Anzac Day

On the 26th of April we celebrated Anzac Day at JMSS in an incredibly moving morning assembly with Major General Jim Barry as the guest speaker and Year 12 student Huon Howard giving us a stirring Last Post piece on the trumpet.

Earlier in the month some students attended a special ANZAC service. Here is one students reflection.

On Wednesday the 3rd of April, a group of my peers and I, accompanied by Ms Collis and Ms Roper were fortunate enough to represent John Monash Science school at the annual Monash Anzac Day service for schools, held at the the Cenataph in the Central Reserve Glen Waverley. Co-ordinated by the Rotary Club of Monash, this event comprised of various speakers and performances, followed by a laying of the wreaths including one laid proudly by the JMSS school captains, Francine and Raj. The MC, Malcolm Carson’s speech brought great perspective to all the students, sharing the positions of Monash residents who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in previous conflicts under the Australian flag, whose names are forever etched in the Cenetaph, one of many across the state and country. Our attention was brought to the descendant of the lone pine from Gallipoli planted in the reserve, a great marker of time as it progresses and the legacy of our soldiers remains ever important. Following this introduction, we were fortunate enough to hear the story of Group Commander Annette Holian who, following an intense medical career at home decided to shift her focus abroad where she’s made a great impact in medical responses to conflict and natural disasters alike. Her message was clear, the greatest fulfillment in life comes in the form of touching the lives of others, be it through life-saving medical attention, or any other form. The last post, followed by a minutes of silence gave us a chance to reflect on the bravery of our soldiers and the lessons learnt from the day. A heartfelt rendition of the Australian anthem from the students representing the 30 local schools in attendance, accompanied by flag-waving on mass followed, with the service being concluded by Malcolm Carson, who shared with us the significance of the phrase ‘lest we forget’ as a caution against forgetting the actions of Australian soldiers, and the legacy they have left behind, an ever- important message for us all.

Leonard Curmi

MWITS Students have arrived

The Thai exchange students have arrived at JMSS this week. They spent the week immersed in JMSS culture, ending it with a trip to the MCG this weekend. While here, one of their students presented her research on 'The development of an innovative colourimetric sensor test kit'. The Thai exchange program is a great one, loved by all staff and students.

Generations in Jazz

All the best to those students leaving for Mount Gambier, South Australia today for the weekend of jazz and competition at the Generations in Jazz program. This is the largest stage band, jazz vocals, and small jazz ensemble competition in the southern hemisphere. Over 5000 students attend from Australia and internationally.

For more information and images follow Generations in Jazz on Facebook here - https://www.facebook.com/gijmountgambier/?ref=ts

Regional Exchange begins

On Sunday the 5th of May we welcome all of our Regional Exchange students from across Victoria. All 15 students will be here for 3 weeks, learning and immersing themselves into JMSS. They are all very excited, looking forward to whats in store and are keen to start. If you see them in the schoolyard, bus stop or in class, please make them feel welcome.

Science Exhibition Night

Open to the public our annual Science Exhibition Night is just around the corner. Its an enjoyable night full of demonstrations and student science projects. Tell your family, friends and neighbours.

To register for this FREE event click here : -

JMSS.VIC.EDU.AU/SCIENCE-EXHIBITION-NIGHT

Online Mindfulness Program

As part of the overall school program at JMSS in 2019, mindfulness practices have been included in regular classes and mentor group sessions. To give the students a deeper understanding of this practice all students will be invited to participate in an online program ‘Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance’ which will be available from May 6th 2019 (Week 3, Term 2)

By participating in the program students will learn mindfulness techniques to reduce stress and improve performance.

Stress, inattention and distraction are becoming ubiquitous in the modern world and the popularity of mindfulness can be looked upon as an antidote to modern life. Research shows that when you’re not deliberately paying attention to something, your brain goes into default mode causing increased anxiety and poor communication. Mindfulness has been shown to help end this unproductive behaviour.

Topics covered in the program include:

Problem of unmindfulness
Research on mindfulness
Mindful stress reduction and managing emotions
Improving work and study performance
Mindfulness in memory and learning
Cultivating self-compassion and emotional health
Mindful communication
Relationships and empathy
Mindfulness as a way of life

This practical and experiential course is planned over 4 weeks with an expected commitment of approximately 3 hours per week. However students will have availability for more than 4 weeks so that they are not pressured in completing it in what for some might be a short timeframe with other school commitments.

Further information regarding this program can be found by viewing this link which is presented by Dr Craig Hassed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3F16HpsR9k

If parents are also interested in the program it will be offered by Future Learn later in the year. More details will be announced in the newsletter when these have been confirmed with Future Learn.

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