Around the College 

Year 10 Youth Ministry

On Friday 16 August students from Year 10 Youth Ministry attended an excursion to St Elizabeth's Primary School. The students organised and ran an event based on Catholic Social Teachings. This involved activities, scripture and church teachings on how to relate to these teachings and put them into action in peoples lives. Nazareth students did an admirable job in both having fun and talking about the serious obligation we have to solidarity to the poor of the world. We thank St Elizabeth's  for the opportunity to shine for Christ as they showcased their good works from the Youth Ministry subject.

Mr Peter Nathan

Instructional Leader Religious Education - Faith and Mission

Mural

Cade Marsh and Bayden De Silva from the Year 11 VCE VM class have been working very hard to finish this wonderful mural. Carefully screwing each individual plastic lid that had been donated to create the chosen design. You can view it near the Café Naz and locker bay area as it is on the turret wall.  It's a great way to reuse plastic lids.  I am very proud of these students and those who painted the design - it looks so amazing! Enjoy, everyone. 

Ms Sue Formanek

Textiles Teacher

VCE Visual Communication Design (Unit 4)

VCE Visual Communication Design students have been hard at work building a folio (a body of work) documenting their Design Process to solve a problem. As part of the Deliver Stage of the Design Process, students were required to make prototypes for their Design Concepts. They could be produced digitally, to communicate form, textures, and materials, or low- or high-fidelity (physical) prototypes to explore form and scale. Students were then required to present a Design Pitch to reveal their refined Design Concept for each of their Communication Needs (which they have two to address) as well as their justifications and plans for their final Design Solutions. This was conducted in front of their peers, me, and a surprise, special guest, Mrs. O’Brien! Please take a look at the students’ refined Design Concepts from their Design Pitch slides. We look forward to revealing the final Design Solutions at the end of the Design Process.

Mr Rosario Ripper

Instructional Leader Visual Arts

Year 11 Outdoor Outdoor & Environmental Studies Snow Camp - Mount Stirling

Mount Stirling in Victoria is known as a popular winter destination for its natural beauty and range of outdoor activities. During winter, the mountain transforms into a snowy wonderland, attracting visitors for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and sightseeing. For our Year 11 Outdoor & Environmental Studies students the camp was an opportunity to get to see the snow, and participate in the challenge of camping and hiking through snow-covered terrain, alongside freezing temperatures. The Year 11s attended the three day Snow Hiking Camp, where difficult conditions would test their endurance and resilience as they navigated the steep, snow covered trails. 

Day 1: Students arrived at Nazareth College on the first day of camp, and were very excited, and keen to head to one of Victoria’s most pristine Alpine Environments. We started our journey from Naz early in the morning, and did the country bakery stop along the way in Yea – this was much to the pleasure and delight of hungry teenagers! After a short break, we headed on to Mansfield where students got changed, and 're-packed' their bags, to include: tents, cooking stoves, food, and everything else needed for the 3-day journey. When we finally got to the carpark of Mt Stirling (called TBJ), students could see the snow, and had a quick play before we started our hike. By this time, it was a little later than expected, and the hike was also a little slower than planned – so a detour was made to Kings Saddle (where we would cook and camp for the night). Students should have been cooking on lightweight Trangia’s (most did) – however two of the boys pulled out a massive pot and stove, and started making a hot-pot! From all accounts it was delicious, even though it seemed like a 3-hour feast! Students then sat around the fire, cooking, eating, and talking about their Day 1 experiences! Students were already in awe of their surroundings!

Day 2: This was to be the pinnacle of all three days – a push to the summit of Mount Stirling. Students arose early, to a mild morning (even though it was probably -2°C), had their breakfast, and got ready for the expedition ahead (the Mount Stirling Summit is 1749m above sea level). We left at approximately 9.15 am, and with bags on our backs (filled with food, extra clothing, equipment, etc), we set off with snow-shoes on. As always, the tough alpine conditions means lots of short breaks, drink stops, and changing our clothing system (how many layers we were in), as the hiking in the snow (albeit in freezing temperatures) is hard work, and gets very warm! The students were stopped at different times to also discuss the changing environments, as we began to change altitudes – and were soon immersed in the beauty of walking around the snow-gum forests. We continued our incline, which pushed students physically, but also fostered significant teamwork and resilience! It was at about 1.30 pm, when we arrived at the highest hut on the mountain (GGS Hut), and this was still not quite at the summit, but we were extremely close! We dropped our packs in the hut, and made our way to the top. Before we reached the top, it was looking as if we would have no view of neighbouring mountains (due to cloud cover), however, as we reached the summit of Mount Stirling, Mother Nature did us a favour, and blew all of the clouds away – and we were gifted with views of Mount Buller and surrounding Alpine mountains. At times we were above the clouds! This was such a magical experience for our students, with many not wanting to close their eyes, with the thought of missing out on the views! With the winds blowing on the summit, it was probably about -9°C, so it was getting really cold, however, the power of calling out 'lunchtime' to Year 11 students would get them moving back towards GGS Hut for a break. After a decent lunch break, we started heading back down the mountain – arriving back at camp at 4.45 pm. This was a really long day of walking in the mountains for our students! We ate dinner, sat by the fire, talked about school, life, and shared many stories. What a brilliant day had by all! Every student was smiling, and speaking of what they had experienced that day!

Day 3: The home-stretch: On the last day of camp, we got up early, and started our pack-up. Many students commented around breakfast that they wanted to stay for longer, and were already talking of the promise of doing this again at some point later in life! Our final day of camp was a little wetter than the previous two days, but after getting organised, we said our goodbyes to Kings Saddle Hut, and began our hike off the mountain! When we arrived at TBJ (the carpark), students jumped on the bus, and we started our descent off the lower levels of Mount Stirling – with the intention of stopping and organising gear again in Mansfield. We then made our way back to school, with many students sleeping on the bus, due to the exhaustion of the physical activity of the previous days!

Overall, the snow hiking camp at Mount Stirling was a huge success, leaving our Year 11 students with lasting memories of sleeping in the snow, and hiking to the summit of Mount Stirling in snow-covered terrain, alongside freezing temperatures. The students were such an absolute pleasure to take away on camp, and it was also extremely rewarding to witness the development of stronger friendships, teamwork, and students resilience. Our Year 11 students ended the Snow Camp feeling a profound sense of accomplishment, and all students concluded the camp feeling a deeper connection to one of Victoria’s incredible natural alpine environments.

Mr Adam Cooper

Sports and Health Teacher