Year 11

Once again, we find ourselves working remotely. The resilience and care shown by the students continues to inspire me. The group going to Central Australia took the news that the trip had been postponed with grace and then began to look at the positives, for example ‘We won’t need to take as big a bag as the nights won’t be as cold’ or ‘Great! Now I won’t have to buy thermals’.  This year level always looks for what they can do rather than what they cannot. 

The Religious Education Seminar Day produced presentations that were articulate and educational, culminating in the production of banners with key symbols relating to an Indigenous issue. Many thanks to Cate Jacka and the Religious Education team who created such an engaging day.

As subject selections draw near, the focus this week during Pastoral was about the future. Students were provided with a document outlining how to assess their strengths and ideas for open days and using the VTAC course search site to help with deciding on subjects for 2022. Subject booklets and videos are available to support the decision making process. This will be continued in the next Pastoral lesson. 

With many of us experiencing COVID fatigue, we must remember to take time to replenish ourselves; by going for a walk, playing a new game (I have just discovered Wordzee!) or catching up remotely with friends. I look forward to seeing us back at school very soon. 

Sue Dempster

Level Leader: Year 11

Religious Education Seminar Day 

Prior to the holidays, Year 11 students participated in a Religious Education Seminar day. We had been learning about Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders and how they lost their rights, land and identities. We got to make a banner for NAIDOC Week which was in July and each class got to choose a design and put it on a banner. Researching the banner and learning about Aboriginal art was intriguing. We had only three periods to complete the banners - a strict deadline. The classes had to really come together to finish the banner in time for Period 5. My class, Room 25, decided to do Australia surrounded in dots. These dots took more than half the time. Dots symbolise many things in aboriginal art like their land, stars, as well as ancestral connections. All the Year 11 students were excited and enthusiastic about this day. 

We also had a First Nations guest speaker, Tom Molyneux, from Deakin University. He spoke of his Gundijimara people and shared with us his story. He described how First Nations peoples are trying to teach and educate us about the tragic events that have occurred and advocate for change in both the education system and in our everyday lives.

Once the banners were completed, we had an assembly at which each class presented and explained their design choices and why the banner was important to them. 

Monique Clancy

Year 11