Middle School
HAYDN FLANAGAN
Head of Middle School
A hearty welcome back to Term 3 to our Middle School students and families, and an especially warm welcome to our new Middle School students, families and guardians.
Short Stay Study Program
In support of the IB Middle Years Program’s aim of developing intercultural awareness, over the course of this term the Middle School will be welcoming 36 Short Stay Study students from China into our classrooms. The Short Stay Study Program offers visiting students the opportunity to experience school life in Australia, and allows our Oakleigh Grammar students to enhance their intercultural understanding and awareness through interactions and friendships. I know everyone in the Community will join me in welcoming our visiting students, and many thanks go to Mr Felsinger for his coordination of this program. When you see the international students make sure to say hello and give them a smile.
Parenting
As all parents know, parenting is not easy, and the demands and difficulties continue to change throughout the stages of life, and through generations. Today’s difficulties include managing children’s online activities and trying to balance protecting our children and building resilience through exposure to the difficulties and dangers of life.
To this end, I would like to draw your attention to a new book on parenting by John Marsden, The Art of Growing Up (Pan MacMillan Australia), which may provide some help to parents trying to do their best in this difficult role. I have not yet read this book, however, I have been impressed by some of the articles I have read discussing the book, and I look forward to doing so. I’m not expecting that it will provide all the answers, however, like many, I am keen to consider all the help I can get.
Greek Cultural Tour
This term we welcomed back 25 lucky Middle School students and four very tired staff from the 3-week Greek Cultural Tour that took place over the holiday break. The tour took in a range of culturally and historically significant sites, as well as giving students some time for rest and relaxation in the beautiful waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Students and staff have regaled us since with stories from the trip, and a full account of the trip can be read in Mrs Tsiagalos’ article in this edition of the Grammar News.
Blackheath and Thornburgh Exchange Visits
In the last week of Term 2, 12 students from Year 8 and 9 ventured to far North Queensland to visit Blackheath and Thornburgh College as part of the Schools annual exchange. The report below written by Lachlan Abbott of Year 9, and presented at assembly by Jack Oliver and Evi Phassouliotis of Year 9, provides an account of the trip.
On Sunday June 23rd to Friday the 28th, 12 students from Years 8 and 9, along with Mr Gridley and Ms Cheung, went to Far North Queensland for a six day camp. The journey to Charters Towers took most of the day, but was great fun. We flew to Townsville and were picked up and driven to Blackheath and Thornburgh College, singing songs and having pizza along the way.
Gold is the reason Charters Towers was a very big deal in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was nearly Queensland's capital instead of Brisbane, but now it only has a population of 8,000. In the 1930s and 1940s, it became a key site involved in World War 2. These days it’s pretty quiet, the schools are the biggest thing in Charters Towers.
On the first day we rose bright and early to begin our day. We started off by going on a tour of their huge school, including their three ovals, their pool, their space observatory and their classrooms. The school was huge, but only had 270 students. At first we kept to ourselves, but after our first class we started talking to more people and making new friends. Then we headed to Leighton Park – a ranch with Texas Longhorn bulls and steers, one called JR had the Guinness World Record for longest horns in the world! It was a true country place, with a pet kangaroo, and Mr Gridley got excited to drive a safari truck.
When we returned to school, we played sport with the BTC kids and then to cool off we jumped into the pool. It was around 22 degrees and the students at the school were looking at us weirdly, because we were swimming in 'winter'. The first day was long, but very enjoyable.
During our stay, we went to the miner's cottage to pan for gold, and had a chance to hold several thousand dollars’ worth of gold! Then we explored the town itself before lunch, including the old Stock Exchange. We climbed to the top of Towers Hill for the magnificent views and local rock wallabies, and Mr Gridley gave us an astronomy lesson. At night we went for a fantastic ghost tour with Erica.
On Wednesday was our last day at Blackheath and Thornburgh College. There were lots of goodbyes and lots of snapchat username exchanges. We continued on our trip to Townsville, visiting the weir and river for lunch where Finn went fishing and caught a lettuce, but no fish! We also stopped by the famous bridge flood meter. The highest measurements were above 20 metres during the 2009 and 2019 floods. Then we proceeded to go to Ravenswood, a ghost town. Eventually we arrived in Townsville and settled into our hotel rooms. After that, we went down the beautiful strand. We then headed to the reef aquarium where we learned about the reef turtles and fish. After the aquarium, we bought our families presents.
On Thursday we could not resist the attraction of Magnetic Island, so after breakfast we caught the ferry to the beautiful island in the Great Barrier Reef. First we went to Arcadia, where we went for a bush walk and discovered lots of local people and creatures, but best of all we went snorkelling, seeing huge fish, bright coral and a shipwreck! After a quick lunch we then caught the bus to Bungalow Bay, an animal sanctuary where we held lizards, a baby crocodile, and fed the lorikeets.
Thanks you so much to Mr Gridley for organising and taking us on this trip, and Ms Cheung for joining us and looking after us all. It was a great experience!
A Night At The Theatre
Last Tuesday evening it was my pleasure to be in the audience at the annual Performing Arts Department’s, A Night At The Theatre. The evening was a tremendous celebration of the dramatic and musical talent we have here at the School, and I was particularly pleased to see the Middle School doing the heavy lifting.
My congratulations go to all performers and those supporting them for a flawless performance. Each and every performer shone, demonstrating energy and confidence, and showcasing the brilliant teaching and direction that such performances are built upon. Particular congratulations go to Elise Zijai, Calysta Morgan and Kane Felsinger for the evenings success.
This will be my last Grammar News article before I leave to undertake a new position with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Sharron Frame, the Head of Senior School, will be supporting Mr Costello and Mr Damatopoulos in overseeing the Middle School for the remainder of the year. I wish all Middle School students and families all the best for the future.
Trip of a Lifetime
Students of Oakleigh Grammar experienced a trip that will certainly be remembered and etched in their hearts forever. 25, Year 8 and 9 students participated in a three week cultural trip with four of their teachers. The purpose of this trip was experiential learning with a focus on Hellenic Culture, Tradition and Greek Hospitality. Students that participated in the trip were from both Greek and non-Greek speaking backgrounds. Some students had never visited their parents and/or grandparent’s homeland, which made the trip all the more sentimental for them.
In a Mediterranean setting and perfect weather conditions, we were greeted with open arms and welcoming smiles. After a very long and much anticipated journey, Father George Adamakis, our Parish and School Priest, greeted us in Athens before everyone fought off the jet lag. We eagerly explored the City centre and took in the beaut