Student Voice
Year 7 Induction Program
To all Year 7 parents and carers,
We’d like to thank you for a wonderful group of new Year 7 students and a great start to the year!
The Induction Program was a great success with students participating in a range of activities from the daunting ‘how do I use the combination lock?’, to ‘getting-to-each-other’ activities and ‘finding my way around the school’. I think we all had fun and it was a great segue into secondary school life.
High school life now starts in earnest. Homework will begin; revision of the day’s work and planning for upcoming assignments and CATS will now become the norm. We are all looking forward to creating a strong cohort of students who can perform at their best.
Kalouda Pelitidis
Year 7 Transition Leader
Disc Art Mural Workshop (Student Reflections)
1. Today's Art activity was very interesting!
I found it very fascinating how our teachers managed to come up with a way for us to create beautiful artworks using 100% sustainable items such as CDs.
We mixed classes and got the opportunity to share our creative ideas with many new people and I was surprised with how many incredible patterns people could do just on a disc.!
The art room was a friendly and inspiring atmosphere which helped creative thoughts flow. It was a wonderful first art lesson at South Oakleigh College.
Michaelia Goulia
Year 7 Student
2. Today we got to decorate CDs in an aboriginal base style. We got to use earbuds and some paint to create them. It was an enjoyable experience because we got to use paint and chat with our friends.
Prayash Gurung
Year 7 Student
Year 7 Induction Program (Peer Support Leaders)
As a Peer Support Leader this year, I found the Induction Program to be quite enjoyable and interesting. There’s something rewarding about helping out the new Year 7s, particularly when I remember back to my first weeks, and how strange transition can be for some. Getting to know all the different personalities and faces in the year level was great, and I found a lot of value in trying to help ease a few students who hadn’t immediately found their bearings. I can only speak for myself but the moments where Year 7s recognize me around the school and say hi makes me believe that the Induction Program was just as useful for the new students as it was for the 10’s. I’m very grateful for all the people involved in making things run smoothly and wish the Year 7s, and new students and staff at any level, all the best this year.
Fin Morgan
Peer Support Leader
The Peer Support Program was something that really helped me as a Year 7, and I kept those friendships I made with the Peer Support Leaders right up until they graduated last year. That connection really encouraged me to join the program this year. The Year 7s were bright, bubbly and incredibly easy to talk to, making it a lot easier to be able to interact with them. The Induction Program really eased them into the high school environment and encouraged them to talk to us older students. Having Year 7s call out my name around the school and asking how I am always makes my day brighter and it's amazing how comfortable they feel after such a short time. I have really grown to value their friendships and insights as I try to help them through this change in their lives.
Maya Noyman
Peer Support Leader
I found the Induction Program successful and fun. Not only did we Peer Support Leaders get to contribute to the Year 7’s first week but we got to bond as peers and learn more about each other. Every day someone was learning something new and the new Year 7’s did a great job settling into their first week of high school. I personally feel that this was a great opportunity to work with the younger students and show leadership as well as have fun while doing it.
Stacey Maskas
Peer Support Leader
Year Level School Reflections
The holidays were full of great amounts of happy memories for us all. Although the holidays have ended and we came back to another year at this fantastic school, I must say it was very refreshing for us all when we walked through the gates greeted by friendly staff and great friends after a whole six weeks. The first day back differed from those of prior years due to the fact we need to wear masks and take rapid tests twice a week but all of this is to protect us and other students. For the second week, I must say it was hard getting back into a routine for most students but thankfully we have teachers to help us. It is fun to work alongside my friends in different classes, it's also very helpful to have supporting teachers heaving your back so you can help other students and also improve on yourself.
Rudra Patel
Year 9 Student
Getting back to school was probably a relief for all of us. A sign that these endless lockdowns are in the past and we can finally have what feels like a normal year. New staff and students at this school have added a new perspective on our day-to-day routines, an addition that I know I – and many other students – are happy to hear. While the dreariness of school lingers on, I’m sure we can all find optimism in the smaller things and make these next few terms make up for the previous years.
Ana Donnellon
Year 9 Student
A Message from SRC Presidents
Beginning 2022, the Student Representative Council has continued to expand, welcoming an Outreach Portfolio into the team. The student leadership team met last year for a leadership training day where we began working and preparing for the school year. New initiatives and events are being planned with opportunities for all students to become involved.
The Student Representative Council is structured into various portfolios, responsible for different aspects within the College.
Campaigns hosts events and activities in support of selected causes. This includes the annual Cultural Diversity Week in Term 1 which has an out of uniform day. Curriculum is designed to support students in developing a greater agency over their learning in their classroom. Enrichment is responsible for facilitating extracurricular activities such as clubs which is a great opportunity for students to form friendships alongside students with similar interests. And Health & Wellbeing promotes the health and welfare of the College Community. The new portfolio, Outreach supports all portfolios by measuring the effectiveness of each Council initiative, including through surveys.
Please keep an eye out for announcements of upcoming events and initiatives from the S.R.C. which are primarily released through Compass Newsfeed, posters in the locker bays and on the TVs in the foyers.
Student leaders throughout the College have continued to organise weekly Breakfast Club, providing food for all students and staff.
If you have any issues or suggestions that you would like to raise, feel free to approach any S.R.C. member. You will be able to recognise these students through the S.R.C. badge on their blazers.
We look forward to a successful term ahead for all students and staff of the South Oakleigh College Community.
On behalf of the Student Representative Council,
Esther Walker & Sylvia Krozian
S.R.C. Co-Presidents