SCHOOL OF POSSIBILITIES

Hear from our Slovakian exchange student Karolina who recently came to St Anne's

College to attend our school through the Rotary Exchange Program.

Why did you want to do the exchange program?

I wanted to do an exchange so that I could get to know the culture and the lifestyle of people in another country. The biggest advantage of the program is that you visit new places, meet new people and make a lot of friends. You have the opportunity to see how things are done differently, such as experiencing another school system. You can only benefit from this experience and you make memories that will last for a lifetime.

What have been your first impressions of Australia? And of St Anne's College?

Firstly, I came from European summer into Australian winter and I did not expect such cold weather, because people outside Australia think that it’s always sunny and hot here. Aussie people are very welcoming, kind and find any reason to party. I also discovered that people here don’t speak English, but Aussie. When I first came here it was very hard for me to understand what are people saying.

When I was in school on my first day I was very impressed by how modern and open the school building was. I was also surprised that students from primary school are in the same building as students in Year 12.   

Have you travelled before or is this your first time overseas? If you've travelled before, what countries have you been to?

I have travelled before, but only within Europe. Everything in Europe is much closer, so it is easier to travel to many countries. Even from my home I can get to three different countries in an hour by car. However, this is the first time I am on a different continent and overall Australia is my country number 24.

How does Australia differ from Slovakia?

Australia is very different in so many ways, for example in sport. The most popular sports here are footy for boys and netball for girls, meanwhile in Slovakia boys play soccer and girls play volleyball. In my school back home we don’t wear uniforms but smart-casual clothes. It is nice to not have to think about what I am wearing each morning. 

What are your goals/hopes for your time on exchange?

I hope that during my exchange I will get used to the lives of locals and I will take a piece of Aussie culture back home with me. My goal is to see many kangaroos and to improve my English.

What is the funniest/weirdest thing you've discovered about Aussies?

I discovered that Australia is very unique. I find the small things funny- I didn’t know that a “barbie” was a BBQ- I thought it was a pink doll. Also, in Australia it takes a long time to greet people- you have to say, hi, how are you and exchange replies. And this is usually done very quickly and sometimes I mix up the order of my words. 

As part of her VCE VM program, Cara has been studying VET Commercial Cookery and, as part of this course, she completes work placement each Friday. She completed placement last year at the Milkbar and this year has been working at Little Lipari. Cara has been offered a full time apprenticeship position at Little Lipari which she will commence when she finishes school in October. Cara is pictured here with Dianne Poole of Little Lipari.  Cara has been working there since March and Dianne said she is going really well.  Dianne said you can see the difference between Cara and other young people the same age as she is so far much more advanced than others of her age. Congratulations Cara on this tremendous achievement, we are all very proud of you. Thank you to Little Lipari for your support of our students. 

Enjoy this video of the Year 10 Italian students showcasing how to make trenette al pesto norm recently. 

The Year 11 Biology students headed off to Queenscliff last week to participate in marine discovery exercises to gather firsthand data for their scientific investigation.

They spent last Tuesday morning on the rocky shoreline at Barwon Heads. They looked at the creatures that live along the shoreline and the adaptions they have to help them survive the conditions they endure.

The students had the opportunity to see many different plants and animals in their natural environment. 

Then it was onto the Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre where students spend some time at the touchpool looking at the different species kept there and had the opportunity to discuss and experience some of the adaptations that the shellfish and crustaceans in the pool had developed to help them survive. They toured the Aquarium and then visited the Lab where they investigated the different reproductive strategies our sealife have that ensure their continuation in the environment. 

Hear from Year 11 student Alick about the experience:

The trip to Queenscliff was quite nice, our trip consisted of us sitting on a very uncomfortable bus with one of the best drivers we could ask for in our man Bob. Upon arriving we were met with the owner/manager of the building who told us that the building was 100 years old. 

There was quite a bit of ping pong played that night as well as many rounds of hide and seek.

Our morning consisted of heading down to a beach and meeting up with Alex, who was the education officer of the marine and freshwater discovery centre. She taught us about the different organisms around the rock pool and shoreline about their reproduction and why they behave a certain way. 

After collecting data of our own we moved onto another part of the beach where we explored the rocks to find different aquatic organisms. Many of us found things that we had not seen before and were very interested in the physiology of the organisms. 

Upon going to the centre we met with Dee. Who educated us on the reproduction methods of the numerous organisms within the touch pool and the tanks within the centre. We moved on to the classroom within the centre where we looked at the gametes of tube worms under a microscope. 

The most interesting part of the camp was that with all the talk of reproduction methods and the different factors that help organisms survive is that we realised that everything that lives is built and behaves certain ways for a very exact reason. Every shell, every colour, every leg and spike was to help benefit these organisms and it was fascinating to hear about. It was quite an eye opening experience that really helped us understand biology and our topic. 

Big thanks to Chelsea for organising and Tyler for coming along and helping make it a fun time.

Assembly was held last week where several students were recognised for their achievements this term for demonstrating the College’s learner assets – thinker, researcher, communicator, collaborator, self-manager and contributor. 

Congratulations to the many students who received awards – there were also presentations to the students who participated in the Furphy Literary Award as well as Emerging Sciences Victoria. Students also received helpful tools to use during the upcoming exam period.

The adventures continue with baby Tessa. Four students have now had the pleasure of taking care of Tessa throughout the school day and overnight. Yes, she is a typical baby and wakes at 2am and sometimes again at 4.30am and 6am.  While some students were very confident about how easy and great it would be to look after this little one, they have soon changed their minds when they have had a sleepless night. It is great that the students have this opportunity to be part of this life-like experience. There is a large group of students at school who have willingly baby-sat Tessa while her mum or dad has had assessments, heated up their lunch or played soccer at lunchtime.

Year 12 VM students fed the hoards again last week with a sell out spectacular of Nacho's and HSP's. Money raised will be put together with the burger sales from earlier this month and the students will make hampers for the homeless as planned. Sales are in excess of $800+ from both fundraisers, which is a mighty achievement the students should be proud of, and we thank our school community for getting behind this initiative.

Payment is due for your Year 12 Yearbook. This is a very special publication and you don’t want to miss out! Yearbooks will cost just $10. Payment can be made via School Reception or CDFpay. 

If your child did not start at St Anne’s College in Year 7, we are asking for a school photo of your child from Year 7. These photos can be uploaded electronically (students have been sent the link) or they can be brought into the College and the Communications Team can copy them and return them to you. Thank you for your support. The photos are needed as part of the graduation celebrations for our students.

A final reminder that all students transitioning from Year 9 into Year 10 in 2025 are required to attend a re-enrollment interview prior to the end of this term. This interview is an opportunity to discuss students' subject choices and set expectations for learning, uniform and engagement with the Year 10 program. It is assumed that families who do not book an interview are not planning to enrol their child at St Anne’s College in 2025. Families who have not yet booked are asked to book ASAP via this link: https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/871852640045/false#/invitation 

Just a little update to our community to let you know that the process of appointing our school leaders for 2025 is well underway. We have a field of very strong applicants and look forward to hearing the nominees for School Captain make their speeches next week. 

To support students in Unit 4 VCE studies during Term 3, all Unit 4 classes will continue on the three student free days: Monday 15 July, Friday 23 August and Friday 20 September. It is an expectation students studying a Unit 4 class will attend all Unit 4 classes on these days. Students with individual studies first thing in the morning or at the end of the day are permitted to come late or leave early, as long as they sign in and out at the office. Students are permitted to come in casual dress on these days.