Learning Area News
'Creating Futures Together'
2023 Swimming & Diving Carnival
It was great to see so many students dressed up in their House colours and enjoying the atmosphere at the College Swimming & Diving Carnival at Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre in Albert Park. Congratulations to all members of Jells House on your win and we look forward to seeing everyone compete and cheer at the upcoming House Athletics Carnival.
Results of the day
1st place Jells 918 points
2nd place Scott 904 points
3rd place Derrimut 515 points
4th place Napier 480 points
Age Group Champions
13 Yr Jade Coxhead Jells
13 Yr Elias Petschel Jells
14 Yr Jenna Whetstone Scott
14 Yr Kees Taylor Derrimut
15 Yr Drew Taylor Jells
15 Yr Aziah Mathys Jells
16 Yr Makayla Larkin Jells
16 Yr Dylan Harrop Jells
16 Yr Ashton Nye Derrimut
17 Yr Jasmine Hamilton Scott
17 Yr Mitchell Plant Scott
20 Yr Dakota Nye Derrimut
20 Yr Brady Thomassen Scott
Records Broken
20 Yr 200m Freestyle Brady Thomassen 2:02.83 Scott
20 Yr 25m Backstroke Brady Thomassen 13.10 Scott
20 Yr 25m Freestyle Brady Thomassen 11.95 Scott
20 Yr 25m Breaststroke Brady Thomassen 14.75 Scott
20 Yr 50m Backstroke Brady Thomassen 30.37 Scott
20 Yr 50m Freestyle Brady Thomassen 26.61 Scott
20 Yr 50m Butterfly Brady Thomassen 27.06 Scott
20 Yr 50m Breaststroke Brady Thomassen 33.39 Scott
20 Yr 4x50m Ind Medley Brady Thomassen 2:22.30 Scott
20 Yr 200m Freestyle Makayla Larkin 2:10.24 Jells
16 Yr 25m Backstroke Makayla Larkin 14.57 Jells
16 Yr 25m Breaststroke Makayla Larkin 16.62 Jells
16 Yr 50m Backstroke Makayla Larkin 32.59 Jells
16 Yr 50m Freestyle Makayla Larkin 29.11 Jells
16 Yr 50m Butterfly Makayla Larkin 30.24 Jells
20 Yr 4x50m Ind Medley Makayla Larkin 2:34.94 Jells
17 Yr 25m Freestyle Jasmine Hamilton 15.80 Scott
17 Yr 4x25m Freestyle Relay 1:11.17 Jells
Kerrie Lay & Sally Pryde
Sports Coordinators
Library News
Valentine’s Day in the library world is Library Lovers Day, and this year we held a fun activity called Blind Date with a book, where students could borrow a wrapped book and take it home to unwrap and read. Some “dates” worked out, some were returned soon after borrowing!
We continue with Movie Monday this year; Tuesday to Friday lunchtimes are for cards, chess, whiteboard and board games. Of course, you are welcome to study or read any lunchtime. Our first jigsaw puzzle of the year was completed by mid February. The whiteboard table is very popular and showcases some of the artistic talents of many of our students.
Year 9 Mandarin
Our year 9 students started Mandarin with a bang! We dived into learning about Chinese New Year and our students got a chance to practice writing traditional banners for Chinese New Year (image 1). In addition, we have been extending our knowledge from year 8 through learning new vocabulary and Chinese cultural and historical knowledge.
Our year 8 Mandarin learners began the year with learning how to tell the date and time. In this unit, we learned and practiced content through a range of collaborative learning activities. For example, students often engage in team-based competition activities that
requires them to work together to identify and construct new vocabulary (images 2 &3). Through participating in activities as such, students’ skills in recognizing and writing characters are developed. In addition, class games also create a positive learning environment for our students. Throughout the term, students will also learn about different school related topics that they are able to incorporate into their daily lives, such as school subjects, hobbies, etc.
Our year 7s are catching up to their seniors fast! Already, they have learned greetings and self-introduction in Mandarin. Our students worked effectively in pairs to create mini role-plays introducing
themselves, and presenting it in front of their peers. Students have also learned classroom routines for entering and exiting the classroom, to mirror what students in China do in their classes. Moreover, each year 7 Mandarin learner received a unique Chinese name that was created for them specifically, which students were thrilled about! And even more so when they had the opportunity to research and find out the special meaning behind their names.
Our Mandarin program continuously ensures to provide a positive and engaging learning experience for our students.
Jessica Zhu
Mandarin Teacher
MUSIC LEARNING AREA NEWS
All of our ensembles are now rehearsing! It has been fantastic to see students attending ensemble rehearsals, as this is a great way of developing their musical skills with others. All ensembles will perform at various stages throughout the year, with the Winter Music Showcase being one of our major events.
The Year 7 Concert Band will be having an incursion on Tuesday March 21st. This incursion will run from Period 4 until 5:30pm, with students presenting a short concert for families/carers and friends at 5pm. Permission for this event can be provided on Compass.
Fees for Term 1 instrumental lessons are now due. Please ensure payment has been made by Friday March 17th. If a payment plan is required, please contact the general office.
Kirsty Mechielsen
Head of Music
Science News - GTAC Excursion
On Friday the 3rd of March 28 students went to a place called the Gene Technology Access Centre (GTAC). The students had the opportunity to transform bacteria to produce insulin. The students learnt about plasmids then had the opportunity to transform bacteria with recombinant plasmid by putting in Green Fluorescent Protein and human insulin.This enables the students to see the transformed glow in the dark bacteria.
The students had an information session, followed by two practical sessions, using equipment not available at our school.
Melissa Robinson
Science Learning Area Leader
Year 8 English - Littering posters
The Year 8 RISE students recently produced these anti-littering posters for WHSC as part of their study on advertisement techniques. They hope that the posters will help create awareness in WHSC that littering has an impact on the school community. It is not cool to litter!
Phyllis Chee
English Learning Area Teacher
STEAM News
Australian International Airshow - Student Delegation
Last Friday 3rd March, through WHSC’s partnership with Monash Tech School, we had an amazing opportunity to send a student delegation to the Australian International Airshow.
The day included a bespoke Expo tour of the Australian International Airshow that focused on the Australian Space Industry, as well as watching the incredible aerial show.
Here’s what one of our delegates, Nick Hetherington of Year 9, had to say about the day:
“I really enjoyed going to the air show with Monash Tech School. When we got to the airport, we were taken on a guided tour with some of the industry professionals. We had people from lots of different companies talk to us about what they did and how we could get into their companies. We had people from Airbus, Lockheed Martin and many other companies talk to us in detail and then we were able to ask any questions that we had. As part of the tour, we talked to the Australian Defence Space Command and they talked to us about how they were only founded around a year ago and about all the stuff that they do. After the tour we were allowed to walk around and look at all the exhibits and different planes. After that, we watched the airshow and saw the jet that broke the sound barrier!”
A big thank you to Wendy Ning and Andrew Dixon for accompanying the students!
Abbey Novak
STEAM Learning Specialist
Supersport
This week, on International Women’s Day, a group of WHSC female superstars from years 9-12 spent the day with St Kilda AFLW through Monash Tech School’s “Supersport Industry Immersion”.
While the girls were inspired to continue breaking the glass ceiling as females in a male-dominated sport, they had the unique opportunity to engage with Catapult technology, which the team uses as a tool for performance tracking and improvement. The wearable devices were donned by our girls as they engaged in a round of AFL 9s, then they were taught how to interpret the data to improve their own performances.
In addition, the students heard from leading industry professionals about the multiple pathways available in a sporting career, including the fields of data analytics, media and communications. A big thank you to Kerrie Lay and Sally Pryde for accompanying our girls on this awesome day!
Abbey Novak
STEAM Learning Specialist
Year 11 Literature studies
The Year 11 Literature students explored the writing style of Carol Ann Duffy and wrote their own poem in response to Carol’s “Valentine” poem. These are some of their contributions. Keep up the good work!
Valentine
Samantha Loh, 11D
Not a box of chocolates or a romantic card.
I give you blood,
Made by my heart.
Blood is life and death,
All of which depends on you.
The red is my love for you.
But sometimes my blood can leak
Through the wounds that you give
What will it take?
When will it be?
Till I can leak no longer,
Till my heart stops forever,
And my blood dries and darkens.
Electric pulses run through me
Calling for my heart to start pumping
But the heart is stubborn,
Lazy.
Wanting the brown, dried blood
To flow back through me
The copper smell is pungent
And so is the taste.
Will blood ever run through me?
Or will red leave my face,
My body.
Valentine
Seth Walton 11D
Not a sparkling gem or a bouquet of roses.
I give you a stone.
It is a sun wrapped in rough, gray rock.
It promises warmth
like the gentle embrace of love.
Here.
It will fill you with joy
like a friend.
It will make your reflection
a shimmering image of bliss.
I am trying to be honest.
Not a fancy present or a grand gesture.
I give you a stone.
Its strong touch will stay in your hand,
firm and steadfast
as we are,
for as long as we are.
Take it.
Its smooth surface transforms into a pendant,
if you wish.
Powerful.
Its texture will cling to your skin,
cling to your heart.
Valentine
Sophie Sais 11D
Not a painting or a phone
I give you a camera,
It is defeated
Unlike your old one
The lens isn’t quite clear
Accept it.
It’s flash will blind you
Like a flower’s deception
Packed with fresh film
Of desperate quality
I am trying to be genuine
Not a postcard or a telescope
I give you a camera
Its negative film will roll out fast
Corrupt yet luring
Capturing every moment
For as long as we are
Take a picture.
Use every last film piece
Until our camera is no more
If you wish
But don’t worry
The film will linger in your lens
Forever.
Valentine
Shay Coxhead, 11D
No elaborate gestures, nor scripted proclamations of love.
I give you a pen.
It is a tool of the scholars,
It creates decorated language
Used to convey thoughts beyond the verbal plane.
Here.
It will open the world to you,
Like a pair of gentle arms.
It will encase you
In the comforting image of your dreams
As you write them,
As you wrote them.
I am hopeful, my dear,
That the words I cannot speak reach your mind all the same.
I give you a pen.
Its vibrant ink casting thousands of shapes across the paper of your mind.
Bold and beautiful,
Painting phrases and expressions, just as we do.
The world is our canvas.
Take it.
Its acute form dances before you,
Inviting the unity you so desire.
Its limitless scrawls will stain your skin,
Stain your mind.
As permanent as you are.
Its chiselled point cutting deeper and deeper
Across the surface of your heart.
Tracing elegantly across your veins,
Filling them with ink.
Drowning them in ink.
All consuming,
As I am.
Phyllis Chee
English Learning Area Teacher