News

Catholic Education Week Visual Arts Exhibition

Every year, schools are invited to enter artwork for selection into the Catholic Education Week Visual Arts Exhibition, March 13-18. This year the works of 2017 Year 12 Studio Arts students Tara Mallia and Isabel Szabo were selected for the exhibition at the Catholic Leadership Centre, East Melbourne.

Tara Mallia’s sculpture entitled “Sea of Disconnection” focuses on the strength and power of connection, and how this may be the only entity from keeping someone from metaphorically drowning. Her sculpture is a based around her investigation into the dangers of disconnecting from the world. “It is my opinion that connection is the most vital aspect of our existence”

Isabel Szabo’s mixed media photograph “Lost and Found in Translation” centres on the struggles of the language barrier, an experience that she encountered on her own travel to Germany. The German flag colours in the embroidery are used to represent the difficulty of understanding a foreign language, while the Croatian colours were used to symbolise the boy’s mother language, the language she speaks at home.

David Meilak

Visual Arts Domain Leader

MMADD Day Gallery

Witness all the fun and colour exhibited by our very talented MSJ students at MMADD (Music, Media, Arts, Dance & Drama)

Physics Is Fun

On Wednesday 7 March, our Year 12 Physics class had a great opportunity to go to Luna Park to understand the application of our current area of study; Motion.

At the beginning of the day we viewed an aerobatic display by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) roulette team, which helped us perceive and distinguish the different and changing G-forces at work along with other fundamental principles of Physics. We were also given worksheets to fill out in order to do a complex analysis of the rides later back at the College. Whilst filling out these worksheets and revising our knowledge we went on numerous rides: The Twin Dragon, Silly Serpent, Power Surge and The Pharaoh’s Curse, just to name a few. 

This excursion provided us with an opportunity to investigate the physics and forces behind the rides which assisted in our recognition and analysis of the concepts of motion applied in real life scenarios. We investigated gravitational acceleration with the Coney Drop, projectile motion with the Scenic Railway and centripetal force with the Enterprise. By understanding circular motion, it allows us to explain a wider range of phenomenon, such as why the Moon orbits around the Earth and why we get thrown sideways when we are in cars that make a sharp turn. This was a great opportunity for us to learn while having a really good time on all the rides. 

By Niroshi Dikmadugodage: Senior Providence 3

Stella Schools Intensive Writing Program - Years 8 - 10

We are excited to offer students the opportunity to work intensively with a guest author for four days to improve skills in writing and speaking.

The program is open to students in Years 8-10 and will run during Term 2 from 17 to 20 April.

During these four days, students will work collaboratively or individually for 3 x 1 hour sessions each day. Students attending will be absent from other classes during that time. The author, Alice Pung will run the program with 20 places available. 

Alice Pung is an Australian writer, editor and lawyer. Her books include the memoirs Unpolished Gem (2006), Her Father's Daughter (2011) and the novel Laurinda (2014).

Pung's first book, Unpolished Gem, won the 2007 Newcomer of the Year Award in the Australian Book Industry Awards. Her follow-up memoir, Her Father's Daughter, was published in 2011.

Her first book for young adults, Laurinda was published in 2014. It was adapted for an American audience in 2016, and a collection of high school students' stories inspired by the novel was published in 2016. Pung has also written the Marly books for the Our Australian Girl children's series. 

Pung is a practising solicitor. She has also worked as an art instructor, independent school teacher at primary and secondary schools and is Artist in Residence at Janet Clarke Hall at the University of Melbourne

Alice Pung will work closely with students, developing their skills and confidence in their creative abilities and the expression of their ideas through writing and imagery. Alice Pung will introduce skills in a variety of specialist creative mediums — for example, journalism, graphic narratives, spoken word, fiction, memoir or scriptwriting — and explore the ways it can be used to respond to and engage with the wider world.

Students can apply by collecting the permission from the LRC or download the form emailed to all students in Years 8 - 10.

The Stella Schools Intensive Program Outline

Day 1: Introductions / Story sharing / Brainstorming

Following introductions, the students will begin to discuss the themes of language, gender and power, and to explore their speaker’s preferred creative form. Students will start to generate ideas about the themes, content or structure of the work they will have produced by the end of the week.

Day 2: Skills workshop / Brainstorming / Drafting

Students will make a plan for their work, and consider their goals and aims for what it will achieve. They will flesh out the ideas they began on Day 1, and explore the techniques they will use to turn their ideas into a finished work. They will make a start on drafting their creative work.

Day 3: Skills workshop / Completion of draft

Students will continue their drafts in the workshop. They will share feedback with each other, and then have more time to work on developing their creative piece. Students should aim to have a completed first draft by the end of the day.

Day 4: Editing / Sharing / Goodbyes

In this final session, students will complete a final draft of their work, edit, proofread or double-check each other’s pieces, and practice any performances or readings that will be taking place. Alice Pung will offer detailed feedback on the final work.

For more information about guest author Alice Pung:  https://www.alicepung.net/

Permission forms can be submitted by Thursday 29 March or emailed and will be accepted during the holiday break.

For more information contact Fran Dorgan (fdorgan@msj.vic.edu.au) or phone 8398 2000.

Peace Exchange Host Families Wanted

Thirty Japanese students are coming to MSJ from our sister school Seirei on 22 July for two weeks. We are looking for 30 families to host a Japanese student. If you are interested in becoming a host family for the entire two weeks, please sign in the google form HERE or contact Mr. Hayashi thayashi@msj.vic.edu.au by Thursday 29th March.

Choose Maths

On Thursday 8 March, a group of dedicated students passionate about maths were able to attend the AMSI (Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute) International Women’s Day Conference, which took place at IMAX. The day was focused on the organisation's project CHOOSEMATHS, which encourages women of all ages, but particularly school-aged girls, to study and/or pursue a career in mathematics. The project is vital for Australia’s future and individuals who wish to thrive as 75% of future careers will involve a high level of mathematical skill.

We rejoiced in the opportunity to listen to, and watch videos about, passionate women who pursued the study of mathematics, as they described their inspiration, pathways, the incredibly varied applications of maths in their lives and their triumphs over self-doubt and ridicule. The careers of women in mathematical science fields and their astounding achievements inspired our interest in pursuing the study of maths. Some of these special guests included Saskia Freytag, a medical researcher who uses data and mathematical models to explore how genes are expressed in the human brain, Lyndal Henden, who applies mathematical knowledge to medical data and the genes of malaria, to help eradicate disease for future generations, Karlie Noon, an astrophysicist leading the way for Indigenous people as the first Indigenous student to complete a double degree in Maths and Physics in NSW and Kylie Hollins.

We would like to thank Mr Krishna and Ms Nguyen for organising the day and for the great opportunity given to us to attend. The experience gave us an increased confidence in ourselves and in our decisions to study mathematics both now and in the future. We gained an incredible insight into the benefits a deep understanding and appreciation of mathematics can provide in our future careers and in everyday life.

By Madison Hansen & Jessica Baldacchino (Year 11)

St. Patrick's Day Mass

A group of MSJ Year 7 students were lucky enough to attend St. Patrick's Cathedral to celebrate mass on St. Patrick's Day. Some of our MSJ senior students were also selected to perform as part of the choir along with our Performing Arts Leader Ms. Frances O'Neill.