Faculty News
Careers News
MICHELLE MASCARO
Career Advisor
Deakin Step on Campus
Gives students and their families an opportunity to take a personalised tour of Deakin with a current Deakin student to learn about Deakin’s study areas, campus life and transition into uni.
Where and When:
Melbourne Burwood Campus – Wed 10th and 17th April
Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus – Thurs 11th and 18th April
Geelong Waterfront Campus – Tues 16th April Warrnambool Campus – Tuesday 16th April Register for one or more tours at Step on Campus
Monash University School Holiday Campus Tours
Students are invited to join Monash students on a scheduled tour – a great way to see and experience each of the campuses. Tours will commence at 10.00am and run for about 1.5 hours. Students can attend on any of these days:
- Friday 12th April – Clayton Campus
- Monday 15th April – Caulfield Campus
- Tuesday 16th April – Peninsula Campus
- Thursday 18th April – Clayton Campus
- Wednesday 24th April - Clayton Campus
Book a tour at Monash Campus Tours
Experience Clever at La Trobe University
Experience Clever gives Year 10, 11 and 12 students the chance to experience Uni for a day. Not only will students get to see the campus, but also get to take part in fun and dynamic workshops led by real lecturers. There will be campus and accommodation tours, free catering, prizes and entertainment. Students are encouraged to register early before sessions fill up.
Date: Friday 12th April 2019
Time: 9.00am – 4.30pm
Venue: La Trobe University, Melbourne Campus, Union Building
Register at Experience Clever at La Trobe
Day in the Life of a Fashion Illustrator – Holiday Workshop
This hands-on 1-day workshop is open to all Year 10 – 12 students, and aims to provide the opportunity to experience life as a fashion illustrator, and to develop skills to present creative ideas for their portfolio. Tips for folio presentation and layout will also be discussed.
Date: Friday 12 April 2019
Time: 9.30am – 4.00pm
Location: Box Hill Institute – Nelson Road
Cost: $75 plus processing fee
Registration: A Day in the Life of a Fashion Illustrator
Education USA Information Sessions
Students considering applying for study in the USA are invited to attend one or more of a series of upcoming workshops that will cover all things related to applying to U.S colleges. These workshops will be held at Monash University, Ground Floor 553 St Kilda Road in Melbourne (same building as the U.S. Consulate) on Thursday 11th April from 7.15pm-8.00pm For more details and to register visit the events tab at Education USA Melbourne Events
William Angliss Institute Foods & Hospitality Day
Year 9 – 12 students are invited to learn how to make delicious beverages and get a taste of the William Angliss kitchens while learning about pathways into careers in the food and hospitality industry.
Date: Wednesday 10th April 2019
Time: 12.00pm – 4.10pm
Location: Building A, William Angliss Institute, 555 La Trobe Street in Melbourne.
There is a cost of $15.00 and limited places available. Book a spot at Foods & Hospitality Day
Chaplain's Corner
FATHER GEORGE ADAMAKIS
School Chaplain
As we are half way into Great Lent we have turned our souls towards the Source of Power and New Life through daily prayer, spiritual reading, the Liturgy of Pre-Sanctified Gifts, Great Compline, the Akathist Hymn and participating in the Holy Sacraments.
On the 21st March our Senior School students attended the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts, which I explained to them at the end of the service that Great Lent from the earliest days of Christianity was always a period of self-examination, self-reflection and a period of cleansing our soul, and also showed our students how to use their prayer rope in time of prayer. Our Junior School students also attended on April 3rd, a Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctify Gifts, explaining the importance of fasting and charity, and a brief explanation about the journey our Lord Jesus Christ had during Holy Week until the Holy Resurrection.
On the 30th March I had the blessing to represent our Parish and Community and our School, to attend the Funeral of our late Archbishop Stylianos in Sydney. We had done a special memorial service for him last week as a whole School, and I shared to our students about his life and my personal experience with our late Archbishop, and also spoke about his enormous work he offered to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, and worldwide. I was touched at the end of the service when a student approached me asking me if he could read the poems that his Eminences had written. Here is a sample of his poetry from the book Mother: A Moving Reflection of God
Mother Forgive
“Now that Crete has redeemed its loan
and you are sleeping deep in your natal earth
you no longer fear that your leg might get worse
or that the tests might show an unpleasant result.
Already in your coffin you have found serenity
An infant secure in its cradle of adoration
and the blossoms and the funerary incense dampened your face
first libation in the sudden metamorphosis! But I who for fifty years had been used to
fighting gods and demons in your shadow
how am I to stand henceforth in the sweltering heat
in wind and rain without shelter?
Mother, forgive this initial pusillanimity.
I will need time to get used to your absence
But even from your grave you will continue to
guide me
greeting me as always:
“Take my goodwill, my child;
And give me your blessing!”
The book in PDF form offered by St Andrews Greek Orthodox Theological College in Sydney is available here:
May His Memory Be Eternal! May we have His blessings from above! Click on the link below for a Booklet in Memory of Archbishop Stylianos of Blessed Memory, and also videos of his memorial and funeral service:
http://www.greekorthodox.org.au/?p=18884
On the Eve of Easter Sunday, there is an air of eager anticipation. The joy of Pascha (Easter) which in Hebrew means Passover. The joy of Pascha is at hand. We chant the canon of Great Saturday with even greater joy, knowing that the end of Great Fast is upon us, and the radiant feast of Pascha has arrived. Then Paschal vigil begins, and the priest comes forth with a candle and sings:
“Come receive the light from the Unwaning Light, and glorify Christ, who has risen from the dead.”
This is repeated several times as all in the congregation receive the light, and as the flame of the Paschal vigil spreads throughout the church, so too does our joy and anticipation of the radiant celebration of our Lord’s glorious Resurrection. The light of this Paschal vigil represents the message of Christ risen from the dead, of which everyone of us is a bearer. But if we are to be credible bearers of this good news, the light of Christ must be kindled within our hearts.
In the next few weeks we will enter Holy week and it brings all the pious and not so pious together. The invitation for all to come together to celebrate is most explicit in sermon of St John Chrysostom* that we will hear on Pascha night. Whether we have fasted or not fasted and attended the services throughout Great Lent, or just from the beginning of Holy Week, or have only turned up for those midnight service, we are all invited to celebrate the feast with joy, without fear, hesitation or guilt. No member of the Church is excluded. All our sorrows, all our failings, all our problems all our sins disintegrate in the face of the Resurrection. By His Passion and Resurrection, Christ has freed us all. There can be no other response to this than joy and forgiveness. There is no greater liberation than forgiveness. May you all have blessed Pascha- Easter! Kali Anastasi! Καλή Ανάσταση!
*Sermon of St John Chrysostom read on Paschal (Easter) night:
http://www.orthodoxchristian.info/pages/sermon.htm
A wonderful resource for guidance for Holy week that you may use:
https://www.goarch.org/-/holy-week-resources-for-families
Student Representative Council
NATASHA SPANOS
SRC Coordinator
Leaders help themselves and others to do the right things. They set direction, build an inspiring vision, and create something new. Leadership is about mapping out where you need to go to "win" as a team. It is dynamic, exciting, and inspiring. Oakleigh Grammar supports students to extend their knowledge and become better leaders. Student leaders have given opportunities to develop their skills through a range of learning experiences.
On Monday 18th March, Junior School leaders, Maria Dimitropoulos and Paschalis Grigoropoulos, together with Year 6 SRC members, Nikki Ballas, Natassa Starakis and Yianni Katsipodas, were involved in the National Young Leaders Day. The National Young Leaders Day in an annual event hosted by the Halogen Foundation for young people who are aspired to lead themselves and others as well. The five students participated in a daylong program, where they engaged with keynote speakers, contributed to a discussion and applied their learning through interactive activities and reflection. Students were inspired after the conference and they are ready to support their School, Community and their fellow students in many different ways.
Tuesday 2nd of April was a very special day for our School, celebrating World Autism Awareness Day, by hosting a “Hoodie Up” event to raise funds and recognise those living with autism. Why hoodies? Some people may experience sensory sensitivities when living with autism, and can become overloaded by stimuli in their environment; wearing their hoodie up means they can block out bright lights and busy environments which helps calm them. Our Middle and Senior School students had the opportunity to support the event by coming to School in casual clothes and wearing their favourite hoodie. We raised $705!
Well done to all students and staff who took part to this worthwhile fundraiser to celebrate the diversity autism brings to our world.
Term 1 finished off with SRC members from Year 7, 8 and 10 together with Mr Costello attending the annual ANZAC Service for schools, conducted by the Rotary Club of Monash. Isabella Anastopoulos and Daniel Gilinas laid a wreath on the behalf of the Oakleigh Grammar Community. It was a great opportunity for our student leaders to be part of such significant ceremony showing their respect to those solders who lost their lives.
Science
ANGELA KORLOS
Head of Science
Physics Day at Luna Park
On Tuesday March 5th, our Unit 3 & 4 Physics students attended the Physics Activity Day at Luna Park.
The excursion is related to the Unit 3 topic of Motion, and allows students to feel first-hand the physics motion concepts covered in the classroom. The students experienced rides that demonstrated the concepts of circular motion, apparent weightlessness and Newton’s Laws of Motion. So as they enjoyed their time at Luna Park, they reflected on the facts that the rides are based on, and illustrated some very fundamental principles of physics!
LOTE
NATASHA SPANOS
LOTE Teacher
Ariadne Polites took part last year in a short story competition with the topic “The Greek Language is the soul, the soul of civilization”. There were students from ages eight to 16 years old taking part, who are learning Greek in schools all over the world. Students had to come up with a story, no more than 2000 words long, that had to include a phrase from Mr Vagelis Iliopoulos’ message about the 9th February, the day of the Greek Language. Ariandes’ story takes place inside the pages of a Dictionary. Read on and enjoy:
The Greek Language has a soul. The soul of civilization. A soul full of light that diffuses all around the globe, refracts in many other languages, and reflects the history of humanity and as there is no life without light, there is no civilization without language.
Homer sang in this language, the ancient tragic writers taught in this language, and the contemporary poets wrote in this language. People used this language to create a justice system so that all of us can live together and that way democracy was born. In this language, people developed philosophy, science and the arts. To this day when a language refers to philosophy, the sciences and arts, they still refer to Greek terminology. And if, for some reason, the Greek words one day decided to leave, it wouldn’t be just the Greeks that would not be able to think and communicate. In all languages especially in areas like philosophy and sciences there would be darkness because the Greek language is light, the light of civilization. A light full of soul.
By Vagelis Iliopoulos
Candidate for the Andersen Prize
Ambassador for Children’s and Youth Books
Hellenic Culture
NATASHA SPANOS
Hellenic Culture Coordinator
Greek diaspora commemorating the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire, and the formation of an independent Greek state. The day is celebrated on the 25th of March and coincides with the Greek Orthodox Church’s celebration of the Annunciation to the Theotokos.
Every year Oakleigh Grammar students celebrate Greek Independence Day, and they represent the School in a number of events organised for this particular day.
On Sunday 24th March, Senior School leaders, together with Year 10 and 11 SRC Members attended the Doxology at St Eustathios Church, which was contacted by Bishop Iakovos of Miletoupos. After the service, student leaders met the rest of the school at the Shrine of Remembrance, and they took part at the annual parade for the celebration of Greek Independence Day.
On Monday 25th March, Year 5 students, Middle and Senior School SRC Members, and our Middle School leaders attended the Divine Liturgy for the celebration of the Annunciation to the Theotokos at students at our parish church, Sts Anargiris. A special Doxology, also, was conducted for Greek Independence Day. Students were accompanied by Principal, Mr Mark Robertson.
As part of Oakleigh Grammar’s commitment to community service, our Year 5 students visited Brimlea Aged Care in Murrumbeena on Friday 29th March. Students sang the Greek and Australian National Anthems, and they performed some Greek songs and dances. It was a great experience for our Year 5 students to celebrate the Greek Independence Day with the residence of the nursing home. Well done to students for the outstanding performance.
I would like to extend my congratulations to all Oakleigh Grammar students who represented the School with pride to all these events.