International Student Program News

News

It’s been a month since our last newsletter and many things have happened, but most of them during the Easter holidays!  On 24th March we had our Athletics Carnival, and the international students turned out in force to cheer on the participating athletes.  There were international students who entered into several events, and many who looked on from the sidelines, wishing they had been brave enough to join in!

 

Student Profiles

Kary DENG

Hello, everyone. I am Kary, who is an international student from China. I have been to Melbourne for two years, and this year is my last year studying in Melbourne Girl’s College.

 

This was the first time I came to Australia in July 2015, I was unaccustomed to living without my family and had no friends in school. However, MGC provides lots of opportunities for me to find new friends and to join the MGC community. Last year, I took part in long jump at the Athletics Sport Day, enrolled in the Maths Competition and participated in Pi Day. Now, I am so happy to be a part of the MGC big family, and I enjoy my life in Australia.

 

I live in a passionate and friendly host family. It is very lucky for me to live with them and I can learn more about Australian culture. We also celebrated Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, and I invited my friend Ariel to make dumplings together. I had a great time with my homestay!

 

Ellen CHEN

My Homestay Life

Hello, everyone. I’m Ellen. I’m an international student from China.

When I first came to Australia, I was very homesick. Luckily, I had a perfect homestay mother. She comforted me and gave me a  big hug. The homestay family has three special members which three big Doberman dogs. At first, I was scared but after a while I started to get along with them and now I can lie on the same sofa and watch TV. At this homestay, I met one of my best friends in MGC.

 

I moved to another homestay because my last homestay was too far away from school. During the Easter holiday, we went to Daylesford. We went boating on the lake and went to a zoo and a small lavender garden. We had a good time there. I have learned to cook and weave.

 

Now I live in a homestay with one roommate. Our rooms are beautiful. When our friend came, she said 'Your rooms look like princess’s rooms.’ Moreover, our homestay mother is good at cooking. Although she is from America, she can cook delicious Chinese food.

 

I think that living in the homestay is an interesting experience. All my homestays are friendly and come from different countries. I learn the cultures of different countries and eat different kinds of delicious food.

 

 

Teacher Profiles

Olivia DAY

My name is Olivia Day and I am an English and EAL Teacher at MGC.        

 

If I was to go to school again, I would want to be introduced to the idea that it is OK to change your mind when thinking of what you want to do in life. My journey to teaching was a round-about one as my previous studies were Fashion and Marketing. I moved from the Perth Hills to Melbourne in 2013 in the hopes of exploring a career in Fashion Events, where I promptly realised that I wanted to be a teacher! Since then, I have studied linguistics, English and teaching which has gotten me to where I am today. 

 

I have always studied dancing since I was little and my fondest memories of school, which I attended in Perth, include being involved in, organising and choreographing many dance productions. I believe it is so important to keep doing what you love throughout your life. ​I am also a Yoga Teacher, which has helped me to learn the value of mindfulness and patience (both very important things in day-to-day life!). 

If you see me walking down the hallways, don't be afraid to say hi. I look forward to chatting to you about anything and everything!

Student Work

In recognition of work well done, we would like to share some examples of our talented internationals’ writing!  If you would like to share some of your work, or your students’ work, please forward it on to lluani.williams@mgc.vic.edu.au .

 

Joanne NGUYEN

Creative Response

 

 (A letter to be opened in the event of my death)

November 1978, Ro Leap Labour Camp

 

My dearest children,

 

Probably you all have received the letter by the time I am no longer alive in this world. After sending Kim, Chou and Loung away, I have been searching everywhere around Ro Leap for a crumple piece of paper and a pen. I make sure the Khmer Rouge does not suspect what I am doing, as such civilised act can easily provoke them. After relentless days at work, I now use the moon as my source of light to start writing. Geak is sleeping soundly beside me. She looks so fragile that even a small wind can blow her away. I hold the pen up and widen my eyes with the realization that I have not written anything for more than 3 years. It is strange how the feeling of the pen reminds me so much of the sufficient life we had back in Phnom Penh. It also reminds me of you, my children who I love and cherish so much. Unfortunately, death is inevitable, and no matter how I loathe it, I must now let go of my children as well.

 

Words cannot describe how regretful I am towards all of you. It is such a shame that a mother must see her children suffer endlessly from the low quality of life at labour camps, with little to eat but so much work to do. I am sorry for the constant hunger that torments my babies, for the exhaustion and hopelessness which have already imprinted in your mind. I am terribly sorry for all those atrocious sights you have witnessed, for never allowing Keav to have her last words with the family, for letting Pa go and never come back. Sorry for having separated our family after all our endeavour to stay together. Most of all, I have been weak. I am just as confused as you all are while everything keeps happening out of hand, and I can never protect you well enough from whatever is going on. Sons and daughters, I beg for your forgiveness.

 

Meng and Khouy, it is horrible that you are forced into leaving our family too early. Especially for Khouy, the conscription news caught me and Pa off guard. We figured it was best for you to have an arranged marriage without considering how miserable you must have been. It has been over a year since I last saw two of my beautiful, young man and I pray every day that you are all still doing well. Kim, my little Monkey, my heart still breaks every time I think of how much you have sacrificed to our family. Sometimes, I wonder if it was worth it seeing scars marking all over your body as you obediently brought food back for us. My heart was tormented with guilt upon seeing you stealing corn from the fields. I should have stopped you from doing such wrongful acts, but as I have said, I am a horrendous mother, and my heart says one thing, but my brain says another. I am heartbroken that I could not protect you. My dear Chou, I hardly have the time to take care of you like a normal mother would, and I am beyond sorry for that. As for Loung, I feel the urge to even apologize to you for all the incidents back in Phnom Penh. I admit I have been a little harsh to you, telling you off frequently about your manners. I know my words mean little as you have proven to be so determined. I hope you still remember Pa’s words, that you are a “diamond in the rough”, and I know you are destined to achieve great heights in the future. Geak sends her greetings to her siblings. She and I have missed you all so much.

 

I have been nothing but a terrible mother, but I beg all of you to hear my advice so that you can overcome these hard times. My premonition is that the Angkar Regime is coming to an end due to the Youn’s attack. When the time comes, I reckon Meng and Khouy to stick together, escape from the camp and start building things up from scratch. Only by doing that will you stand a chance of reuniting with your relatives again. Kim, go find your little sisters and try to give them shelter. Hopefully you all can find others despite difficult circumstances. Chou and Loung, my beloved daughters, do not let yourselves be downgraded by the Angkar’s moral standards. Please stand tall and believe the worst will be over soon. The last thing I want to remind you is that do not seek for revenge on the Khmer Rouge. Their wrongdoings are unjustifiable but violence cannot be extinguished by more violence. Revenge will never compensate for all our losses. Also, spare your thought for Pa and Keav as well, and pray for them as we are greatly indebted to them for their sacrifice.

 

The sun is rising and the Khmer Rouge will check on us very soon, so I figure I will stop here. My faith is strong that our family will reunify again. I am sincerely sorry for everything you have gone through. Goodbye my children. Bear in mind that I will meet you all again. Time is nothing.

 

Kiss you all,

Ma

Call for Story Tellers

We are all part of the Melbourne Girls’ College community, so we would like to hear the stories of some of the people that make up our diverse and colourful community.

 

We’d like you to share your story; where did you come from, where have you been?  If you have a family member, particularly a grandparent or older relative, who is a particularly good story teller, we’d like to invite them to tell us a story at school!  Please let us know!

League of Homestay Champions

If you are interested in hosting one of our fabulous international students, please contact Lluani Williams via the College number: 9428-8955, or by email: lluani.williams@mgc.vic.edu.au , or you can pop by my office in room 302.  We are always looking for new Melbourne Girls’ College homestay families!