Student News
ADT Showcase & Film Festival
The Arts, Design and Technology Showcase occurred in Week 8 of Term 4 and was met with huge success and very appreciative crowds that consisted of student alumni, parents, teachers and current students!
This year's showcase was our biggest to date and took up all the open space in the T-wing, in addition to three classrooms. The work on display is a testament to the hard work of both our teaching staff and dedication by students. The evening concluded with music and drama performances in the auditorium. A highlight for me was hearing the laughter and gasps from a little boy sitting a few rows back whilst watching one of the Year 10 drama performances.
This year also saw the beginning of what we hope will become an ingrained tradition - Suzanne Cory Film Festival. Beanbags and free popcorn were placed in the auditorium as staff and students watched the 2019 VCE Media students’ final products. A crowd favourite was Samuel Maceroni’s animated film that consisted of 8000 individual frames compiled together.
Overall it has been a big year for the ADT team and I would like to thank the teaching and instrumental staff their continued support and hard work.
Ms. Nalan Velisha
Arts, Design and Technology Faculty Leader
Cambodia Trip | 2019
On the 6th of December, 9 eager students, accompanied by Mr Yang and Ms Breed, flew out to Cambodia with the Global Learning Foundation for a 10-day trip filled with sight-seeing and charity work. Our first day in Cambodia was filled with the glorious sights of the Cambodian temples, visiting Angkor Thom, the Bayon temple and, of course, Angkor Wat.
The next day began with disappointment, as Ms Breed was unable to sign-up and participate in the 24th Angkor Wat International half-marathon. Regardless, we drove 45 minutes to the Pasao (Provide, aspire, school and opportunity) school where we were to begin our 4-day project. Our first day involved digging plant holes and levelling the volleyball court with sand under the scorching sun. The team made astonishing progress, finishing the day’s assigned work before lunch. After lunch, we began to dig the holes for various fruit trees to be planted and helped fix the village road.
Over the course of the next 3 days, we managed to complete the volleyball court, build bookshelves and plant numerous trees, despite some of the difficulties we faced such as concrete burns, broken tools, holes that were dug in the wrong spaces and even digging holes that were too deep. However, the gratitude and thanks expressed by the children and villagers made persevering through these challenges worth it.
We spent the rest of our time in Cambodia visiting more sights, visiting the landmine museum, the Angkor Wat national museum, the APOPO hero-rats exhibit, a killing field from the Khmer regime all in one day. We then hiked up the Kulen mountains to see the giant lying Buddha, see the Pagodas and swim in the waterfalls in the mountains. Our last day included visiting the floating villages on the Tonle Sap Lake before heading off to the airport and flying home to Melbourne.
Overall, the trip was a breath-taking experience and we are grateful for the opportunity to immerse ourselves in Cambodian culture, eat local Cambodian food and the chance to meet amazing friends in Cambodia who we will never forget.
Cambodia Participants
Student Leadership Day
The Student Leadership day for 2020 leaders was held on Monday November 18th at the Westgate Indoor Sports Centre. Our new leadership teams were put through their paces with a variety of activities that worked to build trust and to highlight the strengths in the team. From rock-climbing to beach dodgeball, our leaders threw themselves completely into every activity. It was especially impressive how well they all worked together to get through obstacle courses and to avoid any falls from a great height, much to the relief of all the Heads of House that accompanied them.
Our team building session was followed up with planning time, allowing the students to reflect on their year, set goals for 2020 and make headway into achieving these goals. Keep an eye out for the fantastic new House, whole school and SRC initiatives coming your way in 2020 – the leaders put in amazing work and have lots planned to make 2020 a great year for all.
A big thank you for the time and effort on the day of all of our new student leaders, Heads of House, Assistant Heads of House, Ms. Boon Oh, Mr. Tony Paye and Ms. Claire Breed. The new year is shaping up to be a fitting tribute to 10 years of outstanding student leadership at SCHS.
Student Leaders 2020
Terry Bennett Cup 2019
Each year, the Year 9 cohorts of Suzanne Cory High School and Nossal High School get together for a day of friendly competition. 2019 was the ninth year of the event and it was our turn to travel to Berwick to be hosted by Nossal HS.
Nossal High School Principal Mr Roger Page opened proceedings by welcoming our students and staff, encouraging us all to enjoy the opportunity of coming together to celebrate everything that is good about friendly competition. Even though they are from opposite ends of Melbourne, our students have more in common with students from Nossal HS than with students from any other school, being the only students in the State of Victoria currently in Year 9 from a fully select-entry, co-educational school.
As the photos show, students took part in many activities and not all were designed to be competitive. In fact, some of the most successful activities required students from the two schools to work in collaboration. This may in fact be the direction that the Terry Bennett Day takes in the future, given that the day is designed to build on a spirit of friendship and what our students have in common, not what sets them apart. Activities included ‘MasterChef’, Chess, Origami, Soccer, Theatre Sports, Debating, Engineering and Mathletics.
For the last nine years, the host school ‘wins’ the trophy and this year was no exception. Terry Bennett himself presented the trophy to Principal Roger Page. Having said that, Suzanne Cory High School was very, very close to upsetting this pattern!
Thank you to all the staff and students who took part on the day.
Ms. Claire Breed
Director of Sport & Student Engagement
Wellbeing News
Young Women's Group: Golf Australia All Girls Teen Golf Program
As part of a wellbeing initiative for the Young Women’s Group, our female students were able to participate in Golf Australia Teen Girls Golf Program devised to empower girls and to increase their confidence through developing golf skills.
This pilot program which was conducted over three weeks recently, provided girls with the basic skills such as putting, chipping, pitching, full swing, team bonding, course play, behaviours and etiquette, scoring and safety. In addition, they were also able to develop skills such as team-work and communication and connect with new friends, GA and SLGC staff members. From some of the feedback received, students felt:
“… More confident of playing the game”
“… Willing to venture onto a golf club outside school hours”
“... Golf is not only for rich people…”
“… Glad to discover new interest for a sport I wouldn’t normally contemplate playing”
“... Coaches were great and helped to explain and breakdown the techniques”
“... GA staff were friendly, attentive, engaging and made the experience more enjoyable…”
This was a great experience for the students and we appreciate the time and energy contributed by all members into conducting this program and thank the following people:
Coaches (SLGC): Chris Andrews, Grace Hallinan & Matt Rogers
Golf Australia
Female Engagement Senior Manager: Chyloe Kurdas
Championships Senior Manager: Jo Charlton
Female Pathway Manager: Stacey Peters
Regional Development Officer: Sharna Faralla
Participation Officer (Inclusion): Sabrin Nyawela and especially
Participation Officer (Victoria): Henry Paye for putting this program together.
We also like to thank our SCHS Director of Sport and Student Engagement, Ms. Claire Breed and our Principal Mr. Colin Axup for supporting this program. Thanks also to Joy L (11B8) for helping to take some of the photos.
We hope to have an opportunity to work with these professionals again and integrate golf into our regular SCHS wellbeing program, particularly for our female students in the future.
Ms. Lina Paye
Wellbeing Counsellor
High Notes! News & Updates from Term 4
A big term four hello to all our musical families for the music department. There has again been much to celebrate with fine concerts and music-making throughout the school since our last report.
Instrumental Music Students Re-enrolment
A reminder to all families that retuning instrumental music students in all areas, must re-apply via the E-form google doc on re-enrolment day.
Presentation Night
The Music Department was again highly visible on the School’s greatest occasion of the Year Presentation Night. In a revised format to previous years, Music was still very much a highlight of the evening with the School’s major flagship ensembles represented with the evening culminating in the Whole School Massed Singing Bracket accompanied by the Orchestra (some 58 piece this year). This year’s Singing Medley was conceived and arranged by Year Twelve students with songs of significance to their cohort featured. The Melbourne Town Hall again proved to be a most appropriate venue for our celebration with the famous Town Hall organ and Mr Tony Way, our guest organist on the night, helping to enrich our celebrations.
Local Community Music Visits
One of the Music Department’s endeavours here at SCHS is to be involved with music-making in our local community. For a second year now, musicians and Staff from SCHS have been invited to perform for our local council and business in the Point Cook and Wyndham areas. On Wednesday, October 23 our musicians and staff visited two Primary Schools to perform for students and to promote the value of music in schools, especially Primary Schools. In the morning, the Symphony Orchestra with Mr Paye, Ms Scott, Ms Iacona and Ms Wu performed for the Bellbridge Primary School students. The Bellbridge Primary School proved to be very attentive and knowledgeable about music and musical instrument. They were also fascinated to hear Ms Emma Wu sing some Italian Songs accompanied by 2020 Music Captain Alexi M. Our other new Music Captain for 2020, Krystelle C was responsible for organising the day and a big thank you is due to her. Krystelle and several other SCHS Symphony Orchestra members were actually ex-students from Bellbridge Primary School. It was great to see them reconnect with several of their former teachers.
That evening, several members of the VCE Music Class were invited to perform as guest of the Manorvale Primary School Arts Day. This is an ongoing arrangement that SCHS has had with Manorvale Primary School and it was a great opportunity our students to perform repertoire for their upcoming VCE Recitals.
Girls’ Choir at the Point Cook Christmas at the Lakes
Our fabulous Girls’ Choir was again asked to perform at this year’s Point Cook Christmas at the Lakes. It is wonderful to be invited again to perform at this family fun event held at the Lakes in Point Cook for their version of Carols by Candlelight. Ms Wu and Ms Tung led our students through a specially rehearsed bracket of songs that were well received by the enthusiastic crowd. Many thanks to the group and their teachers for giving up their time to contribute to our local community.
Class Works
As we head to the end of our term, semester and year, it is again performance time in music in the classroom. We have our VCE Group and Solo performances, Year Ten Music performances based upon Film Music and Opera and our Year Nine Blues Band performances. The students really enjoy this aspect of the course work.
Our Year nines have just finished the final part of their Music Course which is a look at how sound is made and how musical instruments are constructed. This is a fun way for the cohort to finish their music class as they examine how instruments are made and construct their own musical masterpieces!
ADT Showcase
Monday Evening November 25 saw the ADT Faculty hold our annual ADT Showcase. This grand event celebrates all of the work from students and teachers in the ADT Faculty and has come to demonstrate that the great work of the staff and students from Art, Music Drama, Media and Food Technology is a central and important part of the fabric of our School. In Music, we celebrate the achievements of our students through the performances of our small ensembles, both in chamber music and in contemporary music alongside the Art Show and the evening finishes with a grand concert in the Auditorium featuring our large ensembles (Orchestra, Band and Choirs) with the addition of two wonderful performances from our Drama students. It was great occasion marked by a fabulous turn out from our community. I would like to thank all of the staff and students who worked so tirelessly and enthusiastically to hold such a grand event.
Mr. Tony Paye
Director of Music
Message from our new Music Captains for 2020 Krystelle and Alexi
Hey everyone, this is Krystelle and Alexi, your 2020 Whole School Music captains. Being one of the biggest parts in our school program, we’re really honoured and excited to help expand and grow the music program here, especially planning and coordinating the BEST house competition, Chorals. Although 2020 hasn’t started yet, we’ve started to plan on ways to improve music at SCHS, starting with an event that Krystelle coordinated with Bellbridge Primary school. Our school orchestra performed for the young students at their school, hoping to inspire them to pick up a musical instrument, and strengthening our bonds with the community.
We’d really like to thank and show our appreciation for the job that this year’s Music Captains, Damien and Chloe have done, especially in establishing the position of Music Captain for you all. Between the two of as Music captains, we hope to promote the idea of giving everything a go. We hope to see more of you participating in the arts here at Suzanne Cory, and if you ever need a head start or advice for music, just talk to us and we’ll get started.
Krystelle and Alexi
SCHS Music Captains 2020