Teaching & Learning

National Simultaneous Storytime 2021: Waratah 4

On 21 May, Waratah 4 Mentor Group gathered together to participate in the ALIA National Simultaneous Storytime 2021. Almost 2 million students participated in this event nationwide (and beyond) and we were part of it! National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. Now in its 21st successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy.

Although we weren’t able to read “simultaneously” with the rest of the nation, we took the opportunity to participate on our own DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) Friday. Year 9 student, Genna Windsor, read this year’s chosen book “Give Me Some Space” by Philip Bunting. Genna had our undivided attention as she read the story to the group. While it is technically a “kids” book, it raised some big issues that struck a chord with us. Afterwards, we had a discussion about the themes, from the more obvious ones: space exploration and climate; to the deeper ideas of taking opportunities, living for the moment - not just the future, as well as gratitude.

Mentor Group

Waratah 4

Whole School Pedagogy Initiative

In Semester 1 2021, a group of students were involved in running whole school pedagogy initiatives. The first project led by these students was to survey Year 8 cohort at SOC about their reading habits. Once survey was done student voice and agency representatives presented their findings from the survey to teachers during staff meeting. Teachers analysed the data presented to them by these students and gained meaningful insight to inform their classroom practice. Student efforts in leading this project was hugely appreciated by all staff members.

Sulagna Monga

LS Pedagogical Practice

Inaugural Pi Day

The Year 7s competed in the first ever South Oakleigh Pi Day. This included a range of mathematical tasks around the college. The students were challenged through a relay, amazing race and a trivia quiz. Students were able to work in teams successfully, whilst building and cementing relationships with their peers. This was followed by an assembly, opened by Omar Dogrusever, who performed an amazing and engaging magic act for the students. This was followed by a Pi Recital Contest, which Yohan Soju won, reciting a whopping 225 digits of Pi - which is an amazing effort. Acacia house were the eventual winners of the day.

A big ‘Thank you!’ to TI for providing a graphing calculator for the day. ‘Thank you!’ also to Freshabake Pie in Oakleigh for supplying pies for all the students and helpers at lunch.

Zane Fernandez

Maths Teacher

This Year’s Pi Day was really fun and super-entertaining. The several math problems that we had to solve in the relay were challenging and I had to really use my head and think to solve them. The amazing race got us moving and exploring around the school so we could find all the clues. The problems we faced in the amazing race were puzzling, but the activity encouraged us to be active: like making a human pyramid with 6 people or playing tug of war.

The trivia quiz had some questions that not many people knew, so it was good to collaborate with my house and find the answer to the questions. Some of the questions and the bonus prize opportunities made us laugh; they were not only filled with math questions but also general knowledge questions: like watching clips and answering the questions and what song is this and so on. Giving out actual pies for lunch was also a good idea due it being Pi Day!

The magic show performed by Omar was entertaining and filled with surprises. His card tricks were exceptional. Lastly, the Pi Recital Competition... This competition gave me a deeper understanding of Pi. It made me realize that this number is infinite and can go on and on and on. This helped me because I only knew 3.14 before and now, I have memorised over 100 digits which might help me in the future. Overall, this whole event was entertaining and well organized. I hope to see it again next year!

Yohan Soju

Year 7 Student

Four Useful Things To Do This Half Term

The half term is here and it’s time for a short break from the stresses of school. If you’re not on holiday or spending time with family, the half term break is a great time to get ahead in the life and study department. Problem is, it can sometimes be hard to get yourself motivated.

Start a Study Group

With school and extracurricular activities out of the way, you might be wanting to do some revision. But studying by yourself can be hard and it’s not always easy to stay motivated. So, now that all your friends have some free time: why not start revising together? Research

Visit a Careers Show

If you’re not doing work experience in the half term, hitting up a careers show can get you ahead in the work department. Many universities and organisations run events where you can go meet employers and talk to them about what it’s like to work for them. You can find out more about an industry you like or get an idea for what kind of experience you'll need to get the student job you want

Re-Vamp Your Study Space

Spending one week at home can wreck havoc on your bedroom. Sure, you’ll “clean it up later”, but did you know that an organised study space can improve your ability to study?

Take an afternoon out to give yours a little more flair. Invest in some stationery like a pin board or a storage box. If you’re studying English or a subject that requires lots of textbooks, find a place to keep them or sort them by author or subject. And finally: tidy up! Nothing is more motivating than a clean, sparkling room!

Go to an Open Day

If you’re thinking about heading off to uni or college, visiting a campus is a great way to spend some of your spare time. Open days give you the chance to experience a campus first hand and see if it’s right for you.

You’ll be able to ask actual students what they think and even check out the student housing. Since you’ll be spending most of your time in this place, open days are an important part of choosing where you want to study.

For the Junior Students:

Reflect on the semester gone by:

Take out a sheet of paper and answer these three questions: