From the Principal Class Team

Dear Parents and Guardians

Over the past several weeks, we have seen the extraordinary talents, skills and leadership of our students on display in a wide range of fields: from poetry to sport to acting and singing, to taking a leadership role in further improving teaching and learning, both at our school and at the state level. We are extremely proud of their achievements, and of the wonderful leadership and role models they are to the whole school community.

Let us introduce some of them to you…

Melbourne Writers Festival Out Loud Poetry Slam

Congratulations to Akegma Arok and Shalom TiaTia of Year 10 who are through to the final of the Out Loud Poetry competition. Their poem, Dear Society, written by Akegma provides a confronting view of the impacts of racism in our society and challenges us to see beyond the colour of a person’s skin. It is a compelling, heartfelt piece. We wish Shalom and Akegma all the very best for their performance in the finals this week.

Dante Alighieri and Berthe Mouchette Poetry competitions

Once again, our Italian and French language students have participated enthusiastically in their respective state poetry competitions.

Special congratulations to Jamel Baba of Year 9 who was awarded First Prize in the state Dante Alighieri competition for his outstanding rendition of an excerpt from Dante’s Inferno. It was wonderful to hear Jamal perform at the recent Year 9 assembly.

Congratulations, also, to LOTE Coordinator, Ms Piera Biondi, and her team of French and Italian teachers for the work they have done to inspire their students and to prepare them for the competitions.

Western Metro Region Soccer Champions

After an eight year absence, the Intermediate Boys have broken the drought to make it through to the state finals.

As reigning Western Metro Region champions, they will meet John Fawkner SC, Bendigo South East SC and Notre Dame College in the finals to be held on 5 September. Coach Mr Robert Lakovski, was finding it hard not to smile, but says the team is managing their excitement well as they do their final training sessions.

Very best of luck to the Intermediate Boys Soccer team for the state finals.

MAC 2018 – Seussical the Musical

MAC is such a foundation and iconic part of the identity of St Albans Secondary College. It is what so many former students ask about when you see them, a tradition that provides a wonderful opportunity for students to shine and to showcase their talents as actors, singers, dancers, backstage and technical crew, musicians, front of house and as leaders and mentors.

And this year’s production, Seussical the Musical, continues this tradition and took it to another level, if that is possible. It took your breath away! And it is very difficult to do justice in describing the talent, professionalism, visual and musical delight that was Seussical.

Congratulations to the cast and crew, the band, and to the dedicated staff team who brought us this year’s MAC – Ms Janet McKenzie, Mr Nick D’Aglas, Ms Chloe Marie, Mr James Orchard, Ms Emily Simoes and Ms Melrose Tran. You have given us all, particularly the students involved, something fabulous to remember.

Student Learning Action Team

The Student Learning Action Team is a committed group of 25 Year 7 to 12 students whose mission is to contribute to our ongoing conversation about further improving teaching and learning at our school. Guided by Mr Nick D’Aglas, Teaching and Learning Coordinator, the team has designed and produced a poster which describes what effective learners do at each stage of a lesson. Their poster is in every classroom.

Last week, members of the Student Learning Action Team spoke about the Learning Cycle poster at each assembly, reminding their peers about positive learning behaviours. As well as this, Year 12 members and leaders, Laura Van Keulen and Gabriel Chan, spoke to senior staff from 6 Central Highlands schools and the Department of Education about teaching and learning at our school.

Congratulations to all of the Student Learning Action Team for their leadership of and contribution to this important work at our school, and at the regional level, too.

Ready for the Master Chefs – our new kitchen

After some delays, our new Food Technology kitchen opened last week, replacing one of the last bastions of the 1950’s at our school! The new facility looks great, and will support a modern approach to teaching and learning about Food Technology.

Thank you to Mr Brett Pollard, Facilities Manager, for his oversight of the project, and to the Food Tech team, led by Ms Andrea Coleridge, for their input into and patience with the project.

Curriculum Day

On 28 August, staff will be participating in a follow up session with Andrew Fuller on Resilient Mindsets as part of our whole school approach to wellbeing.

This will be followed, for teaching staff, by further work on introducing the Capabilities elements of the Victorian Curriculum.