Grammar News

Middle School

HAYDN FLANAGAN

Head of Middle School

 

A warm welcome to all our Middle School families, and an especially warm welcome to our new students and families. I can confidently say that you will be made to feel welcome by all in our School Community, and I look forward to the contribution you will bring to our vibrant School.

 

New Staff and Students

This year we have welcomed 36 new students and five new staff to the Oakleigh Grammar Middle School. The School is attracting students and staff from both state and independent schools in Melbourne, from interstate and internationally. This year we have new students from China, Singapore and Greece, and new staff from here in Melbourne, Brisbane and Western Australia.

 

Our new staff to the Middle School are: 

  • Ms Eudora Lao – Mathematics
  • Mr Haris Velovic – Mathematics
  • Mr Josh Sperling - Mathematics
  • Mr Richard Price – Design Technology
  • Mrs Louise Crossley – Intensive English Language

The increasing diversity of our student body enriches our School Community, providing our students with genuine opportunities to develop greater cultural understanding and international mindedness, essential skills for navigating an increasingly global society.

 

Middle School Information Evening

It was great to see such a large attendance at this week’s Middle School Information Evening.

As I stated at the event, successful education relies on a positive relationship between home and school, and that both parties work in support of the other. Taking the time out of our busy lives to attend these events is a vital way of developing and continuing the relationship, and I encourage all parents to, where possible, attend these events.

 

This is best summed up in the following;

Parent engagement in the educational development of their children improves attainment more than any other single factor. Parents can help their child most by having regular and meaningful conversations with them, by setting high aspirations and by demonstrating their own interest in and support of learning at home and at school.

 

Study Skills Evening – Elevate Education

It was also great to see around 30 parents attend this week's Study Skills Evening run by Elevate Education. Elevate Education have run sessions for students and parents at the School for a number of years, providing tips on effective ways to promote sound and sustainable study habits.

 

Their sessions are always valuable and the parents in attendance this week took away information on how to develop timetables in partnership with their children, how to motivate children to study, what the most effective study methods are, and how to manage IT at home.

 

Three tips from the evening include;

  • Create a timetable with your child, locating activities important to the child first, sports training, music lessons, favourite TV show, and then assign study sessions around these. Students are more likely to stick to a timetable they have had input into developing.
  • Motivation to study correlates with having a clear goal to work toward. Help your children set goals for themselves and help them see how their education and study will help them realise these goals.
  • Negotiate the use of ICT during homework with your children. Classify homework tasks into high and low focus categories.
  • Low Focus  - Note taking, homework tasks etc, and allow background use of ICT, eg, listening to music, phone nearby but not being used etc.
  • High Focus – Study for tests, practice questions, learning new material, no ICT in the room, eg. remove phone, no music, social media turned off.

 

Lunar New Year

With the Lunar (Chinese) New Year being celebrated by over two billion people of Chinese birth or ancestry in countries all over the world last weekend, our Mandarin language students have begun the year learning all about the cultural significance of the Lunar New Year.

 

Students are being taught the meaning of the cultural celebration, and the origins and meaning behind the lion dance, the significance of the colour red, and the reason for the firecrackers and cacophony of noise so characteristic of Lunar New Year celebrations. 

 

Cyber Safety

Given the importance of cyber safety and the dangers posed by social media to student well-being, our Year 9 and 10 students began the year with a session on Cyber Safety run by Susan McLean, Australia’s leading Cyber-Safety presenter.

 

Susan’s sessions are always of great value for students and this was no exception. She provided students with tips on how to manage their personal security, and on managing the perils of social media safely, whilst protecting their personal profiles and digital footprint.

 

The session was extremely well-received by the students, and we hope that they follow Susan’s important advice.

 

For further information on Susan or the advice she provided a link that will take you to her website here.

 

Swimming Lessons and Squad Training

Year 7, 8 and 9 students have dived straight into the instructional swimming program being held at the Ashburton YMCA Swim Centre during timetabled sports lessons. The swimming program is a compulsory and integral component of the Physical Education curriculum, and provides an opportunity to learn essential water safety skills.

 

The focus for each year level varies and builds on skills taught previously, as well the incorporation of water safety skills. Your support of the program by ensuring your children get involved is appreciated.

 

These sessions also provide students with the chance to prepare for the House Swimming Carnival, held Tuesday 19th February. Swim Squad training has also begun in earnest in the Middle School, with approximately 20 Middle and Senior School students waking early each Tuesday and Thursday morning to attend training run by Mr Joyce, at the Oakleigh Aquatic Centre. These motivated students will be competing for Oakleigh Grammar at the EISM Swimming Carnival to be held on Tuesday 12th March.

 

Year 6 Swimming Trials have also begun this week in preparation for the Bentleigh Districts Interschool Swimming Carnival coming up later in the term.

 

Congratulations to all students who have committed themselves to theses early morning sessions, and we wish you every success for the upcoming competition.

Debating

With the increasing success of our debating teams over the last few years, there has again been great interest from our students in taking part this year. Mr Gridley is leading the teams, and has already held the first training day for Year 9 -12. Opportunities for students in the lower years of the Middle School will be coming later.

 

Year 7 Retreat - Merricks Lodge

On Wednesday 20th February our Year 7 students ventured down to Merricks on the Mornington Peninsula, for a team building day at the venue of their Term 3 camp.

 

 

The excursion itself acted as an orientation activity and glimpse into what the actual camp will be like. It also allowed our many new and existing students the chance to get to know each other better, with some fun and challenging tasks.

 

The day was a huge success with many smiles, and the fine weather prevailing. The students are now eagerly looking forward to the camp at the end of the year. Thanks to Mr Damatopoulos and the Year 7 team for their organisation and participation in the day.

 

Year 10 Personal Project

The Personal Project is a culmination of all five years of the MYP, and is to be completed by Year 10 students. It is a project designed to allow students to be creative and dive deep into their passion for any given topic. While the parameters are quite wide, there are still key objectives that need to be met by the students. These include the completion of a Process Journal throughout their journey, a product showcasing the student’s new found skills, and finally a report, reflecting back on the whole process from start to finish.

 

This month we have the pleasure of hearing from one of our year 10 students, Jonathan Sarris who is in the midst of producing a new musical track. Let’s see what he has to say!

 

What are you doing for your project and what made you decide to do this?

I am creating a beat/instrumental track in the form of the rap/trap genre. I really love music and instruments, so I decided to create new music and learn by myself how to do so.

 

Where are you up to and what are your plans for the next two weeks?

Currently I have just been downloading various instruments to my music software, and learning how to play the piano. I play five minutes a day on the software ‘Melodics’. Soon I plan to begin making my track.

 

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