Faculty News
Careers News
MICHELLE MASCARO
Career Advisor
ATTENTION YEAR 9 STUDENTS!
As part of the Year 10 Careers program in 2018, you will be participating in YEAR 10 WORK EXPERIENCE!
YEAR 10 WORK EXPERIENCE WEEK 17th-21st SEPTEMBER, 2018
GET A HEADSTART, SEARCH AND APPLY FOR A PLACEMENT NOW! Applications are already open for some placements. To apply for these early vacancies please visit the OG Careers Website and check out the placements that may be of interest to you!
http://www.oakleighgrammarcareers.com/?page=current-opportunities
You should also commence sourcing your own placements, and if you require assistance see Mrs. Mascaro.
VCE 2018 Summer School Programs
Get a head start to your final year of VCE! Summer Schools offer unique opportunities to
experience university life while preparing for the demands of the VCE year ahead. The format of the programs involve detailed VCE preparation lectures, and students receive subject specific study notes. Students revise key concepts from Units 1 and 2 that form an essential base for each subject. There is also an emphasis on helping students understand each subject’s assessment criteria. Strategies, problem-solving and exam techniques are also a focus so that students can further develop these skills throughout the semester as they work towards their exams.
Access Education Summer School Venue: Monash University (Clayton Campus)
Dates: Monday 22 – Thursday 25 January 2018
Visit Access Summer School to find out more or to download a brochure for this program. https://www.accesseducation.com.au/summer-school.aspx
Neap VCE Summer School Program Venue: Victoria University (Flinders Street Campus)
Dates: Wednesday 10 – Saturday 20 January 2018
Visit NEAP Summer School to find out more about the 2018 program.
http://www.neap.com.au/catalog/index.php/cPath/24_26
The School for Excellence Summer School Venue: University of Melbourne
Dates: Thursday 4 – Thursday 25 January 2018
Visit TSFX Summer School to find out more about the 2018 program.
http://www.tsfx.com.au/?vce-program=summer-school-2
Thinking about studying Medicine or Dentistry in 2019?
Students commencing Year 12 in 2018, and planning to apply for Medicine at Monash Uni, Dentistry at La Trobe Uni, as well as other courses interstate are reminded that part of selection into these courses requires that students sit the UMAT – Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admissions Test, which will be held on Wed 25th July 2018. Applications open early in December 2017. For more information visit:
https://umat.acer.edu.au/, call (03) 8508 7643 or see Mrs. Mascaro.
ALL STUDENTS
Looking for casual work or volunteer work?
Please visit the OG Careers Website where vacancies are advertised regularly.
http://www.oakleighgrammarcareers.com/?page=job-vacancies
Students are reminded not to limit themselves to the website, but to also think about places near to their homes, that are close by, the shops they go to, the places they eat, etc. Volunteering for local charities is also a great way to contribute to the community and gain valuable work experience!
Student Representative Council (SRC)
NATASHA SPANOS
SRC Coordinator
Students Leaders have been very busy the last three weeks representing our school at a number of events.
On Saturday 28 October, we celebrated the anniversary of 1940, Oxi Commemoration Day. Selected students accompanied Mrs Angelis
to the Doxology Service in our parish Church, Sts Anargiri.
On the same day Middle School Leaders and members of the SRC represented the School at St Eustathios Church in South Melbourne. Following the Church service, we took part in a Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Shrine of Remembrance. The students were also invited to the Hellenic RSL, where they joined the members there for lunch.
On Sunday 29 October, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia’s annual celebration of “OHI” Day was held. This event is organised annually by the United Association of Greek Orthodox Parishes and Communities of Melbourne and Victoria, for the recognition of the 1940 Commemoration Day.
SRC and Middle School students represented our School at the Holy Monastery of "Axion Estin" Doxology Service followed by a Trisagion Service. This year our students sung the National Anthems and Agapi Zoi recited a poem in Greek for the significance of the day. Tomas Smith and Eva Demirgelis laid a wreath on behalf of our School.
The 1st of November was a special day for the Oakleigh Community, the feast day of Sts Anargiri, the Patron Saints of our Church. On that day, Year 6 and Year 7 students represented the School at the Divine Liturgy at our parish Church. The following Sunday our Drummers participated in the annual Oakleigh Glendi parade, representing our school with pride.
On Sunday 12 November the Pancretan Association of Melbourne organised a memorial service to commemorate the 151st anniversary of the Holocaust of the Arkadi Monastery. Oakleigh Grammar was invited to attend the service at the Greek Orthodox Parish of AXION ESTIN. Anastasia Anastopoulos and Chris Giannaros laid a wreath on behalf of our School.
Middle School Leaders and Year 10 SRC members attended the National Young Leaders Day on Monday 13 November. The National Young Leaders Day is an annual event hosted by the Halogen Foundation to develop strong leadership values in young Australians. The program is designed to benefit any student who shows an interest in developing their leadership potential. Students were inspired after the conference, having learnt about leadership skills and how they can support their school community in the future.
This term students from ELC to Year 7 had the opportunity to take part in the Operation Christmas Child Fundraiser. Operation Christmas Child is a unique project of Samaritan’s Purse Australasia - Operation Christmas Child Limited that brings ‘Good News and Great Joy’ to kids in need, through a simple shoe box filled with gifts. SRC students helped put all the shoe boxes together. We collected over of 150, and were excited to put smiles on faces, and bring joy and hope to those children.
Learning Enhancement
JOANNE ZACHAROPOULOS
Head of Learning Enhancement
Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment Program
Congratulations are in order for a few staff members including myself who have recently completed training in various courses of the Feuerstein Instrumental Program (FIE) - a cognitive education program, this year. Our FIE Mediators are:
- Joanne Zacharopoulos completed the Learning Propensity Assessment Device 1 and 2. In previous years, Joanne had also completed the Standards 1, 2 and 3 and Basics 1 and 2 of the FIE program
- Tonia Tsalapataris completed Tactile Instrumental Enrichment and FIE Standard 1. Tonia has also completed the FIE Basic 1 course of the program
- Susie Atherinos completed FIE Basic 1
- Cathy Economou completed FIE Basic 1 and 2
What is FIE?
FIE is based on the theory of Structural Cognitive Modifiability – that intelligence (adaptability) can be modified. New research on brain plasticity supports Dr. Feuerstein’s theory that he developed 50 years ago.
Feuerstein’s Instrumental Enrichment (FIE) is a cognitive intervention and enrichment education program that enhances the cognitive skills necessary for independent thinking and learning. It focuses on developing the cognitive tools necessary for success in the 21st century. FIE has been used both individually and in the classroom framework, with people of all challenges and strengths.
Professor Reuven Feuerstein (1921-2014) was a clinical, developmental and cognitive psychologist, he was renowned for his ground breaking work in demonstrating that intelligence is not fixed but modifiable. In 1992, Prof. Feuerstein was awarded the Israel Prize for Social Sciences. In 2012, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
For more than 50 years, and in over 80 countries, Prof. Feuerstein’s theories and applied systems have been implemented in both clinical and classroom settings. His theory has led to more than 2,000 scientific research studies and countless case studies with various populations.
The Feuerstein method is a comprehensive approach encompassing theory and applied systems, that can be implemented in a variety of clinical and educational contexts. The basic principle of the Feuerstein Method is that all human beings - regardless of their age, disability or socio-economic background - have the ability to significantly improve their learning and therefore their level of functioning.
The application of the Feuerstein Method leads to the enhancement of peoples learning potential, improvement of their cognitive functioning, and enables them to learn how to learn. FIE programs are built on the idea that intelligence is dynamic and modifiable, not static or fixed. The FIE program seeks to correct deficiencies in fundamental thinking skills and provide students with the concepts, skills, strategies, operations and techniques necessary to function as independent learners. FIE increases motivation, develops students’ meta-cognition, and it helps the student learn how to learn more efficiently.
Instrumental Enrichment materials and manuals have received worldwide recognition and have been translated into all the major languages including Braille. The main goal of FIE is to improve ALL learning capabilities in ALL individuals.
Our mediators are working with some of our students this year, and will be continuing the program next year as part of our intervention and enhancement programs at the school.
More information about the Feuerstein Method can be found at: www.icelp.info/
LOTE
KIKI KOUSOURAKIS
Head of LOTE
This year at Oakleigh Grammar, the Commemoration Day celebrations for the 28th of October 1940 had a universal perspective. Unlike other years when it was dedicated to heroes and heroines, artists or writers who have honoured the 28th October 1940, this year it honoured mothers.
Mothers who are always anxious, mothers who don’t sleep and don’t rest, regardless of which side their children fight for. It was dedicated to the mothers whose children were soldiers. Middle and Senior School students Evangelia Starakis, Angelical Athanasakis and Yang Liu presented the play “Mothers of War”, where three mothers from different backgrounds get a letter from their son who is at war. The play was trilingual and really touched the audience.
The Commemoration Day celebration event started by acknowledging some of our grandparents who were very young during the years of WWII, and continued with a great honour as we were privileged enough to host a veteran at our Grandparents High Tea. Mr Kostantinos Tsirivas, 97, when asked about his memories of the Front he answered, “It is like a dream”, a real and true expression of history, he sat and listened to the students singing Παιδιά της Ελλάδος παιδιά, while going down memory lane with the song Ο Σταμούλης ο Λοχίας.
Another important presentation came from the Year 9 students on their 2016 work about “War and Peace” which turned into a collection of poems. This collection looked at the notion of war from different perspectives, and was bilingual.
The celebration continued with dances and a plethora of Hymns from the Byzantine choir, as well as songs from students from Prep to Year 6. Our students performed their songs with pride and soon the audience joined in. The event concluded with Reverent Father George Adamakis’ blessing.
NATASHA SPANOS
LOTE Teacher
Early this term our Year 3 students received some beautiful letters written in Greek from the Year 3 students of Saint George College in Adelaide. Our students had the opportunity to respond to the letters from their new friends. They introduced themselves, described their hobbies and explained what they like to do on their free time. Students were excited to participate in this activity and they are looking forward to sending them their wishes for Christmas soon.
On Saturday 11 November Mr Panos Apostolou from SBS Greek Radio Program interviewed Maria Andreou and Vivia Zapantzis. The students had the opportunity to talk about their participation in the Greek Student Film Festival this year, as well as well as for their achievement coming third in the Secondary School Category, with the film "Treasures of the Heart". Students explained how they came up with the scenario of their film, and the message they wanted to give to the audience.
On Thursday 16 November Mr George Stasinakis, the President of the International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis from Geneva, Switzerland visited our school. Mr Stasinakis attended a workshop in Year 10 and Year 11 Greek LOTE classes, and provided students with information about the life and the work of the great author Nikos Kazantzakis, since this year marks the 60th anniversary of Kazantzakis’ death. On behalf of Oakleigh Grammar we would like to thank Mr Stasinakis for his excellent presentation.
Orthodox Studies
Year 10 students went on an excursion to the Monastery of Panagia Gorgoipikoos in Geelong on Tuesday 31 October. A day spent in the quiet and tranquility of the monastery, with an opportunity to enjoy the natural environment and listen to a talk by the Abbess Mother Kalistheni.
They enjoyed their generous hospitality and browsing in the bookshop, buying gifts and religious items, as well as a friendly kick to kick with Father George.
