CollegeNews
Year 9 Immersion
This past week has seen Year 9s involved in their term three immersion program. The immersion program enables Year 9s to trial an alternative style of curriculum, one that’s based on contemporary pedagogical approaches to Year 9 education. Students have elected one of four projects to immerse themselves in over the course of the week, either before or after their camp.
The projects on offer are:
Aim To Sustain: A project devoted to solving localised issues around energy consumption, waste production and recycling and sustainability solutions.
Hunger Pains: A project that sees students to consider real world strategies to combat world hunger, culminating in a interactive presentation for audience members of the UN.
STEM: A project that focuses on new age technology, specifically robotics and coding within the maths and science fields. Students are challenged to determine a ‘mission to mars’ using the latest digital lego EV3 technology.
Journey: A project that dissects the journey that every person undertakes throughout their life. Students explore the different cultures that make up the St. John’s community. They also look at the spiritual, physical and historical elements of one’s journey and how they came to be a member of the St. John’s Community.
In addition to these enriching learning experiences, students embark on an Outdoor Education Camp experience at Lake Eildon, disconnecting from their digital world back home and connecting with Mother Nature. Over the course of their three day camp experience, students participate in bushwalking, mountain biking, canoeing and raft building.
As you can see, the rich and diverse learning experiences on offer this week are a wonderful opportunity for our Year 9 students to engage in some alternative learning styles and programs, providing them with some new perspectives on their learning for the future.
Mr Denis Palanci, Year 9 Program Leader
R U OK? DAY
R U OK? Day is our national day of action dedicated to reminding everyone that we’ve all got what it takes to recognise the signs and ask, “are you ok?”
The day is about inspiring people to feel confident they know the signs someone might need support by listening to what they’re saying, seeing what they’re doing or knowing what’s going on in their life. Whenever you notice a change, no matter how small, we want you to trust your gut and start an R U OK? conversation that could change a life.
St John’s Regional College places high value on promoting positive student wellbeing. For the past three years we have actively supported the R. U. O. K? Day campaign by organising activities in the weeks leading up and running events at lunch time on the actual day.
During Term 2, Staff from the Student Counselling team, Jo Webb and Fiona Busuttil, a member of the teaching staff, Miss Angelique Phillip-Kemp, and the Monoceros House Leader, Mr Andrew Dias (mentor to the Yr 12 SAT/ SRC students), began working with our students towards promoting and developing activities to inspire and empower everyone at St John’s to meaningfully connect with those around them and support each other during life’s ups and downs.
By the start of Term 3, we were running weekly meetings on Monday lunchtimes with a dedicated group of Year 12 and middle year leaders. This year, the R U OK? Day group created the content of our Pastoral Session on Tuesday 3 September and students also created a video promoting R U OK? Day. On Thursday 12 September, staff and students wore something yellow to school and came together at lunch time and participated in the activities organised by the team. As can be seen from the pictures below, it was a successful and fun event for the school.
We would like to thank the support of external organisations Beyond Blue and Kids Help Line for donations of merchandise that we were able to distribute to students and staff.
We would specifically like to thank Dandenong South Woolies who have for the past two years generously donated over 130 kilos of bananas that we were able to give out to students.
We would finally like to thank all staff and students who supported the
R U OK? Day activities and the team.
The R U OK? Team
Jo Webb, Angelique Phillip-Kemp, Andrew Dias and Fiona Busuttil
On 12 September the whole St John’s community came together the to celebrate R U OK? Day. The nationwide event marks the awareness of mental health and well-being and keeping an I eye on those around you. Asking ‘are you ok?’ is a way to engage in conversation that organisers believe can change a life or even save it. There is a number of activities were held including, photos taken with R U OK ?Day photo booth, three legged race as well with face painting and everyone’s favourite the dodge ball. Overall the day was highly enjoyable with many students participating it the many events in this special event.
Dilania Benevides, Student
Captivating Collarts
On Wednesday 7 August the Year 12 VET Music class went to the Australian College of the Arts, also known as Collarts. This day started with the class meeting at the Dandenong train station early in the morning, travelling up to Collingwood, getting a tour of the facilities on one of their campuses, performing our second improvisational SAC and having a jam with the whole class based around a 12 bar blues in a couple of keys.
Once arriving and getting acquainted with the members of Collarts that we would be interacting with for the day, we were taken on a tour through the different classrooms and theatres. This was an interesting experience as we had learnt what the college had to offer from both an educational and musical standpoint.
After the tour was completed, we all went back into the mini theatre and performed our SACs in front of the class, Mr Perryman, Ms Larkin and the members of the Collarts family who were with us. Once we had performed our three songs, we were given feedback from the main Collarts staff member in the room, who wrote the coursework and then we were asked to play one of our three songs again with the feedback taken into account.
As everyone’s SACs had concluded, we then put our improvisational skills to the test with a quick on-the-spot thinking game followed by a class jam. This jam was the whole class who were present playing a 12 bar blues in A. During the jam, we individually soloed over the chords with improvisation using scales and arpeggios. This exercise was probably the best thing we did all day, as it has improved all of our improvisational abilities, and therefore, our abilities to write solos for original compositions.
Time was just slipping by at this point and it was time to head back to the station and back towards Dandenong. I am really grateful for this opportunity and hope that future classes have the same chance. Thank you, Mr Perryman, for this excursion.
Christopher Jorissen, Student
Alumni Spotlight
Alumni spotlight: Majak Mawith is a former student of St. John’s Regional College - Class of 2018.
In August, he was named in the 32-Man Provisional Squad of the South Sudan National Team and Invited for a Pre-Qualifier Camp. 🏆
Due to his excelling performance in the camp, Majak was selected in the 23-Man Squad that was chosen to represent South Sudan in two games for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Equatorial Guinea.
Majak competed against two other experienced goalkeepers for the number one spot and was named in the starting 11 as the first choice goalkeeper for both games.
He is now one of the youngest FIFA capped goalkeepers in a FIFA World Cup Qualifier. 🤩
We are very proud of this achievement and wish Majak the best of luck for his professional career as a footballer
2020 College Captains
This week our 2020 College Captains were presented with their badges in front of their year 12 peers.
I would to thank everyone who gave me the opportunity to become your College Captain for 2020.
I promise to uphold and honour our school, As Lasallian brothers and sisters we follow the way of the Lord.
Next year we reach for the stars as one, many hands build a house and together we make one happy school.
Aker Mawith, Captain
I would like to thank all the teachers, staff and students for getting me through the years of my St John's life. I thank all those who believed in me to be there College Captain and hope to live up to the expectations of both my peers and the Lasallian brothers and sister of both past and present. Let's all reach for the stars together next year in 2020.
Christopher (Tofy) Jorrisen, Captain
Thank you to everyone for all the support over the past few weeks in regard to the position of Vice College Captain. I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead the school and year 12s in 2020. I can’t wait to share my ideas and plans with you the hopes of making next year a great one!
Chester Finau, Vice Captain
Thank you to everybody who has shown support over the past week. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the leadership community in leading the College in 2020 and to be given the chance to share my ideas as well as yours. I can’t wait to begin my role as the Vice College Captain of St John’s in 2020 and I hope to make next year one of the best, not only for the Year 12s but for everyone across all Year levels. I
am hoping to get to know a lot of you in the next year.
Once again, thank you
Johanna Pastias, Vice Captain
We wish the Captains the best of luck in their future
leadership roles! 🏆
Social Media
Be sure to follow our Facebook page and Instagram to keep up with the latest events and student achievements at St John's Regional College.
#SJRC
Texts and Traditions
The Texts and Traditions 3/4 class went into the city on Monday 9 September in order to attend a student night. They learned about exam techniques from a high achieving student from last year, about the structure of the exam and what areas to focus on. We had a great night learning about our subject and how to do well.
Rachel Towns, Literacy Coach
Debating Dynamite
The St. John’s Regional College SIS Debating team has had a great two rounds at the SIS Debating Competition. We took a Senior team comprised of many new students, two Intermediate teams and one Junior team. Each team worked really well and had some great arguments as well as really supporting each other. Some of the students, Angelo Mijares, Kimberley Suson, Lili Jabbour, Hannah Fagan, Maria Hinen, Valbona Dzelan and Megan Rozario received best speaker or equal best speaker. Many other debaters, both new and old, did a fantastic job helping each other come up with ideas, rebuttal points and structuring their debates.
Debating has been a fun and challenging experience for me. I had a fun time with my Team.
Tristan Longmuir, Student
Rachel Towns, Debating Coach