration, communication and organisation were also pinnacle to each group performance.
Life Design
Students from Years 8, 9 & 10 volunteered their time for St Luke’s Open Day event at the Life Design Exhibit. Jaiden expertly discussed a plethora of Life Design FAQ’s, and not so commonly asked questions, and connected these with his experiences in Life Design so far. A ‘Create my SIM Profile’ activity was led by Tara who assisted people to identify their own strengths, interests and motivators. These profiles help students begin their journey to unlock their future pathway possibilities.
An exciting example of how students integrate and display their identified passions, through their Year 7 SIM showcase presentation was shown by Taylor, who discussed the amazing “Choose Your Own Adventure” hyperlinked digital book he authored. Sanvi, Salma, Natasha walked our guests through some fantastic Year 8 Capstone projects, where students learn to synthesise their previously created SIM with their newly established ‘Life Purpose’, giving meaning and increased sense of direction to their future endeavours. Lastly, our Year 9 2023 Pitchfest winners, Pippa and Marcus, showcased their incredible vegetable-based and allergy-safe fragrance line, which they developed as a business solution to solve the issue of chemical-laden spray perfumes aggravating asthma. They discussed how they worked through ideation, prototyping and pitching, and offered samples of their final product to our school guests.
Our Year 7 students are applying various ideation techniques- including jamboard, crazy eight and storyboard to define their interests. Students explored interests in play, childhood, learning and technology and utilised this for the “ Best of Album’. This is will be a great resources to support the students for building their Passion project which they will be working on over the next few week. It has been so exciting interacting with the students as they discover and develop their interests.
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