Program Highlights

Writing Flagship

Last year, Year 7 student, Arhan Basra, entered the Hilarie Lindsay Young Writers Poetry Awards and won the Senior Primary section of the competition with his piece, The Vietnam War.  It is an eloquent and poignant poem that is worth taking time to read.

Sophia Zikic and Aidan McShane, English Co-Captains

We walked alongside the tall weeds

And the withered shrubs that once were trees

The air no longer fresh and crisp

And the sky that once was blue, engulfed by clouds of black and grey

We solemnly scaled the plains of Vietnam

Aware and afraid of our destiny

We were running from the truth

The sky was ripped open

My world torn away from my arms

Something hit me before I could level my rifle

It was a stark realization

All of a sudden, there was nothing left in my ruptured world

But the boiling shadows around me

My body strained to keep my eyes open

As if it wanted me to witness this black poison

The dust settled briefly enough for me to spot the men on the other side

My head heavy, filled with cement

And my finger shivering underneath the trigger

The first blood I drew was not pleasing

It was an instinct

A sudden movement

A fairly small one among the frenzy

It came as a genuine shock that I was capable of such an act

But at the same time it sparked a satisfying emotion in me

An emotion I had not yet discovered

*****

The reeds were swaying to and fro ferociously in the wind

The creek, polluted by the blood and entrails of the men we fought against

Indistinguishable from the bodies of those we fought alongside

All values of chivalry, overshadowed by the brutality of warfare

Covering the ground was a litter of corpses

Some so burnt by the flames that I could not even recognise them

It was an image I thought I’d never see

It surpassed all of my nightmares

The whole world had come to a standstill

There was no more movement

No more sound but the weak groans of those clinging to life by a mere thread

My heart filled with despair to see the deceased bodies

Food for rats now

It was an unforgettable day

For myself, and the handful of survivors, who lived to tell the tale

We still have the scars from war

In my journeys as a soldier, a representation of my country,

I have learnt that war is merely not a thrilling event

Not a chance to prove yourself

Not a chance to make others proud

I have learnt that it is inhumane

A human inflicting pain on another

It hardens the softest of men

Men like me

Like the others

I will remember the bright flames

The startled yells of my comrades

My own startled yells, too

It is a burden that I will carry for the rest of my life

Arhan Basra, Year 7

Matt’s Place Food Drive

This March, the Year 10 Ethics and Leadership students will be overseeing a food drive for Matts’ Place - a non-profit organisation that provides meals for those suffering homelessness, as well as refugees in the local area.

This has already started and it will continue on for the entire month of March. Thank you to those families that have already donated so generously. 

We are asking for non-perishable food donations such as: 

-       Pasta

-       Rice 

-       Sauces

-       Tinned soup

-       Biscuits 

-       Chips or crackers

-       Long life juice and milk

Food drive boxes will be set up in each of the Junior School classes and there will also be a yellow bin at Main Reception for Senior School families to use. Your donation will make a huge difference!

Thank you for supporting this cause. 

Toby Wrightson, Year 10

VCE Kickstart Lecture

On Saturday 25 February, 8 VCE Studio Arts students with art teachers John Knap and Rosie Busuttil attended the KickstArt Lecture at the National Gallery of Victoria. We were lucky enough to hear from three Top Arts 2017 finalists and expert educators to gain a clearer understanding of the Study Design and be inspired to further develop our own folios and artworks.

It was a really rewarding and insightful experience being able to interact with past students who have completed what we are currently going through, and learn how they developed initial ideas into clearly articulated bodies of visual artwork. 

Nikki Tinker, Year 12, Visual Arts Captain