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Counselling

Is your child overwhelmed with homework and the return to school?

Feeling overwhelmed, resembles a huge wave about to hit. There is a feeling of dread that washes over us. It’s an emotion that affects everyone when our stress or anxiety is too big to handle. It can present as anxiety, anger, maladaptive thought, worry, self-doubt, helplessness and crying, or panic attacks. However, anxiety is the most common presentation when feeling overwhelmed and it is a common feeling especially when our children return to school. After the long summer break the change back to school routine, getting up early, concentrating all day, interacting with other students, navigating friendships, completing classwork and homework can all lead to feeling overwhelmed. Thankfully, it is a normal emotion and like all emotions we can learn to regulate it. 

 

Here are some things to try, which may reduce this feeling quickly.

  1. Accept the feeling. Fighting against it does not help to reduce it, nor does ignoring it. It just makes it worse. 
  2. Change your overwhelmed thoughts. Feeling out of control is common, when overwhelmed. Unrealistic or unreasonable thoughts trigger stress. It is important therefore to pay attention to your self-talk and negativity. For example, looking at a long list of homework and thinking: “I’ll never get all this done”, is counterproductive. It stops us from thinking clearly to problem solve and find a solution. It is better to reframe the unhelpful negative thought to become, “There is a lot to get done, but if I break it down into smaller pieces I can complete it”.
  3. Focus on now! When we’re consumed by what we must do tomorrow, this week, this month, we forget to appreciate what we can do now. Plan homework for tomorrow or the week, so you can see how it all fits and what is actually important right now. This is a skill that our children will use all throughout schooling and in their adult careers. Being able to plan commitments is key to success and is a skill worth learning at any age.
  4. Take a deep breath. Breathing immediately helps regulate our emotion and our body’s response to emotion. Meditating, listening to music, going for a walk, watching a movie can also help us to settle.
  5. Act. Take steps to identify your triggers and actively manage your load. Most people make lists. Lists immediately get everything out of your head. It allows you to clearly see on the page how it all fits. This helps the stress to resolve and the overwhelmed feeling go. 😊Perhaps lists will become your friend too.

Fiona Baudinette

Student Counsellor

 

 

Careers

Welcome to the 2022 school year to both our new and returning students at Oakleigh Grammar! 

 

For those who do not know me, my name is Michelle Mascaro and I am the Careers Advisor. I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday break, and that you are ready for an exciting and rewarding school year, with lots of opportunities to undertake course/careers exploration as part of your career development journey.

 

What will the Careers Service provide for you?

  • Weekly Career News updates
  • Résumé writing, interviews and job search Skills assistance
  • Course and aareer advice
  • Subject selection counselling
  • University and TAFE course information
  • Apprenticeships and traineeships information
  • Year 10 Careers testing - Morrisby Profile
  • VET in schools management
  • VTAC Tertiary application process
  • Guest speakers
  • Careers incursions and excursions 
  • Individual and group careers counselling both in person and virtually via TEAMS
  • And much much more!

To assist you with your career development, you will

  • Receive a weekly Careers Newsletter with the latest careers events and information via your school email and on the OG Careers Website www.oakleighgrammarcareers.com 
  • Participate in a comprehensive careers program including information sessions, incursions and excursions.
  • Receive ongoing Individual careers counselling appointments and group sessions.

Introducing The OG Careers Hub (AKA the Careers Office)

The Careers Hub is located in Room 208.1 in the Senior School, and my door is always open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 8.30 am - 4 pm 

 

To make an appointment, use the online appointment booking system. 

The link is here so keep it handy! 

https://www.oakleighgrammarcareers.com/?page=appointment-booking.

 

Note: VCE Student appointments MUST be scheduled in study periods only.

 

Drop-ins into the Careers Hub are also welcome before school, recess, lunchtime and after school. You can also email me any day of the week  MMascaro@oakleighgrammar.vic.edu.au 

 

I look forward to working with you all in this 2022 School Year 😊

 

Michelle Mascaro

Careers Advisor

 

Middle Years Programme

What is the MYP?

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) is taught from Year 6 to 10 at Oakleigh Grammar. The MYP is taught in more than 5,000 schools internationally and the IB mission statement is to, “…develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through education that builds intercultural understanding and respect” (IBO, 2021), which is driven through its programme model.

 

Learner Profile

The IB learner profile describes ten learner attributes that go beyond academic success to describing the whole person. The learner profile aims to guide students to become respectful, internationally-minded people. The learner profile includes ten attributes: inquiry, reflection, knowledge, thinking, communication, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers and balanced, which students develop as they move through the five years of the programme. These profiles are taught through the curriculum and through the pastoral programme. 

 

International Mindedness

The focus on International Mindedness is taught through the curriculum and pastoral programmes. Through selecting curriculum material that has international connections and linking to people, issues, cultures, faiths, etc. the MYP student develops a great deal of understanding, compassion and curiosity for other people and their differences.

 

Approaches to Learning

The IB identifies five approaches to learning (ATL) skill categories, expanded into skills clusters that have relevance across the curriculum and that help students learn-how to learn. ATL skills can be learned and taught, improved with practice, and developed incrementally. Teachers at Oakleigh Grammar provide students with opportunities to develop their ATL skills through learning engagements.

 

Service as action

IB Learners strive to be caring members of the community who demonstrate a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and the environment. Therefore, action in the MYP is an essential element of the learning process because it supports students to develop their personal understanding, unique sense of self, and to take appropriate engagement with the community. Service requires that students build connections between their classroom learning and local, national and global issues to grow in confidence and responsibility as young people who can make significant and inspired change. 

 

Personal Project

The Personal Project is completed in Year 10 of the MYP and consists of a process, a product and a report. Through the process of creating a product, students explore an area that is personally meaningful, take ownership of their learning in a self-directed inquiry, and transfer and apply skills in pursuit of a learning goal and the creation of a product. The product provides a focus for exploring an interest that is personally meaningful, and a basis for recognising and evidencing personal growth. Finally, preparing the report is an opportunity for students to engage in a structured reflection on the process and the product, allowing them to recognise and evidence their growth and development. 

 

Assessment

Assessment in the MYP is a process to support learning and help teachers make judgments about student achievement. At the beginning of a unit, teachers will introduce the statement of inquiry which gives the content a unique context. Teachers will ensure that the assessment reflects this unique statement of enquiry and they provide students with an assessment sheet describing what is required, the relevant criteria and exemplars. These tasks include a variety of assessment strategies such as: tests, laboratory reports, experiments, essays, presentations, performances, portfolios, artworks or group work. 

Learning in each subject is assessed through four unique criteria which are the same in every IB school around the word. Students' work is assessed on a scale of 0-8 in each criterion which represent levels of achievement. Levels of achievement describe what students can do and the descriptions become incrementally more complex. During Terms 2 and 4 students receive a summary mark in each of the four criterion which indicates a holistic level of achievement in that subject. There is no marking down for late work, poor behaviour or effort in the MYP. 

 

For further information, please email me: MFitzgerald@oakleighgrammar.vic.edu.au or watch the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEXfviHlo4M

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Melissa Fitzgerald

IB MYP Coordinator 

 

Mathematics 

Our School’s aspirational theme for 2022 'Success is ours to achieve' is well and truly reflected in Mathematics classes in the first few weeks. From the very beginning of the school year, our Middle School Mathematics teachers endeavour to set and maintain high expectations.  

In Lesson 1, we talked about behavioural and academic expectations, overview and timeline of the course, assessments, and learning resources. The course timeline for 2022 has been uploaded on the class’ Teams page. With the course timeline, students will be able to see what they’re learning on a weekly basis and when they are having assessments in 2022. 

 

As a class we set up digital textbooks, so students do not have to take home their physical textbook. Most importantly, we set up online classes for monitoring homework completion. The online maths class will be mainly used to set pre-tests and homework. It is also a great complementary learning platform. We hope students utilise these resources as much as possible to improve their study.

 

Following on the successful trial at the end of 2021, we have introduced online adaptive Progressive Achievement Tests (PAT) in 2022. With this tool, we are able to assess students’ mathematical literacy and understanding across three strands and four proficiencies with test content personalised to each student. All Middle School students have completed their first PAT Maths Adaptive this year and will take the second one at the end of 2022 so that teachers are able to monitor students’ proficiency and progress in order for individualised and responsive teaching.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angela Korlos

Head of Mathematics/Science

 

LOTE 

LOTE Greek

Oakleigh Grammar offers to students in Year 9 a Vocational Education and Training Language Program.  Vocational Education and Training courses expand opportunities and provide alternative pathways for learners. Year 9 students studying Greek in Phase 2 have the opportunity to complete the two years course and receive the 

Certificate II in Applied Language.

 

Learning a language has been shown to have many benefits, including enhancing creativity, problem solving ability, literacy skills and the maintenance of cultural identity.  Languages provide advantages for employment, with an increasing number of organisations seeking bi/multi lingual speakers to remain competitive in a global marketplace. 

 

This particular Certificate is a nationally accredited curriculum that offers students the opportunity to develop basic oral and written communication in a language other than English in a range of standard social and workplace situations.

 

Oakleigh Grammar is the only school in Victoria offering this course and the students have the opportunity to receive a qualification proving that they have done Greek during their school years.

 

On Tuesday 8 February during our Middle and Senior School Assembly, students who completed the course at the end on 2022 received their certificates. We would like to congratulate the following students for their achievement and their outstanding work during the two-year course:

 

1.         Emma Alexellis

2.         Isabella Anastopoulos  

4.         Elena Georgiadis

5.         Eros Kene 

6.         Christopher Long

7.         Athanasia McCammon

8.         Eleni Pashos

9.         Charlotte Tsitas

 

Natasha Spanos

VCE Academic Leader (LOTE)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOTE Chinese

Kicking off this year with a wonderful start, our students studying Chinese have experienced many practical activities surrounding the theme of the Chinese 

New Year!

 

Students have created their own papercraft firecrackers while learning about Chinese New Year culture and mythologies. They listened stories about the ‘Nian’ monster and its relationship with the Chinese firecrackers.  

 

Students also researched the Lantern festival, which marks the end of Chinese New Year. They are very keen to try the traditional Chinese food which people eat on Lantern Festival. It’s called ‘Tang Yuan’, consisting of balls of glutinous rice flour and water that are boiled or deep-fried and served in a hot broth or syrup. 

 

A chopsticks challenge has been held to improve students’ engagement and help them understand what chopsticks represent in Chinese culture.  

 

We are so pleased to see how happy and engaged our students are. We wish everyone a roaring tiger year with lots of health and fortune! 

 

Lydia Liu 

Middle School Academic Learning Leader (LOTE)

 

Debating

If you’ve ever watched a 'clickbait' video on social media and scrolled through the comments, you might have been confronted with some very aggressive and emotional opinions. Young people these days can communicate with the world so quickly and easily… but can they do it respectfully and constructively?

 

Now more than ever, students need to learn not to argue, inflame or complain, 

but to DEBATE.

 

Competitive debating is a true test of character. It takes great bravery, knowledge, preparation, teamwork and a positive attitude to take on feedback.

 

Big questions call for complex answers, which in turn call for great research and a structured approach. Luckily the Oakleigh Grammar Debating Team is always up 

to the task!

 

In 2022, five new teams have been formed from our most talented Middle and Senior School students, who will stay after school on Thursdays to compete against other top schools in our area, including Wesley College, Caulfield Grammar, John Monash Science School, Mazenod and Huntingtower.

 

Some will debate formally for their first time, whilst some returning champions will fine-tune their persuasive skills. These debates will take place at Wesley College between March and July, hopefully, followed by finals!

 

In addition to the inter-school competition, every Year 8 Oakleigh Grammar student will debate a team of peers on campus as part of their Service As Action pastoral program. It appears we have a confident and passionate group, so we can’t wait to get into the battle of words and ideas.

 

Thank you and congratulations to all those students who signed up to represent their school, and to their families for their support.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leigh Gridley 

Debating Coordinator

 

Cognizance Project

At Oakleigh Grammar, we set high expectations for ourselves. We want the curriculum, experiences and resources that we provide to our students to be at the cutting edge of education. The latest scientific research tells us that society and technology will constantly change the skills that young adults will require in their adult lives. However, there is one skill that is truly future proof: metacognition. Knowing how to learn (and how to drive your own learning) is the only skill guaranteed to be in play regardless of what innovations and disruptions the next century bring. 

 

For the last seven years, Oakleigh Grammar has partnered with Independent Schools Victoria (ISV) to deliver the Cognizance Project. This project aims to teach students the fundamentals of metacognition and neuroscience and to provide them with the tools to take charge of their own learning. In the students’ words, “how to hack their own brain and game the system”.

 

This program runs throughout the year with the Year 8 students and Pastoral team, highlighted in Terms 2 and 3 when we invite renowned educational neuroscientist and Harvard graduate Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, to deliver three of the interactive metacognition sessions. Students are also invited to participate in a short, online survey before the first session and after the final session, to determine the effectiveness of these learning strategies. 

 

You may sometimes ask: is my teenager crazy? Sometimes they’re bored, disengaged, and unmotivated. Other times they’re risky, unpredictable, and emotionally volatile. What is going on with teenagers!? Yes, your teen might be crazy…but that’s totally normal! In 2022 we will provide three interactive presentations to all parents of Year 6-12 students as well. During each of these free, online sessions, we will explore the brain, how it develops, and how things change during adolescence and early adulthood. With activities and examples, we will learn how (and why) teenagers think differently than adults and consider ways we can support them academically, emotionally, and cognitively.

 

Please save the date 7.00-8.00 pm on Tuesday 15 March 2022 to join us for this fascinating experience with Dr Jared Cooney Horvath as we explore metacognition and the teenage brain, from wherever you are in the world. The Zoom link will be sent to all parents the week before this session, and to provide flexibility, the session will be repeated on Wednesday 18 May and Thursday 21 July 2022.

 

For any questions about the Cognizance Project, metacognition at Oakleigh Grammar or this session, please feel free to contact lgridley@oakleighgrammar.vic.edu.au.

 

Leigh Gridley

 

Science

Emerging Sciences Victoria (ESV)

Oakleigh Grammar is once again running the popular Emerging Sciences Victoria (ESV) STEM program this year. This is a great initiative that gives our students a chance to explore emerging and interdisciplinary branches of science that cannot be explored to this depth within regular science classes. In 2022, we are offering the following subjects to selected Year 9 and 10 students: Astrophysics, Bioinformatics, Earth Saving Science, Indigenous Science, Medical Physics, Nanotechnology, Nature & Beauty of Maths, and Neuroscience. 

 

Congratulations to the following the students who have admitted to the 2022 

ESV STEM program.

 

Thanks to Mr Patel for organising this excellent extension science program.