Year 7/8

FAREWELL MS MCLEAN & WELCOME MR LYONS

As students have been made aware, Ms Cara McLean will finish up for the year at the end of term 3. Ms McLean is heading off on parental leave, a new and exciting chapter of her life.

We are all incredibly grateful for the immense time and hard work Ms McLean has put in to leading and supporting the Year 8 cohort not only in 2023 to date, but over the last few years. She has established amazing relationships with students and parents/carers, instilled high expectations, and supported development and growth of students and staff alike. On behalf of the entire Cranbourne East Secondary College community, we say a massive thank you to Ms McLean and look forward to her return to the College in the future.

Stepping in for Ms McLean until the end of the year is Mr Patrick Lyons. Mr Lyons joins the Year 8 Team and Green Building, previously working in the Year 10 Leaders Team. Mr Lyons has hit the ground running, getting to know students, staff, and the workings of the Junior School. He will continue to be supported by Year 8 Assistant Leaders, Mr Hayden Johnson and Ms Stephanie Andjelkov.

TERM 3 HIGHEST ACHIEVERS & IMPROVERS

Green Leaders wish to congratulate the highest performing students and those that immensely improved during term 3. This achievement is in relation to learning behaviours, effort and growth. Keep up the great work.

TERM 3 POSITIVE ASSEMBLIES

Year Level Leaders and Student Captains hosted assemblies in the last week of term to acknowledge the positive contributions and achievements of students. This includes:

• 100% attendance
• Community service and leadership
• Extra-curricular participation and acheivement
• RGAR Points
• Growth, effort & achievement

Congratulations to the students who were recognised. We are very proud of your effort, growth, achievement, and contributions and look forward to your continued successes in term 4.

100% ATTENDANCE LUNCHEON

We all know how important attendance at school is for learning. Year 7 & 8 students with perfect attendance for term 3 were rewarded with a celebratory lunch on the last day of term, organised by their leaders.

This is something planned for every term, so there is plenty of opportunity for students to strive towards improving attendance and obtaining an invite to this celebration in term 4.

CONNECT 4 SUCCESS

We are excited to recommence our year 7 and year 8 C4S program in term 4. 10 students from both year levels will engage in building stronger connections within our community and leadership skills on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.

BLUE EDGE

This term students have developed college community connection, fitness, and leadership decision making skills and forged strong relationships with the proactive department of the Victorian Police.  We have a new and exciting group of 20 students from years 7 – 9 starting Blue Edge in term 4.

HANDS ON LEARNING

Students have been working on multiple projects this term creating new areas for students to connect at recess and lunch and supporting R U OK Day celebrations this term. In term 4 we will finish our large projects as we commence our 2024 classes during Step Up.

COURAGE TO CARE

Courage to Care sessions were completed by Year 7 students at the end of term. The aims of the sessions is to promote acceptance of diversity across society by:

• Creating awareness of the dangers of prejudice, racism and discrimination
• Educating to challenge attitudes and behaviours
• Demonstrating that every individual can make a difference
• Transforming “bystander” behaviour to “upstander” action

Students learned and reflected upon:

• How society influences the way we see and treat others
• How certain negative attitudes towards others can lead to social exclusion, intolerance, and injury

Our Year 8 cohort will complete these sessions early in term 4.

For more information on Courage to Care, please visit the website below.

LET'S TALK BODY IMAGE IN A DIGITAL WORLD - BUTTERFLY FOUNDATION

Earlier this term, all year 7 and 8 students participated in a Body Image presentation from the Butterfly Foundation, within the context of social media. The sessions looked at a positive experience online by exploring appearance ideals, appearance comparisons and appearance related teasing and bullying. Students learned positive strategies to:

• Challenge appearance ideals
• Derail and combat unhealthy body comparisons
• Take control of their online experience to support body image
• Manage online appearance-based bullying and teasing
• Reach out for help (for self and others)

For more information of the Butterfly Foundation, body image, and supports, please visit the website below.

STEAM - STUDENT AMBASSADOR LEADER PROGRAM

The Casey tech school is a place where two secondary school students from year 7-10 are formally chosen to go and participate in the Student Ambassador Leader Program (SALP), and I had the opportunity to be able to participate in this program. The SALP program focuses on boosting leadership and teamwork skills. It also teaches us each element of what STEAM actually is. Science, Technology, Engineering Arts and Mathematics.

A few weeks ago, in commemoration of National Science Week we were able to put together a STEAM fest for primary school students from four different schools. What STEAM fest basically was, that there were a few groups that the ambassadors were split to which focused on different types of STEAM. For instance, there was the drone group which was the technology part of STEAM, fire, healthcare and movies and animations. I was fortunate enough to be in the fire group. Each group did a quick activity with the students so they could learn and have fun while they did it.

In the fire group for an introduction, we showed them flammable bubbles and how they are able to light on fire when gas is in them. For the engaging activity they were able to do colourful fire, where multiple popsicle sticks were socking in different chemicals like potassium and sulphate and when help against the Bunsen burner (the source of fire) the fire hit the stick and it was able to change different colours.  The students learnt that this is how fireworks are made and how when gas is trapped in bubbles it’s flammable.

The ambassadors went through a lot of planning prior to this day to make sure that the students had a great time. We were able to learn a lot through that day. How to take leadership, how to properly plan an event that involves young children and most of all how to have fun while doing all this in 15-minute sessions which happens one after the other.

Overall it was a great day where everyone learnt different things. 

Written by Yuhasa in 8L.