Term Reflections

Year 6 at Buckley House

Leon Labrakos, Year 6, Buckley House

Grade 6 is definitely one of the best things at Ivanhoe Grammar School. I know I’m not the only one who thinks so. Our last year in Buckley House opens us to so many new opportunities and experiences, such as Buddies, Inter-school Sport and various leadership roles. Every year, a new role is created by the innovative minds of my school mates. This year, I have undertaken the role of Lincoln House Captain. I am extremely proud of my new role and I wear my House colour with pride. This term, leadership is also the main focus as part of our inquiry in Year 6. One of the many things I have learned about leadership is that you don’t need a shiny badge to be a leader. Everyone has the true power to become a leader. Everyone has different leadership styles which they are suited to, which is why leadership can be for everyone.

Our last year in Buckley House is not just about having a chance to be leaders. It is more than that. A few of us have been together since ELC. I love the small and strong community down here at Buckley House; familiar faces and familiar smiles! Next year we will meeting a new sea of new kids arriving at The Ridgeway Campus. This is probably the biggest change which scares me a bit, but I know I will be prepared and adapt. I am actually looking forward to meeting new kids and creating new friendships. 

This year will be gone in a jiffy and so I intend to make the most of every moment! The first term is already halfway through. I intend on enjoying Buddies and am keen to get to know the little foundation students. I’ve been playing in the yard with the Foundation students once a week so they feel welcome at school, as I do. I am looking forward to so many other things.

My advice to all of the Buckley House students (and students in other areas of the school) is to enjoy every year, because it goes extremely fast. Every year I have had the best teachers that have supported, influenced and helped me to be the best Ivanhoe Grammar School student I could possibly be, which is why Ivanhoe Grammar School is the best school for a quality education as well as exciting experiences!

The First Term of Year 7

By Michael Poulos, Year 7, The Ridgeway Campus

The start of Year 7 for me has been very interesting and enjoyable. One thing I really like is collecting my books from my locker and then walking to classes that are all around the School. So far, my favourite activities have been Camp, the House Swimming Carnival and Saturday Sport. 

Camp was really enjoyable for me because we got to do a lot of fun activities throughout a three day period. My favourites were mountain bike riding, camping and hiking. I enjoyed these activities because we were doing them all in the bush which made it a lot of fun. With the mountain bike riding, we weren’t just riding on the road or on a trail like a normal bike ride that would happen at home, we were riding through dirt the whole time, riding down hills at full pace and skidding around corners. Another thing that I enjoyed was the giants ladder on the high ropes course. The giants ladder was really fun and enjoyable because you got to climb high on a ladder that was massive and the difference between each step got bigger and bigger. The whole thing would shake and move all over the place while you were trying to climb up which was a bit of a challenge.

Saturday Sport has also been something that I have enjoyed so far. The Summer Sport I chose is Basketball. I have already played a few games this term and I am really enjoying it. Being in a Saturday Sport team has also helped me meet new people. Playing sport against other schools in Victoria is fun and I can’t wait to play at another school’s home ground which is further away so we can catch a bus to our game.

Term 1 Reflection

Avlene Das, Year 8, The Plenty Campus

The first term of 2021 has definitely been interesting so far. Beginning, it was so exciting to be back at school after such a turbulent year of online and short bursts of face-to-face learning. 

Term 1 has been full of slightly altered experiences as we all adjust to the new 'COVID-normal'. This term, we’ve all been able to get back into everything that we enjoy, whether it be any kind of sport, or something more like face-to-face music lessons. So far, the students and staff have been able to put together a few exciting activities and carnivals which I believe everyone has enjoyed.

Having had no chance for Saturday sports last year, we’ve all gotten the chance to enjoy our Saturdays travelling around to play one of the many selections of Summer Sports. Saturday Sports has definitely been something I was most looking forward to participating in all through last year, and while it’s just a bit delayed, I’ve been really happy to get closer to our new normal. 

Another happening this term is the School production. This year, instead of a full run-through of a specific musical, it was decided that we’d do a musical showcase, a sort of collection of a great variety of numbers from many different theatre productions. Although many were looking forward to the planned musical of the previous year, the showcase is a great way to show off the many talents and versatility of the students here at Ivanhoe.

Based on experience, one of the strongest representations at Ivanhoe is everyone’s House Spirits. The Swimming Carnival, which took place earlier in the term was a great display of this exact spirit. All of these carnivals that we have are always one of the strongest showcases of the School’s House spirit and it always brings out everyone’s playful competitiveness. I am, hopefully alongside many others are looking forward to our next House Carnival, this time the Athletics Carnival.

Overall, as this term has gone on, it has been a slightly different experiences going into a brief lockdown, wearing masks on and off. However, the term has been a chance to finally return to what we will now see as 'normal' and also a term full of friendship and learning.

First Impression of University Campus

By Philomena Spicer and Tharinie Uruththiran, Year 9, University Campus

The first time we saw the University Campus, we were taken aback by how many people were in our year level. We had heard it was small, but all three hundred and fifty of us managed to fit into the terraces with space to spare. The campus is no longer separated into houses like past years, and we rotate rooms for almost every class for the opportunity to experience every classroom. All are different in their layouts, colour schemes and decorations. 

Due to coronavirus restrictions during ECP, cross campus interactions were very controlled. This resulted in combined sport and cadet training with The Ridgeway Campus. It was a great opportunity to not only train with new people, but also meet coaches and teachers that we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. It was also fun because we were able to use the La Trobe sport facilities to train. With the short distance between School and training, we got more time to work as a team. 

Although we were behind in cadets because we had started most of our preparation for camp online, once teachers were brought over to University Campus, we realised how quickly we had to catch up. Afterwards and to this point, we all tried our best. In a short amount of time we learnt some drills and had lessons that taught us about emergency medicine and navigation.

One of the new subjects we get to participate in at University Campus is TDU, which is divided into 4 different units; Science of life, Globalisation, Uni Inc and World War I. For the unit Science of Life this term, students had the opportunity to go to La Trobe University and receive lectures that corresponded to the topics for our big expo at the end of term. We listened to five lecturers, each talking about a topic related to their research. It has been very enlightening and interesting so far.

University Campus has already given us a chance to walk in the shoes of a university student. It gives us the opportunity to grow as individuals and gain responsibility. We are proud to be a part of University Campus. 

A Day in the Life of a Senior

By Aroha Gupta, Year 11, Plenty Campus

The building of anticipation when sitting in a rollercoaster cart, edging towards the crest of the rollercoaster track; the euphoria at the peak, the thrilling free fall, the calming slowdown until it all happens again are some of the emotions a senior secondary student may experience.

Like many of you, my day starts with hitting snooze way too many times until I’m at risk of running to the school bus in my pyjamas. Once at school, the usual routine starts with chatting with my friends in the locker room while preparing for first period.

My Year 11 timetable varies every day with a combination of the six subjects I have taken. Four of these are Year 11 subjects and the last two are my Year 12 ones. These include: Psychology, Biology, English, Maths Methods, Legal Studies and Health & Human Development. Often these subjects while enjoyable, can be overwhelming, similar to the trough of a rollercoaster ride. However, fear not! This feeling is temporary, and I’m mostly able to manage the study load with the support of my teachers, friends and family (and my dog of course!).

 Although, I am yet to master this.

In addition to all the studying, I participate in various extracurricular activities around the School, which help me to balance out the study load. As a Sergeant in our Cadet Unit, I get to create bonds with other year levels as well as work on my leadership skills. I have also been involved in the school production since Year 7, however, due to COVID-19 the production was not able to go ahead as usual. Nonetheless, the show must go on! We have strapped on our dancing shoes and are presenting a musical showcase. This year I have also decided to expand my horizons even further and take a shot at the school debating team and playing the piano. My Saturday mornings are usually taken up by playing softball for the School.

As a Year 11 student, I feel I have greater freedom and independence (something my younger sister is very envious of). However, this comes with a lot more responsibility of managing my day-to-day tasks. I am still learning how to put my rollercoaster ride on cruise control, but then again, who would want to miss out on the thrill and excitement of free falling?

Starting Year 11 Reflection

Christian Arnel, Year 11, The Ridgeway Campus

After the frenzied year that was the year 2020, a fresh start was something I was looking forward to. Going into Year 11, it certainly felt very daunting: choosing subjects, taking up new co-curricular activities and figuring out the layout and the different ways of the IB were all intimidating ideas. However, once I started year 11, I felt that my worries were alleviated. My supportive classmates and teachers all have made the transition to Year 11 seamless, especially coming out of lockdown. 

Although I have felt the greater workload and academic rigor, which comes with any advance in year level, my current experience of Year 11 has exceeded my expectations! In all of my classes, the experience of my teachers and their support helped me and my peers to wrap our heads around the new fashions and approaches of IB and helped us to understand what they needed from us going into the program. Getting back into school life and getting immersed in the co-curricular program— which was something I missed during lockdown— has proved as an integral part of my daily life and something that has been a highlight in 2021. 

Going forward in Year 11 and 2021, I’m looking forward to (hopefully) getting back into normal school life and all my upcoming co-curricular activities such as music, the school play and a project my friend Lucy Schaefer and I have worked on called Raise the Curtain. 

All in all, although starting IB was challenging at first, the support of those around me have made the transition much easier and have allowed me to settle into Year 11 nicely. The transition into 2021 and to Year 11 has been one that has allowed for me to start a fresh both academically in my new studies and also in my co-curricular activities and I look forward to seeing what becomes of the year.