College News, 

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Wellbeing Activities Term 4

The wellbeing team has been very busy in Term 4 as we support the students to transition back to on site learning following the extended remote learning period.  We kicked off the return to school with a welcome back celebration for all year levels, providing some encouragement with balloons and colour! The team have supported students with one to one counselling and case work and have facilitated numerous wellbeing programs across the campus.  These include our Thrive and TAP programs to support Grade 6 students with transition to secondary school for 2022.  We welcomed a number of students from local primary schools to provide increased support with transition with the use of fun activities and social support.  Carolyn and Fiona developed a Body Confidence program and ran workshops over five weeks in Year 7 Investigate to teach students the importance of being confidence with body image.  The whole wellbeing team contributed to the Year 8 Social Skills program where students participated in activities to promote social skills and communication.  The wellbeing team provided classroom support during Respectful Relationship classes, which form part of the state-wide curriculum to raise awareness of family violence and gender discrimination.  Our lunch time groups have continued, provided students the opportunity to connect on common interests including, SAGA, ATSI, Chill Sesh and Game On. Staff also provided information and promotion of Mental Health Month in October. 

Fiona Fernandes

Mental Health Practitioner - on behalf of the Banksia Wellbeing Team

Junior PE News:

Physical Education delivers a promise, IF you stick to the formula your teacher has shared with you. Students know how to be fitter and happier and have more energy…..if they spend enough time in the correct Training Zone.

All students now know how to find their Pulse. This is the bump-bump-bump you feel that shows how fast your heart is beating. A touch of the neck or wrist for six seconds , and then adding a zero, gives  your heart rate in beats-per-minute. 

Example: Six seconds of counting, 15 beats, add a zero = 150 beats per minute.

Our heart can beat up to 220 beats per minute. That’s amazing. A pump that fills and empties 3.5 times in one second! It’s a fist sized pump that works non stop, 4 billion times, in an average life.

Our body responds differently to different heart rates. 70, 80, 90 beats per minute is too easy. 

200, 210. 220 is too high and will lead to you stopping after a minute or so.

In between are the ideal cardiovascular training zones of 120 – 180 beats per minute.

The second part of the promise is TIME. Get your pulse up above 120 beats per minute AND keep it there for 20 (or more) minutes.

Stay there and repeat this effort 4-5 times a week and you WILL get fitter, have more energy and ,amazingly, help keep your mental health in balance.

Some home shopping shows on television will tell you that 5 minutes a day is all you need. This is false. Follow the formula above and stick with it, week after week. Our students can do amazing things when they look after their health.

Sport is nice and games are fun, but knowing your heart rate and training zones are the keys to a long and happy life!

PS : A big thank you to Mrs Pavlou, the head of the Health and PE Team. After 37 years of teaching and 5 teaching jobs overseas, this is still the best program I have worked in. Ask your child about the new Fitness Room, the classes at Springers, the guest instructors from the NRL and AFL and so on.

Happy holidays!

Mr Rowe

Health/PE/Science teacher

1985…………………………………………➡️

Junior Science News:

After being out of the Science Laboratory for so long, it has been fantastic to get back to having messy fun in Science. Following up on a promise that was delivered last year, every class since we have been back has been practical (allowing for some Quiz time too). Experiments EVERY lesson.

We rounded off the Science year by doing the practical things we had missed out on at home. Year 7 Astronomy students made a Papier Mache planet, using a balloon and soggy gluey paper. The students had to inflate the balloon to correct size. How big would a Mercury balloon be, compared to a Jupiter balloon? We then painted the balloons after they had dried. 

Students had to research correct pallets and mix primary colours so they could accurately paint their planet. After the main painting had dried, precise details were hand drawn on using a fine marker. Which planet had a volcano that would fit between Melbourne and Sydney? Which planet has a storm 3x the size of the Earth and it has been going for over 500 years? Ask your child about the amazing Solar System we live in!

The next fun activity in Astronomy was to make a movie called “Journey Through The Solar System”. Students collected 8 balls of correct size from the school sportstore and placed them on the school oval. The giant green Playball was used as the Sun and each group laid out their 8 planets between the middle of the oval and the boundary line. Correct spacing was needed too, as the planets are not evenly spread out. Using a script drawn up in class, students then “flew” from the Sun to the edge of the Solar System, filming each planet on their iPads and sharing some amazing facts. We ended this section by having a Film Festival. With popcorn! Well done, Astronauts of Y7!!

Year 8 Science Rocks Unit students have been making model villages, built on  an earthquake fault line, just like Los Angeles! Students showed an understanding of a Tectonic Plate and how the rubbing together was why we have Earthquakes. The assessment involved building up the “shakes” and destroying their village, like a real 5.5 Richter scale event. Luckily for us, there was an active, live volcano on the screen, from La Palma in the Atlantic Ocean to watch in class. We saw the real effects of Tectonic Forces, as we built our own models.

Both Y7 and 8 then moved on to the bonus activity called 50 Straws. Given 50 straws and a roll of masking tape, student groups carefully planned and then built a cube or shoebox structure of their own design. The aim was to build at least 20cm high and then hold as many textbooks as possible. The ‘squash off’ was lots of fun, as the teacher added textbook by textbook. This was a great way to do the practical side of both the Energy and Forces Units. 

Well done to Ly Ly and Dasia of 8E, who made a structure that held 25 Textbooks…a new World Record!

Part of every lesson had a small connection to the real world of science and engineering. With the 50 Straw activity, we looked at the collapse of the West Gate Bridge in 1970, as well as the very sad collapse of the T Shirt factory in Bangladesh in 2013, where lack of science and engineering lead to many deaths.

Students were also challenged to ask – “Why are we making models?”. We looked at some amazing real life examples. The Gehry Architect Studio in New York is the place where many of the world’s most spectacular buildings began, and they began as cardboard / glue/ plasticine / balsa wood / paper models!!  We also looked at the teacher’s daughter. She successfully applied to get a job at the Sydney Opera House. Part of her application was to build a model of how she would stage the play Macbeth, by Shakespeare.

Models are a great way of “showing the learning.”

Weather permitting and when there were no other PE classes on, Science students wrapped up the year with Archery. The bow, the arrow, the aiming process, the curve of the arrow in the air…these are all practical examples of Forces and Transfer and Transformation of Energy. 

We were amazed to hear how all energy for life on Earth begins inside the Sun. We traced the energy chain from the Sun, to plants, to food, to our digestive system, to our muscles, and into myosin cross bridges that  pull back the bowstring to release the arrow.

After a flat year at home, we hope we have tilted the balance a long way back towards fun!

The best learning is DOING!

A sense of AWE may be your most powerful learning tool.

See the photos attached….it’s been a great few weeks!

We welcome questions and feedback from families.

Feel free to contact us if we can help in any way.

PS I also wanted to tell you about the Y9’s who have been doing CSI Dissections since coming back from Lockdown. I wanted to tell you how they didn’t know what the 3 sheep organs were and had to do sketches and make written notes on A3 paper to collect evidence to back up their choice! That will have to wait for another newsletter !

Mr David Rowe.

Junior Science /PE

1985………………..………..………………..➡️

Year 7 Banksia Celebration Day

On Friday November 29th 2021 Banksia Year 7’s went to Burden Park to celebrate making through what was a very challenging year. We are so proud of this fantastic cohort for their perseverance and commitment to their Year 7 students. It was a fun yet emotional day as we said goodbye and shared memories of students’ first year of high school.

Wishing you all the best as you move into Year 8 – Ms Hoskin and Mr J, Year 7 leaders. 

Students in Year 7 at Acacia and Banksia have been participating in a 5 week Body Confidence program facilitated by Wellbeing staff. They completed this program in week 10 and were able to consolidate their learning to create a piece of work that challenged appearance ideals. The Year 7s created posters, videos, surveys, one line presentations and digital posters outlining the impact of media and society on appearance ideals. The aim of this program was to create awareness around the impact of appearance ideals, increase self-esteem and provide strategies to boost confidence within students. 

The Arthur Williams Junior Citizenship Award is presented by the Rotary Club of Noble Park and Dingley and recognises young people who have made a significant contribution to their school and community.  On 25 November 2021 I was very pleased to attend the presentation of the award to two of our students, Chelsea King of Banksia campus, and Billy Trinh, of Acacia.  Both of these students have made significant contributions to their communities. 

Billy has been a member of the Zhong Hua Qun Yi Lion Dance’ association for some time now.  The group plays an important role in the Chinese and Vietnamese Community and performs at events such as Chinese New Year, weddings, multi-cultural events, grand openings and festivals.  In this way, Billy serves an important service to his community by instilling a sense of safety and community cohesion through the preservation of the culture and history associated with Lion Dance.  As a young member of the group, Billy takes a role in mentoring younger participants in both the values the group stand for as well as the dancing itself.  

Billy has also mentored students at our school, having taken part in the school’s buddy program, where he acts as older brother and mentor to a yr 7 student who is experiencing difficulties and could use the support and advice of an older ‘brother’.

Chelsea King was the Year 10 Captain this year at Banksia Campus and has been involved in leadership in previous years at the campus.  Chelsea has supported many students by being a founder and driving force behind the LGBTQIA+

 support group run at school.  The group aims to help students and provide a safe place for them.  In particular, the group has an emphasis on supporting mental health of LGBTQIA+ students and meets every Tuesday.  Chelsea continues the support for LGBTQIA+

 individuals outside of school with an online support group.  In addition, Chelsea has begun a 1st Nations support group more recently and is looking to expand its membership.  This year she participated in the school musical which, like so many things this year, was unable to proceed to performance.  Chelsea has been a member of the Interact group at school since year 8.  She is looking forward to resuming a more active participation (fingers crossed) next year.

TAP/THRIVE Program

Over the past three weeks both campus’ have been running two transition programs TAP and THRIVE. These programs aim to support students to transition into secondary school. Students had the opportunity to meet new peers, meeting the TTL/TTM,  make new friendships, learn lots about life as a Keysborough College student and have some fun. Pictured below are the pot plants made as part of the TAP program at each campus.

Orientation Day

On Tuesday 7th December Grade 6 students came to their soon to be high school Keysborough College. Many nervous yet excited students gathered, unsure of what the day will hold. With the help of student volunteers and teachers, they very quickly went from being quiet and nervous to excited and relaxed. Students got to meet their new peers, and were able to explore the school grounds. They got a taste of classes they will undertake in Year 7 as well. It was a fantastic day had by all and we welcome students and families new to the Keysborough College Community. 

STEM Grade 4 Events – STEM STARS and STEM Girls Day

On Tuesday November 30th Grade 4 students from Keysborough Primary School attended the ‘STEM STARS’ Day at Banksia Campus. Then on Thursday 9th December Wallarano, Harrisfield & Yarraman Oaks Primary School attended the Grade 4 STEM Girls day at the Acacia Campus. The Year 8 STEM Girls created the activities on the day, and taught the activities to the Grade 4 Students. Inspiring girls in STEM was supported through our past student Andrea Eav joining us on the day to talk about her role as a female in STEM as she is studying engineering at university.  

The school theme for National Science Week 2021 is Food: Different by Design. It honours the United Nations International Year of Fruits and Vegetables and the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. In alignment with this theme were activities that gave students the opportunity to apply STEM principles to the production and preservation of food.

Library News

Book Week Winners!!!!!!

Online quizzes and activities were run by each of the Keysborough College libraries to celebrate Book Week 2021 (relating to the 2021 Book Week theme of Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds). Those who completed an activity were placed into the prize draw, and prizes were won. If you missed out on winning a prize, be sure to try again 

next year! Hopefully the Book Week activities next year can be conducted ‘offline’, but, rest assured, Keysborough College library staff will adapt to the circumstances, whatever they may be.

Reading Challenge

Congratulations to those students who completed the 2021 Keysborough College Reading Challenges. Prizes and certificates were awarded. If you didn’t complete the Reading Challenge, never mind, maybe 2022 will be the year for you! If you would like to complete the Reading Challenge in 2022, watch this (library) space – there may just be a Reading Challenge with a twist!

Puzzles solved!

Our talented students at Banksia Junior Library have been getting into the spirit… of jigsaw puzzles! Two jigsaw puzzles were completed in rapid succession- one 300 piece puzzle, and one with a whopping 500 pieces. Well done to these students. Looking forward to seeing what you do next!

Enjoy the photos, and have a wonderful break. See you in 2022!

The Keysborough College Library Team 

4Cs 2021 Update

Our College 4Cs Group worked tirelessly throughout 2021 to prepare for the Cultural Showcase, which was to be held at Bunjil Place in Term 3. This dedicated group of students stayed back to practice twice a week to ensure they represented their cultures with respect and pride. Unfortunately, due to covid the event had to be cancelled. We are hopefully that we will be afforded the opportunity to perform early next year.

I wish to acknowledge the efforts of the below listed students who epitomised, at all times collegiality, our RED values and 5Ps at each practice. 

It was my pleasure to work with these incredible students and look forward to working with them (and others) next year. Thank you all for making a difficult 

Nichole McCarthy

4Cs Coordinator

Operation Newstart 

This year we had two Year 9 students from our Banksia campus who participated in the Operation Newstart program. 

Operation Newstart combines a predominantly outdoor adventure program with vocational experiences and involvement in the community. This allows for participating students to build their ability to succeed and develop connections in their lives. 

Operation Newstart works with students attending normal classes at Keysborough College on Monday and Tuesday and then attending Operation Newstart on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Our two students: Jackson Williams (attended during Term 2) and Joshua Naitoko (attended during Term 4) both fully graduated after completing the entire program.

Activities that the students participated in included: camping, swimming, initiative activities as well as CPR First Aid training, Chisholm TAFE tasters, resume writing and community service. The Operation Newstart program provides the students with a certificate and a portfolio of their achievements throughout the program. 

I would like to congratulate Jackson and Josh on completing the program this year and I sincerely hope that it has helped you in building your personal skills as well as providing an opportunity for you to explore different pathway options. 

Keenan Synnott, Year 9 TTL, Banksia Campus

On Wednesday the 15th of December, 37 year 7-12 students filmed a highlight reel for the school’s 2021 production of ‘High School Musical.’ After such a hard year, these students proved their dedication and perseverance and acted every bit professional on the day. We are so proud of those involved and we can’t wait to see the final result!

Thank you to our staff members, Fiona Chamley, Basil Rizopoulos, Ashleigh Phillips and Jaimie Kent-Russell for supporting our students through this.  

To our cast – we are so proud of you all, and we thank you for making this year so enjoyable, CHOOKAS!