Student Voice
Student Representative Council Update
The Student Representative Council has continued the year with a range of exciting events and initiatives for our school community.
Our Campaigns Portfolio has hosted the Biggest Morning Tea.
Our Curriculum Portfolio has continued to work with the VicSRC’s Teach the Teacher Program and designed the LADDER model as a guideline for classroom learning and engagement.
Our Enrichment Portfolio hosted the Club Gala Day to showcase the range of clubs on offer at South Oakleigh College.
Our Health and Wellbeing Portfolio has planned an Acts of Kindness Board to promote kindness within the school community.
Our Outreach Portfolio has worked closely with the other teams to collect feedback on events and initiatives for future improvement.
We have also continued to run Breakfast Club every Thursday, finishing off Term 2 with our Celebratory Breakfast Club. We encourage all students and staff to continue coming to the Canteen next Semester to receive a healthy and nutritious breakfast!
Next term we are excited to announce the return of Wellfest Week on a larger scale compared to the last few years in remote learning. It is an annual student initiative hosted by the College’s Student Representative Council in partnership with Student Services and other Student Leadership Teams to promote awareness of the College Communities’ physical, social, and mental wellbeing.
We thank all the students and staff for their support this term and we are looking forward to continuing to work with all student leaders in exploring student wellbeing and voice across our South Oakleigh College community.
Esther Walker & Sylvia Krozian
Your Student Representative Council Co-Presidents
S.R.C. Campaigns Update
This term, Campaigns has been very busy planning and hosting events. After last term's success running both Harmony Day and the House Athletics Day Canteen, we wanted to ensure that this term's events were just as great, if not better. On Thursday the 2nd of June, we hosted the Cancer Council's Biggest Morning Tea. We sold hot chocolates, cookies, doughnuts, snacks and merchandise in the downstairs foyer, and were a great hit with the students! At lunchtime, Miss Crespo drew the raffle in the downstairs foyer. Congratulations to Eloise Triferis, Grace De Angelis, and Jonothan Blyth who won! At the end of the day, we raised a total of $390.30, all of which is going towards the Cancer Council.
Next term, we plan to have an out-of-uniform cozy day during Wellfest week, with money raised going towards StreetSmart Australia (https://streetsmartaustralia.org/), supporting a community response to end homelessness. We will also be selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts at recess and lunchtime as well as selling doughnuts by the dozen to students, families and staff. The link to pre-order your dozens is https://compasstix.com/e/u0w05np0uh. Please see Compass NewsFeed for further information.
Thank you for all your support this semester, and we look forward to what we can bring to the College community moving forward!
Genna Windsor
Your General Secretary and Leading Campaigns Representative
Student Representative Council
S.R.C. Curriculum Update
It has been a busy Term 2 that has flown swiftly with the S.R.C.’s Curriculum Portfolio. We have been extensively planning initiatives that continue to ensure that we have student voice and agency in the classroom as well as coming up with ways that can shape planning in the curriculum. As soon as we resumed back for Term 2, we announced the winner of our logo competition from last term, Natasha Aldred. Her logo will now be featured as part of the “My Voice and Agency” initiative as well as other student-led initiatives. Thank you to everyone who entered the competition.
This term, the Curriculum Portfolio has been working on a new model we called “LADDER.” This is a tool that is aimed to encourage student action and agency of learning. We have been preparing resources that will help us to get student input. We will gather all data and continue to progress to the next steps of implementing this in our classrooms. Our goal is to make LADDER a guideline for classroom learning and to put it into practice as an effective way of reflecting on our learning/teaching.
Our Portfolio has also been collaborating with other representatives of the S.R.C. in a year-long professional development program called Teach the Teacher, put together by the Victorian Student Representative Council. We have been spending our time planning based on our topic of student engagement in the classroom and we look forward to working with students and teachers on progressing with this initiative.
Greg Acciarito
Your Leading Curriculum Representative
Student Representative Council
S.R.C Health and Wellbeing
The S.R.C's Health and Wellbeing Portfolio has started to focus on kindness throughout the school and the wider community. The team is working on how students can show the different school values through acts of kindness. In the last week of school, we introduced the Random Acts of Kindness Board.
The Random Acts Of Kindness Board is placed in the library. The aim of this initiative is for students and staff to pick a card that has an act of kindness from the board and to complete it within the school community or outside of school. When completed, they can capture the moment or write a small statement exploring how they performed it and submit it through the link below for HRRRT points! The initiative will run throughout Term 3, with the hope of spreading kindness throughout our South Oakleigh Community.
Meghal Patel
Your General Secretary & Leading Health and Wellbeing Representative
Student Representative Council
S.R.C. Enrichment Update
On June 6th, South Oakleigh College experienced its first-ever Club Gala! The lunchtime was full of an inside look into our school’s very own clubs. The clubs presented on the day included:
- Alphabet Soup Inclusion
- TV/Media
- Chess
- Years 7-8 Debating
- Years 9-11 Debating
- Production
- Sustainability.
Students were given a chance to talk to club members and to use this day as a chance to sign up for any clubs of interest. A big thank you to all of the student volunteers and teachers who spent their lunchtime helping the S.R.C Enrichment team run the event, we couldn’t have done it without you!
If any students would like further information on our clubs, please refer to the Compass Calendar on when and where they run, or speak to your Mentor Group Teacher.
Mackenzie Dickson
Your Enrichment Secretary
Student Representative Council
Wellfest Week Update
The S.R.C. has been working hard to host the best Wellfest Week for the school for 2022. Wellfest week brings students together through different activities that aim to improve different dimensions of health. It will go from the 25th to the 29th of July and will be packed with many fun and educational activities for the students and staff to enjoy. It will include a MasterChef Competition, Lunchtime Performance, Out of Uniform Day, Krispy Kreme Fundraiser and Wellbeing Expo to name a few activities.
I am so excited to bring this out. I've learnt that to bring a school together the most important thing is to create a really fun atmosphere and something different and unusual.
Look out for further information so you don't miss anything before the big week!
Shyli Barak
Your Wellbeing Secretary
Student Representative Council
Peer Support Program Update
The Peer Support Program at South Oakleigh College complements our vertical Mentor Group system, House system and Student Leadership and transition/induction programs. It brings together Year 7 students with Year 10 Peer Support Leaders from their Mentor Group (wherever possible) or at least the same House. They meet approximately 3-weekly, to aid the transition from primary to high school and provide a student-led enrichment experience. Together, the Year 7s and Leaders explore and learn about all aspects of College life, ensuring a smooth transition and making the most of all opportunities available.
The Peer Support Leaders attended a whole day training course at the end of last year, which was very successful. We have a group of very capable, enthusiastic, and creative Leaders. We have regular meetings to plan sessions and reflect on successes and areas for improvement.
Our Year 12 Peer Support Mentor, Iliana Derzotis, has designed our program for Semester 1, which is focused on our College Values of High Expectations, Respect, Responsibility, Resilience and Teamwork. Iliana has run a workshop with the Leaders on how to write lesson plans and provide them with guidance. The lesson plans include Learning Intentions, Success Criteria, descriptions of learning activities and a reflection component. The Leaders create the lesson plans in their teams and upload them to OneNote for approval before the sessions. The subsequent sessions with the Year 7s have focused on one value each session. We have completed sessions on High Expectations and Respect already and our session on Responsibility is this Thursday. Next term we will have the final sessions on Resilience and Teamwork. Feedback from Leaders and Year 7s has overall been very positive.
Jacinta Marlborough
Peer Support Coordinator
What a great semester it has been for the Peer Support Program! We had an amazing time with a lot of learning and fun! It is so amazing to see the progress in our Peer Support Leaders and the engagement from the Year 7 Students. This week, our Year 7 students will end the term with fun activities that focus on what Responsibility is all about and how they can apply this value in their everyday lives.
In the second week of Term 3, the Peer Support Leaders will be teaching their mentees all about what ‘Teamwork’ means. By the end of this session, the Year 7 students will have learnt all about the HRRRT values of South Oakleigh College whilst creating new relationships with other Year 7 students and their Peer Support Leaders.
In future sessions, the Peer Support program will aim to teach the Year 7 students about study and organisational skills that will be helpful in their future studies.
We're so proud of all the progress our Peer Support Leaders and our Year 7 students have made! Although this semester has come to an end, a new beginning for the Peer Support program will commence in Term 3. Congratulations to all the Year 7 students for finishing their first semester as part of the SOC community! And a very huge thanks to our fabulous Peer Support Leaders for working so hard in their first semester.
Iliana Derzotis
Your Peer Support Mentor
Waratah House Leader Update
Semester 1 was an exciting time for Waratah, as we succeeded in different activities, such as the House Cross Country, Athletics, Dodgeball and other competitions as a group. We achieved the most participation through House Cross Country as we celebrated everyone’s contribution. In other initiatives such as the Bread Tag & Bottle Cap Competition and donations for the Community Action Day Walkathon, we made an outstanding performance.
As Waratah House Captains, it has been a stressful, yet exciting time in studying for SACs and exams whilst also performing activities and leading the House. We have enjoyed supporting and making the most of our time for Waratah, whilst balancing our personal lives, hoping towards the end of the year that we win the house cup. Congratulations to all of Waratah for our achievements so far this year.
Eleni Stamatiou and Annabelle Windsor
Your Waratah House Captains
Consulate General of Japan OEP Excursion
On the 25th of May, 3 selected students from S.O.S.C., as well as 5 students from Huntingdale primary school and Oakleigh south primary school, visited the consulate-general of Japan as a part of the Oakleigh education plan. We went by train from Huntingdale station to Southern cross station and walked to the consulate-general of Japan building.
Once we were at the office, we met Mr. Taka, and later, his boss Mr. Junji Shimada came in. They both talked about their jobs as a diplomat, and why they wanted to do these jobs. In the office, there was an exhibition 'Memories of the Tokyo 2020 and Tokyo 1964'. In this exhibition, there were bronze medals and a signed uniform of the Australian swimming team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. It was very fun and interesting. Overall, it was a very good experience.
Lindsay McKay
Year 7 Student
遠足のレポート：
私たちはハンティングデール小学校とオークリーサウス小学校の子たちと一緒に電車をハンティングデールからフラグスタッフまで乗って、メルボルン日本国総領事館に行きました。メルボルン日本国総領事館で島田順二さんと共同者のたかさんに会いました。外交官として、どういう仕事をしているかとどうしてこの仕事に努めたかったかについて話してもらいました。発表の後にマシューテンプルさんの二千二十年東京オリンピックで撮った銅メダルと制服を見せてくれました。私の一番好きで楽しんだのは事務所の方たちに合った後に公園まで歩いて行って先生たちにお菓子をもらったことです。プルント、ハイチュウとせんべいが入っていました。そして本ももらいました。まとめて言うと、どういう仕事をしているかやほかに日本語を勉強している学校と会えてよかったと思います。
写真：
Monaka Toniolo
Year 7 Student
Student Leadership Lunch
On Thursday the 2nd of June, the school arranged a lunch for the 2022 Student Leaders. The lunch’s purpose was to congratulate the leaders who have worked so hard to balance their responsibilities as leaders and their studies. The College Principal, Miss Koziaris, along with the Assistant Principals Mr Katsianos and Mr Picone were also there to congratulate the leaders personally and talk about the leadership qualities they have demonstrated over the year.
Thank you to all the leaders for their hard work this semester, and we look forward to a great second half of the year.
Jason Pouliezos
Your Banksia House Captain
Heroes Day
On Thursday 16th of June, a group of Year 9 students and staff attended an excursion organised by Reach: Heroes Day. Reach is an organisation that inspires young people to believe in themselves and get the most out of life. The event aimed to deliver a program that would assist young people to develop the confidence to be who/they want to be. Our students participated in the program and found the experience very rewarding.
Stav Kantzas
Year Level Leader: 9
Anna ALEXOPOULOU
Reach is a company with young facilitators to design and deliver transformative experiences for young people. And since having experienced their Heroes Day program, I think I can say for everyone that participated that Heroes Day helped everyone learn the capacity in them to be open and vulnerable, and find acceptance in an audience that can relate to and support.
Heroes Day started excellently with great music choices and some fun games before getting into the seven stages that would later be talked about during the program. Once everyone was seated inside, with the help of colourful flashing lights and amazing music choices made by the DJ, the facilitators, introduced to us seven stages of battling the issues that come in life. Some that were included were Tests, Enemies & Allies, and Slaying the Dragon. The Heroes Day program aimed and achieved its goals, which were to reframe the way challenges are perceived and faced, build emotional and social skills, increase self-awareness, develop meaningful connections with others and motivate us to make positive life choices.
It was fun to be a part of, relatable and made everyone feel comfortable and accepted, and turned a delicate concept into an enjoyable one. All in all, I would recommend this program, because of how much I and others enjoyed it, and how we all benefited immensely from this.
Massimo LO PICCOLO
Heroes day was very interesting and I was not expecting it to be how it was. What the facilitators spoke about was very interesting and they discussed how to change your life and what is going on in your life right now. The day helped me understand what steps I can take to overcome challenges.
Lots of people shared what is going on in their life. Some students called their mothers and had a conversation and that's something they don’t normally do. Another student had to trust people in a trust fall by falling off of a ladder into people’s arms. I enjoyed attending this event.
Hero Day Reflection Questions:
What was the biggest thing you learned in this workshop?
Honesty, I learnt about respect, Trusting each other, Slaying the dragon concept, Seeing beyond the surface, Self-confidence, care
What was it about the workshop that helped you learn that thing?
The honesty and openness of the participants, Talking and collaborating, Being open-minded, Simply listening to other people, and Everyone sharing their stories.
Year 7 English in the SMALLab
Students in Year 7 English have been enjoying using the SMALLLab as a learning tool this term. The SMALLab is a 3D mixed reality learning environment where students actively engage both their mind and body to gain fluency in complex topics. In a dark classroom, students gather around a mat, a projector shines downwards and with the help of ‘wands’ they utilise all three dimensions to play educational games,that require them to move and sort information.
Students have revised key elements of their text for this semester, Howl’s Moving Castle, by placing major events on a timeline, and matching characters with their main character traits. Students puzzled: what came first? The fight between Howl and the Witch of the Waste, or Calcifer being set free? Students took turns on the mat using the wands, and collaborated on answers by helping out on the sidelines. It was great to see all students embody the school values of teamwork and high expectations in these classes. By moving their bodies and working as a team, different kinds of relationships to the text developed, and they had an opportunity to consider the text from a different perspective.
The SMALLLab has also been a helpful exam revision tool for the English department. Students played games where they had to match print advertisements to the correct target audience, and recall the definitions of key terminology of visual persuasion: is ‘tone’ a ‘feeling or attitude created by a text’, or a ‘memorable phrase advertising a product’?
The English department looks forward to making more of this incredible space in Semester Two.
Jessie Matheson
English Teacher
Legos and Board Games Wanted
Dear South Oakleigh College Community,
If any members of the South Oakleigh College community have any unwanted Legos or Games that they are willing to be donated to the school, we would be extremely grateful. Due to demand from students, we are looking to start a ‘Lego Club’ and a ‘Mixed Bag Club’ (for board games and card games), in addition to our existing Tabletop Games/D&D Club.
This would provide our students with more opportunities to get involved with a club every week – but especially on rainy days when they can’t go outside. There are many benefits to Lego, such as problem solving and spatial awareness, and the more Lego we accrue, the more creative and amazing creations our students can make. Board games and card games also improve students’ teamwork and strategy.
Hopefully, we will see some of you at these clubs next term!
Sarah Crespo-Liu
House Leader: Banksia