Faculty News

Counselling

Counseling

FIONA BAUDINETTE

Student Counsellor

ANGER – SOME COMMON MYTHS 

We all get angry some of the time – we are human not robots, so this is to be expected. Anger is a coping mechanism. It helps us to act decisively with the primary function to protect and therefore, is not always a problem. However, anger is complex and often manifests maladaptively in people’s lives when they perceive an excessive need for protection and begin to protect the ‘wrong’ things. Perhaps because it is so complex many myths abound. So, let’s look at what research has shown to be fact.

Anger is inherited. That is, my father/mother was quick to anger, and I have inherited the trait so I can’t do anything about it, suggesting that anger is a fixed trait. Research shows however that anger is a learned trait. The good news here is that if it is learned, then so too it can be unlearned.

Anger and aggression are the same thing. Not true. Anger is an emotional state of being. Aggression is a deliberate behaviour. Therefore, we can be angry without being aggressive – it is a choice. We learn to deal with anger with, or without adding aggression. 

Other people make me angry. Not true. Behaviour is a choice made consciously by us in each moment. Therefore, if another person has done something which causes an emotional response in us, we have a choice in the moment of escalating, or de-escalating the emotion. In other words, to direct our emotional response in a calm and controlled manner to address our displeasure or erupt with an angry outburst. We learn to do this by choice and self -management. If we blame our anger on others, it becomes an excuse for us to behave poorly, as we have a choice in how we will manage our emotion.

I shouldn’t hold anger in; it’s better to let it out. Current research has shown that neither is true. Holding anger in and ignoring it will not make it go away. Doing so regularly can lead to health problems. Conversely, yelling, screaming, punching something etc and ‘letting it out’ has been shown to develop new neural connections related to aggression, meaning that each time the brain gets angry it will seek a greater outlet to calm itself. Therefore, leading to an escalation in aggressive behaviour. It is better to learn how to reduce anger by dealing with the issue effectively and calmly. Eg, Calmly discuss the issue or find a solution. 

Anger, aggression and intimidation help me earn respect and get what I want. No true. The truth is that people fear someone who reacts aggressively and rarely do they respect those who can’t control themselves. Communicating effectively is far superior and will earn much greater respect.

Anger affects only a certain group of people. Not true. Anger is a universal emotion relating to the base need in our brain and therefore affects everyone without discrimination.

I can’t help myself. Anger isn’t something I can control. Anger is activated by triggers, and as we don’t have control over everything and everyone that surround us, we have no control over a trigger being activated. We can only control how we deal with it, once activated.

When I’m angry I say what I really mean. Not true. The brain is activated to defend, not think. It is more focused on how I can defend myself against you by saying or doing something hurtful, than thinking clearly. It is in our angry state that our judgement is severely flawed. 

Men are angrier than women. Not true. Research shows that both sexes experience the same amount of anger. The difference relates to how they express it. Men often react with direct aggression, whereas women often react with indirect/passive aggression.

Research conducted by: Segal & Smith, 2018; Morin, 2015; Morrow, 2021; Gallagher, 2001

Careers

MICHELLE MASCARO

Careers Advisor

Monash Women's Business Network Lunch "More Women in STEM' 

On May 12th, Camryn Stubbs of Year 9 and Sivmeng Te of Year 10 had a wonderful opportunity to attend the Monash Women’s Business Network Lunch, at Eastern Innovation Business Centre.  

Thanks to a school sponsorship from ABB - a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future.

The keynote speaker was Professor Elizabeth Croft, internationally respected robotics researcher and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Monash University. Elizabeth shared insights encouraging women to participate in research and employment across the wide field of STEM Careers. 

Many thanks to Monash City Council and the Monash Women’s Business Network for your invitation, SBB for your sponsorship, and to Mrs. Takos for taking Camryn and Sivmeng to experience this opportunity.

Camryn shares her insights into attending the event below

The talk about getting women into STEM was interesting and learning about all the different branches and opportunities that are available was not something that I knew about. It was inspirational to hear how much passion, 

Professor Elizabeth Croft, had for her field and about getting woman into science. It showed me how many opportunities there are out there and showed me that you don’t just have to focus on one certain thing in life. 

Senior School Careers Morning Tea

On May 18th,National Careers Week is a time to celebrate and acknowledge the importance of career development.  What better way to celebrate than hosting our first Senior School Careers Morning Tea for 2021 with our two inspiring guest speakers, Mike Larkan and Helen Baker. 

Our first speaker, Mike Larkan, is most notably known for his role as the former Channel 10 Weather Presenter who has had a wide and varied career journey, that continues to flourish in and out of the media. Did you know he designed tie pins for MYER? He is also currently a Marriage Celebrant, MC and now a Real Estate Agent too! Proving you can try anything, do what you want to do and be what you want to be!

Our second speaker, Helen Baker, is the Founder and CEO of Spill the Beans.  Spill the Beans gives young people a voice through its key initiatives in business, in the Boardroom and at the dinner table.  Helen spoke about the importance for students to use their voice, not to be afraid to pitch their own business and charity ideas, and that if one does not pose a question, then the answer will always be a no, regardless.  She also gave 2 lucky students an opportunity to pitch a product and was most impressed with their creative ideas!

Many thanks to Mike and Helen for their advice and for inspiring our students to chase their dream careers!  Once again, I would also like to thank and acknowledge our sponsor, Jamie Evans who is the owner/operator of McDonald's Chadstone and Clayton restaurants. Jamie kindly donated some morning tea goodies from the McCafé menu, which our students were very fortunate to take away with them.

Hellenic Culture

ANASTASIA SPANOS

Hellenic Culture Coordinator

This year, the Pontian Coordinating Committee for the Commemoration of the Greek Genocide, invited our school community to participate in a special Memorial Prayer Service for the victims of the Greek Genocide of Pontus. The event took place on Sunday, 16 May at the Holy Cathedral of St Eustathios, following by a lay wreath ceremony at the Australian Hellenic Memorial. School Captains together with Middle School Leaders and selected SRC members represented Oakleigh Grammar. On behalf of the School Floria Takos, Alexander Logan and Spyridon Sklavenitis laid a wreath showing their respect to those who lost their lives during the period of 1916-1923.

LOTE

ANASTASIA SPANOS

Acting Head of LOTE - Greek and Mandarin

Students of Oakleigh Grammar who are learning Greek have been very busy this term by participating in two big completions. 

Students across all year levels submitted their work to the competition titled 'Ambassadors 200', organised by the Organisational Committee for Greek National Day under the auspices of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, and in conjunction with the Consul for Education in Melbourne and the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad. Participants were asked to explain what 1821 means to them by presenting their views through an essay, a poem, a drawing, a PowerPoint presentation, a poster, an interview, a song, a painting or an object. Some outstanding pieces where submitted, these included the portraits of the well know heroes, Thoedoros Kolokotronis and Laskarina Bouboulina. 

Selected students in Years 4, 5, 6 and 8 participated in the annual Greek Public Speaking competition, organised by the Modern Greek Teachers’ Association of Victoria. The competition provides opportunities for students to extend their skills in public speaking.  Students had to recite a Greek poem dedicated to the 25th of March, 1821.

We would like to wish all students the best of luck who have taken part in both competitions.

Science

ANGELA KORLOS

Head of Mathematics/Science

Students in action 

On May 26th, the 3/4 Biology class, as well as Mr Patel, attended an excursion to GTAC. 

At GTAC, the biology class did practical experiments and learnt about how vaccinations work, and It was all very exciting for the students. 

The students got to witness and use state-of-the-art technology such as spectrometers, these measure the concentration of bacteria in a given volume. They also learnt about the immune system and how antibodies work to fight against disease-causing bacteria. 

Overall, the class said it was a fantastic excursion!

Written by

Arthur Millaras  

Student Representative Council

ANASTASIA SPANOS

SRC Coordinator

Student Leaders at Oakleigh Grammar have been provided with opportunities to further develop their leadership skills, by participating in different workshops throughout the year.

Selected SRC members from Year 7, 8 and 10, as well as our Middle School Leaders, attended the National Young Leaders Day on Monday, May 24th. The National Young Leaders Day is an annual event hosted by the Halogen Foundation, and is for young people who are aspired to lead themselves and others as well. The program is designed to benefit any student that has an interest in developing their leadership potential. 

Oakleigh Grammar students participated in the daylong program, where they engaged with keynote speakers, contributed to a discussion, and applied their learning through interactive activates and reflection. Students were inspired after the conference and they are ready to support their school community, and their fellow students in many different ways.

On Thursday, May 27th, SRC members excitedly organised the first fundraiser for Term 2! Students from ELC to Year 12 supported the annual event, Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea. Students had the opportunity to come to school wearing a touch of yellow or purple as part of their school Winter uniform to highlight the importance of this worthwhile charity. Australia's Biggest Morning Tea is a community event that raises vital funds to make a big difference for those impacted by cancer. Each student donated a gold coin and all funds raised will be donated to the Cancer Council. 

Student Voice

Written by Year 10 SRC members:

Elena Georgiades

Christalena Kourdoulos

Noah Peoples

Chloe Sheer

On Monday 24th of May, Mrs Spanos and a group of SRC students from Years 7-10 attended The National Young Leaders Day at the Exhibition Centre in Melbourne. It was an interesting day that consisted of 5 speakers from a range of backgrounds, who spoke about leadership in their careers and how we can use their knowledge and put this into action.

The first speaker was Lachie Smart, who holds the world record for being the youngest person to fly around the world in a solo aircraft. This achievement really impressed us, and we admired his story.

The next speaker was an AFL player, Jordon Lewis, an ex-Hawthorn player who was focused on goal setting and for individuals to have a strong support system around them. 

Next up was Josh Pyke, a singer/songwriter alongside being an author for children’s books who talked about the recovery process of how to deal with short-term failure and how to focus on the long-term goal of never giving up. 

The highlight of the day for everyone was hearing Jimmy Rees, famously known for his character Jimmy Giggle. He really brought a humorous element to the day and talked about being honest with yourself. We were lucky enough to get a group photo with him. 

The final speaker of the day was Michelle Young, who is the first female Deputy Commissioner of Fire Rescue Victoria. She talked about the positive effects of standing up for yourself and taking action. 

Each speaker gave a personal and unique approach to achieving goals, and being the young leaders of tomorrow. We all took away something different from the day and we thank Mrs Spanos for including us in this worthwhile conference.