Senior School

Looking Forward - Trusting God

Term 3 in Senior School is the term in which we really start looking forward to the future. Year 12s are into their last semester of secondary schooling and have to make plans for their tertiary studies at university or elsewhere. We have just conducted the VTAC briefing and now all they need to do is make some decisions. It sounds simple but can be very stressful.

The Year 10s also will have their decisions to make as they participate in Career Guidance sessions and the Subject Selection Evening, visit Universities and try to plan a VCE course that will allow them to pursue their specific dreams whilst also keeping a variety of options open.

We have been encouraging our students to keep asking God what he would have them do and how they can serve him with their skills and abilities. God sometimes gives clear direction but at other times he only lights the way a step at a time. In either case it is wonderful to be able to trust that he knows the future and can be trusted to look after us in whatever that future holds.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 says:

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

    whose confidence is in him.

 They will be like a tree planted by the water

    that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

    its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Greg Crotty

Head of Senior School

Yr 12 Chemistry Titration Competition

Towards the end of Term Two our Year 12 Chemistry students took on the challenge of competing in the 2016 RACI Titration competition. This required them to complete six sets of acid-base titrations and all associated calculations, a technique covered during their classes, in the very tight time frame of only 90 minutes. The competition this year was very tight with an error of less than 1.0% separating the top teams.

Of the 284 Victorian teams that entered Nicole Jones, Simran Sewani and Melanie Chin are to be congratulated on successfully ranking in the top 16% of the state. Well done also to Nathaniel Lim and Mark Stephen who did not score as high but still were able to achieve a respectable ranking of top 37% of the state. What a fantastic result for these students and great encouragement for them in their studies.

Dr Philip Strack

VCE Chemistry Teacher

Yr 10 Camp

Reflections on Year 10 Camp at Valley Homestead

At the end of Term 2, the year 10s spent a week at Valley Homestead located at Ovens, Victoria. Here they engaged in fun and exciting team building activities such as bush survival and bush cooking, abseiling, vertical challenge and dual flying fox and much more. The students challenged themselves to overcome different barriers and all succeeded in various ways. Leaders rose up to the challenge and tasks were completed through mutual support among peers. Though the weather was cold and wet, we thank God for His great favour. Nearly every time the students were out for an activity, the skies cleared and He held the rain till the activities were completed. By the end of the camp, though exhausted, the students had forged strong friendships that will last a lifetime. Karen Kirk, 10K Home Room teacher.

The Year 10 camp was very enjoyable despite the cold and wet weather. I enjoyed the bike ride even though it poured rain on the way back. In a way, it actually made it more fun. On this camp I was able to grow closer with my friends through the many challenging activities such as climbing and making fires. Hewett

Camp was a fun and relaxing experience. The bike ride and camp fire were great. Joshua

I really enjoyed the bike ride to Myrtleford, we rode 20 km through a stunning track. Also, the bush survival was really fun; in isolated locations we had to start our own fire and cook our lunch. Overall, it was a great experience and I’m glad to have so many memories. Katrina

Year 10 camp was a fantastic experience where we learned about each other. It was wonderful to step away from our busy school life, relax with friends and enjoy many thrilling outdoor adventures, including vertical challenges, survival activities and a bike ride. Caleb

Camp this year was full of fun and adventures. The highlight for me was the vertical slide. I loved the thrill and enjoying this experience with wonderful people. It was awesome. Sarah Alexander

The Year 10 camp was during the last week of Term Two and it was a nice way to finish the busy term. Some activities were difficult, but it was a great opportunity to strengthen our friendships and build our leadership skills. My highlight was participating in the bush survival challenge – when we had to cook our own food in the wilderness. By the end we all felt like Bear Grylls. Raaya

Valley Homestead is located right at the centre of one of the most beautiful parts of country, an absolute jewel - the north east corner of Victoria, just outside of Myrtleford. Our Year 10 cohort spent the last week of Term Two at this campsite and it was a positive experience for many reasons.

Students and teachers enjoyed the range of activities, tested and challenged themselves and learned a great deal in the process. Most importantly, we faced our fears and tried out new things, despite the fact that it rained all week and the temperature never rose above 10 degrees.

The majority of activities use the natural slope of the property, with the view of Mount Buffalo. Students completed all the planned activities: Cycling, Abseiling, Climbing, Vertical Challenges, Power Poles, the Free-fall slide, Aerial Obstacle Course, Bush Survival and an absolute favourite, 220 metre Dual Flying Fox. Students and teachers also played games, shared stories and sang songs to guitar around the campfire. This was an excellent camp for building a strong sense of team work amongst the year level, along with enhancing character. Irena Yevlahova, 10Y Home Room teacher.

Year 9 Incursion

A wonderful opportunity is coming up for the Year 9 students next week on the morning of Thursday 11th August. Brett Ryan from "Focus on the Family" will speak to the boys about what it means to be a real man as a Christian in this day and age. The group "Angel Light" will work with the girls on relevant issues such as how God sees them and how the media distorts beauty. Our Chaplain Anna Baumgarth has worked with both these organisations in the past, with great success and has seen a great impact on young people. We look forward to a fantastic time together!

Jo deMeester

Year 9/10 Coordinator

Careers News

In this issue, University/TAFE Open Days continue throughout August:

• Sat 6 Aug – Monash (Peninsula campus)
• Sun 7 Aug –Monash University (Caulfield & Clayton) and La Trobe University (Bundoora)
• Sun 14 Aug –ACU and RMIT University
• Sun 21 Aug Melbourne University and Sun 28 Aug Deakin University.

They are an opportunity for our Year 10-12 students to ‘try before you buy’ the university or TAFE course, so make sure you attend Open Days this year.

Year 12 Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) applications for 2017 courses open on Monday 1stof August (see www.vtac.edu.au). Students have until 29 September for a ‘timely’ application. After that, the normal application fee of $32.00 rises to $100.00. 

Items in the attached Careers News include:

• Dates to Diarise in Term 3
• Key Dates for Tertiary Applications for 2017 Entry
• VTACmag 2017 (information about VTAC process)
• VET in the VCE
• Careers Expo 2016 and how to get a FREE ticket to the expo
• News from Monash University
• Business Open House
• New Pathways to Law
• The Monash Guarantee
• Why Study Science at Monash?
• Design Courses at Monash University
• News from La Trobe University
• Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE)
• Aspire Generation
• Early Achievers' Program at ACU
• The Global Science and Technology Program at Deakin University
• New Deakin College Pathway Courses to Deakin University
• Diploma of Media and Communications
• Diploma of Science
• Have you heard of a HIT Lab?
• Bachelor of Pre-Medicine, Science and Health at the University of Wollongong
• Biomedicine/Biomedical Science Degrees in Victoria
• Upcoming Open Days 2016

If you have a question about a topic featured in the Careers Newsletter, please contact Careers Coordinator Mrs Irena Yevlahova iyevlahova@standrews.vic.edu.au

Irena Yevlahova

Careers Coordinator