Student News
2019 Student Leaders Announced
As part of the sub-school system restructure the Student Leadership model was also reviewed. There is greater emphasis on the role of leadership within the houses but also the introduction of whole school leadership positions. Many worthy applications were received, a number of interviews conducted and a range of elections occurred.
Congratulations to 2019 Student Leadership Team
School Captains: Chethana V & Isaac O
Vice Captains: Kaviniya B & Pranav A
Whole School Music Captains: Chloe T & Damien H
Whole School Debating Captains: Benjamin J & Alyssa K
Whole School Sport Captains: Jordan N & Vinoli F
Whole School Citizenship Captains: Mehar P & Noah N
Blackwood
House Captains: Julia J & Jonathan O
Vice Captains: Melvin M(Yr 11) & Jyotsna G (Yr 10)
Domain Captains:
• Sport: Rahul N
• Chorals: Duy P
• Initiatives: Ayushi P
Cottrell
House Captains: Cheyenne P & Liam G
Vice Captains: Gabriel C (Yr 11) Nikita J (Yr 10)
Domain Captains:
• Sport: Rakshita S
• Chorals: Kaylen V
• Initiatives: Kathy N
Kororoit
House Captains: Matthew K & Shernane C
Vice Captains: Khoi N (Yr 11) Tvisha Ram N (Yr 10)
Domain Captains:
• Sport: Nina K
• Chorals: Matthew N
• Initiatives: Fatima A
Rothwell
House Captains: Amelia L & Aiman M
Vice Captains: Jay Del R (Yr 11) William T (Yr 10)
Domain Captains:
• Sport: Martin Khoa N
• Chorals: Cameron T
• Initiatives: Sharon R
Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (The Duke of Ed) is an international youth development program for 14 and 25 year olds to take part. Participants set their own activities and own goals to complete for a certain amount of time (Bronze - 3 months, Silver - 6 months, and Gold - 12 months).
The overall purpose is to receive recognition for doing many of the things you already do. Also, participants can also choose new activities that they always wanted to do.
PRACTICE CAMP
During the practice camp, our group first completed a first aid training course at school. We learnt a lot about the basics of emergency first aid and afterwards, were able to confidently perform CPR on dummies...of course. Afterwards, we went to the oval to set up our tents and started preparing for dinner. Most of us underestimated the difficulties of cooking with trangias yet were still able to come up with some pretty decent meals. It was surprisingly fun to share the food with all our friends, one dish that surpassed all expectations was our specialty: Hotpot in a Trangia. After we cleaned up, we headed off to indoor rock climbing. Walking into the place, we realised that there'd be a heck load of exercise. The walls were so high, that it hurt our necks to look up. After the solid 2 hours of climbing, we headed back to school and it was bedtime. After waking up the next morning, we took the bus to Werribee Gorge. Some who believed the hike would be a few hours of relaxed, slow-paced walking were terribly mistaken. There were steep hills, rocks to climb and lots of walking. However, in the midst of all the whining and puffed breaths, we really did enjoy the scenery and the company of our friends who were complaining just as much as us. The challenge made the hike so much more memorable and the feeling of pure bliss after completing the walk was unforgettable. Not only did we have to rely on each other, trust each other to get through the camp, but we also learnt many skills and grew closer with everyone in the Duke of Ed Squad.
QUALIFYING CAMP
The qualifying camp was a very memorable experience, students experienced outdoor rock climbing, abseiling and hiking at Grampians National Park. Both students and teachers encouraged each other to do what they never expected, thus overcoming the many difficulties that we faced. Especially our brave Chelsea from Year 9 who conquered her fear of abseiling. We, of course encouraged her to descend the mountain by letting her go before us.
Hiking trips were difficult mostly when our shoes were slipping, each individual learnt to help others during the process of climbing up high rocks and screaming over insects. However, after the hard and tiring trip to the top of the mountain, we saw a breathtaking view and it made the whole trip worthwhile. We explored caves and battled obstacles we would have never thought of doing on our own and the photos we took were amazing.
Drop toilets and making our own food was another memory kept for life, the horrid smell and buzzing flies kept us away from doing our business. The toilets and showers were something we really missed during our adventure of survival. On the topic of survival, some students learnt to never bring raw chicken to camp and others found creative ways to fill their stomachs. Cooking was fun creative and weird dinners such as Nutella spaghetti were discovered. Sleeping at night was difficult for some and not an issue for others. However, most of the people within a 10m radius of a specific someone had trouble falling asleep due to his snoring that someone described as “aggressive, constricted breathing that gave me earblood... He also choked a few times”
This camp was truly something that all of us will find hard to forget, it was a really special experience that allowed us to all become closer as a collective and learn valuable skills.
However, the most important thing about this camp was how much fun we had, how much more we could talk and relate about and how much we gained from the experience. To sum it up, “We experienced a great adventure experience and bonded through that.”
Kathy N, Erica C& Jiawen Z
Suzanne Cory High School Greece & Italy Trip 2018
For two weeks over the Term 3 holidays, students and teachers went on a trip of a lifetime to Europe to soak up the history, food and culture of Greece and Italy. Led by Ms. Fenby, we made friends, explored ancient ruins and learnt all about Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome and Renaissance Italy.
We began our journey in Athens, the birthplace of democracy and home to the Acropolis, an ancient citadel on the top of a hill that can be seen from anywhere in the city. On our first evening in Athens, we enjoyed dinner at a local tavern accompanied by live music and traditional dancing (some of our braver students and teachers danced the Zorbas). After a busy day visiting the Acropolis and observing the Parthenon, we wandered the streets of Athens, getting lost in its many alleyways and discovering amazing restaurants and bakeries along the way (the baklava was to die for!).
After departing Athens, we spent the next few days exploring the Peloponnese, visiting numerous ancient sites such as Delphi; renowned in ancient times for its fortune telling oracle, and Olympia; the birthplace of the Olympics. My personal favourite location was the ancient theatre at Epidaurus, preserved after thousands of years and with stunning panoramic views of the mountains surrounding it.
After an overnight ferry ride to Italy, we visited the remains of Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum, two Roman towns buried by an eruption in 79 A.D. Following Pompeii, we arrived in Rome, a lively, bustling city with new things to discover on every street. For some, Rome was the perfect opportunity to visit world-renowned boutique clothing shops, whilst for others, the highlight of Rome was trying the best pizza, pasta and gelato in the world.
On our first day in Rome, we visited all of the landmarks that make Rome famous, such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain. We then toured the Vatican City, observing centuries-old artwork and expanding our knowledge on the history of this significant city. We visited the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, rich in art history.
As we left Rome to go to Florence, we entered the world of Renaissance Italy, where great artists and thinkers revisited the big ideas that were first explored in ancient times. We stopped over in Siena and Pisa, in which we experienced what life was like during the Renaissance (and took some cheesy tourist photos with the Leaning Tower of Pisa). In Florence, we visited the famous Uffizi Gallery, which houses some of the most beautiful and amazing Renaissance art in the world. We also had the chance to make our own traditional Italian pizza in a cooking class.
Our final stop in the trip was Venice, the floating city with winding canals, romantic gondolas and impressive churches. We saw a glass blowing demonstration on the island of Murano and visited the Doge’s Palace. My favourite part of Venice was exploring the little alleyways and chic stationery shops that the city had to offer (and running into Tom Holland at the airport on our way home).
The friends that I made in Europe were, in my opinion, the most rewarding part of the trip. I encourage anybody who has the chance to attend a school trip in the future to do so, as it will definitely be one of the most memorable parts of your schooling life, and I will cherish the memories that I made in Europe long after my journey at Suzanne Cory has ended.
Ben J, 11K2
Careers News
Professional Waiter Course (The Service Cycle)
Provided by the Institute of Technology and Further Education (iTFE)
On Friday, 12 October 2018, ten of our Year 12 students had the opportunity of participating in an accredited hospitality course, the Professional Waiter (The Service Cycle) provided by the iTFE.
The Professional Waiter course gives participants an insight into the fundamentals of providing quality customer service while practising core skills necessary to work as a waiter. During the course, students learned the fine art of silver service dining, menu service skills and the hospitality cycle, focusing on:
Setting tables
Greeting customers with a welcoming smile
Seating customers
Delivering the menu and advising of specials
Taking orders
Delivering meals
Clearing tables
Welcoming customers to return
Students also had a chance to interact with each other to build on social skills and connect with friends while practising carrying three plates at the same time, carry glasses (according to the hospitality industry best practice) take turns being customer and service provider, as well as having fun.
It was good to see the students enjoyed participating in this event which is not only useful and practical for developing personal skills, but professional skills as everyone will receive a certificate after completion. The main purpose of holding this event for the year 12 students was so that they are able to use the skills they learn to apply for casual employment. Therefore, we hope this provides students with a starting point for entering the workforce to build on their transferable skills which they can utilise to apply to jobs of the future….we wish the Year 12 students all the best in the future and extend our thanks to the trainer, Mr. Elton La Porte and iTFE for providing the workshop at no cost.
Ms. Lina Paye (on behalf of the Careers Team).
Library Summer Holiday Borrowing (2018/2019)
To promote and encourage wider reading, students will be permitted to borrow books from the SCHS library over the holiday break this year - but only if they have returned all of their outstanding books from 2018!
Stumped for fun reading ideas these holidays? This link is for fiction books held by the Suzanne Cory HS library that students can borrow - there's something for everyone! This link is for ‘Inside a Dog’ which is published by the State Library of Victoria and promotes reading for young adults. In their own words: ‘If you are aged 12-18 you can sign up to enter competitions, publish your own creative work, meet other avid readers, contribute book reviews, find book recommendations and so much more!’
Students are also encouraged to join and borrow from their local council libraries.
Thanks to Suzi Nubile our Library Assistant who ‘constructed’ the brilliant Summer Reading promotional display for the library. One can almost smell the suntan lotion and hear the crashing of the waves as you approach it.