Achievements & Results
Chess Success
On Tuesday 25 May 2021, 20 Suzanne Cory High School (SCHS)students participated in a tense, competitive tournament at Penleigh Essendon Grammar School.
The students fought really hard for every point they could grab in each round, battling with the mental stresses and nervousness. In the end, it was the student talent, the determination, the will to fight and never give up that got our chess students across the line.
SCHS students dominated the tournament, occupying the top tables throughout the seven rounds, winning consistently against the tough opponents from other schools. At the end of the 6 hour marathon, our school came on top with flying colours, edging out the other schools in what was a heated, nail-biting finish.
SCHS's top four students scored a total of a massive 23.5 points. Malachy P (K8) won the tournament, scoring 6.5/7, winning gold for the year 11-12 group.
Other special mentions go to Mayuran S (C9) who won bronze with a score of 6/7, and the remaining 18 students who all put in their full dedication and effort towards this event.
Special thanks goes towards Ms Walia for organising this tournament, Ms Guestella for overseeing and fulfilling the teacher responsibilities, and Parth Aggarwal for his help in running the preparations for the competition.
Ishwaran N, B9 Year 11- Chess Captain.
VCE Sport
VCE sport has been a great part of our school sporting program and it’s been so fun to see all the students participating throughout this semester. To kick off the year, we started out with VCE basketball with a Year 11 and 12 boys teams and mixed girls teams. The competition was definitely fierce; intense dribbling and lots of impressive shot making. All the students had a blast battling against the other houses. Although, this was interrupted by our first short lockdown at the beginning of the year, leaving a lot of students waiting on when it will return. However, given the short duration of our time spent at home, the teams were able to come back onto court and play it out in the finals. In the end, Blackwood claimed victory for the Year 12 boys, as did Kororoit for the Year 11 boys, and Rothwell for the mixed girls.
As soon as basketball season finished, it was time to begin soccer on the synthetics. This was a very competitive sport amongst all houses and the matches were quite intense. Many of the VCE students were very enthusiastic about soccer and were very eager to show off their skills on the pitch. Student spectators were also drawn into the action where students were seen on the side of the field cheering for their houses. The energy was amazing, on and off the pitch.
The lucky winners were Blackwood for Year 11’s and a close draw for the Year 12's between Cottrell and Rothwell.
Finally, we have decided to wrap up the semester with netball comp! This sport was just introduced into the VCE sport competition and was well received by the VCE cohort. Unfortunately right after our first matches, we were unable to continue due to the state’s lockdown again. Given the restrictions put in place, the competition was put to a halt. However, despite the lockdowns and quarantines, it was so great to see all the students participating and having a good time.
Nika A, C7 - Sports Captain
Western Metropolitan Regional Baseball Finals
Intermediate Baseball
On our way to Geelong, we didn’t know what to expect. Our team had just come off winning a tournament with the greatest comeback of all time, so we did have all the momentum going into regionals. However, when we arrived, I think we were all at least a bit intimidated to see a whole team in full baseball gear. Even I began to doubt our chances.
Luckily, due to a great performance from the team, we were able to tie that team of tryhards (Oberon) in our first game, and we began to get our hopes up. We thought we might have a chance. This was right before our hopes were promptly crushed by the sporting school, Maribyrnong College. It only took a couple home runs for us to realise we didn’t have much of a chance. And whilst we won the rest of our games, it was not enough to overcome the juggernaut of Maribyrnong.
Despite the unfortunate second place, I am still very proud of the whole team, and it was an amazing effort to do as well as we did.
Aaron H, K9 - Team Captain
Senior Baseball
After a few months of preparation for the interschool region baseball competition, it was clear before arrival that our opponents would be strong, with our top player Tyler warning us of what was to come. After early morning rain and an unfavourable forecast we were unsure whether we would be playing.
To race against the forecast, our first match against Grovedale was brought forward, putting the whole team on edge. After a tough first inning, Grovedale had already established that they weren't there to mess around, scoring a number of runs with our batters unable to get on first base. In the second inning, we were forced to substitute our first pitcher with Tyler, our secret weapon.
After a series of fast-paced, air-bending pitches from Tyler to the team catcher Oscar, the opposition struggled to put bat on ball. Despite this, a few of Grovedale's strong players unleashed their might onto Tyler's oncoming pitches, managing to get on base. They found weaknesses in our fielding and exploited them, leading to quick and successful runs. Unfortunately, in the next inning, our make-or-break attitude did not suffice.
We did manage to get a few runners on base including the mighty co-captain Oscar, however their excellent pitching and sharp fielding made getting to first base difficult for most. Oscar, however, was still able to give them a run for their money, taunting their fielding abilities whilst stealing a number of bases. Unfortunately, just as Oscar was halfway down the last leg of the run, three outs were secured by Grovedale stopping our last major effort to add to our runs on the board. The game was over. Grovedale with the victory.
Although the day felt over, another opponent was still ahead. Bayside. This team was what Tyler warned us about for he was a teammate of a number of their players. They were just as strong as we imagined, however this time a number of our players got a piece of their pitches, hitting them far beyond where the eye could see. Because of this, we were able to score a few runs before the end of the game. Tyler incorporated crafty pitching techniques throughout the game, including curveballs and a few eephus pitches (like an unexpected lob). The game ended with only one run between the teams. Alas, it was Bayside who went home with the victory. Overall, Grovedale managed to beat Bayside as well, taking them to the state final where they presumably dominated.
Oscar K, C7
(N.B. Team Manager Miss Fenby would like to add that we had some other players on the team :) )
Wyndham Young Person of the Month
Congratulations to Joann Manoj Jacob from K1 for being selected as the Wyndham Young Person of the Month for June! This is a very special achievement for Joann, as she is able to share her story with other people her age in Wyndham and it is a great platform to raise awareness about serious issues. An article featuring a profile of Joann will be published in Star Weekly sometime in June. Joann has also been featured in Mirage News and National Tribute.
Also congratulations to Libby Knights from K9 for receiving the award in February 21.
Her dedication and passion to raising awareness about Mental Health is inspiring.
You can read more about both Joann and Libby's achievement on the Wyndham Council webpage
*images from Wyndham Council Website
Sweet and Savoury Bake Sale - Leukaemia Foundation
On the 19th of May, I organised a group of students to help out in the Sweet and Savoury Bake Sale to raise money for Leukaemia Foundation, a national charity. The Bake Sale involved several weeks of planning, writing emails and sending compass posts to teachers, students and staff. Students unleashed their potential of creativity, by creating inventive advertisement posters, baking various mouth-watering classic sweets and savoury items and providing exceptional service in selling them to their fellow peers.
From simply, donuts and cakes, to various flavours of popcorn, spring rolls, profiteroles and many more, we sold out in 15mins! We raised a total of $437.10 for Leukaemia Foundation, and all proceeds will go towards assisting both individuals and families who have been most affected during the pandemic and to purchase new lab equipment for blood cancer research. Overall, the Sweet and Savoury Bake Sale was a perfect way for students to come along with their friends and give themselves a little treat!
Aanchal Sharma, R8
Girls AFL
Suzanne Cory High School Girls AFL team, which played on Friday 21 May, put up a good fight against Hoppers Crossing, Manor Lakes and Werribee. Unfortunately, we didn’t come away with a win, however there was an outstanding contribution of effort from all the girls.
A special mention to all the intermediate year 9 and 10 girls who played up in the senior division, we really showed the other schools that size can be defeated by pace. The team as a whole scored 6 strong goals throughout the day, with 3 from Trami and 1 from Polina, Charlotte and Glianna each.
Overall, amazing effort from all the girls and it was a good finish on a beautiful, sunny day. Massive thankyou to the best teachers of the day, Ms Breed and Mr Moden, for their coaching and amazing camera skills!
Senior boys netball
On the 30th of April the senior boys netball team travelled to Eagle Stadium to compete in the WMR Netball tournament. We played a number of teams from the surrounding area such as Manor Lakes, Werribee Secondary and The Grange. The boys displayed great team camaraderie throughout the day with exceptional sportsmanship throughout. There were some mesmerizing passages of play that highlighted the potential of the team as we finished 3rd in our pool. Even though it wasn’t the result we were after it was a great day out that was thoroughly enjoyed by the team. A special thanks to Ms Breed for coaching us and providing us with invaluable knowledge during half times and in between games.
Karan Singh, K6
Senior girls netball
Atthesame time as the boys, the Senior Girls netball team were also battling it out in the WMR tournament. The whole team were excited to see if all their preparation would pay off. We were handed a tough draw for the day. We competed hard all day and made some spectacular deflection and intercepts. Our shooters gained in confidence and backed themselves in to make some important goals in each game. Through a very tough competition, the girls never dropped their heads and showed nothing but determination and excellent sportsmanship.. Across our three hard fought games the results may not have gone our way, but it was worth it. We look forward to the 2022 competition.
Wyndham Cross Country
Well done to the 50 students who represented Suzanne Cory High School at the Wyndham division Cross Country. It was a typical cold day at Presidents park but all the students gave their best effort and had fun. Thank you to Miss Hamilton, Miss Byrne and Mr Clancy for supervising the event and encouraging the students all day.
We had some great success today and now have a full bus of students attending the Western Metro Region event in Term 3.
Below are some of the successful students:
14 Year Boys – Kean Vixayong (K2) – 3rd place
15 Year Girls – Sofia Selimi (C3) – 2nd place
16 Year Girls – Ananyaa Duggal (R2) – 1st place; Harpreet Cheema (R2) = 2nd place; Aanchal Sharma (R8) – 3nd place
16 Year Boys – Anhad Singh (C4) – 1st place
17 Year Girls – Gurnoor Jhajj (B3) – 2nd place
18 Year Boys – Malachy Pawlus (K8) – 2nd place; TJ Shivakumar (K9) – 3rd place
Volleyball Victoria's One Day Schools Cup
On Friday May 7th, nine of our senior boys, led by Mr Hand, made our way down to the State Volleyball Centre in Dandenong to participate in Volleyball Victoria's One Day Schools Cup. This competition would see some of the state's greatest volleyball players come to the Volleyball Centre to play for their respective schools. Training week in and week out, we were looking to make a name for Suzanne Cory Highschool and proving ourselves on the court.
Our draw saw us face off against some of the toughest schools in our division but, as all underdog stories go, we were able to defeat Saint Patrick's College and Point Cook Seniors to secure our position in the semi finals. With hearts set on a podium placing, we won the semi-finals and faced Keysborough College in the finals. However, we unfortunately came second to Keysborough, who put up an amazing match against us.
I have never been more proud to play alongside a team as dedicated, hard working and passionate as these boys. Coming back home with the silver was nothing short of their commitment towards the sport. Their enthusiasm translated towards their skill and representation of our school, and we cannot wait to show Victoria what we're made of in the upcoming Four Day Schools Cup tournament.
Charlie Vu, Captain, K3
Wyndham Senior Badminton
The first round of the senior badminton competition was held at our usual local venue, Eagle Stadium. Both the girls and boys senior teams had faced three other schools on the day, including our year-to-year nemesis, Werribee Secondary College. The girls team played well throughout the day winning the majority of their matches, which led to a comfortable victory against all three teams they had faced. Talia was particularly outstanding on the day for her team spirit keeping up the girls’ morale and great performance on court.
On the boys’ side of the competition, our boys team were able to take it easy until they had encountered Werribee. The first 4 singles matches were played at once, where we had won 2 out of 4 matches. A big concern at this stage was that Werribee’s two strongest players won the 2 matches we had lost, and that they were also several points ahead of us in total. At this stage, hoping for a 3-3 match score and winning by point total seemed improbable. Jed & Patrick won their doubles match without too much concern. As the day was wrapping up, everyone had gathered around to spectate the remaining doubles match played by Owen & Oscar. After nail-biting rallies, numerous dives and a great display of synergy, Owen & Oscar were able to win the final match, leading to a 4-2 match score victory for SCHS.
With both teams proceeding to the next round, the boys and girls are excited to play in the next round to be held in Altona Badminton Centre later in the year.
Mr Lam, SCHS Badminton Coach
Plain English Speaking Awards
Suzanne Cory High School had the honour of hosting one of the state heats for the Plain English Speaking Awards (PESA) earlier in the term.
Students represented their schools from Al-Taqwa College, Emmanuel College, Islamic College of Melbourne, Manor Lakes P-12 College and Suzanne Cory High School.
They each gave a prepared speech of 6 minutes, (a topic of their own choice) followed by an impromptu speech for which they had only 4 minutes to prepare for. The topic was ‘Change is Everywhere’.
The adjudicators had a tough decision in selecting the runner up and the winner, and commended all the students on their speaking and writing skills, as well as for their presence on stage.
Congratulations to Ananyaa in Year 11, who won the heat! Ananyaa will now move to the State Final round!