In the Know

School Highlights 

Junior School Reconciliation Assembly

On 23 May, we held a memorable Junior School Reconciliation Assembly, led by our talented students. A highlight was our Junior School Co-Captain, Ollie Sey, asking our Prep students the meaning of our Indigenous, Torres Strait Islander and Australian flags, which they each nailed beautifully! 

 

Thank you to our parents for supporting Reconciliation Week and making it a full house.

Here's a video of our Preppies performing the Hokey Pokey at the Assembly using the Woiwurrung language of the Boonwurrung and Wurundjeri people.

Year 5 Science - Solar Cooking 

Karen Chandler, Deputy Head of Junior School 

 

As part of our Year 5 Science curriculum, students have been inquiring into the Solar System. Our primary focus has been to identify and explore the power of the sun. 

To delve deeper into the topic, students were challenged to design and create a solar oven using a range of materials. The objective was to harness the sun's energy and use it to cook marshmallows in their DIY solar ovens, all while considering the scientific variables at play.

Unfortunately, we were not blessed with the weather and needed to introduce some artificial heat through heat lamps. To monitor the effectiveness of their solar ovens, students strategically placed thermometers inside them, allowing them to observe and document the subsequent rise in temperature.

 

STUDENTS' FEEDBACK ON THEIR SOLAR COOKING EXPERIMENT:

  • After this experiment, I’ve learnt that the power of the sun, even if it's for a short time, gives direct heat. - Junior
  • We learnt that the sun can be used to cook food. The rays went through the foil and heated up the marshmallow. - Rebecca
  • The sun gives off energy by absorbing into the tin foil and reflecting off the tin foil. - Charisse
  • The marshmallow that I took out earlier from the oven tasted different to the one I didn’t put in. I was also surprised with the result of the marshmallow I took out later from the oven - it felt crispier and kind of gooey in the middle. - Amelia 
  • The power of the sun gave energy and heat, shining down on the marshmallows. To get the most heat off the sun, you needed to find the right angle. - Elina
  • The sun can be used to cook food if it's in the heat long enough. It gives heat and energy every day for people to live off of. - Lawrence
  • I learnt that the power of the sun can be used to cook marshmallows. It gave off a lot of heat in our self-designed ovens. - Timothy
  • The power of the sun is very strong. It is very hot and has lots of energy. - Ava

Year 5 and ELC Buddies 

Paul Pellegrino, Year 5 Classroom Teacher 

 

Last Tuesday, the Year 5 students had their first session with their buddies in the Early Learning Centre (ELC). 

 

It was heart-warming to see how our Year 5 students conducted themselves with the ELC students, displaying a sense of maturity, kindness and patience.

They embraced the opportunity to play together in the ELC area and acted as positive role models for their younger buddies. 

These interactions throughout the year will undoubtedly contribute to their social and emotional growth, fostering a sense of unity and compassion within our school community.

Junior School Gardening Club

Francis McGinley, Year 4 Classroom Teacher 

Our keen gardeners have had their late autumn harvest of lettuce. As you can see from their faces, it was a great batch and delicious once washed! 

The vegetables started as seed in the classroom, transferred over to our garden beds as seedlings, and turned into greens after being nurtured over appropriately six to eight weeks. The growth was impressive. Bring on our winter veggies!

Year 12 Camp to Anglesea

Diya Matthew and Emily Chan, Year 12 

 

Our Year 12 Camp along the Great Ocean Road to Anglesea was an enlightening and exciting experience. 

Upon arrival, one of the first activities we tried was a West African dancing and drumming workshop. It was a unique and fun workshop that also provided us with a lot of knowledge.

Throughout our time at Camp, we had the option of trying out three activities from a range of options. These included archery, surfing, raft building, high ropes, bike riding, canoeing and more! Some of these activities were more of a challenge than others, but overall they were all rewarding and enjoyable to explore. Another highlight of the trip was going into town after the activities.

We also had some special and memorable moments during our evening-time activity sessions. One of these activities included reflecting on the good qualities of our peers and journaling about our best memories. Doing this made us bond more and feel closer as a year level group. 

We also can't forget Mrs Cole’s famous trivia night (Mr Johnson’s version), where we collaborated with a group of people with different strengths to try and outsmart the others. 

During our time at Year 12 Camp, we also had some inspiring speakers come and share valuable insights with us. We attended a session on careers where we were encouraged to explore our interests and think about the paths we might take in the future. Mr Brinson also spoke about some positive habits to implement during Year 12, such as getting enough rest and establishing healthy sleep routines. 

 

Our time at Camp Wilkin was a refreshing break from study and schoolwork, where we had time to relax and step out of our comfort zones. We were able to embrace new challenges and grow not only as individuals, but also as a Year 12 cohort. This is a camp experience that we will never forget!