Head of Middle Years

Year 8 Camp – Grantville

It’s both exciting, as well as a little nerve-wracking, stepping outside of one’s ‘comfort zone’ to take the plunge (literally) into the waters of Phillip Island. This is exactly what occurred during the Year 8 water camp. Apart from completing a range of group and individual challenges such as the bug swing, balance step, the leap of faith, and the high ropes course, students also had the opportunity to surf.

For many Year 8 students, this was the first time to experience the need to balance on a surfboard and ride the wave into shore. From all accounts, there were many students who managed to stand up on the board and learn to surf! They displayed excellent Learner Profile attributes including risk-taking, caring as well as being reflective. Congratulations to each of them, and to the staff who consistently showed support and encouragement to the students throughout the experience.

Productions

Congratulations to the cast members of our two upcoming College Productions. A huge amount of talented students bravely put themselves to the test whilst auditioning during Week 6, with cast announcements made last week. There was too much talent for just one show, so we now have two; the Senior Years play titled ‘CLUE: On Stage’ (High School Edition) and a Middle Years play titled ‘The Case of the Lost Lavakian Princess’.

Both of these shows will be performed in the Chapel in late Term 2. Between the two shows, we will see around 40 students perform on stage and over 60 students who have volunteered to be involved in the offstage production areas like set design, properties, sound tech, lighting tech, costume design and hair and make-up. 

We look forward to seeing everybody in rehearsals this week, and ultimately in the shows later in the year! 

NAPLAN

We would like to acknowledge students in Years 7 and 9 for their excellent effort in showing perseverance and resilience during the NAPLAN period. Well done!

Parenting tips – Are your children really ‘Cybersafe’

In a world of online resources, social apps and virtual realities, it is hard to keep up with the barrage of the many forums our children are exposed to. Gaming addictions, cyberbullying as well as being removed from social reality are just some of the symptoms of this complex minefield. The Australian Government has produced a website that can guide families to navigate various complexities through practical steps and suggestions:  https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents.